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Authors: Anne Hampson
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smiling, but went on to add that she must pay for herself. He began to protest, at which Jill pointed out quite reasonably that not only was she a stranger to him but also she had plenty of money as well. They went to a restaurant where they ate souvlaki and drank a local wine while watching four dancers and listening to the bouzouki music being played by six musicians at the far end of the restaurant.
The dancers, all youths, dart ed and dived through the Zorba— like syrtaki , while afterward two older men danced the more solemn tsamiko . Gilbert had seen the dances many times before, but, he said, he was always intrigued by the agility of the Greek men.
'Shall we dance now?' Gilbert looked at Jill and smiled. The Greek dancers had finished their performance, and a slow foxtrot was now being played.
'Yes.' She slipped into his arms, but her thoughts strayed to her husband, and she wondered what he was doing at this time-whether he was dining and dancing with Julia or with some other woman.
'It's hot in here,' Gilbert was saying some time later, and so they went outside for a stroll along the palm-fringed, moonlit shore. Time sped on, and it was after midnight when at last they were on their way to the villa in a taxi. 'Thank you, Jill, for a wonderful evening.' There was an odd inflection in Gilbert's voice as he stood by the wrought-iron gate of the villa and said good night. 'Ca n we do it again, do you think?'
'Of course, Gilbert.' She was affected by his charm of manner, the spontaneity of his smile. 'I, too, have had a wonderful evening.' She smiled her good night and hurried along the drive. She felt happy because she wanted to see him again, and surely that was a good thing?
Sunday arrived, and still Adam had not returned. Jill dutifully visited her mother-in-law, but for the most part she had been with Gilbert every day; they explored the beaches, lunched at several different cafeneions and tavernas, dined and danced and reached the point where Jill decided to tell him the reason for her marriage and that it was to end as soon as her mother-in-law died. Naturally he was amazed at the story but obviously happy at the thought that his friendship with Jill need not end when he left the island.
'As you know,' he said one evening when they were walking along the beach after their meal, 'I was intending to have only one week here, but I'd stay on if you'd agree to go about with me.'
'I expect that's possible, Gilbert.'
'And your husband won't mind?'
'Not at all. I've explained our arrangement. We both entered into the contract in a purely businesslike way, and so we're both free to do what we like.'
'It still seems an incredible story!'
'But it's a true one.' She smiled, thinking of the part she had left out that she had foolishly fallen in love with her husband. Adam arrived on Monday afternoon; she had already made a date with Gilbert to dine and dance at a seafront restaurant where their table was booked. She wasted no time in telling Adam all about Gilbert-that she and he had been keeping company for almost a week and that he was thinking of staying on in Corina so that their friendship could continue.
Adam stared disbelievingly at her for several seconds, a frown creasing his brow, and Jill added swiftly, 'Gilbert knows ours isn't a proper marriage, Adam. I told him everything because of the way our friendship was developing —'
'You told him everything?' Adam looked at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. 'You told a stranger about our marriage?'
'It was necessary. Surely you can see that?' Jill's nerves began to flutter even though she felt she had nothing to be afraid of. In going out with Gilbert she had done no more than take advantage of the freedom which had been agreed on at the time she promised to marry Adam.
'Am I to understand that this is a serious attachment?' he inquired at length. He was eyeing her coldly, his mouth tight, his jaw flexed.
'We've certainly become fond of
The dancers, all youths, dart ed and dived through the Zorba— like syrtaki , while afterward two older men danced the more solemn tsamiko . Gilbert had seen the dances many times before, but, he said, he was always intrigued by the agility of the Greek men.
'Shall we dance now?' Gilbert looked at Jill and smiled. The Greek dancers had finished their performance, and a slow foxtrot was now being played.
'Yes.' She slipped into his arms, but her thoughts strayed to her husband, and she wondered what he was doing at this time-whether he was dining and dancing with Julia or with some other woman.
'It's hot in here,' Gilbert was saying some time later, and so they went outside for a stroll along the palm-fringed, moonlit shore. Time sped on, and it was after midnight when at last they were on their way to the villa in a taxi. 'Thank you, Jill, for a wonderful evening.' There was an odd inflection in Gilbert's voice as he stood by the wrought-iron gate of the villa and said good night. 'Ca n we do it again, do you think?'
'Of course, Gilbert.' She was affected by his charm of manner, the spontaneity of his smile. 'I, too, have had a wonderful evening.' She smiled her good night and hurried along the drive. She felt happy because she wanted to see him again, and surely that was a good thing?
Sunday arrived, and still Adam had not returned. Jill dutifully visited her mother-in-law, but for the most part she had been with Gilbert every day; they explored the beaches, lunched at several different cafeneions and tavernas, dined and danced and reached the point where Jill decided to tell him the reason for her marriage and that it was to end as soon as her mother-in-law died. Naturally he was amazed at the story but obviously happy at the thought that his friendship with Jill need not end when he left the island.
'As you know,' he said one evening when they were walking along the beach after their meal, 'I was intending to have only one week here, but I'd stay on if you'd agree to go about with me.'
'I expect that's possible, Gilbert.'
'And your husband won't mind?'
'Not at all. I've explained our arrangement. We both entered into the contract in a purely businesslike way, and so we're both free to do what we like.'
'It still seems an incredible story!'
'But it's a true one.' She smiled, thinking of the part she had left out that she had foolishly fallen in love with her husband. Adam arrived on Monday afternoon; she had already made a date with Gilbert to dine and dance at a seafront restaurant where their table was booked. She wasted no time in telling Adam all about Gilbert-that she and he had been keeping company for almost a week and that he was thinking of staying on in Corina so that their friendship could continue.
Adam stared disbelievingly at her for several seconds, a frown creasing his brow, and Jill added swiftly, 'Gilbert knows ours isn't a proper marriage, Adam. I told him everything because of the way our friendship was developing —'
'You told him everything?' Adam looked at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. 'You told a stranger about our marriage?'
'It was necessary. Surely you can see that?' Jill's nerves began to flutter even though she felt she had nothing to be afraid of. In going out with Gilbert she had done no more than take advantage of the freedom which had been agreed on at the time she promised to marry Adam.
'Am I to understand that this is a serious attachment?' he inquired at length. He was eyeing her coldly, his mouth tight, his jaw flexed.
'We've certainly become fond of
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