Chapters (56)
- Cover
- Dedication
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- CHAPTER THIRTY
- CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
- CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FORTY
- CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
- CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
- Acknowledgements
- ‘The Survivors’ Ad
- ‘The Betrayal’ Ad
- ‘The Liberation’ Ad
- Copyright
She nodded. For the first time he saw her hand quiver as it reached for the door and he had no idea whether it was fear or rage, but he drew her close and wrapped his arms around her so tight he could make out each ridge of her spine and feel the softness of her breasts pressed to his chest. Her body moulded to his, melting into his bones, and he heard her breath, rapid and hot. The smell of the smoke in her hair flooded his senses.
‘If you must leave the farm at any time I want you to ring your friend, Clarisse Favre, and ask her to accompany you at all times. Do you still have the gun?’
She nodded. ‘Yes.’
His arm curled around her narrow waist and she leaned back against the wall, drawing him with her. His lips found hers, hard and urgent, and her hand twisted round the back of his neck, her nails digging in, one leg twining around his. Pinning him to her. They remained like that, tangled together for a long time, not even a hair’s breadth between them, the clock on his desk ticking off the minutes till the heat began to recede and their breathing flowed together.
‘Your father should be proud of you,’ he murmured into her hair.
She gave a small snort of derision.
‘It’s true,’ he insisted. ‘Proud of all three of his offspring – you, André and, yes, even troublesome Isaac. You are all working so hard to change the world. Not all in the same way, but with heart and soul.’
She lifted her head. ‘Thank you, Léon.’ Her dark eyes glittered. ‘I will tell Papa to make a note of that.’
‘Will you please make a note of what I am going to say next?’
She kissed his chin. ‘Try me.’
‘Make a note of not going riding with good-looking Americans in future.’
She laughed, a rich sound that lapped around them, and she put a finger to his lips, silencing him. ‘I’ll just choose the ugly ones from now on.’
But the thought of how close she’d come to death while in the company of Major Dirke in the wetlands swept over him. He felt a spike of anger spring at him. He released his hold on Eloïse and walked over to the telephone on his desk. He held out the receiver to her.
‘Call Clarisse Favre.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
‘You don’t have to do this,’ I stated.
‘Yes, I do, chérie. I promised that gorgeous policeman.’ Clarisse swept an elegant hand, weighted by its heavy square emerald that rippled with the light from the window, in a careless arc. But there was nothing careless about her eyes. They were stern. ‘I don’t break my promises, Eloïse. I came down from Paris because I was worried about you.’ She switched on her radiant smile. ‘It seems I was right to be.’