“Shall I tell you,” the Marquis asked, “that not only am I not disappointed, but I have never entertained anyone as lovely as you, Idylla, and that is the truth!”
Her eyes seemed to be full of stars.
“Do you – mean that?”
“I mean it very sincerely.”
The Marquis set down his glass of brandy on the table beside him and rose from the armchair to sit, as he had done earlier in the evening, on the side of Idylla’s chaise longue.
It was quite wide and she was so slight and slim that there was plenty of room for him.
At the same time they were very close to each other and he knew that a little tremor ran through her although he was sure it was not from fear.
“Before dinner,” he said in his deep voice, “when I gave you the diamond cross you kissed my cheek when you thanked me. I want to tha
