She shrugged. ‘This is an ancient land and my mother was of an ancient people. It’s in my blood, I suppose.’
He dropped his hands on to her shoulders and smiled. ‘You’re a wonderful girl.’
He was suddenly conscious of the warmth of her body through the thin material of her shirt. For several moments they remained like that, staring into each other’s eyes and then the smile slowly faded from her face. Kane pulled her towards him and she made no attempt to resist.
His mouth fastened on hers and she melted into him, alive and warm. After a while he pushed her away from him, holding her at arm’s length. ‘Damn you!’ he said softly.
She smiled faintly, sensing the turmoil in his mind. ‘My poor Gavin, have I disturbed the ordered pattern of your existence? But women are the devil, you should know that by now.’
‘I’m only too well aware of that fact,’ he assured her.
‘Would you like a drink?’
He struggled with temptation and won. ‘I don’t think it would be advisable.’
She took his arm and they went down the steps and through the garden to the gate. She opened it and smiled up at him. ‘Seven o’clock at the airfield and don’t be late. I want to get an early start.’
Standing there in the moonlight she looked utterly and completely desirable. He sighed and said, ‘Look, I’m sorry for what happened.’
She reached up quite suddenly and kissed him on the mouth. ‘But I’m not,’ she said, and pushed him through the door.
For a little while he stood there in the darkness, his hand raised to the bell chain, and then he turned away and walked down through the darkness towards the town.
When he reached the hotel, he went up to Ruth Cunningham’s room and knocked on the door. There was no reply. After trying again, he opened the door and went inside, but the room was empty.
He went back downstairs and into the bar. Skiros was sitting by the window, a drink in front of him, gazing pensively out into the night. Kane crossed the room and stood over him.
The Greek looked up and smiled. ‘Did you have any luck?’
Kane nodded. ‘I’ve managed to trace him as far as Bir el Madani. He went up with one of Marie Ferret’s convoys.’
Skiros raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘So, he actually did land in Bahrein. I must say I’m surprised. What do you intend to do next?’
‘We’re flying up with Marie in the morning,’ Kane said. ‘I’ve been up to Mrs Cunningham’s room to tell her, but she isn’t there.’
Skiros nodded into the darkness. ‘She passed this way only a few minutes ago. I think you’ll find her on the beach.’
Kane thanked him and went on to the terrace. It was cool and the slight breeze carried the faintest trace of salt spray with it. He went down the steps to the sand and walked towards the white line of surf, his eyes searching the moonlit beach.
He paused, slightly at a loss, and her voice came clearly from his left. ‘Over here.’ щщщ.щщщщщщщщщщщщI.щщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщ.щ SriEBA щщ”щ”щщщщщщщщщщ”щщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщ
She was leaning against a fishing boat. As he approached she said, ‘Have you any news for me?’
He lit a cigarette, the match cupped between his hands against the wind, and nodded. ‘Yes, I think everything’s going to be all right now. I’ve traced your husband as far as a small Arab village about ten miles from Shabwa. We’re flying up there with Marie Ferret in the morning. I should be able to learn something more definite from the headman.’
She gave a sigh of relief, and leaned against him, a hand on his arm. ‘My God, that’s marvellous.’
She sank down into the soft sand and Kane sat beside her and gave her a cigarette. The match flared in his hands, illuminating the strong line of her jaw, and tears glistened in her eyes.
He took her hand and said gently, ‘Look, everything’s going to be fine.’
She took a deep breath as if trying to get control of herself and nodded. ‘I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to repay you for what you’ve already accomplished.’