Read Online The Longest Pleasure by Christopher Nicole - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Nicole
Tags: Novel
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we all love ourselves the best. That is a natural law. I would say you are ready now.'
He lay down. 'Is there a time limit?'
She stooped to kiss him, refilled his glass, lay beside him, propped on her elbow, one knee up. You are a spendthrift, Alexander. You pay for as long as you take. But most of them are in and out, like I said, and then they wish to hurry away again.'
'I am not extravagant, Irena. But I like to get my money's worth.'
'Just by lying there?' Her fingers moved over his back, stroked the ridges of scar tissue. You must have been near death.'
'My own grenade. Here in Budapest.'
'She frowned, looked at his face for a long moment. ‘D o you know you have not touched me? You can still change your mind.'
Galitsin placed his finger on the tip of her chin and moved it upwards, slowly, along the line of her jaw, over her temple, and into her hair. 'There is time.'
She laughed. 'I know what we will do. We will lie here beside each other and think it out.'
'I would enjoy that,' Galitsin said. ‘I would enjoy that very much, Irena Szen.'
Nancy Connaught sat in the farthest comer of the bar, gave a sigh. She wore a blue woollen suit which clashed agreeably with the crimson plush and also set off her hair, but which she regretted, and a floppy white hat, which had been useful in Bond Street 'Isn't this the hottest October on record or something?'
'It is very pleasant, Miss Connaught,' the waiter agreed. 'It makes up for the snow and ice of August.'
‘I read about that,' she said. 'The weather's all ups -a- daisy, isn't it? Don't tell me. It's the bomb.'
'So they say, miss. So they do say. Old Crow? With ice?'
"Right the first time,' she agreed. 'I'm expecting Major Shirley.'
She lit a cigarette. London was home, now. Jacksonville was a million miles away, and whenever she went back to New York she felt a stranger. But after five years she thought she knew the British. She didn't, of course. Nobody ever knew the British. But by feeling that she did she gave her articles that much more conviction, for her American readers. And now she was going to be half British herself. She felt she needed another bourbon, looked up, and discovered Alan Shirley, smiling and blushing.
His appearance never aged, even to the extent of adding to the considerable weight he had always carried, although he did not seem to diet. And he always blushed when first they met after any separation at all, even a weekend. Because he was very British, and had once proposed to her. She had asked him why, as bed had never really become a subject between them.
And he had shrugged, and said, 'Well, we both have red hair.'
'Mine's darker than yours,' she had pointed out. But she liked Alan a great deal. And always would. She tilted her head back, allowed him to kiss her on the forehead, took off her glasses. 'Hi!'
'And the same to you. You're looking very cool.'
‘ Well, I'm melting. Johnny. A Walker Black and another of these.'
'Right away, Miss Connaught.'
'He looks after me,' she said. ‘I like him. But I like everyone today. Alan! You're going to be the first to know. I've been and gone and done it.'
He gave a startled glance at her empty left hand. 'Why tell me?'
'Oh, not that, silly. I've bought a house. Well, a cottage, really. Don't laugh. It's in a place called Lyme Regis. Practically.'-
'Very pleasant spot.'
'It's a dream. Mind you, this place, well, it's a derelict coastguard cottage, or something. You know the sort of thing. It needs a few repairs. There's a hole in the roof.'
'You've been had, darling.'
'So maybe I was swindled, just a little. It's what I want, Of course, I'll have to put in heating, and there's a new upstairs floor to come, and, you'll never believe this, but it doesn't have a bathroom.'
'I wouldn't believe anything else. When are you going to let me see it?'
'We can drive down tomorrow, if you like.'
'I'll take a rain-check.'
Nancy replaced her glasses on her nose, lit a cigarette. 'Can't
He lay down. 'Is there a time limit?'
She stooped to kiss him, refilled his glass, lay beside him, propped on her elbow, one knee up. You are a spendthrift, Alexander. You pay for as long as you take. But most of them are in and out, like I said, and then they wish to hurry away again.'
'I am not extravagant, Irena. But I like to get my money's worth.'
'Just by lying there?' Her fingers moved over his back, stroked the ridges of scar tissue. You must have been near death.'
'My own grenade. Here in Budapest.'
'She frowned, looked at his face for a long moment. ‘D o you know you have not touched me? You can still change your mind.'
Galitsin placed his finger on the tip of her chin and moved it upwards, slowly, along the line of her jaw, over her temple, and into her hair. 'There is time.'
She laughed. 'I know what we will do. We will lie here beside each other and think it out.'
'I would enjoy that,' Galitsin said. ‘I would enjoy that very much, Irena Szen.'
Nancy Connaught sat in the farthest comer of the bar, gave a sigh. She wore a blue woollen suit which clashed agreeably with the crimson plush and also set off her hair, but which she regretted, and a floppy white hat, which had been useful in Bond Street 'Isn't this the hottest October on record or something?'
'It is very pleasant, Miss Connaught,' the waiter agreed. 'It makes up for the snow and ice of August.'
‘I read about that,' she said. 'The weather's all ups -a- daisy, isn't it? Don't tell me. It's the bomb.'
'So they say, miss. So they do say. Old Crow? With ice?'
"Right the first time,' she agreed. 'I'm expecting Major Shirley.'
She lit a cigarette. London was home, now. Jacksonville was a million miles away, and whenever she went back to New York she felt a stranger. But after five years she thought she knew the British. She didn't, of course. Nobody ever knew the British. But by feeling that she did she gave her articles that much more conviction, for her American readers. And now she was going to be half British herself. She felt she needed another bourbon, looked up, and discovered Alan Shirley, smiling and blushing.
His appearance never aged, even to the extent of adding to the considerable weight he had always carried, although he did not seem to diet. And he always blushed when first they met after any separation at all, even a weekend. Because he was very British, and had once proposed to her. She had asked him why, as bed had never really become a subject between them.
And he had shrugged, and said, 'Well, we both have red hair.'
'Mine's darker than yours,' she had pointed out. But she liked Alan a great deal. And always would. She tilted her head back, allowed him to kiss her on the forehead, took off her glasses. 'Hi!'
'And the same to you. You're looking very cool.'
‘ Well, I'm melting. Johnny. A Walker Black and another of these.'
'Right away, Miss Connaught.'
'He looks after me,' she said. ‘I like him. But I like everyone today. Alan! You're going to be the first to know. I've been and gone and done it.'
He gave a startled glance at her empty left hand. 'Why tell me?'
'Oh, not that, silly. I've bought a house. Well, a cottage, really. Don't laugh. It's in a place called Lyme Regis. Practically.'-
'Very pleasant spot.'
'It's a dream. Mind you, this place, well, it's a derelict coastguard cottage, or something. You know the sort of thing. It needs a few repairs. There's a hole in the roof.'
'You've been had, darling.'
'So maybe I was swindled, just a little. It's what I want, Of course, I'll have to put in heating, and there's a new upstairs floor to come, and, you'll never believe this, but it doesn't have a bathroom.'
'I wouldn't believe anything else. When are you going to let me see it?'
'We can drive down tomorrow, if you like.'
'I'll take a rain-check.'
Nancy replaced her glasses on her nose, lit a cigarette. 'Can't
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