She raised her face, then she looked not at him but towards the altar.

‘I always knew,’ she said very slowly, ‘that love would be like this.’

‘Like what?’ he asked.

‘Holy,’ she answered. ‘Sacred, a part of our love for God.’

The purity and wonder in her voice made Robert feel he was very near to tears. He bent his head and kissed her fingers with a prayer in his heart that he would never fail her.

Mistral drew a deep breath.

‘We must go back,’ she said.

They left the Church together hand in hand. Outside the sun seemed almost blinding and they stood for a moment at the top of the steps.

‘Did you bring a carriage?’ Mistral asked at length, ‘or are we going to walk?’

‘I was late so I drove here,’ Robert replied. ‘I told the coachman I should want him again and I expect he is just round the corner. I will go and call him if you will wait here.’

‘I won’t run away,’ Mistral answered and laughed from sheer happiness.

Robert went down the steps. As he had anticipated, the coachman was half asleep in the shade of some olive trees further down the road. Robert hailed him and he awoke with a start. He gathered up the reins and reached for a whip.

Robert turned to go back to Mistral, but as he did so, he noticed for the first time that a man was approaching on horseback. He recognised him instantly and quickly walked back up the steps of the Church to Mistral’s side. He took her hand in his.

‘I have just seen the Rajah,’ he said. ‘I am warning you because I don’t wish you to feel frightened when you see him again. I am with you now and nothing will happen, but I promise that I will deal with him later in the day.’

He saw Mistral’s face whiten, saw the sudden fear in her eyes, but there was not time to say more. The Rajah was in sight and with a quick glance he saw them standing hand-in- hand. Robert expected him to pass without salutation or acknowledgement of their presence, but to his surprise the Rajah reined in his horse at the foot of the steps.

‘Sir Robert!’ he called.

Robert looked down at him with an expression of disdain and did not reply.

‘I have something of great importance to say to you,’ the Rajah said. ‘Will you come to me or must I come to you?’ Robert felt Mistral give a sudden shudder. For her sake he went forward, descending the steps to the Rajah’s side.

‘What is it?’ he asked harshly as he reached him. ‘I intend to call on you later in the day, for nothing that I have to say to you can be said now in front of a lady.’

The Rajah gave an unpleasant laugh.