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ourselves, and as I said, the circumstances of my marriage were
strange. She worries about us, you see, even though we've all left her
now."
Damon was regarding her with the most odd expression. Clearly he
was puzzled, but, unfortunately, not yet ready to accept her story, as
his next words revealed.
"Can't you write a letter that will satisfy her?"
"I might, but she still could decide to come over, just to make quite
sure that I'm happy."
A small pause, with Damon's face taking on an expression of sardonic
amusement.
"I now see where I come in. I'm to take on the role of adoring
husband. Nothing doing." Uncompromising the tones and Kim glared
at him, blood surging into her cheeks.
"All right! But don't expect me to be your adoring wife when the time
comes for your mother to see us together constantly! And what's
more," she added, tapping the tablecloth with a furious finger, "I'm
not coming to the hospital with you on Friday when your mother can
receive two visitors at once -"
"You promised, and you'll keep that promise!"
"Never! You can't drag me to the hospital!" She did not mean a word
of what she said, not really, but she was so infuriated by the one-sided
business that all she wanted was for him to be filled with anxiety.
"All right," he said after a pause, "we'll call a truce when our
respective parents are involved. When do you expect this Mrs. Rowe
to come here?"
"I haven't even written to her yet. She might have to wait until her
husband can come with her, I don't know. She isn't Mrs. Rowe now,"
added Kim quickly as Damon's eyebrows lifted in inquiry. "She
married a Greek, and that's how she came to live in Athens."
Damon was eyeing her very curiously indeed now.
"She married a Greek, did she?"
"I mentioned this when I was telling you my story, on the yacht."
"You did? I wasn't taking much notice; the whole thing sounded so
false that I took it for a complete fabrication of lies. However, part of
it was true, it would appear."
All of it was true, she almost said, but resignedly pulled herself up.
What was the use? The man was so stubborn that he was determined
to retain his first impression of her.
"So am I to take it it will be all right for me to have my foster-mother
here, if she does decide she wants to see me, that is?"
He nodded.
"But make sure she doesn't stop too long," he warned. "I'm not a
patient man and a couple of days will be quite long enough for me to
wear the role of loving husband." He paused, amused suddenly by the
fire in her eyes. "What are you going to say to her?" he inquired
curiously. "I expect the first thing you've to explain is why you've
never mentioned me before?"
"If you won't listen to my story," she said with admirable control,
"then please don't expect me to be able to explain, because it all
connects up." And she just had to add, an acid edge of sarcasm to her
voice, "as you so sapiently remarked, I'll contrive something, with my
imaginative mind."
To her surprise he laughed.
"I like your sense of humour, Kim. Its bite lends flavour."
She inclined her head as if sarcastically acknowledging some
grudgingly-extended praise.
"I'm happy to know there's at least one thing about me that you like!"
The black eyes flickered with amusement.
"More than one thing," he murmured, and she looked sharply at him,
the piece of meat on the end of her fork suddenly poised in mid-air.
"More?" she echoed, angry that her voice was subdued. But she was
reminded of his remarks about taking her for his pillow friend.
He read her thoughts with omniscient accuracy, and said in a
heartless tone,
"Indeed yes. Your figure is delightful - about the most perfect I've
seen, in fact."
"Oh ...!" Colour flooded her cheeks. "You despicable creature! Have
you no restraint - no sense of decency or respect? "
"Respect?" Damon's eyebrows rose. "Who would want to extend
respect to a woman of your type?'
She said, voice quivering,
"You appear to have overlooked the fact that I'm your wife. I should
imagine that, for the time being, you would have preferred to forget
what I am. I expect you have friends on the island with whom I shall
inevitably come into contact, and these constant reminders that I'm a
criminal might begin to weigh so heavily on me that I shall forget to
be guarded when in company. I should hate to let you down by some
slip of the tongue." ,
"What exactly do you mean by that?" he demanded, his eyes fixed on
her face and noting her still heightened colour.
"We criminals have our own jargon, and - and that sort of thing. I
might come out with expressions like swag and loot and several
others I could mention," she ended rather triumphantly.
"Others?" he murmured, and she had the incredible impression that
he was suppressing laughter. "Name a few?"
"You - you want to know some more?" He nodded, still watching her,
his food forgotten. "Well ... there's filching and - and - er - I'm sure
you don't want to hear any more."
"Oh, but I do. I'm extremely interested. Do please go on."
Kim eyed him suspiciously.
"You're laughing at me," she accused, filled with wonderment at the
change in his expression. Gone was the satanic mien, and even the
arrogance. He was amused, intrigued. He was enjoying himself at her
expense and strangely she felt not a trace of resentment. Her anger
had swiftly dissolved, much to her own amazement; her quivering
nerves were back to normal, and she was now affected by a sense of
excitement, vague, intangible, but hovering there, in her
subconscious.
"Laughing?" His attention was returned to the food on his plate. "Tell
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