‘Then I absolutely must have some for Christmas.* She scooped a couple of tablespoons into her palm. ‘Can you ask him how much?*After a short exchange with the vendor Guy said, ‘He says it*s baksheesh. A present. Because you*re a guest.*‘But isn’t it terribly expensive?*‘Not really. They usually sell it by the kilo.*‘But I must give him something! 1*11 feel really bad otherwise!*‘You might offend him.*‘Then 1*11 buy something else. Half a kilo of black peppercorns. Those silly little tubs you get in the supermarket don’t last five minutes and I bet these are much fresher.*They wandered on, pausing to admire everything from camel sticks to battery operated toys to copper pots. The narrow alleys were crowded and bustling, plaintive Arabic song echoing from scores of radios.More than once, Guy shot an exasperated glance over his shoulder. ‘Anoushka, keep up!* Despite his efforts to amuse her, she was dragging behind, refusing to take an interest in anything.‘I do see what you me

And, in the circumstances, she wasn’t altogether surprised.There are two sources of tension cooped up in this car with him , she thought. One's right behind him , and he'd like to strangle her. As for the other . . .‘What’s your cat called?’The shock of a normal question from Anoushka gave her a jolt. ‘He started off as Little Puss and when he got bigger it was just Puss. Then he had the operation and started getting fat, so it was Portly Puss. And now he’s just Portly.*‘I hope he’s OK,’ said Anoushka.‘Thanks.* She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. ‘So do I.’ Suddenly she couldn’t wait for the dusty miles to pass so she could ring Kate.Before long another glance over her shoulder told her that Anoushka was asleep, and for ages neither she nor Guy spoke.Gradually, the silence became as pregnant as an overdue mother of twins. And, equally gradually, she began to wonder whether he was just miffed, because she hadn’twoozed all over him the minute he turned on his flutter techn

‘Sort of. I’m not sure.’‘What’s she saying?’ Paul said. ‘Tell Uncle Paul all about it, Claudia. Is he a cad and a dashed bounder who’s only after one thing, as your old Granny used to say?’ He launched into his Moany Old Bag voice that never failed to have them in fits. ‘That’s all they ever think about these days. I blame the television.’‘Will you stop it?’ Kate giggled. ‘This is seriousV‘Yes, dear. Sorry, dear. Tell me all about it.’‘She thinks maybe he didn’t really fancy her before,’ Kate explained, ‘but once he realized she fancied him like mad, it sort of got him going.’‘Well, it would/ Paul said.‘And she thinks maybe he thought he was in with a chance, and that’s why he tried it on.’‘He’d hardly try it on if he thought he wasn’t in with a chance.’‘Paul, you’re not helping!’‘OK. Let me speak to her.*There was a scuffle as the phone changed hands. ‘Sounds as if you’ve got yourself in a bit of a tizwoz, me dear,* he said. ‘Want some advice from the enemy camp?’‘Yes, ple

I looked everywhere I could think of. The coffee-shop, the pool ... I even looked on the beach, although it’s pitch-dark and still as windy as hell. Eventually I came back to her room, to see whether she’d come back while I was gone.‘And she hadn’t.’‘No.’ He paused. ‘I went down to Reception to see whether her key was there. She went out about three o’clock.’‘What ? How can they know?*‘The guy on the desk remembered her because she looked pleased and excited. He asked her if she was going somewhere nice, and she said, “You bet I am.” ’Claudia suddenly felt sick. She turned away, ostensibly picking up a pair of shoes from the floor.You have to tell him , she thought, putting them in the cupboard. You can’t not tell him. It’s probably nothing to worry about anyway.‘Where the hell can she have gone with no money?’ he demanded.Unsteadily she sat on the bed. ‘Guy, I think she might have gone off with someone.’‘ What ?’ He started, his hands coming sharply out of his pockets. ‘Who?

When she came back, he was still standing by the window. ‘I’m sorry,' he said. ‘I shouldn’t be here. It’s not your problem.’‘Oh, Guy.’ On an impulse she went up and put her arms around him. ‘I’m glad you came. I’ve hardly slept either.’He did not shake her off, as she’d half expected. His body was resistant at first, as if he was afraid that sympathy would make him crack, then slowly his arms came around her in return, and he stroked her hair with fingers that were not quite as steady as they might have been.‘I feel so bloody helpless.’ His voice was tense with a gritted anger that she knew was only a mask for his fears. ‘I want to go and look for her, but I don’t know where to start.’What he needed more than anything was to sleep, but it was useless to say so. She’d sound like her mother and he’d probably shake her off with an impatient, How the hell can I sleep?So what could she do? Distract him, obviously, but how? She detached herself, picked up the phone, dialled room servic