Crescendo

He stared at her, and there was tautness in the set of his mouth. 'Does that bother you?' 'Doesn't it bother you?' She saw it did. He could not hide it. His eyes were very dark and angry.

'Are you married?' she asked huskily, because could a man as attractive as Gideon have reached his age without marrying?

There was a silence. Gideon looked at her with a spot of dark red burning on each cheek. After a moment, he said, 'No,' and she knew he had lied. It was in his eyes.

'No?' she asked very quietly, letting her scorn­ful stare tell him she knew he was lying.

He moved, his face restless. Again he paused and

at last he lifted his shoulders in a half-angry shrug. 'Not now.'

'But you were?'

He nodded curtly, about to turn away, but she had to know the whole truth. It had only been a dream last light, but it had revealed to her how deeply he had penetrated her subconscious.

'Is she alive? I mean, are you divorced or ...'

'Separated,' he said harshly with a black frown, and Marina felt her spirits dive into a depression. That woman, she thought. Was that her? It would explain everything. His anger, his coldness, the woman's distress and passion. Did he still love her beneath that frown of his?

Gideon was staring at her and she could see the disturbed emotion in the glittering black eyes. He put out his hand to touch her cheek, stroking down the smooth flushed curve of it tenderly. 'Forget it,' he said huskily. 'It doesn't affect you and me. Be­lieve me, Marina, I would die rather than hurt you.'

He moved closer and his eyes moved down to her mouth with that look in his face, a look which deepened to a burning intensity as he came closer.

'No,' she said, moving back hastily. 'Don't!'

'I must,' he said thickly. 'You know I must.' His arms Came round her and wouldn't let her go. She heard him breathing in her hair, his chest wrenched by emotion, his lungs hoarsely drawing air and expelling it at a pace which sounded frantic.

'Marina,' he murmured with his lips against her ear. 'Oh, Marina!' His mouth pushed down her cheek and found her mouth. After a short struggle she surrendered to his possession of it with a little groan.

They stood in the shadows embracing closely, kissing each other so deeply that she felt she was being absorbed into his bloodstream and he into hers.

He let her go reluctantly, his eyes passionate. Ruffy was barking somewhere and Gideon grim­aced. 'We'd better see what he's up to,' he said. There was a smile on his face as they walked out of the copse. He was holding her hand, swinging it.

Ruffy was leaping around the vicar like a der­vish, his short white legs agile. For some reason he found the dog collar offensive. Grandie said it was because dogs are conservative by nature and do not like any departure from what they consider to be the norm. Whenever Ruffy saw the vicar he barked at him angrily, although the unfortunate man was both kind and friendly.

'Oh dear,' he said now, smiling at them. 'Ruffy will get me one day, I'm afraid.'

'Try putting your hand over your collar,' Gideon advised.

The vicar looked puzzled but obeyed and Ruffy sank back in satisfaction on his haunches, his pink tongue lolling in a pant of cheerful relaxation.

'Good heavens,' said the vicar, smiling. 'That was clever of you, Gideon.' His eyes touched on their linked hands and he looked at Marina with a smile. 'You're looking well, Marina. I'm very glad, very glad indeed.'

With a friendly nod he walked on and she looked at Gideon with a troubled frown. 'How did he know your name?'

Gideon looked coolly at her. 'Mrs Robinson?' he suggested.

Her brow cleared. 'Who else?'

They both laughed. On their way through the village, Mrs Dudeck put her head out of her door and said: 'I've got that dress ready to be fitted, Marina. Have you got time now? I could get on with it tonight then.'

Gideon smiled at them both. 'I'll take Ruffy back to the cottage. You have your fitting, Marina.'

'If you're sure,' she said doubtfully.

'I won't lose my way,' he said.

Mrs Dudeck laughed. 'Of course he won't.'