‘I didn’t realise that.’

‘I know. I should go back.’

I took her in my arms. ‘Did he really mean we can’t see each other?’

‘Only for a little while. He’ll come around.’ She patted my chest. ‘I’ll write to you.’

I kissed her gently. ‘I’ll miss you.’

‘Will you?’

Her eyes were wide and unguarded, and I thought of the way she often clung to me after I’d taken her and felt a rush of affection for how pure she was, how much she loved me. ‘Of course I will.’

‘Well …’ She broke away. ‘I’ll work on Daddy.’ She kissed me and went back inside.

I hailed a rickshaw, then changed my mind and started walking back to the club. Frustration burned inside me, quickening my pace. If I could only see Sylvie, I thought. She understood. She’d take my mind off it all.

I collected my car from its spot and drove at double-speed to The Farm. Noel let me in and told me Sylvie was in her bedroom. I hurried to her.

She was at her writing-desk. She turned around when I opened the door, but didn’t stand. After a moment she replaced the cap on her pen and tried to smile.

‘I was just writing to you, actually.’

‘Really? We must be psychically connected – I’ve been thinking about you all day.’

‘Do you want a drink?’

‘Please.’

She stood then and nodded at her bed. ‘Have a seat – I’ll bring them back in.’

As she went past I trembled with the effort to not reach out and grab her, force her to the floor. All I wanted was to taste her, feel myself inside her. I felt feverish suddenly.

She was back in a few moments. I was sitting on the end of her bed, jacket and shoes removed. I patted the mattress.

‘Come sit next to me.’

She handed me my drink, but didn’t join me. ‘Theo, there’s something I want to talk about.’

‘That sounds serious.’ I put the glass on the floor and took her wrist in my hand, tugging at it to make her fall onto me. She resisted.

‘I don’t know how to say it –’

‘You look beautiful today.’

She put her hand over my mouth. I smelled her skin and felt the blood building up inside me.

‘Listen – you’re important to me. And you’re not losing me, but you’ve pledged your love to someone else. As did I, in fact.’

I started to say something, but she pressed her hand more firmly against me.

‘I think it’s time we honoured our word. Otherwise we’re just liars.’

She took her hand away slowly. I looked up at her.

‘I don’t understand what you’re saying.’

‘It’s over. I’m sorry, darling –’

‘You don’t want me to love you?’