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In a reckless mood she went on, 'What I’m trying to say is that you are dangerously handsome, Monsieur Sevigny. There, that must be the cocktail talking! ’

‘You are interested in how people look because you are a beauty therapist?’

‘How did you know? I don't, remember telling you what work I’m to do here. I might have been going to work in the office.’

She watched him as he took her glass and placed it, along with his own, on a passing tray and then, taking fresh drinks, he handed one to her. ‘For this work you have a diploma, no?’ He ignored her question. ‘You received it in London? Before Australia you lived in England. You told me this yourself.’

‘Yes, in London.’ She could still feel the lingering touch of his fingers on her own as she had taken the glass from him.

For a while they were caught up by people who knew Laurent Sevigny and they remained standing while they nibbled at hot snacks, in between sipping at their drinks and making conversation. Nicole de Speville arrived but left after barely having sipped at a cocktail.

It was nearing the dining hour and the cocktail party was beginning to break up as guests made their way back to the main section of the hotel.

‘Have another cocktail,’ said Laurent, looking at Jade, and then without waiting on an answer, he put both their near-empty glasses on a tray and took two full glasses. ‘That fragrance you are wearing,' he passed Jade a glass. ‘I am completely fascinated by it.'

‘Thank you. Wearing a delicious perfume makes me feel far more adventurous than I really am. Quite apart from that, however, it’s far more important to me than wearing a piece of superb jewellery.’

‘So I notice. I notice
_:
particularly, that you do not even wear an engagement ring, and yet you are here to marry Marlow Lewis.'

Now that most of the people had left the bikini bar the breakers out on the reef sounded very loud.

When Jade answered him there was a note of reservation in the tone of her voice. ‘Not yet.’ After a moment she asked, ‘And you?’

‘I am not interested in being faithful to any one particular girl. Life for me has always been a succession of beautiful girls.’ She was startled by his abruptness. ‘Half the time they mean exactly nothing.’

‘I—I suppose it's time to go to dinner,' she said. It was all she could think of.

‘Time is no object in Mauritius. But yes, we will dine together, unless you have made other arrangements?’

‘I’m glad you added that last bit,’ she said, feeling ruffled.

"What do you mean?’ he asked.

‘Well, to begin with, you made it sound like an order.’

‘And that made you fume?’ He sounded amused now.

‘Yes. Besides, I’d surmised that you would be dining at your chalet.'

‘I often dine at the hotel. It reflects the extent of my freedom as a bachelor.’

They dined at a table for two, next to the huge windows which overlooked the lawns, garden and dark, glittering pool. Service was polite and swift. A cluster of pink and crimson hibiscus and dark green foliage lay on the crimson tablecloth. The string band had transferred itself to the pool terrace, just beneath the lounge which was open to the sea breezes. Jade noticed that Laurent Sevigny’s strange green eyes were highlighted by the flickering candles. They took a long time eating.

He knew Australia far better than she did and she listened to him talking about pacey Sydney with its Victorian-like, Manchester-like architecture, Paddington with its famous wrought-iron decoration and Perth with its market-style complexes. Some of the tension she had felt at the cocktail party at the bikini pool seemed to dwindle away and fade, although she felt disappointed in him ... and not quite certain what to make of him. And yet, she told herself with good reason, this was ridiculous, for it was not Laurent Sevigny she had come here to marry, but Marlow Lewis. The fact that Laurent was not interested in being faithful to any one particular girl had nothing to do with her.

When they were through with their meal they went out to the pool terrace and although people greeted Laurent his privacy was not encroached upon, and this she could understand, now that he had told her he was part of the hotels group.

A lesson in Sega dancing was causing mirth among the guests.

‘Most dancing sessions are ushered in in this way,’ Laurent told her while she watched, amused and fascinated, as an exhibition of the erotic dance, which he had explained to her was of African origin, was taking place to the tempo of calypso-style and rhythmical pulsating music.

Taking her fingers in his own he led her to a table for two. The soft wall-lights on the pillars reflected in the shivering and glittering black pool, along with the reflections of the people who were gathered around it. Beyond the pool the palms were etched against the blackness.

‘Do you like it?’ he asked, when they were seated.

‘Yes. It’s very exciting—like the music.’ Their eyes met.

‘This dance,’ he told her, ‘is practically unchanged from the manner in which the islanders performed it in the eighteenth century. It dates from the times of slavery—a mixture of yesterday and today. It is like a cry from the soul, I think.’

‘Yes. It’s certainly very—spontaneous ... very natural,’ she replied.

Be prepared to take part. It will be expected of you, eventually—though perhaps not as spontaneous and certainly without such abandonment.’ Without warning, he reached for her hand and held it on the table in front of him and she could feel the beating of her heart.

On the dance floor, level with the pool, people were joining in, a little self-consciously at first, so far as the new arrivals were concerned.

Still holding her hand, Laurent looked round for one of the bar stewards.

‘I’ve already had so many cocktails,’ Jade protested, 'and then wine with dinner.’

‘Tonight we are celebrating,' he told her.

’What are we celebrating?’ she asked.

'That remains to be seen.' He turned to give her a mocking glance.

At the far end of the lounge two barmen were busy dispensing drinks while several people sat around on high stools, but here, where they were, stewards were taking orders at the tables and service was a little slow.

Later Laurent asked her to dance, and when he took her into his arms she knew that the attraction she felt for him was real.

‘You are shivering.’ He held her away from him and looked into her eyes. ‘Are you cold?’ He sounded amazed that this might be the case, for it was very warm.

‘No. Maybe I'm just nervous,' she added on an impulse.

His eyes held hers with sudden intensity. ‘Why are you nervous?’

She thought frantically for a moment. ‘Well, they could stop playing this night-club shuffle kind of music and break into another Sega, couldn't they?’

‘And it would make you nervous to dance with me with such complete abandonment, is that it?’

Her thoughts were in a muddle, ‘I wouldn’t know where to begin,’ she confessed.

‘I think you ought to know that I am attracted to you,’ he said, brushing his lips across her forehead.

‘And I think you need to be reminded that I’m here to be married,’ she retorted. What was it he had said?
Half the time they mean exactly nothing.
Moodily, she gazed about her. Well, it was obvious that many beautiful girls frequented this island on holiday, apart from the girls who lived in Mauritius.

'And yet he is not here to welcome you?'

‘He had to go away. I knew that.'

'Perhaps you need to be reminded, yourself, that you are here to be married? I am hoping that to be the case. Maybe you have forgotten.'

I'd thought about it. Apart from everything, I should be preparing for tomorrow at the health clinic —not dancing the night away here, like some tourist.’ Suddenly she realised the stupidity of all this and was a little annoyed, but she tried not to let him see this. She did not want him to know that he had succeeded in ruffling her.

‘If you find yourself thinking about these things,' he held her closer, ‘it could be that you find yourself attracted to me?’

‘We are being frivolous,' she said, ‘at somebody’s expense.’

'You mean—Marlow Lewis?’ His voice was hard.

‘You know I mean Marlow Lewis. The music has stopped,’ she added, when he continued to hold her close. ‘I must thank you. You saved me from eating by myself.’

'Nicole, of course, did not ask you to dine at her house.’ He made it sound as if he knew why.

‘I didn't expect her to,’ she replied quickly, trying to hide the fact that she had, in fact, expected something like this and was disappointed in Nicole de Speville.

‘No?’

‘No.'

‘I’ll see you to your door,’ he told her, and escorted her there. The staircase and corridor which led to it were also open to the sea breezes and island scents.

Plants with huge green leaves growing in white urns cast black shadows on the white walls.

When he took her into his arms he said, very softly, ‘I am feeling my way with you. That, of course, must be obvious to you.'

His breathing felt tight. ‘It is,’ she said, ‘very obvious, and I can tell you right now, this is a mistake with you.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Placing his fingers beneath her chin, he raised her lips to his own. Moving her head slightly, Jade said, ‘I promised myself a long time ago, Laurent, not to allow any man to feel his way with me. I should imagine you must have a very bad reputation on this island.'

Laughing a little, but sounding irritated, nevertheless, he said, ‘A very bad reputation with women, you mean?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m too smart for that,’ he told her. When he kissed her she went weak for a moment and then her body was seized by excitement. ‘Goodnight,' he said, releasing her, and, humiliated, Jade watched him go.

Birds
came to perch on the railing of her balcony in the morning and then, seeking food, hopped down on the glass topped table. The setting was perfect ... the sun, the coral reef, lush foliage and the exciting promise of sheer contentment.

Wearing only a bronze silk pyjama jacket and bikini pants, Jade went to stand there. Her legs were tanned and beautiful and her dark hair seemed streaked with golden lights.

To one side of the hotel and forming a part of it was the glass-fronted health clinic ... a self-contained haven of tranquillity with its own private terrace.

Inside her room the radio was playing, for she had turned it on before coming out on to the balcony, and it seemed both romantic and fitting that the tune being played was
The Way We Were,
reminding her of the flight and of Laurent Sevigny.

‘The staff ratio is high,' Nicole de Speville’s secretary had written to Jade. ‘We have on our staff dieticians, two nursing Sisters, several electrologists and trained physio-technologists and two beauticians. At the moment, however, we have only one beautician and eagerly await your arrival. There is also a unisex hairdressing salon, a masseur and doctor of chiropractics and osteopathy. Comtesse de Speville’s brother, Yves Mazery, is in charge of the men's section.'

Jade decided to have a quick swim before showering and eating breakfast and, going back into the air-conditioned room, she slipped into a maillot, which was supposed to be replacing the bikini and which was a far cry from the Annette Kellerman one-piece introduced in 1900. Later she left the pool, glistening bronze in the drying sun, and ate a breakfast of tropical fruit at a table overlooking the sea.

Nicole was in her office when she went along to the clinic and looked up as Jade entered. The caftan she was wearing was a soft, almost sexy, creation in flimsy silk. ‘Ah, Jade. Sit down, please. We must fit you for uniforms which you can see, of course, are all in our particular shade of hibiscus-pink.' Her eyes went briefly over Jade's white slacks and striped blouse. ‘I was sorry I could not be with you last night, but I was very tired. However,’ the blue eyes changed expression very slightly, ‘you were with the handsome Laurent Sevigny, were you not?’

‘Yes, I was.’

‘You appear—attracted to him?’

‘I hardly know him.’ Jade found herself on the defensive. ‘I only met him on the plane.’

‘Well, certainly he appeared attracted to you, but then I cannot blame him. You are very beautiful and he has an eye for beauty.’

‘I've come here to marry Marlow Lewis,’ Jade tried to keep her voice light and teasing. ‘Or had you forgotten?’

‘No, that I had not forgotten.’ Nicole’s voice sounded suddenly angry. She stood up. ‘Well, let’s get you settled in.’

As they walked in the direction of the salon in which Jade was to work Nicole said, ‘When Marlow spoke to me about you I was worried, not having met you. You had the qualifications, yes, but I go a lot on the quality I look for when I interview somebody I am going to employ. I was reluctant to allow the fact that you were coming here to Mauritius to marry Marlow influence my decision. I can see, however, that you have the quality I look for.’

‘What is that quality, Nicole?’ Jade found she did not know what to make of Nicole de Speville, for while the Comtesse seemed friendly enough there was a kind of abruptness about her.

‘It is that ability which makes people feel at ease, and I feel you possess this gift which is an integral part to the salon atmosphere.’

After a moment Jade said, ‘I’ve always enjoyed my work. It helps, I suppose. I find the work fascinating because I like people. One thing I have learned is that beneath the face I’m treating there’s a woman who is looking for the security of knowing that she can be more beautiful, more ...’ she shrugged, ‘desirable, if she can only be taught how to regain more confidence in herself. It’s up to me to bring out this beauty, after all, and to reveal to her that she can be very beautiful, if she knows how to work on herself after she’s through with me.’

Unlike her staff, who were wearing various shades of hibiscus-pink, Nicole was wearing one of her favourite caftans of black organdie with handpainted sunflowers and green leaves on it, and it floated about her hard, slim body as she moved. The garment seemed so much a part of the island, Jade found herself thinking.