Chapter FourThe Marquis was late for dinner.
Shikara, going into the Saloon dressed in one of the new gowns she had bought in Baixa, found two good-looking and elegant Portuguese gentlemen waiting there.
Both of them had high-sounding titles and both immediately started to pay her extravagant compliments, looking at her with large, liquid dark eyes that made her think to herself that they looked like amorous dolphins.
She was rather pleased with the phrase and decided to repeat it to the Marquis when they were alone.
Then as time passed she realised that it was long after the dinner hour, which had been arranged for half past nine.
She had been surprised when on their return to the yacht the Marquis had told her what time they would dine.
“The Portuguese, like the Spanish, always eat
