Eclipse. Lynne Pemberton

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СКАЧАТЬ you like to go swimming, Lady Serena? The sea’s fantastic at this time of night.’

      Glancing in her husband’s direction, she watched him light another joint; then, throwing back his head, Nicholas burst into private laughter.

      ‘I’d like that very much,’ Serena replied.

      Before she could change her mind, Royole had ushered her out of the cottage, making no noise. An earlier shower had cleared most of the clouds and a fat, full moon now lit up the sky.

      Holding her hand tightly, Royole picked his way down an overgrown pathway towards the sea. He was as surefooted as a mountain goat and knew the path backwards. Serena was fascinated by the sight of hundreds of fireflies, twinkling amongst the trees like a host of dancing candle-lights. She had never seen so many together at the same time.

      At the foot of the hill they had to jump from a grassy ledge on to the beach. Royole went first, and then turned to hold out his hands for Serena, conscious of the ankle that she had injured a little over a week ago.

      She landed awkwardly, but fell into the soft sand with no further mishap. Rolling over and laughing, she clambered to her feet and ran into the warm shallows, gasping as the salty sea-spray stung her face, and the wind whipped her long hair across her glowing cheeks.

      ‘I’m not sure this is such a good idea Royole,’ she called to him, ‘the sea looks very rough.’

      He smiled and shouted above the waves, ‘Not where I’m going to take you. Come on.’

      He led her by the hand to the end of the long white beach, not stopping until they reached a tightly packed rock formation covered in rambling seagrape bushes. Here, they had to turn sideways to slide through a narrow space between the rocks. Scrambling over a few slippery boulders they eventually emerged on to a crescent-shaped cove lying on the edge of a small circular lagoon.

      ‘It’s amazing,’ gasped Serena, staring at the completely calm surface of the water; so flat that it resembled a sheet of gleaming, black marble.

      Undoing the buttons on the thin shoulder straps of her cotton dress, she let it fall in soft folds on to the sand. She then stepped out of it, and slipped her panties swiftly down her legs; hooking them with her big toe, she gave them a little flick. She aimed well and they landed where she had intended, on top of her dress.

      She was aware of Royole’s probing gaze eating into her naked flesh, yet felt no embarrassment nor, strangely enough, arousal. Instead she felt like a child again; free and uninhibited.

      Diving sleekly into the lagoon, her body cut neatly through the glassy surface of the water, sending out ripples in ever-growing circles. The water was very warm and came to just below her neck. She stood very still on the sandy ocean floor, watching Royole take off his cotton shirt and trousers. Unabashed, she stared at his body; he was so tall and perfectly proportioned. His skin, a golden mahogany colour, gleamed in the moonlight.

      A moment later he was at her side, towering above her.

      She ducked underwater and held her breath, before emerging to his laughter.

      With sensitive fingers, he gently lifted her hair up and out of her face, smoothing it flat to her crown. His hand then caressed their way slowly down the length of her back, stopping at the base of her spine; lingering there, as if undecided, before spanning her tiny waist and pulling her body towards his own. He could feel her resistance.

      ‘Don’t you want me, Lady Serena?’ he asked, and seemed surprised. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought you did.’

      His voice, in soft enquiry, was neither passionate nor pressing.

      ‘Yes I do; but not here and not now,’ she replied firmly.

      Pushing him gently away, she dived under his arms and with long, smooth strokes swam towards the lagoon’s one jagged rock that rose spectrally out of the water.

      By the time she reached it, Royole was already there, lying in wait to catch her. As she swam past, he grabbed both her ankles and pulled her beneath the surface.

      Kicking and spluttering, she managed to fight free and find her feet. She was still giggling when he burst from the water like a huge whale, letting out a loud roar.

      ‘Careful, you’ll wake the neighbours,’ she squealed, and splashed him with long sweeps of water before swimming back to the shore and running on to the beach, panting, and shaking with laughter.

      ‘That was wonderful,’ Serena told Royole, as she wriggled into her dress, struggling with the awkward straps.

      Royole helped her with the buttons. His fingers longed to linger; to trace the pointed tips of her erect nipples, rising and falling under the gauzy fabric. Forcing himself to stifle his feelings of arousal, and holding her chin in the palm of one hand, he moved several wet strands of hair out of her face with the other.

      ‘You must call me soon, Lady Serena. I have to see you before you leave Port Antonio.’ He placed a fleeting kiss on her brow, as a father would a child.

      She said nothing, not wanting to break the mood, and they both walked back in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

      It was after midnight when they slipped quietly into the cottage.

      Nicholas was sleeping like a baby, curled up on several cushions, in a cramped foetal position. And Caron had left a scrawled message on the messy dinner table, to inform Royole that she’d call him tomorrow.

      ‘Caron works as a hotel receptionist; she has to get up early,’ Royole explained to Serena. ‘She rarely stays with me.’

      Serena shrugged and, looking at Nicholas, said, ‘It looks like I’ll be the one driving back.’

      Royole nodded and began to clear the dirty dinner plates. ‘I think there’s little doubt about that.’

      Nicholas woke twenty minutes later, whilst Royole was busy making coffee in the kitchen. Serena was sitting on the opposite side of the terrace; her hair, freshly washed, hung several inches past her shoulder blades, shining like newly spun silk.

      Nicholas was still trying to focus as she slid down on to the cushions next to him, snuggling close to his warm body.

      ‘So, my darling, awake at last? Royole and I were debating as to whether we should put you to bed here …’

      Blinking, he noticed how her skin glowed, and a subtle teasing light danced in her eyes. He touched her cheek, tracing a line with his index finger across her mouth and down to her throat. He was about to tell her that she looked beautiful when Royole walked into the room, carrying a tray containing three steaming mugs.

      ‘Coffee is served,’ he announced with a flourish, placing the tray on a low table next to them.

      Nicholas stood up, a little shaky on his feet. Running his tongue over parched lips, he asked, ‘Could I have a glass of water, please. I’ve got a rather dry throat.’

      Serena looked at her dishevelled husband and grinned. ‘I really can’t think why.’

      It was almost one-thirty when they said their goodbyes and left Coralita Cottage. Serena drove slowly and sedately back to Mango Bay, whilst Nicholas snored and muttered СКАЧАТЬ