seventeen, walk towards him. Her childlike features brought back the faded image of the photograph he had glimpsed without Kenjiâs knowledge. She was pretty, possessed of an exotic beauty: olive skin, almond eyes and a dainty, delicately curved nose. Her dark hair, worn in braids tied with a ribbon at her neck, made her look even younger.
Surely itâs rather lecherous of Kenji, whoâs fifty-two, to have such a young girl for a lover! Iâd never have guessed. And he is attracted to women of an entirely different type: mature, shapely, provocative. His last lover, Ninon Delarme, 11 would have turned the head of a saintâ¦Who is this girl? Might she really be his goddaughter? Or even his daughter? If so, then her mother must be a European. His daughter! Impossible! He would have told me!
He felt uneasy, afraid of committing an indiscretion. It seemed best to go straight to the point.
âGood day, Mademoiselle. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Victor Legris, an associate ofâ¦â
âWhat a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Legris. Godfather has often spoken of you!â cried Iris.
âOh! I assumedâ¦Mademoiselle Bontemps did not know of my existence.â
âMy godfather doesnât tell everybody everything! He loves to shroud himself in mystery. Iâm sure itâs because he reads so many novels. I rarely read them myself; I avoid filling my head with fantasies. The day I leave this boarding school, I shall start to look after him, bring him down to earth a little! Nothing bad has happened to him, I hope?â
âHe is in perfect health. He is concerned about you, that is all.â
âWhy? I explained to him about the shoes.â
Victor handed her the single slipper that had been stuffed in his pocket. Iris took it, trying to conceal the flicker of emotion that crossed her face. She fingered the marks Berlaudâs fangs had made.
âYes, I lent them to Ãlisa, a schoolmate. She insisted â even though they were too wide for her. Itâs odd that she should have lost one. How featherbrained she is!â
âThis piece of paper was inside.â
âI know. My idea was to make an inner sole to stop her foot from slipping out. She wanted to look elegant andâ¦If I had known it would create such troubleâ¦â
She blushed as she handed the shoe back to Victor, who sensed that she was lying.
âAnd where is your friend?â
âAt her motherâs house.â
âAre you sure?â
He started at her so intently that she began to lose her nerve.
âOh! Monsieur Legris, please donât mention it to anybody! Ãlisa trusts me. She begged me to help her, so I told Mademoiselle Bontemps that while she was out Ãlisaâs mother had telephoned to say that she was unwell and asked that her daughter go to her immediately. Mademoiselle Bontemps believed me.â
âWhat is the manâs name?â
She looked at him, aghast.
âWhat is her loverâs name?â Victor repeated.
âGaston. Heâs very nice. He came secretly to Trouville with us.â
âWhere does he live?â
âÃlisa hasnât told me his address. But she said she likes his place because she can hear the wolves howling from his bedroom.â
âWhat wolves?â
âThatâs all she told me. Please, Monsieur Legris, my godfather must not find out about this. He would be terribly angry.â
âIs this the first time you have covered for her?â
âThe second; she promised sheâd be back on Saturday.â
âSaturday â thatâs tomorrow. I will be discreet, but if your friend doesnât return tomorrowâ¦Do your parents live abroad?â
Before Iris could reply, there was a knock at the door and Mademoiselle Bontemps bustled in carrying a tea tray.
âIt is time for your piano lesson, Iris. Mademoiselle Pluchard is waiting for you. Monsieur Legris, I thought that
Surely itâs rather lecherous of Kenji, whoâs fifty-two, to have such a young girl for a lover! Iâd never have guessed. And he is attracted to women of an entirely different type: mature, shapely, provocative. His last lover, Ninon Delarme, 11 would have turned the head of a saintâ¦Who is this girl? Might she really be his goddaughter? Or even his daughter? If so, then her mother must be a European. His daughter! Impossible! He would have told me!
He felt uneasy, afraid of committing an indiscretion. It seemed best to go straight to the point.
âGood day, Mademoiselle. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Victor Legris, an associate ofâ¦â
âWhat a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Legris. Godfather has often spoken of you!â cried Iris.
âOh! I assumedâ¦Mademoiselle Bontemps did not know of my existence.â
âMy godfather doesnât tell everybody everything! He loves to shroud himself in mystery. Iâm sure itâs because he reads so many novels. I rarely read them myself; I avoid filling my head with fantasies. The day I leave this boarding school, I shall start to look after him, bring him down to earth a little! Nothing bad has happened to him, I hope?â
âHe is in perfect health. He is concerned about you, that is all.â
âWhy? I explained to him about the shoes.â
Victor handed her the single slipper that had been stuffed in his pocket. Iris took it, trying to conceal the flicker of emotion that crossed her face. She fingered the marks Berlaudâs fangs had made.
âYes, I lent them to Ãlisa, a schoolmate. She insisted â even though they were too wide for her. Itâs odd that she should have lost one. How featherbrained she is!â
âThis piece of paper was inside.â
âI know. My idea was to make an inner sole to stop her foot from slipping out. She wanted to look elegant andâ¦If I had known it would create such troubleâ¦â
She blushed as she handed the shoe back to Victor, who sensed that she was lying.
âAnd where is your friend?â
âAt her motherâs house.â
âAre you sure?â
He started at her so intently that she began to lose her nerve.
âOh! Monsieur Legris, please donât mention it to anybody! Ãlisa trusts me. She begged me to help her, so I told Mademoiselle Bontemps that while she was out Ãlisaâs mother had telephoned to say that she was unwell and asked that her daughter go to her immediately. Mademoiselle Bontemps believed me.â
âWhat is the manâs name?â
She looked at him, aghast.
âWhat is her loverâs name?â Victor repeated.
âGaston. Heâs very nice. He came secretly to Trouville with us.â
âWhere does he live?â
âÃlisa hasnât told me his address. But she said she likes his place because she can hear the wolves howling from his bedroom.â
âWhat wolves?â
âThatâs all she told me. Please, Monsieur Legris, my godfather must not find out about this. He would be terribly angry.â
âIs this the first time you have covered for her?â
âThe second; she promised sheâd be back on Saturday.â
âSaturday â thatâs tomorrow. I will be discreet, but if your friend doesnât return tomorrowâ¦Do your parents live abroad?â
Before Iris could reply, there was a knock at the door and Mademoiselle Bontemps bustled in carrying a tea tray.
âIt is time for your piano lesson, Iris. Mademoiselle Pluchard is waiting for you. Monsieur Legris, I thought that
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