“You have finished talking to José, chéri?”
Graham nodded pleasantly. “Yes. But, as I told you, it was you I really wanted to talk to. I wanted to explain that I shall have to go straight back to England after all.”
She stared at him blankly for a moment; then he saw her lips drawing in viciously over her teeth. She turned suddenly on José.
“You dirty Spanish fool!” She almost spat the words at him. “What do you think I keep you for? Your dancing?”
José’s eyes glittered dangerously. He slid the door to behind him. “Now,” he said, “we will see. You shall not speak to me so or I shall break your teeth.”
“Salaud! I shall speak to you as I like.” She was standing quite still, but her right hand moved an inch or two. Something glittered faintly. She had slipped the diamanté bracelet she was wearing over her knuckles.
Graham had seen enough violence for one day. He said quickly: “Just a moment. José is not to blame. He explained matters very tactfully and politely. I came, as I said, to tell you that I have to go straight back to England. I was also going to ask you to accept a small present. It was this.” He drew out his wallet, produced a ten-pound note, and held it near the light.
She glanced at the note and then stared at him sullenly. “Well?”
“José made it clear that two thousand francs was the amount I owed. This note is only worth just over seventeen hundred and fifty. So, I am adding another two hundred and fifty francs.” He took the French notes out of his wallet, folded them up in the larger note and held them out.
She snatched them from him. “And what do you expect to get for this?” she demanded spitefully.