page40 (1/2)

Their wedding night

Rosalie glanced at her reflection in the long mirror on the wall in her bedroom Her brushed cotton dress fell in soft butter-yellow folds to her ankles froht bodice was ruched over her breasts, ski her shoulders She’d draped a creamy embroidered shawl around her, held her hair back with a narrow headband Her rance was a light floral scent, not the heavier perfued in in Athens

She frowned uncertainly Though she wasn’t in the least glitzed up, as she had been in Athens, should she have dressed up at all? Would Xandros think she was trying to send a e he did not wish to hear, as he had ht?

Well, her behaviour towards hied it so far—that walk up to the clifftop had gone okay, and all she had to do was keep that going Be interested in what he said, be cheerful and friendly and easy-going

And not look at him too often

She made her way outside to the beach, to find Xandros already there, relaxing back in a canvas chair, long legs outstretched The sun was low on the horizon, bathing the scene in rich red gold

‘Coot to his feet ‘The sunset show is about to begin’

There was an ice bucket on a table, and in it an open bottle of cha a flute for each of them

She took hers froers as she did so Now, in profile against the lowering sun, she saw his eyes resting on her Saw the warlow on her

‘To our ainst hers ‘May it bring everything to us that ant’

It was so she could drink to, and did, but even as she did so she was conscious of the tug of that strange ain

But what if I want more from it than you do?

It was a dangerous thought, and a useless thought, for she knew perfectly hy they had reat deal

But not each other

That was not what their e was about and shepurpose now, as she took a sip of the beautifully beading liquid, felt its bouquet shimmer in her mouth