Desert Barbarian

'Peter would have done something,' she said.

He laughed drily. 'Peter? That's his name, is it? A rather ineffectual young man, isn't he? He ran around the beast trying to drive it off with a stick…''

'It was his pistol I shot at it with,' she told him.

'Oh, you shot at it, did you?' he mocked. 'Well, I hate to tell you, in the circumstances, but you missed.'

'It drove him off, anyway,' she said indignantly. 'You're very ungrateful.'

'Is that what you want? Gratitude?' He lay back, watching her with amused eyes.

She looked at him directly. 'What are you doing here, Stonor? Why did you come to Jedhpur?'

'Why do you think?' he retorted.

'You tell me,' she said.

'I suppose you think I followed you out here?' he asked her softy.

Marie felt herself going pink. 'Did you?'

He laughed. 'As a matter of fact I'm here on business. It's a very delicate matter, and I don't want any hint of it to get out for the moment, so by all means let everyone believe I followed you here.' His eyes mocked her again. 'I don't mind being gossiped about as a lovesick suitor.'

'Perhaps I mind being made the object of gossip,' she pointed out. 'How do I know you really are here on business? You've told me so many lies I don't know what to believe.'

His face hardened. 'I'm not lying now. Very well, I'll tell you. I'm after the hotel concession for the new National Park. This place could be a great tourist attrac­tion if it was built up in the right way. Safari holidays are fashionable. We could make a lot of money here.'

'So that's it,' she said, flatly.

'That's it,' he murmured, watching her face.

'You turn everything to your own advantage, don't you?' she accused him. 'You hadn't even thought of the idea when I told you I was coming here. You got the idea from what I told you about the place.'

'That's right,' he agreed.

'Have you seen the King?'

'I can't approach him directly,' Stonor said. 'It would cause too much talk.' He looked at her sideways. 'I need a go-between.'

'And that's why you came looking for me yesterday,' she said quietly.

'And met a tiger,' he drawled.

'Serves you right! I wish he'd bitten your head off!'

He laughed. 'Temper, temper! What have I done to make you so angry?' The dark eyes taunted her.

Marie turned away. 'You won't get much business done lying in a hospital bed, anyway.'

'Oh, I don't know,' he drawled. 'The perfect excuse for the King to visit me… who would question a visit to a wealthy visitor badly mauled by a tiger? You only have to see the King and let him know I want to have a few quiet words with him.'

'Just like that?'

He grinned at her. 'Just like that, Marie.'

'And if it's embarrassing for me to have it known that you followed me here? That doesn't matter?'

He was silent, watching her face intently. 'Is there something I don't know? Like another man, for in­stance?'