“Yes.”
“We’re sitting on the wrong sides for that. Change over.”
“Good. That is a sensible order couched in simple language and easily understood.”
It was fun moving over, trying not to disturb the balance of the gondola, but having to trim again carefully.
“Now,” she said. “But hold me tightly with the other arm.”
“You know just what you want?”
“I do indeed. Is it un-maidenly? I learned that word too from my governess.”
“No,” he said. “It’s lovely. Pull up the blanket good and feel that wind.”
“It’s from the high mountains.”
“Yes. And beyond there it’s from somewhere else.”
The Colonel heard the slap of the waves, and he felt the wind come sharply, and the rough familiarity of the blanket, and then he felt the girl cold-warm and lovely and with upraised breasts that his left hand coasted lightly over. Then he ran his bad hand through her hair once, twice, and three times and then he kissed her, and it was worse than desperation.
“Please,” she said, from almost underneath the blanket. “Let me kiss now.”
“No,” he said. “Me again.”
The wind was very cold and lashed their faces but under the blanket there was no wind nor nothing; only his ruined
