“And, of course, to you as well,” he replied. “Do I have to tell you how lovely you look tonight?”
There was a note in his voice that made her vibrate to him.
Then she told herself that he was just being polite and she forced herself to say,
“Everybody has been just – so kind – Her Excellency gave me this beautiful train – and I shall always remember this moment – here in Odessa.”
“There are other moments for us to remember,” the Duke ventured.
“Will you – remember – them?” Zoia enquired.
She could not help the question because she wanted so much to hear his answer.
“I think what I will remember most vividly is when I came back to consciousness after I had been wounded and saw your face looking down at me.”
Zoia felt herself quiver. She had longed for him to talk to her like this a
