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‘Come into the kitchen,’ said the man, ‘and I will explain’

Magda sat, coainst the kitchen bar Benjiin his baby chair on the floor

‘Say…say that again?’ she asked faintly

‘I will pay you the sum of one hundred thousand pounds,’ the man spelt out in clipped, accented tones, ‘for you to be ally—for six months, at the end of which period we shall file for divorce by al reasons Then you will return here, and your living expenses will be paid by me On our divorce you will receive one hundred thousand pounds, no more Do you understand?’

No, thought Magda I don’t understand All I understand is that you’re nuts

But it see on the other side of the bar fro here And not just because thesuch an absurd proposition to her

It was also because he was, quite si lossy azine He had lean, slie about hi soft He had beauty, all right, but it waseyelashes swept past obsidian eyes that had an incredibly dangerous appeal to them

‘You don’t believe me, do you?’

The question caught her on the hop, interrupting her rapt, if surreptitious gazing at him, and all she could do was open her ain

A tight, hules of his face Soda, but she had no tiain

‘I would be the first to concede the situation is…bizarre But, nevertheless—’ he spread his hands above the bar, and Magda noticed how beautiful they were, long and slender, with a steely strength to them despite their immaculate manicure ‘—I do, as it happens, require a wife at very short notice, for a very particular purpose Perhaps I should point out,’ he went on, in a voice that made her feel ashamed of her own lack of physical appeal in the presence of a e will be in name only Tell me, do you have a passport?’

Magda shook her head A look of irritation crossed the ht hand dised in time Nohat about your child’s father? Is he still on the scene?’