The Breaking — Chapter 31

Autumn on Mykonos. Warm days, heavy-scented with figs and apples. Chill nights, clear and sparkling. The olive harvest has the farmhands working from dawn to dusk, and the fine weather allows the construction work around the estate to keep up a fast pace. In the mornings, I conduct household business: reviewing carpentry and masonry plans for the day; listening to Sostratos, Melitta, and Echekleia make their reports; and signing off on purchases that pour drachmae into purses around Mykonos.