Rhoda listened to Justin's story of how he had watched Grace's movements and found himself intrigued by her poise and friendliness with the staff of the hotel and her gentleness with Anton's aunt who was ill and needed her constant attention. Of her evenings spent dining alone, despite the many offers of men who resided at the hotel; to have her dine with them; admitting to asking her himself on their third night and of his surprise when she had accepted. How his heart had pounded as they dined together every night then and of his reluctance to leave her and his joy when she had accepted his proposal of marriage on their last night together, before Sidi Ben summoned him.
"She asked me to bring you a letter from Yolinda and said I must bring it in person and hand it to you only. She was afraid of it falling into the hands of your father's men." Justin explained moving from the bed to free his coat, enabling him to retrieve the letter from its inner pocket and giving it to her just as Bidbah returned, to remind them of the need to dress for dinner.
Rhoda put the letter into her purse and walked to the door with Justin, letting Bidbah go into the bathroom to fill her bath. "Justin, thank you for being straight with me. I do appreciate it. When will you be going back?" She smiled up at him in the doorway.
"I've booked myself onto the first flight in the morning, at Orly. It leaves at seven-thirty. I'll see you before I go, to see if you have a reply to your letter for Yolinda." Justin tilted her chin and kissed the tip of her nose, then turned her round and gave a playful pat to her bottom.
"Make sure you keep your scanner on. Don't take any risks in case the whole manoeuvre is to get us separated, as part of Hassan's scam. I don't trust him!" She called after him over her shoulder, watching his retreating figure with some concern.
Justin made a grumbling sound as he shut the door behind him, his mind recalling the day they had met in England, when Rhoda's shaking figure had entered the private London clinic with Abdul ibn Ben Ali and his twin Akmed; where she was booked in to see all their female consultants who would help her to fight her addiction to cocaine, her paranoia against men and her anorexia; and where Rhoda would remain until these disorders had been eradicated, her diet brought to a normal level to get her health back.
He had been visiting the clinic at the time as an interpreter for a client who used sign language as his only means of communication. He had been leaving, but her sight of him had caused her to scream and run at him like a banshee, almost knocking him down but for the intervention of her escorts who had grabbed her arms and forcibly held her and backed her away from him. He had watched them calm her down as he had straightened his tie and his jacket, amazed to see them using sign language to explain he was just a client here and was not about to harm her.
Rhoda had looked at him then, warily, her gaze having met his and shied away instantly, only to return just as quickly because he had winked at her and mouthed; 'hello' to her, repeating both actions as her eyes returned to his.
Rhoda had blinked, then returned the 'hello' before she had winked back at him. He had grinned and she had stared back at him; until the receptionist had called him over to her desk, asking him if his firm had female Audio, Aural Technicians. He had given her his own card and told her to call him if they needed a consult.
The next day he had been summoned and an appointment had been made for that afternoon. His examination of Rhoda's ears and testing her hearing had been the beginning of a long friendship over the past three years and their partnership had been born with her very first venture to visit his home, when they had discovered they both had a passion for art. Rhoda, in sketching fashion gowns, and he, in computer graphics, creating programmes for advertising companies in his spare time away from his medical duties.
