Gently French by Alan Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

the stile, Mimi extracting a cigarette from the bag I was holding. Then, strangely, she couldn’t find her matches, had to beg a light from me: and steady my hand. Fingers of character. Not anonymously feminine, but made to do something more than caress. And I caught that scent which Hanson had likened to honey, and which I immediately qualified: heather honey.
    ‘I am told you wish to go back to London.’
    ‘Oh, perhaps. It is not important.’
    ‘Some business was mentioned.’
    ‘Not true. Just some parties, a first night.’
    ‘Then you won’t mind staying here a little longer.’
    She blew me a tender stream of smoke. ‘No. It will not be so boring. It is the small men I find tiresome.’
    ‘After all, you seem able to amuse yourself.’
    ‘Aha. So you have noticed.’
    ‘Picking water-lilies. Where did you put them?’
    ‘They have horrible stems, my friend. No good.’
    ‘Yet you found them so intriguing that they made you miss lunch.’
    ‘Is that why my tummy feels empty?’
    ‘Did you miss lunch?’
    She blew smoke pettishly. ‘This is a foolish conversation.’
    ‘But did you miss it?’
    She took the bag. ‘I must have done. I am suddenly bored. So now I go straight back to have a meal. Au r’voir, my friend. Enjoy the daisies.’

CHAPTER SIX
    S HE MOUNTED THE stile with quick grace and jumped down lightly into the meadow.
    ‘Wait,’ I said.
    ‘Why should I wait?’
    ‘I have some more questions to ask you.’
    She slitted her eyes. ‘And if I am not in the mood? If I do not choose to be pestered?’
    I shook my head. ‘You are too intelligent. You would never take up a foolish attitude.’
    ‘Foof!’ But her mouth twitched. ‘You know that you have no right to detain me. And I am not very pleased to be harassed like this, to be chased by a policeman when I stretch my legs.’
    ‘Is that what you were doing?’
    ‘Of course. Do you doubt it?’
    ‘I don’t doubt you could find a way to be more helpful.’
    ‘Huh-huh. And why should I?’
    ‘Because it would amuse you. And I make a change from the clientele at the Barge-House.’
    She drew herself up. ‘Monsieur, what vanity!’
    ‘Also, you’re not yet sure if I admire you.’
    She gave a throbbing chuckle. ‘I think you are a devil. What a good thing I find you unattractive.’
    We stared at each other. She was smiling now.
    ‘Okay, okay, we will play the game. I find I am not hungry after all. It must be the scent of so many flowers.’
    ‘Shall we go back to the launch?’
    ‘I prefer not. It will be more comfortable out of the sun.’ She glanced around casually. ‘Perhaps beneath that hawthorn. It seems unlikely that we shall be disturbed.’
    She stubbed her cigarette and made for the hawthorn. It was the most spreading of several that fringed the meadow; a handsome pyramid of milky blossom, throwing broken shade on the grass beneath. Mimi selected her spot and sat down; I selected mine, leaving turf between us. From there you saw a steely slice of the Broad with distant sails moving slowly upon it. Mimi plucked a stalk of plantain and chewed it appreciatively. She had turned towards me and was leaning on her elbow. Two harnessless breasts were moulding themselves sweetly, one drooping, one pouted by its neighbour.
    ‘Are you married, my friend?’
    ‘Not entirely.’
    ‘Hah. Such wisdom in two words. Is she so beautiful?’
    ‘I don’t carry her photograph.’
    ‘Then she is either very beautiful or very plain. I wonder which.’
    I let her wonder. ‘How did you come to take up with Quarles?’
    ‘Oh, I was unhappy. It was after my trouble. Two million Frenchmen wanted to marry me.’
    ‘And you didn’t want to marry?’
    She bit off some stalk. ‘I am rich too, that is the trouble. My late husband was an industrialist. If he had been poor there would have been no trial. La Famille. His poisonous mother. No doubt you are provided with the details. Afterwards, who cares about marrying Mimi? The bride is