BILLIE

    

    She found herself wondering how his kiss would be.

    And wondering that surprised her.

    Now and then as they walked, the trail over the hill snaked through rough terrain and Dodgson would take her hand. It was meaningless, the gesture of a gentleman and nothing more. But the hand was smooth and warm and dry-soft, the way she supposed a writer’s hands ought to be. They pleased her. And that surprised her too.

    Because the other man’s hands had been soft as well, she remembered them vividly, lying in the hospital bed in Spain half-unconscious at first with amoebic dysentery and then slowly awakening to the shameful terrible fact that the doctor’s hands had been on her frequently throughout her days of fever, stroking her, invading her cruelly, invading her everywhere and then one final nightmare day of full awareness, of seeing and feeling all he did to her with utter clarity, too weak to stop him.

    The authorities’ response had amounted to a smug dismissal.

    It had taken her a good long time even to think of a man again.

    Precisely, it had taken her until now.

    They stopped for a breather. It was four but the sun was still hot. There was no one about. The beach was far behind them. Away in the distance she heard the tin-can tinkle of a goat bell. That was all. Only that fine peace, that familiar Greek stillness.

    The trail was bare and rocky. She looked around.

    “Do you suppose there are snakes about?”

    He shook his head. “I doubt it. Too late in the day. The only poisonous snake in Greece is the viper anyway. And they’re no problem if you’re careful. Sometimes you see them sunning themselves on paths like these but you’re not likely to step on one if you watch where you’re going. They’re pretty big. Why? You afraid of snakes? I thought it was cats.”

    “Not me. Michelle. She says she's been staying off all the trails and rocky bits.”

    He pointed to a series of low stone walls running parallel to the trail a few yards away.

    “See those? They build them to catch and hold rainwater along the hillsides. That’s where you’d most likely see a snake. So if you’re climbing in there, say around midday, I’d be careful. Otherwise you’re fine. I’ll mention it to her.”

    They continued walking. She was glad they’d decided to take the trail back from the beach instead of the ferry with Michelle and Danny.

    It gave her time to be alone with him and time to digest all he’d told her about Lelia after their swim. It must have been gruesome for him, harrowing. No doubt he’d be shy of aggressive women for a while- maybe of the opposite sex in general.

    She knew how that felt.

    But he had her hand in his again and she thought she’d like that kiss-amazingly, she really did. She felt such quiet warmth from him.

    The path opened up. There was room for them to walk two abreast I now and the trail was worn straight and smooth yet he kept her hand. She glanced at him and smiled and he returned it.

    It was all downhill from here on in and soon the dock was in sight and the bus beyond it-the bus that would take them back to town. So that in a way she felt it was now or never.

    “Could we try something?” she said. She stopped and faced him.

    He looked at her, puzzled for a moment. Then he understood.

    “Yes, I think we can.”

    “And then if it doesn’t work particularly, we can…”

    He smiled. “Just a guess, but I think it’ll work.”

    She moved into his arms. His lips, his hands on her back-all the sensations were smooth and enveloping and wonderful.

    “You’re so gentle!” she said, and heard the surprise in her voice.