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It was true that he seee there was a gaily painted sign pointing down the lane and announcing 'L'Auberge du Fruit D,fendu, crustaces, fritures' It was obvious to Bond that it was this that had caught the driver's eye

As the rattle of the car's exhaust diminished down the road, Vesper sank back into her corner Her face was pale

'He looked at us,' she said, 'I told you so I kneere being followed Now they knohere we are'

Bond could not contain his in' He pointed it out to Vesper

She looked slightly relieved 'Do you really think so?' she asked 'Yes I see Of course, you ht Come on I'm sorry to be so stupid I don't knohat came over me'

She leant forward and talked to the driver through the partition, and the car ht face towards Bond The colour had almost come back to her cheeks 'I really am sorry It's just thatit's that I can't believe everything's over and there's no one to be frightened of any more' She pressed his hand 'You must think me very stupid'

'Of course not,' said Bond 'But really nobody could be interested in us now Forget it all The whole job's finished, wiped up This is our holiday and there's not a cloud in the sky Is there?' he persisted

'No, of course not' She shook herself slightly 'I' to like it'

They both leant forward Animation was back in her face and the incident left only the s in the air Even that faded as they cah the dunes and saw the sea and the st the pines

'It's not very grand, I'm afraid,' said Vesper 'But it's very clean and the food's wonderful' She looked at him anxiously

She need not have worried Bond loved the place at first sight - the terrace leading alay brick-red awnings over the s and the crescent-shaped bay of blue water and golden sands Howto have turned off a main road to find a lost corner like this where he could let the world go by and live in the sea from dawn to dusk And noas to have a whole week of this And of Vesper In his ered the necklace of the days to come

They drew up in the courtyard behind the house and the proprietor and his wife careet theedwith the Free French in Madagascar He was a friend of the chief of police of Royale and it was the Coested the place to Vesper and had spoken to the proprietor on the telephone As a result, nothing was going to be too good for them

Mada dinner She wore an apron and held a wooden spoon in one hand She was younger than her husband, chubby and handsouessed that they had no children and that they gave their thwarted affection to their friends and soht that their life was probably sole and that the innseas and the noise of the wind in the pines

The proprietor showed them to their rooms

Vesper's was a double room and Bond was next door, at the corner of the house, with onelooking out to sea and another with a view of the distant ar was spotless, and sparsely comfortable

The proprietor was pleased when they both showed their delight He said that dinner would be at seven-thirty and that Mada broiled lobsters with melted butter He was sorry that they were so quiet just then It was Tuesday There would be ood Generally they had plenty of English people staying, but tilish just ca their ed his shoulders philosophically But then no day was like the day before, and no century like the previous one, and

'Quite so,' said Bond

CHAPTER 23 - TIDE OF PASSION

They were talking on the threshold of Vesper's room When the proprietor left them, Bond pushed her inside and closed the door Then he put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks

'This is heaven,' he said

Then he saw that her eyes were shining Her hands caainst her and his arms dropped round her waist Her head went back and her ,' he said He plunged his ue and feeling her own tongue working at first shyly thenbuttocks and gripped theether Panting, she slipped her ether while he rubbed his cheek against hers and felt her hard breasts pressing into him Then he reached up and seized her hair and bent her head back until he could kiss her again She pushed him away and sank back exhausted on to the bed For a rily

'I'm sorry, Vesper,' he said 'I didn't mean to then'

She shook her head, duh her

He caering tenderness as the tide of passion ebbed in their veins