Dennis Wheatley - Mayhem in Greece

'Yes, there is,' he blurted out. 'I can marry you. If you are married to me, you'll become a British citizen. No one will be able to send you back to Czechoslovakia then.'

Her blue eyes wide open to their fullest extent, she stood staring at him as he hurried on: 'Of course, I know you don't love me; so I'm not suggesting that it should be a real marriage, although it would have to be a legal one. We . . . we'd live together only as we did in Rhodes. I'd take you to England with me. Then, after a few months, I'd let you divorce me. But you'd be safe there. And, later on, perhaps you'd meet some nice chap that you liked . . . and . . . and-'

Tears suddenly welled out of Stephanie's eyes and began to run down her cheeks. She laid her sound hand on his good arm and choked out:

'Of course I'll marry you. Even if you were the most revolting man on earth, any woman in my position would be crazy to refuse such an offer. But . . . but tell me something. Down by the pool at Olympia. Did you . . . did you do what you did just because you wished to humiliate me ... to be avenged? Or because you wanted to? I mean, had wanted to for some time?'

'Well, I was angry with you,' Robbie admitted. It was that which gave me the courage. But I'd been having to struggle with myself for days, not to seize hold of you and kiss you as though I'd never stop.'

A radiant smile suddenly broke through Stephanie's tears, and she whispered: 'Then need we . . . need we think about a divorce? Oh, Robbie, you're so different from any other man I've ever known. So kind, so gentle, so brave. Everything a woman could ever want. I think I've loved you from the very moment I met you.'