The Bed You Make
Chapter 35, continued
All in all, his was not an unpleasant position to be in, Stefan admitted. Even though Dara would face baptism by Cassadine fire the next few weeks, he was confident in his choice and felt no concerns about the endeavor. Dara was an intelligent, lively companion. She held the added benefit of being lovely to look at as well. If he were not on a mission to secure Nikolas' future, Stefan mused, he would take the opportunity to explore the possibility of a relationship of some type with his new ‘wife'.
Such a liaison would not last, of course. They never did in the Cassadine realm. Stefan calculated that about three years was the most that could be asked of anyone marrying into the Cassadine family. And while Dara had made a commitment of just that length, it came with a carefully thought-out timetable that would not allow for personal exploration.
Adhering to the timetable would undoubtedly be easier in the wake of Dara's almost brutal ending of her relationship with the policeman Garcia. The status of their 'friendship' would no longer be a distraction for his bride and Stefan would not be forced to step in to permanently resolve the situation.
Unfortunately, the rigid timetable Stefan had in place for their first full day in Greece was already behind schedule. The plan had been to summon a few key relatives and associates to the estate in order to introduce them to his wife of almost four months. These were people loyal to both himself and Nikolas; they had played the Cassadine family game long enough to understand that the introduction to the new Mrs. Stefan Cassadine was Stefan's unspoken demand that they now include Dara in the circle of people to whom they were loyal.
Thanks to Detective Garcia, plans for the day would have to be postponed until another time. Instead, Stefan would meet with certain members of the staff whose assistance would be invaluable in aiding Dara's transition to an entirely different culture. For while it was true that the denizens of Port Charles considered Wyndemere and Spoon Island uniquely ‘foreign', the fact remained that numerous concessions had been made to the running of Wyndemere because of its geographical location. Of necessity, touches of American culture were present throughout the house and island. No such influence was present here at the estate in Greece.