Chapter 11

Shaun was sitting in reception, flicking through a magazine, when he saw her coming through the doors.

She was wearing a white summer dress with a full skirt and a halter neck. Her hair was loose and brushed back to fall down over her shoulders. He noticed, as he stood to meet her, that she had applied some makeup to her face.

“Good afternoon Sharon,” he said as he met her.

“Hello Shaun, I haven’t kept you waiting too long I hope.”

“Not at all and seeing you out of uniform makes the wait seem justified,” he smiled.

He took her out to the patio, selecting a table that received some shade from a palm tree, and pulled a chair out for her. He waved to a waiter. “What would you like to drink?”

“A dry white wine would be nice.”

He ordered the wine and a vodka and tonic for himself.

“Now do you want to eat first or to swim?”

She chuckled, “You shouldn’t swim on a full stomach, or so I have been told.”

“Quite right too,” he replied laughing. “That’s settled. We can have a swim and eat later. There’s changing cubicles over there and towels stacked on the locker beside them.”

Their drinks arrived and she took a sip. “It’s good,” she murmured. “I’ve been trying to place where you come from. You have a slight accent. South African isn’t it?”

Shaun laughed, “Close; Kenya to be exact, although I did spend three years in Cape Town at University.”

She nodded, “So did you live in Nairobi or Mombasa?”

“About a hundred and fifty miles out from Nairobi. My folks have a ranch out there.” He then started to tell her about the Crater.

When he had finished, she sighed, “It sounds beautiful Shaun. You are so lucky to have a place like that to call home.”

He nodded, “What about you? What’s your background?”

“Nothing special; I was born and raised in Tel-Aviv. My father was a lecturer at the university and my mother was a doctor. Dad was originally from England so I have dual nationality. When I got my degree I joined the WRENs. Because I know several languages I was posted to intelligence and I found I enjoyed the work.” She chuckled, “It’s like being Sherlock Holms. You have to observe parts of data and try to establish a link with other pieces.”

“Are you any good at it?”

She studied his face for a second, “A little over two weeks ago a dangerous operation took part six hundred miles away. An attack on an Axis airbase which destroyed over seventy enemy aircraft. That operation allowed a much-needed convoy to reach Alexander in more or less one piece.

“The only units able to carry out that raid would have been the LRDG or the SAS. Of the two, only the LRDG would have had the equipment to carry out such a deep penetration behind enemy lines.

“The operation would have needed four or five weeks to plan and prepare for it. On the successful completion of it, it would be natural to reward the men involved and grant them leave. I noticed last night your third pip on your shoulder is new, as was the second pip on Tim and Bill’s shoulder. Also your lot were the only combat personnel in the club last night. How did I do?” she challenged.

Shaun looked at her amazed. “Err, not too bad, my dear Holmes,” he murmured grinning.

“Right. I’ll go and change. I’ll see you in the pool,” she said. Rising and carrying her bag she made her way to the changing cubicles.

Shaun slipped off his slacks, his trunks were underneath, and removed his shirt, taking them over to a bed chair alongside the pool and sat down waiting.

When she emerged from the cubicle she was wearing a white one piece strapless swimsuit. He admired the length of her long slim legs and her light olive completion was emphasised by the whiteness of the costume. He noticed she didn’t wear a bathing hat as she dived in.