himself again.
It had all been very simple. Until today.
The summer break from his job had already started, which was unlucky, because if he’d been at work he couldn’t have yielded to temptation. As it was, the realisation that she would be leaving any minute had galvanised him. Suddenly his resolutions were rubbish, his strength of will non-existent. He’d barely made it to the school in time.
Now he was calling himself names, of which ‘weakling’ was the kindest. But the abusive voice was bawling only from the back of his head; the front was full of relief that he’d made it in time.
There was another voice too, not yelling, but muttering. This was his conscience, warning him that there was something he must confess to her without delay. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be. That troubled him more than anything.
‘Here we are,’ he said, drawing up outside a huge gate.
‘You’ve brought me to a zoo?’ she said, astounded.
‘Meihui said nobody could stay cross in a zoo. So let’s go in.’
He was right, after only a few minutes of wandering around the animals, her spirits lightened. Who cared about anything else when there were lions to be viewed, bears to watch, exotic birds?
Lang was like no other man. When was the last time anyone had taken her to a place like this? she wondered as they gazed at the giant pandas.
‘I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,’ she murmured.
‘They’re magnificent, aren’t they?’ he agreed warmly.
‘But how do you tell one from the other? Pandas all look exactly alike.’
‘The one over there on her own in the tree is the female. Earlier this year she was in heat for a couple of days, and had all the males swooning after her. Now she’s safely pregnant, and they can go and jump in the lake for all she cares.’
‘I wonder which male she favoured.’
‘The highest ranking one. He proved his status by knocking seven bells out of the competition.’
‘Very sensible,’ Olivia said. ‘None of that sentimental nonsense. If ever I’m reborn, I shall come back as a panda.’
He laughed but said, ‘Why do you have to be so severe?’
‘I’m not severe.’
‘You are from where I’m standing.’
‘Oh, I see, a
‘You put it very crudely,’ he complained.
‘The truth is usually crude, and definitely unromantic. Like life. We just have to face up to it.’
She was saying the first thing that came into her head and enjoying the sight of his face. For once the confident Dr Mitchell was struggling for words, and that was fun.
‘Why are you so determined not to believe in love?’ he asked. ‘I know you had a bad experience, but so have most people, and they don’t abandon hope. I didn’t give up when Becky Renton told me it was all over.’
‘Oh, yes? And I’ll bet the two of you were about twelve when that happened.’
He grinned. ‘A little older than that, but you’ve got the right idea.’
She wondered if this handsome, assured man had ever been dumped in his life. Not by anyone he really cared about, she would have bet on it.
‘Joking apart,’ he resumed, ‘people really do do things for love. I know you don’t believe it, but it’s true.’
‘If you’re talking about your romantic ancestors, allow me to point out that there’s no reason to believe that Jaio was ever in love. They were going to lock her in the tomb and Renshu offered escape. She might simply have thought that going with him was better than dying.’
‘But what about him? He must have loved her a lot because he sacrificed everything to be with her.’ Lang added provocatively, ‘Perhaps it really means that a man can love more deeply than a woman. It could even be doubted that women know how to love at all. They believe in logic rather than sentiment-like pandas.’
Olivia eyed him askance. ‘Did you say that just to be annoying?’
‘No, I think it’s an interesting theory.’ Catching her expression, he couldn’t resist adding, ‘But I must admit I also enjoy annoying you.’
‘You’ll go too far.’
‘I hope so. Better too far than not far enough.’
His grin was her undoing, leaving her no choice but to smile back.
‘Let’s find the snack bar,’ he said, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
As they sat down over coffee, Lang suddenly said, ‘I hope you can forgive my clumsiness.’
‘About what?’
‘That remark about choosing a mate through logic rather than sentiment. It’s exactly what your louse boyfriend did, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’
‘You didn’t,’ she said, realising that it was true. She hadn’t even thought about Andy. Nor, now she thought of it, had she ever enjoyed such a day as this, strolling calmly through pleasant gardens, teasing and testing each other.
There had been no jokes with Andy, only passion and violent emotion, which at the time she’d thought was enough. But with Lang she was discovering how emotion could be tempered with humour. He was a patient man who knew when to back off. It made him a restful companion, as well as an exciting one, and that too was a new pleasure.
‘I’ve dismissed Andy from my mind,’ she told him, adding with a flourish, ‘It was the common sense thing to do.’
‘That easy, huh?’
‘Of course. Logic over sentiment any day. I reckon the female panda knows exactly what she’s doing.’
‘Then I’m glad I’m not a panda,’ he said, matching her flourish with one of his own.
Before they left the zoo he took her to the gift shop and bought her a small soft toy in the shape of a panda.
‘She’s a female,’ he declared.
‘How can you tell?’
‘Because that’s what I want her to be,’ he said, as though explaining the obvious. ‘Her name is Ming Zhi. It means wise.’ His eyes gleamed with mischief. ‘It was the nearest I could get to logic and common sense.’
‘Then she and I will get on very well,’ Olivia declared, taking the delightful creature and rubbing her face against its soft black-and-white fur. ‘If I forget what’s important, she’s bound to remind me.’
‘To the victory of logic,’ he proclaimed.
‘Every time.’
‘Let’s go and have some supper.’
They found a small, old-fashioned restaurant.
‘Why were you in such a bad mood when we met earlier?’ he asked when they were settled. ‘Is it me you’re annoyed with?’
‘No, my parents. According to Norah, they’ve rediscovered each other, acting like love’s young dream.’
‘Which could be charming.’
‘If it was anyone else, it could, but this pair of raging play-actors are heading for disaster.’
‘Don’t be so sure,’ Lang said. ‘Maybe they just married too young and were always meant to find each other again.’
She gave him a look.
‘Maybe not,’ he said hastily.
‘In the end it’ll collapse in lies, as it did the first time.’ Olivia sighed. ‘And there’s nothing so fatal as deception.’
‘Sometimes a deception can be fairly innocent,’ Lang observed casually.
‘But it’s always destructive,’ she insisted. ‘Once you know he hasn’t been straight with you, it’s over, because-I
