managed to reach her bedroom door safely. She turned. 'There, you see? I'm perfectly alright'. She giggled again. 'I do feel funny though, I must have had quite a lot, but it wasn't Jacques.'
'No.' Robert looked at her fondly. She had obviously never experienced a feeling of intoxication in her life and she looked a little dishevelled, like a infant who has been playing rough games.
'What a child you are Anna,' he chided. 'I must watch you more closely or you'll get into all sorts of trouble.'
'No I won't,' she responded archly as she opened the door. 'And I'm not a child.' She leaned towards him confidentially. 'I'll show you,' she said, and the next instant she was kissing him so passionately that in spite of his surprise he felt himself respond. Before he knew it a great surge of feeling engulfed him so that he could not stop the demands of his lips on hers, searching, seeking, exploring, savouring the passion she returned to him, all reason lost.
Suddenly Robert pushed Anna from him roughly. He stood, shocked, his breathing laboured and his heart hammering in his chest.
'Go to bed Anna,' he commanded sternly. 'Now.'
The sweet smile in her eyes told him she understood. Told him she had found out his secret, understood the longing he had pushed to the back of his mind since those early days at High Cedars, the desire for her which had been harder to deny every day they spent in each others company. He had not dreamed she felt it too, that it was the same for her.
Her gaze was bright and glowing. He tore his eyes away.
'Good night Anna,' he said gently. As he walked back down the stairs he could feel her eyes following him, her gaze burning into his back. His mother's words of warning flitted through his mind, but he discarded them instantly. What did she know of a young man's needs, or a young woman's for that matter? This was France, he had enjoyed a wonderful evening and felt good about himself and his life. It was a perfect summer, and tomorrow would be another lovely day.
ROBERT
The trap bowled merrily along the narrow lane, and Anna, refreshed after several cups of strong coffee, began to enjoy the morning. It was probably as well that she had only a hazy recollection of the events of the previous evening, and Robert felt a certain inward amusement at her lack of any sense of embarrassment. He glanced at her, savouring the freshness of her young cheeks, noting with a painter's eye the tendrils of tawny curls which escaped from under her bonnet.
'Nearly there,' he said, as she felt his glance and turned towards him. 'Just around the next bend there's a place to stop and rest the pony. We'll walk from there.'
Anna felt a twinge of disappointment as she clambered down from the trap. It was obviously the right place, several carts were there already, and a young French boy quickly appeared, offering to take care of the pony for a few sous. If the sea was nearby it was certainly not visible, and neither was the pink granite coastline Robert had promised.
She followed as Robert took the picnic basket and led the way along a small path which wound between the trees, and then across an area of sparse scrub. After only a couple of minutes the path rounded a huge boulder and suddenly the sea was before them, blue and magnificent. Anna stopped. 'Oh! Oh, my goodness!'
For once her delight at discovering the sea was overcome by the extraordinary coastline which bounded its white crested borders. As far as she could see, huge boulders of pink granite dominated the view, worn into smooth fantastic shapes by the pounding seas of centuries.
'Oh look Robert... it's like... like...'
Her words trailed away on the slight breeze. It was not like anything, she thought, not like anything she had ever seen or imagined.
'It's... beautiful, but so... strange...'
'Yes.' Robert had visited the Rose Granite coast several times before, but the first sight of the bizarre landscape always disturbed him. 'I sometimes think that
'No.' Robert looked at her fondly. She had obviously never experienced a feeling of intoxication in her life and she looked a little dishevelled, like a infant who has been playing rough games.
'What a child you are Anna,' he chided. 'I must watch you more closely or you'll get into all sorts of trouble.'
'No I won't,' she responded archly as she opened the door. 'And I'm not a child.' She leaned towards him confidentially. 'I'll show you,' she said, and the next instant she was kissing him so passionately that in spite of his surprise he felt himself respond. Before he knew it a great surge of feeling engulfed him so that he could not stop the demands of his lips on hers, searching, seeking, exploring, savouring the passion she returned to him, all reason lost.
Suddenly Robert pushed Anna from him roughly. He stood, shocked, his breathing laboured and his heart hammering in his chest.
'Go to bed Anna,' he commanded sternly. 'Now.'
The sweet smile in her eyes told him she understood. Told him she had found out his secret, understood the longing he had pushed to the back of his mind since those early days at High Cedars, the desire for her which had been harder to deny every day they spent in each others company. He had not dreamed she felt it too, that it was the same for her.
Her gaze was bright and glowing. He tore his eyes away.
'Good night Anna,' he said gently. As he walked back down the stairs he could feel her eyes following him, her gaze burning into his back. His mother's words of warning flitted through his mind, but he discarded them instantly. What did she know of a young man's needs, or a young woman's for that matter? This was France, he had enjoyed a wonderful evening and felt good about himself and his life. It was a perfect summer, and tomorrow would be another lovely day.
ROBERT
The trap bowled merrily along the narrow lane, and Anna, refreshed after several cups of strong coffee, began to enjoy the morning. It was probably as well that she had only a hazy recollection of the events of the previous evening, and Robert felt a certain inward amusement at her lack of any sense of embarrassment. He glanced at her, savouring the freshness of her young cheeks, noting with a painter's eye the tendrils of tawny curls which escaped from under her bonnet.
'Nearly there,' he said, as she felt his glance and turned towards him. 'Just around the next bend there's a place to stop and rest the pony. We'll walk from there.'
Anna felt a twinge of disappointment as she clambered down from the trap. It was obviously the right place, several carts were there already, and a young French boy quickly appeared, offering to take care of the pony for a few sous. If the sea was nearby it was certainly not visible, and neither was the pink granite coastline Robert had promised.
She followed as Robert took the picnic basket and led the way along a small path which wound between the trees, and then across an area of sparse scrub. After only a couple of minutes the path rounded a huge boulder and suddenly the sea was before them, blue and magnificent. Anna stopped. 'Oh! Oh, my goodness!'
For once her delight at discovering the sea was overcome by the extraordinary coastline which bounded its white crested borders. As far as she could see, huge boulders of pink granite dominated the view, worn into smooth fantastic shapes by the pounding seas of centuries.
'Oh look Robert... it's like... like...'
Her words trailed away on the slight breeze. It was not like anything, she thought, not like anything she had ever seen or imagined.
'It's... beautiful, but so... strange...'
'Yes.' Robert had visited the Rose Granite coast several times before, but the first sight of the bizarre landscape always disturbed him. 'I sometimes think that
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