I will do what is necessary to make you a great skater.' He reached for his overcoat, and she held it for him to slip it on, feeling she was already his servant.
At the front door he bade her goodnight, and reaching for her hand raised her fingertips to his mouth with foreign grace. 'Until tomorrow, Sonya.'
'That wasn't necessary,' she said, flushing, and childishly wiped her hand on her skirt.
'Nor is that.' He had noticed her action. 'My lips will not contaminate you.'
'I'm so ... sorry,' she stammered, realising she had been rude. 'I don't like being touched.'
His eyes glinted. 'You will have to get used to my touch when we are skating together.' He smiled mockingly. 'The boy-friend does not kiss you?'
'We haven't got that far.'
'A pity. To be well kissed might thaw that icy facade you like to assume.'
'I don't think you understand our English manners,' she said haughtily, annoyed by his implication of frigidity.
'They are the same as any others when it comes to lovemaking,' he told her. 'Besides, I'm ...'
She interrupted angrily, 'Derek doesn't make love to me! I wouldn't let him.'
'Then he is a laggard,' Sven said calmly. 'You will be at the rink tomorrow? No headaches or other feminine excuses?'
She threw up her head, eyeing him scornfully.
'Since I'm unfeminine I don't deal in such caprices.'
'I did not imply that you are unfeminine, you are merely undeveloped, in spite of the so adult gown.'
'What do you expect me to wear ... rompers?' she flashed.
He laughed. 'Goodnight again, Sonya, or rather au revoir.'
He was gone, walking swiftly towards his car. Sonya shut and locked the door and went slowly upstairs to say goodnight to her father. She hoped he would not want to talk about Sven, because she would find it difficult to appear indifferent. She was already powerfully influenced by the Swede and his remark about becoming accustomed to his touch had disturbed her. She wished she had never met him and that she had not got to encounter him again on the morrow, though if he could really fulfil his promises, success might be worth any discomfort he might cause her.
She little knew that if only she had let him complete the sentence she had interrupted with her explanation about Derek, she could have saved herself much future unhappiness, for Sven had been about to give her some information which was common knowledge to everyone except herself. Upon reflection it occurred to him that he might be able to turn her ignorance to his own advantage, and he made no further attempt to enlighten her.
CHAPTER FOUR
Pair skating, as Sven had said, is acknowledged to be the most difficult form of figure skating as it is also the most beautiful. To be successful, the matching of the partners is of paramount importance. Basically Sonya fulfilled the physical requirements to skate with Sven. The man should be taller, heavier and of course stronger than the girl, which he was. Many experts consider he should also be the more experienced of the two so that he can adapt his speed, depth of edge and general movement to suit the girl, for nothing could look worse than when she is obviously working to keep pace with him instead of their synchronised movements appearing to be effortless.
Sonya arrived punctually at the club in the morning and found Jan van Goort and Sven waiting for her at the private rink. They had been obviously discussing her, for both looked a little conscious as she slid towards them over the ice. Sven was wearing his black outfit which contrasted with his fair hair and emphasised his lithe muscular build. Sonya was in white, including her boots. By tradition, girls wore white ones and men black. She looked at Sven expectantly, fearful that he might change his mind when he started to work with her, but he greeted her with a confident smile.
'First you must become accustomed to moving together,' Jan told her. He showed her the elementary position for moving at speed round the rink. Sven 's right arm
At the front door he bade her goodnight, and reaching for her hand raised her fingertips to his mouth with foreign grace. 'Until tomorrow, Sonya.'
'That wasn't necessary,' she said, flushing, and childishly wiped her hand on her skirt.
'Nor is that.' He had noticed her action. 'My lips will not contaminate you.'
'I'm so ... sorry,' she stammered, realising she had been rude. 'I don't like being touched.'
His eyes glinted. 'You will have to get used to my touch when we are skating together.' He smiled mockingly. 'The boy-friend does not kiss you?'
'We haven't got that far.'
'A pity. To be well kissed might thaw that icy facade you like to assume.'
'I don't think you understand our English manners,' she said haughtily, annoyed by his implication of frigidity.
'They are the same as any others when it comes to lovemaking,' he told her. 'Besides, I'm ...'
She interrupted angrily, 'Derek doesn't make love to me! I wouldn't let him.'
'Then he is a laggard,' Sven said calmly. 'You will be at the rink tomorrow? No headaches or other feminine excuses?'
She threw up her head, eyeing him scornfully.
'Since I'm unfeminine I don't deal in such caprices.'
'I did not imply that you are unfeminine, you are merely undeveloped, in spite of the so adult gown.'
'What do you expect me to wear ... rompers?' she flashed.
He laughed. 'Goodnight again, Sonya, or rather au revoir.'
He was gone, walking swiftly towards his car. Sonya shut and locked the door and went slowly upstairs to say goodnight to her father. She hoped he would not want to talk about Sven, because she would find it difficult to appear indifferent. She was already powerfully influenced by the Swede and his remark about becoming accustomed to his touch had disturbed her. She wished she had never met him and that she had not got to encounter him again on the morrow, though if he could really fulfil his promises, success might be worth any discomfort he might cause her.
She little knew that if only she had let him complete the sentence she had interrupted with her explanation about Derek, she could have saved herself much future unhappiness, for Sven had been about to give her some information which was common knowledge to everyone except herself. Upon reflection it occurred to him that he might be able to turn her ignorance to his own advantage, and he made no further attempt to enlighten her.
CHAPTER FOUR
Pair skating, as Sven had said, is acknowledged to be the most difficult form of figure skating as it is also the most beautiful. To be successful, the matching of the partners is of paramount importance. Basically Sonya fulfilled the physical requirements to skate with Sven. The man should be taller, heavier and of course stronger than the girl, which he was. Many experts consider he should also be the more experienced of the two so that he can adapt his speed, depth of edge and general movement to suit the girl, for nothing could look worse than when she is obviously working to keep pace with him instead of their synchronised movements appearing to be effortless.
Sonya arrived punctually at the club in the morning and found Jan van Goort and Sven waiting for her at the private rink. They had been obviously discussing her, for both looked a little conscious as she slid towards them over the ice. Sven was wearing his black outfit which contrasted with his fair hair and emphasised his lithe muscular build. Sonya was in white, including her boots. By tradition, girls wore white ones and men black. She looked at Sven expectantly, fearful that he might change his mind when he started to work with her, but he greeted her with a confident smile.
'First you must become accustomed to moving together,' Jan told her. He showed her the elementary position for moving at speed round the rink. Sven 's right arm
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