By this time their eyes had become a little accustomed to the darkness; so he could just make out her nod. `I wish you would; but do you think you can see enough?'
`We could use my cigarette lighter, but I don't like to risk it. This place may be visible from the house.' As he spoke he knelt down and groped about till he found her foot. Having taken off her shoe, he felt the ankle gently with his finger tips. It was swollen, but not very much. Getting out his silk handkerchief, he folded it on the seat of a nearby chair, as well as he could by touch, cornerwise in a long strip. Then he said
`You had better take off your stocking.'
She undid the suspender and rolled it down for him. He peeled it off and for a moment held her bare foot in his palm. It was cool, firm and delightfully smooth. His hand closed round it easily, and on impulse he remarked
`You were grumbling this afternoon about the size of your feet. I can't think why. This is a lovely little foot.' The words were scarcely out when he regretted them from the sudden fear that she might take the compliment as an amorous overture. He had experienced how swiftly she could be aroused to uncontrollable passion during the dark hours, and the last thing he wished for was to have to repel advances of which she would be ashamed in the morning light.
His fears were not altogether unfounded. After a second's hesitation, she said very softly, `If you like to kiss the place that might make it well.'
Instead, he laid on the bandage. It was the handkerchief he had used to bathe his face in the cabin, so it was still damp and cold. As it touched her she gave a little gasp, and, to distract her mind from the thoughts on which he felt sure it was running, he told her about the use to which he had put it; then, as he drew the bandage tight and tied the pointed ends in a knot a few inches above her heel, went on to describe the hurts he had received on the yacht.
The ruse served to some extent, as she immediately became all concern. Then leaning forward she found and stroked his face, as she murmured, `Poor John! You've had a frightful time. And all for my sake. But I'll do anything I can to make it up to you.'
He got her stocking on over the bandage, then told her to pull it up; but she gave a low laugh.
`No; you do it for me, darling. I'm glad you like my feet; although you'd find them much bigger than you think if you saw them. Of my legs, though, I have real reason to be proud. They are a lovely shape and above the knees as soft as satin. Just feel, here by my suspenders.'
Suddenly taking his hand, she pulled it forward till it touched the inner side of her thigh on a line with the top of her other stocking. The flesh there was like a cushion of swans down under a taut stretched skin of tissue thin rubber; it had that indefinable quality of being cool at first touch, then instantly radiating heat. The back of his fingers were pressed for only a second against it. Jerking them away, he tore his hand from hers, and snapped
`That's quite enough of that! Do it up yourself.'
For a moment she was silent, then she said in a voice near to tears, `Oh, John, you are unkind. Have you been playing with me? Don't you love me at all?'
His mouth had suddenly become dry. He swallowed, but his words came huskily in the darkness. `If you want to be seduced, ask me to fix your stockings for you tomorrow afternoon. But I'm damned if I'll make love to you now, while you are under some accursed influence.'
She sighed. `But it's now I want you to. I'd make you if I wasn't so tired.'
He laughed a little grimly. `You would probably succeed if I wasn't so tired myself. My ribs are still giving me gyp, and I'm one big ache all over. It must be past four o'clock, too; so it is over twenty hours since we had any sleep,
except for our nap in the olive grove.'
`That was nice.' Her tone was warm at the memory.
`But I'm such a stupid little fool in the daytime. I was nervous of you then.'
`I like you better when you are like that, because you are your real self.'
`What is my real self?' she asked cynically. `My feelings are as real by night as they are by day. I shall be the way you like me best again soon, though. The change always comes an hour or so before dawn, and I can feel it coming on. But you can't have it both ways. If they find us here and we have to try to escape again I'll probably behave like an hysterical schoolgirl, and I'll never have the pluck to fire that gun.'
`Don't worry. I have it, and I felt it over soon after we got in here. There are still two bullets left in it. They should be enough to give us a sporting chance of a breakout if we are found here, but it looks as if they have made up their minds that we got away along the road. The thing that troubles me is your ankle. I should like to give them another half hour, then go out and reconnoiter. If no one is about it would be the perfect opportunity to slip away inland behind the chateau. No one would ever find us up there in the marquis. But there is always the chance that we might be spotted leaving the garden and have to run for it again; and, anyway, I'm sure your ankle would never stand up to a long tramp over broken ground up into the hills.'
`No, John. I'm afraid I should let you down if we tried that. Still, if they don't look for us here soon, it is very unlikely that they will tomorrow; so we could stay here in hiding all day. By the evening my ankle will be much stronger and we could slip away soon after dark.'
`We'll be jolly hungry and thirsty by then; but it would certainly be our safest plan.'
`A day's fasting won't do either of us any great harm. If you agree, let's try to get some sleep now.'
`All right,' he said, standing up. `There is a bigger chair here with a pull out for the legs. I'll pile some cushions on it and you had better have that.'
When he had arranged the chair, she rested one hand on his shoulder and pulled herself up beside him. Quietly, with no hint of seduction in her voice, she asked, `Do you care about me at all, John? Tell me honestly. I want to know.'
`I can only say that in a very short time I have grown very fond of you,' he hedged. `I've already told you that I refuse to make love to you except in the daytime.'
`You are still afraid of me,' she whispered, `but you needn't be. The windows are lighter already, with that pale light that comes before dawn. But I still have enough shamelessness left to tell you something. I love you. You may think that is just because I've never been kissed by any other man. It's not. It's something deep inside me. I know that at night my wanton thoughts might make me easy game for anybody; but during the day, although I am shy and awkward, I long every bit as much to feel your lips on mine. I love you. I love you terribly. I'd die for you, John, if I had the chance.'
He could find no words with which to reply, and after a moment she went on, `Even if you are only a little fond of me, do something for me, please. Let's lie down in the chair together. I want to feel your arms round me. You have been so gallant in the way you have protected me; but at any time my enemies may prove too much for you. We may never have this chance again. Although you can't tell me that you love me, let me go to sleep making believe that you do.'
Gently he lowered her on to the pile of cushions, then lay down beside her and took her in his arms. She put her cheek against his, but made no attempt to kiss him. Her limbs relaxed and she gave a sigh of contentment. On a sudden impulse that overbore all his scruples, he murmured, `I love you, Christina. I love you,' and drew her more closely to him.
For making love the pile of cushions on the long basket chair was quite adequate, but not for a prolonged sleep. It was too narrow, and beneath the cushions its arms dug into their backs. Dozing was all that either of them could manage, and some three hours later John kissed Christina lightly on the forehead, then got up.
He did so cautiously, as it was now full daylight; and if he showed himself above the level of the window sills of the gazebo there was a risk that he might be seen. First he peeped out on the garden side. He could see no one in it, and the iron roller blinds of the chateau windows were all down. A glance at his watch showed him that it was just after half past seven, so the lack of activity was not surprising in view of the fact that its occupants could not have got to bed much before half past four.
Still crouching, he crossed to one of the windows overlooking the shore. That, too, presented a peaceful early morning scene, but a disappointing one. John had hoped to see there at least a few fisher folk who in an emergency such as Jules suddenly thinking of the gazebo later in the day and ordering it to be searched could be called on for help. There was not a soul to be seen and it was quite clear now that the little harbour was a strictly private one. The only craft in it were a twenty foot sailing yacht, a sailing dinghy, a speed boat and Upson's seaplane. The big yacht in which they had been brought there was still lying at anchor about a quarter of a mile beyond the point of
