Master of Comus

She laughed. 'No, I haven't been promiscuous. That wasn't what I meant. There was no one special at art school, just a noisy friendly lively crowd of young people. I joined in the general activities.'

He began to brush the sand off her skin. The movements made her tingle, intensely aware of the touch of those long, brown fingers. 'So,' he murmured. 'You were at a boarding school for years, then you went to college. Quite a restricted life. No real home, I suppose.'

'My aunt did her best, but...' She shrugged. 'Poor Leonie,' he said softly. 'After we are married, where would you like to live?

She was startled. 'But ... I thought ... here ... He laughed. 'On Comus? My dear girl, I'm a businessman. I have to live somewhere a damned sight more convenient than a remote Greek island. It suits Argon to stay here all the year round, but he's old now. He is making his soul. But We shall have to choose one of the capital cities. I'm ready to fall in with any views you have. Paris, London, New

York—you can decide.'

She was dazzled by the idea of choosing a home in any city in the world.

He laughed at her expression. 'You look as if someone had poleaxed you! May I make a suggestion? If you disagree, you only have to say so . ..'

'Yes?'

'You'll probably want to have a home in England, so I suggest we start looking for a nice house in the country there, but for the moment settle down in my Paris flat. It would be convenient because it's already decorated and furnished, and if you didn't like it we could take our time in finding somewhere else.'

'Oh, I would love to live in Paris for a while,' she agreed.

'Then it's agreed?'

She nodded. 'Yes.'

He stretched out on his~ back again, his lids lowered. 'Good. That's settled, then.' He yawned. 'Mmm, it's so hot out here! I feel like a lizard.'

Very daring, Leonie put out a hand and touched his naked shoulder. 'You don't feel like One,' she murmured.

Paul's muscles stiffened under her touch, but he made no response, and, shrinking, she snatched her hand away. The friendly, relaxed atmosphere which had begun to build up between them seemed suddenly to have evaporated, and she furiously regretted having stepped over the line they had invisibly drawn between them. Paul had made the effort to be pleasantly co-operative, but now her own folly had conjured up the ghost of their forced marriage, bringing down an iron curtain. Paul's pride must have suffered a serious blow when he agreed to the marriage. It would be a long time before he got over it."

From contrition she passed to pain and anger. Aloud, she said, 'We could always live apart after the marriage. Argon isn't to know whether I'm with you in Paris or back in my London flat.'

Paul flung round on her, his face taut with rage. 'Never suggest such a thing again! It's bad enough to have agreed to a platonic marriage. I'm not cheating on Argon beyond that.'

He stood up. 'We'd better get back to the villa before we quarrel

disastrously.'

She followed him, mutely raging, until it occurred to her that they must look to an observer like a typical Greek married couple: the husband stalking ahead, the wife shuffling along in his wake. She began to giggle quietly, and Paul swung round again to eye her and demand to know what was funny.

'Nothing,' she snorted.

'If you're laughing at me,' he threatened, 'I shall teach you a lesson, my girl!'

Half hysterical by now, she darted past him and sped the rest of the way at a tremendous speed with Paul running after her. They burst into the house, Paul just behind her, reaching for her, and came face to face with Clyte. A sly grin flitted over the old woman's dark face.

'Ah, you have fun?' she asked them with amusement.

Panting and puffing, Leonie nodded. 'Great fun,' she retorted.

Paul muttered something which sounded remarkably like a swear word, and vanished up the stairs.

'I wonder what he said,' Leonie said wistfully, staring after him.

'Don't ask!' Clyte urged her. 'It was a Greek word which I would not care to translate.'

Leonie giggled. 'Poor Paul!'

Clyte's eyes lit with a smile. 'Yes, poor Paul. He has much to learn.'