"Aye, I did." She saw and heard the disbelief and dispelled that instantly. "I swear this's the God's truth, Jamie, I swear it. I was no' going to tell you but you insisted and I wouldna' lie. By the Lord God, I swear this's the truth!"

"Yes, sorry. Please go on."

"Dinna be sorry, laddie, I didna' believe it mysel' at the time. After I said my piece, not kindly at all, Mrs. Struan laughed, she laughed and said, sit down. All right but no nice note. That's no' good enough, I said. What's fair compensation? I asked. Her smile vanished and she said, A thousand guineas.

She spat it out just like Da' when he's in a rage. Poppycock, by God, says I. Ten thousand." Maureen stopped and looked at him searchingly. "I had to settle for five. Was that all right? I dinna' know if that was enough, is it?"

"You settled? You settled for five?"

"Aye, it took time and more curse words... that night I asked God's forgiveness for the curses, more of my Da's words. I hope that was fair, Jamie, along with extra business... and she did agree no bad acts, to be business friends, I thought that important. After she agreed, she threw in a free passage with her icy smile, Go find your Mr. McFay with my compliments."

Maureen glanced at the surf a moment, collecting her thoughts. Another little nervous shrug, then she stared up at him, artlessly.

"That's what happened, but it was for you, no' for me or for us, for you, I didna' mean to mention it."

"Jamie! More'ssross." Lunkchurch had reeled out of his office and was standing with them before they knew it. He greeted them effusively, nearly asphyxiating her with the smell of whisky, invited them to dinner that night and reeled away.

"He's always drunk by two o'clock, but he's all right," Jamie said. "He won't remember the invitation or our refusal." This time he took her hand and put it in his coat pocket for warmth and held it and walked on. "Maureen I th--"

"Before you say another word, let me finish. I didna' mean to tell you about her and me, it slipped out. I'm deeply sorry, I swear to God I didna' mean to tell you, God's truth, no' when we were talking, serious, about... talking about us, you and me. Please believe that, God's truth."

"I believe you, I do, no need to worry on that score, and Tess wrote to me, kept her word, sent the money, more than I've had in my whole life, enough to start and all because of you."

Tears of remorse began, "'no because of me, Jamie, you'd been wronged and Mrs. Struan owed it to you--I would no' have told you but, but you wanted me to. And you were right to be angry, I was wrong to say, This afternoon, please forgive me, it was just... you're right, this afternoon is too soon, you're right and I was wrong to suggest that. Can we wait, Jamie, please? Can we wait, say a week or two, a month, see how you like me?

Please?"

"Now you listen," Jamie said and gave her hand a squeeze, "I like you too much as it is and no, I don't want you to go and yes, we will wait a little while and no, I'm not angry, and yes, I believe you and thank you with all my heart and no, you weren't wrong to make a suggestion. Let's think about it and talk over dinner, Sparkles, just you and me, eh?"

Before she knew what she was doing she reached up and kissed him in thanks, the use of her nickname a harbinger of joyous portent. Her hand went back to his and both into his pocket. "You're bonnie, Jamie, that's the truth and I love you and..." She was going to add, And you dinna have to say that until you're ready. But she did not.

She withdrew from that precipice. "You're a bonnie laddie."

"And you're a bonnie lassie," he said, more calm about her than he had been for years, the ache and guilt no longer to the fore. What about marriage? he asked himself, for the first time without a shudder. Absolutely a man should be married and have children, at the correct time. I'm not opposed to marriage, far from it. When? When the business has settled and we're in profit?

She's terrific, clever, good-looking, good family, patient and faithful and loves me, incredible that she stood up to Tess and did what she did, show's how smart she is. It might work. Do I love her? I like her enormously ...

I'm thirty-nine. And trim and fit, and should be married--should have married before. She's twenty-eight, young for her age too, so she must know her own mind, and there's no doubt she sparkles.

Last night Marlowe and Pallidar noticed too, noticed a little too much! That randy bastard Settry wouldn't leave her alone, not that I minded--one little jerk of my head and the darling came a-running. He squeezed her arm, liking that.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm glad you enjoyed the party last night," he said but he was thinking, in three or four months, no need to hurry, not a bad idea. "Here we are."

They turned into the clubhouse forecourt.

MacStruan was talking to Dmitri on the steps and he saw them look up and Dmitri waved cheerily. The ice slammed back into his guts.

Nemi! When Nemi gets the bit between her teeth ...

God Almighty, he thought aghast, how the hell do I cope with Nemi, the Yoshiwara and Sparkles? Can't be done. Must be done. What was it she said about the Yoshiwara? She wasn't pissed off this time... "no' till we've had a wee chat." Chat?

"Are you cold, Jamie darling?"

"No, no, just fine."

"Phillip, tell Captain Abeh again, I'm sorry but Hiraga cannot at the moment be found." Sir William stood with his back to the fireplace in one of the Legation reception rooms, Tyrer, Babcott and Abeh just arrived from Yedo. It was dusk. "We're still looking everywhere. And Phillip, wipe that smug look off your face, do you really want to irritate him?"

Abeh was angered. So was Sir William.

He had done everything he could, the Settlement had been combed and soldiers were again going through Drunk Town and the village. The Yoshiwara was more difficult. Weapons were not allowed, access to Inns was almost impossible without breaking and entering, a hideous idea and bound to create an international incident. If he did it, then samurai at their Gates would insist on the same right. In the beginning of the Settlement it had been agreed, so long as there was no rioting, the Yoshiwara was to be left alone to float and to serve.

"He says he cannot go back without Hiraga and Hiraga was promised to Lord Yoshi today."

Sir William bit back the oath. Instead he said sweetly, "Please ask him to wait.

At the guard house. Surely Hiraga will be found soon, if he is still here."

"He says, Still here? If not here, where is he?"

"If I knew I would certainly fetch him for Lord Yoshi. Perhaps he has escaped, to Yedo or Kanagawa or somewhere." Even Sir William was shocked at the black rage in Abeh's face who spat out some Japanese, turned on his heel and stomped out.

"Rude bugger!"

"He said, Hiraga had better be found, Sir William." Tyrer rubbed his unshaven face, feeling filthy and anxious to have a bath, massage and siesta before Fujiko. Most of his fatigue had immediately dissolved by the joyous news that Hiraga was not locked up and in irons. "Have to feel sorry for Abeh, sir. He can't go back without Nak--without Hiraga, more than his life's worth."

"Well, that's his problem. Have you any idea where Nakama would be?"

"No sir, if he's not in the village or the Yoshiwara."

"You might try and find out, obviously it's important." Sir William looked up at Babcott. "Now, more important. George, the patient? Was it Anjo?"

"Yes."

"Tallyho! Phillip, you look exhausted, no need for you to wait, we can talk later.

George can fill me in. If Nakama-Hiraga appears you bloody clap him in irons at once. At once!"

"Yes sir, thank you sir. Before I go, can I ask what happened in Hong Kong?" The moment they had arrived both had asked, noticing anxiously that Prancing Cloud had returned, but Sir William had said, First Abeh.