IX
At four o’clock next afternoon a station taxi stopped at the gate and d**k got out. Suddenly off balance, Nicole ran from the terrace to meet him, breathless with her effort at self-control.
‘Where’s the car?’ she asked.
‘I left it in Arles. I didn’t feel like driving any more.’
‘I thought from your note that you’d be several days.’
‘I ran into a mistral and some rain.’
‘Did you have fun?’
‘Just as much fun as anybody has running away from things. I drove Rosemary as far as Avignon and put her on her train there.’ They walked toward the terrace together, where he deposited his bag. ‘I didn’t tell you in the note because I thought you’d imagine a lot of things.’
‘That was very considerate of you.’ Nicole felt surer of herself now.
‘I wanted to find out if she had anything to off
