Vesper blushed.
‘It sounds a childish trick,’ she looked penitently at Bond, ‘but it’s really frightfully effective. One’s a complete prisoner and although I screamed I don’t expect any sound came out from under my skirt. I kicked out as hard as I could, but that was no use as I couldn’t see and my arms were absolutely helpless. I was just a trussed chicken.
They picked me up between them and shoved me into the back of the car. I went on struggling, of course, and when the car started and while they were trying to tie a rope or something round the top of my skirt over my head, I managed to get an arm free and throw my bag through the window. I hope it was some use.’
Bond nodded.
‘It was rather instinctive. I just thought you’d have no idea what had happened to me and I was terrified. I did the first thing I could think of.’
Bond knew that it was him they had been after and that if Vesper hadn’t thrown her bag out, they would probably have thrown it out themselves directly they saw him appear on the steps.
‘It certainly helped,’ said Bond, ‘but why didn’t you make any sign when they finally got me after the car smash, when I spoke to you? I was dreadfully worried. I thought they might have knocked you out or something.’
‘I’m afraid I must have been unconscious,’ said Vesper. ‘I fainted once from lack of air and when I came to they had cut a hole in front of my face. I must have fainted again. I don’t remember much until we got to the villa. I really only gathered you had been captured when I heard you try and come after me in the passage.’
‘And they didn’t touch you?’ asked Bond. ‘They didn’t try and mess about with you while I was being beaten up?’ ‘No,’ said Vesper. ‘They just left me in an arm-chair. They drank and played cards – “belotte” I think it was from what I heard – and then they went to sleep. I suppose that was how SMERSH got them. They bound my legs and put me on a chair in a corner facing the wall and I saw nothing of SMERSH. I heard some odd noises. I expect they woke me up. And then what sounded like one of them falling off his chair. Then there were some soft footsteps and a door closed and then nothing happened until Mathis and the police burst in hours later. I slept most of the time. I had no idea what had happened to you, but,’ she faltered, ‘I did once hear a terrible scream. It sounded very far away. At least, I think it must have been a scream. At the time I thought it might have been a nightmare.’
‘I’m afraid that must have been me,’ said Bond.
Vesper put out a hand and touched one of his. Her eyes filled with tears.
‘It’s horrible,’ she said. ‘The things they did to you. And it was all my fault. If only . . .’
She buried her face in her hands.
‘That’s all right,’ said Bond comfortingly. ‘It’s no good crying over spilt milk. It’s all over now and thank heavens they let you alone.’ He patted her knee. ‘They were going to start on you when they’d got me really softened up,’ (softened up is good, he thought to himself). ‘We’ve got a lot to thank SMERSH for. Now, come on, let’s forget about it. It certainly wasn’t anything to do with you. Anybody could have fallen for that note. Anyway, it’s all water over the dam,’ he added cheerfully.
Vesper looked at him gratefully through her tears. ‘You really promise?’ she asked. ‘I thought you would never forgive me. I . . . I’ll try and make it up to you. Somehow.’ She looked at him.
Somehow? thought Bond to himself. He looked at her. She was smiling at him. He smiled back.
‘You’d better look out,’ he said. ‘I may hold you to that.’
She looked into his eyes and said nothing, but the enigmatic challenge was back. She pressed his hand and rose. ‘A promise is a promise,’ she said.