As he walked quietly from the terrace into the half-darkness of the still shuttered dining-room, he was surprised to see Vesper emerge from the glass-fronted telephone booth near the front door and softly turn up the stairs towards their rooms.
‘Vesper,’ he called, thinking she must have had some urgent message which might concern them both.
She turned quickly, a hand up to her mouth.
For a moment longer than necessary she stared at him, her eyes wide.
‘What is it, darling?’ he asked, vaguely troubled and fearing some crisis in their lives.
‘Oh,’ she said breathlessly, ‘you made me jump. It was only... I was just telephoning to Mathis. To Mathis,’ she repeated. ‘I wondered if he could get me another frock. You know, from that girl-friend I told you about. The vendeuse. You see,’ she t
