Exocet - Jack Higgins [54]
'Please, Miss Jones, it would give me the greatest of pleasure to show you how we dance the tango in the Argentine.'
There was astonishment on her face for a moment, then she glanced at Donner. He ignored her and poured more champagne into his glass. She made her decision and stood up.
'I think I'd like that,' she said, and walked on to the floor.
'I shan't be long,' Montera said to Gabrielle, and smiled. 'If he annoys you, this one, let me know and I'll give him what the bearded one got.'
'Do you think you could guarantee that?'
He leaned over, kissed her as if Donner wasn't there, and joined Wanda on the floor.
'Very nice,' Donner said. 'I like a good show. Do I get to dance, too?'
Gabrielle sipped a little champagne. 'I couldn't imagine any circumstance in which I would agree to dance with you, Mr Donner. You see, it's really very simple. I don't like you.'
Donner's anger showed only in his eyes, the rest he managed to control. 'I'm very persistent. I could grow on you.'
'Men.' She shook her head. 'The arrogance of you. That stupid male arrogance. You're all the same. Selfish, demanding. You treat women with contempt, you know that? Your interest is actually an insult.'
He managed to stay good humoured on the surface. 'I see, so it's men you don't like, not just me? Where does that leave our gallant colonel? He's different, I suppose?'
'He's himself. He doesn't take, he gives.' It was as if she was saying this to work it out for herself, and there was a kind of joy on her face. 'Which may seem a contradiction to you, but makes perfect sense to me.'
Before Donner could reply the head waiter appeared at his side. 'Monsieur Donner?'
'That's right.'
'You left your name at the bar in case there was a phone call. Someone is on the line now.'
Donner followed him across to the reception desk and picked up the phone. 'Donner here.'
'Nikolai. Listen, Garcia's been in touch. Apparently Bernard left him a note earlier this afternoon giving details of convoys of St Martin for Ile de Roc during the next four days. Only one meets your requirements and it will be in the right vicinity very early on the morning of the twenty-ninth.'
'That's the day after tomorrow.'
'Correct. Can you handle it?'
'No problem. We'll fly down in the Chieftain in the morning. I'll take the colonel with me.'
'Excellent. How did you find the Legrand woman?'
'Very impressive indeed. I might suggest that she comes down with us.'
'Do you think she will?'
'Maybe. They're obviously crazy about each other.'
'Actually, it's not such a bad idea,' Belov said.
'Why?'
'I don't know. There's something about her that doesn't quite fit. One gets an instinct for these things.'
'You'd better check her out thoroughly then.'
'Oh, I will. I'll be in touch tomorrow. Ring you at Maison Blanche.'
Donner put down the phone and took his time over lighting a cigarette, looking across at Gabrielle, thinking about what Belov had said. God, but she was beautiful, but it was so much more than that. He had been content to use women carelessly all his life, had never experienced any great difficulties with them until now. He shook his head in a kind of reluctant admiration and realised, with some surprise, that he had never wanted a woman so much.
From the dance floor, Wanda glanced across at him, saw the expression on his face and said to Montera, 'She means a lot to you, that lady?'
'Everything,' he said simply.
'Then watch him,' she said. 'He's used to getting what he wants.'
As the music finished, he smiled and kissed her hand. 'You're too good for him.'
She smiled sadly. 'You're wrong. I'm no good for anything else.'
As they reached the table, Donner joined them. 'I've just had a phone call,' he said to Montera. 'That business transaction of ours takes place Saturday. It means we'll have to fly down to Lancy in the morning. I've taken an old house in the country, Maison