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your trips to Miami and New York and Caracas …  I shouted, “He’ll be a goddam admiral soon!’”
    Morgan laughed. She smiled at him. ‘Which is true. Oh, but it was an intense war that was waged against you. And it all slowly added up to a terrible doubt growing in my mind.’ She took a deep breath. ‘And you were thousands of miles away, underwater. I couldn’t contact you, to get reassurance, just talk it out with you, explain my fears …’
    He reached out and took her hand.
    ‘Well, now I’ve come to you.’
    She looked at him; then two tears welled over her eyelids. ‘Far, far too late …’
    He pulled her gently towards him; she watched his mouth as he whispered: ‘It’s never too late to be happy.’
    And their mouths touched; and then crushed together; and, oh, the sweet taste and scent of her again, the joy, and he felt her tremble once, and then her arm went around his neck and she kissed him fiercely; then she bit his mouth and twisted out of his arms, and jumped up. She walked away, running her fingers through her hair.
    He lay a moment, watching her, the lovely line of her, and oh, he loved her. Then he got up and followed her. They were a hundred yards from the hotel lights. He caught up with her and turned her towards him.
    ‘Come away with me.’
    She looked at him with absolute longing, rigid against him; she started to shake her head, then she closed her eyes and her body went soft against him and she crushed her mouth against his again. And she kissed him and kissed him, as if she wanted to bite him, and he felt the bliss well up, the utter joy, her strong softness and smoothness, her breasts and her belly and her loins pressed against him; then she broke the kiss, andbacked off, her face smouldering with emotion and her eyes full of tears.
    –I’m going now …  And I’m never coming back …’
    He took a pace towards her and she stepped backwards. ‘Never coming back!’ She shook her head at him: ‘ Do you believe that? ’
    He felt his eyes burn and he wanted to laugh. ‘No.’
    She cried: ‘Never! Believe that! I cannot! I dare not! I’m still a coward, don’t you see? Goodbye, darling Jack! I love you – and goodbye …’
    She turned and walked away fast, up the path towards the road, her head up, and the tears running down her face.
    He stood in the dusk and watched her; and his heart was singing. Because he knew she was coming back.

6
    It was dark when he got back to the hotel. He was so happy he did not know what to do with himself. Gone, gone were the cautions he had given himself – he was in love! He went upstairs, to his room. Out onto his balcony. He filled his breast with balmy air and stretched out his arms to the night, and to her. Then there was a knock on his door.
    He whirled around. He knew it was her. He strode to the door and flung it open joyfully.
    He stared. Two black policemen stood there.
    ‘You come with us, Mr Morgan.’
    His heart was suddenly hammering. ‘What on earth for?’
    One of the policemen put his hand on his shoulder. ‘Do you come quietly, man, or do we drag you out in front of everybody?’ The other policeman pushed past him, into the room. He snatched up Morgan’s bag.
    ‘ What the hell –’ Morgan lunged at him. The first man seized his wrist and glared into his eyes. For an instant Morgan was about to lash out at them; then furious common sense came back. He shook his wrist free.
    ‘Very well! We’ll find out what this is about!’
    He strode down the corridor between them, his face like thunder.
    Down the stairs, into the lobby. They went through the front doors, out into the drive.
    A police car was waiting.
    He strode furiously into the police station.
    A room led off the charge office. One constable went into it, with Morgan’s bag. Morgan waited, seething. The constable reappeared at the door and beckoned. Morgan strode through.
    A black inspector sat behind the desk, the bag on it. Morgan said furiously: ‘ I