She moved as far as she could to the other side of the bed and the Marquis put a pillow in the centre of it as he had before.
He did not take off his robe, but climbed into bed on his side. As he put his head down on the pillow Aspasia stammered,
“You don’t – despise me for being – such a – coward?”
“I think you have been very brave through everything that has happened,” the Marquis replied. “Most women both from shock and fear would be having hysterics.”
“I felt – hysterical when you were so – long in coming back.” Aspasia said humbly. “I kept on imagining that Bollard might have – killed you or perhaps – you were – wounded and in pain.”
Her voice told the Marquis what an agony it had been.
Then, as Aspasia recalled how the waiting had seemed like centuries and every second that tic
