When Eva Nair and Ned Atwood divorced, there was little debate in court.And, despite allegations that the man had an inappropriate relationship with a famous female tennis player, there wasn't as much scandal as Eva expected. Since they were married in Paris, in an American church on the Avenue George V, the divorce decree obtained in Paris was as valid in England.The news may only have been one or two lines in the British newspapers.Eva and Ned live in La Bandelette, a word that means "the belt" in French, and on peaceful days, the silver-ribbon beach is perhaps France's most fashionable place to hang out; They have lost touch with London.They used to gossip and laugh here, and now, it seems to be over.

But for Eva, asking for a divorce was more humiliating than being told about it. There was no doubt that the feeling was morbid, the result of an overstretched nervousness, bordering on hysterical even in her disorganized nature.And, she had to fight all the time with those who talked about her misfortune. "My dear," said a woman, "anyone who marries Ned Atwood should know what to expect." "But are you sure," said the other woman, "that it's all his fault? Look at her picture and see." Eva was twenty-eight years old at this time.At nineteen she inherited a large inheritance from her father in Lancashire, including a cotton mill and a daughter with a strong sense of self-esteem.She married Ned Atwood when she was twenty-five because: one, he was handsome; two, she felt lonely at the time; He went to commit suicide.

Eva was like that sinister kind of woman to a good-natured, unsuspecting human being.She is slim, tall and has a good figure.She had shiny chestnut hair, long and thick as wool, cut in an Edwardian style.Her skin was rosy, and her gray eyes and smiling lips made her even more attractive.In the eyes of the French, this effect is very obvious.Even the judge who granted her divorce seemed wary of her. In France, the law stipulates that the parties must meet once before the court can approve the divorce. This is a face-to-face private meeting, which is a last-ditch effort to see if the conflict between the two parties can be resolved.Eva will never forget that morning, in the judge's office in Versailles.It was a warm morning in April, and the air was full of spring.

The judge was mild-mannered, well-dressed, bearded, and seemed very sincere.But he opens in an almost irrational, dramatic way. "Madame! Sir!" said he, "before you regret it, I beg you to calm down and think about it!" For Ned Atwood... Ned's mouth was smeared with honey.He was on full display, and Eva knew it all too well.Not even getting drunk can affect that.His hurt look and whining contrition filled him with confidence.Black hair, blue eyes, so young in his thirties, he stood in front of the window, watching her eagerly.Eva had to admit that he was very charming, and that was the source of all his troubles. "As to your marriage," continued the judge, "what more can I say?"

"No," Eva said. "Please stop talking!" "I just want to advise Madam and Sir to reflect on themselves..." "You needn't persuade me at all," cried Ned roughly. "I never wanted a divorce." The judge walked up and down the room. "Sir, please be quiet! It is you who made the mistake. It is you who should beg the forgiveness of the lady." "I will," Ned answered quickly. "I'll get down on my knees and beg her forgiveness, if you think it's okay." He walked towards Eva, and the judge looked at him hopefully, stroking his beard.Ned is charming and brilliant.Eva thought, with a hint of fear in her heart, wondering if she would be able to get rid of him. "Another person involved in this divorce proceeding," the judge went on, glancing furtively at the notes, "the lady," he glanced at the notes again, "Bulmere-Smith..."

"Eva, I don't care about her at all! I swear!" Eva said lazily: "We have already discussed this issue." "Betsy Bulmell-Smith," said Ned, "she's a cow and a whore. I don't know how things got that way. If you're just jealous of her..." "I'm not jealous of her at all, but if you burn her arm with a lit cigarette just to get angry, see if she still likes you." Ned had the look of despair and helplessness on his face, like a misunderstood child. "Can you stop talking about it?" "I don't mean anything against you, dear Ned. I just want this to end. Please!"

"I was so drunk at the time, I don't even remember what I did." "Ned, let's not argue about this. I told you it doesn't matter." "Then why are you still doing this to me? It's not fair!" She sits at a large writing desk with an impressive inkwell on top of it.Ned put his hands on her.They had been talking in English and the judge couldn't understand anything.The judge coughed, turned his back, and admired with interest a painting hanging above the bookcase.As Ned grabbed her, she couldn't help wondering why they were forcing her back to Ned, regardless of her feelings.

In a way, Ned's words are entirely true.Although he is charming and intelligent, there is still a trace of cruelty in his nature, like a child who has not grown up. This kind of cruelty can even be said to be a kind of "spiritual" cruelty that makes people feel ridiculous, which makes Eva disdain like hypocrisy. This is the root cause of the breakdown of their marriage.Ned's derailment only made it all earlier.Enough is enough, let this be over!During her time with Ned, there were many things that Eva would rather die than say in court. "Marriage," said the judge, looking at a picture above the bookshelf, "is the only happiness for man and woman."

"Eva," Ned said, "will you give me another chance?" At a dinner party, a psychologist told Eva that she was more susceptible to suggestion than most people.But this time, she won't be influenced by anyone anymore. Instead of Ned's touch turning her back, she felt a tinge of disgust.Indeed, Ned loved her in his own way.For an instant, she hesitated, almost answering "yes" to get rid of these unnecessary troubles.But saying "yes" doesn't mean she's weak, it's just saying "yes" to get out of trouble, and if that means going back to Ned and living with him, that's too bad.Eva didn't know if she should laugh at the judge's beard, or bow her head and cry. "I'm sorry," she replied, standing up.

The judge turned with a glimmer of hope. "Madame means..." "No, it's over," Ned said.At that moment, she felt very scared. He used to throw things around when he had a tantrum.Even though he was very angry just now, his emotions are gradually calming down now.He stood there calmly looking at her, jingling the coins with his hands in his pockets.He smiled, showing a set of healthy teeth.The fine lines at the corners of the eyes gradually deepened. "You still love me, you know that," he said, with an innocent smile on his face, as if he believed it. Eva picked up the bag on the table.

"Also, I'll prove it to you," he added.Seeing her looking at him, he smiled even brighter. "Oh, not now! You need to calm down; or regain your confidence. I'm going to be abroad for a while. When I get back..." He never came back. Eva decided to face possible gossip from her neighbors, although it might make her live in fear, and she settled in La Bonde Latte.In fact, she needn't have worried at all.On Angel Road, no one would know what happened at Villa Miramar.In a seaside resort like La Bonde Lette, where most of the people who live here are on holiday, and the British and American tourists who have lost a lot of money in the casinos, people don't care about this kind of thing.On Angel Road, Eva Nair knew no one, and no one knew her. Slowly entering the summer, a large number of tourists flock to La Bondelet.La Bondelet is full of oddly shaped and colorful houses, like a town in a Walt Disney animation.There was a fragrant fragrance in the air, and the sound of "clack" of the carriage resounded on the spacious tree-lined avenue.The two big hotels near the casino, Dongyong and Brittany, stand like brothers, with imitation Gothic towers standing tall. Eva did not go to casinos and bars.After her head-scratching and stressful life with Ned Atwood, she was dangerously upset and bored.She is lonely, but she hates company.Sometimes she played golf, early in the morning when there was no one else on the course, or rode a horse and hung out on the beach. So, she met Toby Laws. Disturbingly, the Rouses lived across from her.It's a short, narrow street lined with pink and white stone houses with gardens.The streets are so narrow that you can clearly see the opposite houses through the windows, which is uncomfortable.Moreover, it also brings troubles to life. When she lived here with Ned, she sometimes casually noticed the people across the street.There was an old man in there, Toby's father, Sir Maurice Lawes, and once or twice he seemed to be so harsh on them that they were bewildered.Eva recalled his gentle and resolute face.Across the way lived a red-haired girl and a cheerful middle-aged woman.But Eva had never seen Toby until that morning, at the golf course. It was a quiet morning in mid-June, and it was hot.Most of La Bondelet are still awake.The green lawn is still dripping with water, the sea is shaded by rows of pine trees, and the teeing area is stuffy and hot.Eva didn't play well, and on the third hole, the ball fell into a bunker near the green. Eva was in such a bad mood after not getting a good night's sleep that she took her golf bag off her shoulders and dropped it on the ground.She hates the sport.She sat on the edge of the bunker staring at the ball.She stared at it until a ball flew across the lawn and onto the green, and rolled back into the bunker, within three feet of her ball. "Bastard!" Eva said loudly. After a minute or two, a young man came from a distance. He walked to the edge of the bunker and looked down at her. "My God!" he said, "I didn't know you were here!" "you are right." "I didn't hit you on purpose! I should have yelled first. I..." He went into the bunker and put down his golf bag, which contained about two dozen clubs.He was a strong, down-to-earth, prim man with the kind of cheerful expression on his face that Eva hadn't seen in a long time.His brown hair is cut short.The mustache faintly gives people the feeling of a "big man", which is quite different from his serious and solemn demeanor. He stood there looking at Eva.Other than a flush on his face, he didn't look anything out of place.You could see that he was trying to avoid this, but he blushed even more with anxiety. "I've never seen you before," he said. "Really?" Eva said, consciously not looking at him. Then, Toby Lawes gets straight to the point with great candor. "Tell me," said he, "are you married or not?" This is their first meeting.That afternoon, Toby Laws announced to his family that he had met a beautiful lady. Although she had been in a bad relationship before, he decided to support her and take the courage to start over. Although the words are correct.But generally speaking, young people's families don't show much interest in it. Eva knew her situation well and could imagine the impact it had on the Routh family.She could have pictured the expressionless crowd at the dinner table, a cautious cough or a quick glance, or an absent-minded "Is that so, Toby?"Eva hopes that the female members of the family, Mrs. Laws, and Toby's sister, Janice, will not hide their hostility towards her. So she was horrified by what happened next. The family accepted her easily.She had been invited to tea in the garden behind the Louth house.After a few words, both parties felt that it was a lucky thing to get to know each other, and they quickly became friends.This is how the story begins.In a world as Ned Atwood knew it, and, unfortunately, as you and I usually know it, it happens a lot.Slowly Eva's initial doubts faded and were replaced by gratitude; her nerves were relieved; and she began to feel very happy. Elena Rouss, Toby's mother, is a woman as frank as Eva.The red-haired Janice was twenty-three years old and envied her beauty very much.Uncle Ben, though always smoking and reticent, always took her side in arguments.Sir Morris, the old man, used to ask her to comment on some of his collections.It's an honor.As for Toby... Toby is a nice, responsible young man.This is not nonsense.If you vaguely suggest that his shirt is too plain, he responds with humor. "After all, I have to be first," he pointed out. "Become what?" Ganice asked. "Caesar's wife," said Toby, "as manager of the Labondelete branch of Hookson's Bank,"--the words make him laugh with glee even now--"I must be very cautious, in London, They don't allow their employees to misbehave." "Isn't that what it's all about?" Ganice asked. "I mean, even in France, you rarely see a bank employee hiding a beautiful woman behind a counter or staring dumbfounded during working hours." "I think," commented Irene Rouss, "that a messy bank would make people feel better." Toby looked a little surprised.But he thought about it seriously as he stroked his mustache. "Hookson's Bank," he said, "one of the oldest banks in England. They were near Temple Bar when they were goldsmiths." He turned to look at Eva. There's a gold statuette in it that they used to make their coat of arms." As usual, his statement was silently approved.At home, Sir Maurice Lawes's hobby, his collection, was no object of joke; He kept the collection in his study, a large room on the ground floor overlooking the street.He often stays there late.On the opposite side was Eva's bedroom, and once or twice during those miserable days she and Ned Atwood looked through the window into the open study opposite: an old man with a magnifying glass, kindly Faces, lined with rows of glass cabinets along the walls. The past has nothing to do with the present.To the Routh family, it was as if Ned Atwood had never existed.In fact, Sir Maurice Lawes had mentioned the subject vaguely, but, when she looked puzzled, he hesitated and gave up. Then, towards the end of July, Toby proposed to her. Eva never realized how much she cared about him; how much she loved his steady personality and hearty laugh.You can rely on Toby.He even spoiled her a little at times, which made her feel, perhaps absurdly, like a child again. There is a very elegant restaurant in La Bondelet called the Forest Restaurant, which is an open restaurant with many Chinese lanterns hanging in the surrounding trees.Eva looked especially beautiful that night, her pink skin set off in a dull gray evening dress.Toby sat across from her, fiddling with a pocket knife and wearing the same plain shirt. "Well," he said flatly, "I know I'm not good enough for you," Ned Atwood wouldn't say that! "But I love you very much, and I will definitely make you happy." "Hello, Eva." A voice came from behind her shoulder. For an instant she thought it was Ned. Not Ned, but a friend of his.She never expected to meet them in a place like Forest Restaurant.As a rule, in this season, they should have dinner at 9:30, and then go to the casino to play until dawn.Eva recognized the smiling face, but couldn't remember his name. "A dance?" Mr. Anonymous asked her wearily. "No thanks. I'm not going to dance tonight." "Ah, what a pity!" Mr. Anonymous walked away muttering.His eyes reminded her of a dinner party, and she thought he was almost laughing at her. "A friend of yours?" Toby asked. "No," Eva replied.The band started playing again, and the tune was a waltz from a few years ago. "A friend of my ex-husband's." Toby cleared his throat.He felt that she seemed to be a romantic and beautiful woman who only existed in ideals, but she really moved him.Ned Atwood was never spoken of between them.Eva also never told Toby what the real Ned looked like.She just babbled, "He's great, really." That simple remark set Toby Lawes' heart aflame with jealousy. He cleared his throat again. "Is there any question about it," he said, "I mean, about my proposal to you. If you need some time to think about it..." The tune played by the band echoed in Eva's mind, reminding her of the unhappy days before. "I—I know I'm not good enough for you," Toby continued, putting down the knife at a loss, "but I hope you can give me a quick answer, whether you are willing or not..." Eva held out her hand. "I will," she said, "will, will, will!" Toby froze for a full ten seconds, unable to say a word.He licked his lips and put his hand on her shoulder as softly as if touching a piece of fragile glass; then he pulled his hands away when he realized he was in public.His seriousness not only surprised Eva, but also disturbed her.She wondered if Toby Lawes really understood women. "What's wrong?" she asked. Toby thought about it. "I think we'd better have another drink," he said.Then he shook his head slowly, as if just recovering from a shock. "You know what, today is the happiest day of my life." The two got engaged on the last day of July. Two weeks later, in a bar in New York, Ned Atwood got the news from a friend who had just disembarked.Within a few minutes of hearing the news, he sat there quietly, constantly turning the wine glass in his hand.Then he went out and booked a ticket for Normandy in two days' time. At this time, none of the three of them would have imagined that a tragedy would kick off in a villa on Angel Road.