Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

"Extraordinary night," he murmured sleepily.

"Yes," she said. "That awful girl."

"Mmm," he grunted. "Very striking-looking ... arrogant and willful ... thinks she's as good as anyone ... lovely figure ... just like you at that age."

Augusta was mortally offended. "Joseph!" she said. "How could you say such an awful thing?"

He made no reply, and she saw that he was asleep.

Enraged, she threw back the covers, got out of bed and stamped out of the room.

She did not go back to sleep that night.

Section 6

MICKY MIRANDA'S LODGINGS IN CAMBERWELL consisted of two rooms in the house of a widow with a grown son. None of his high-class friends had ever visited him there, not even Edward Pilaster. Micky played the role of a young man-about-town on a very tight budget, and elegant accommodation was one of the things he could manage without.

At nine o'clock each morning the landlady brought coffee and hot rolls for him and Papa. Over breakfast, Micky explained how he had caused Tonio Silva to lose a hundred pounds he did not have. He did not expect his father to sing his praises, but he did hope for a grudging acknowledgment of his ingenuity. However, Papa was not impressed. He blew on his coffee and slurped it noisily. "So, has he gone back to Cordova?"

"Not yet, but he will."

"You hope. So much trouble, and still you only hope he will go."

Micky felt wounded. "I'll seal his fate today," he protested.

"When I was your age ..."

"You would have slit his throat, I know. But this is London, not Santamaria Province, and if I go around cutting people's throats they'll hang me."

"There are times when you have no choice."

"But there are other times when it's better to tread softly, Papa. Think of Samuel Pilaster, and his milk-and-water objections to dealing in guns. I got him out of the way without bloodshed, didn't I?" In fact Augusta had done it, but Micky had not told Papa that.

"I don't know," Papa said stubbornly. "When do I get the rifles?"

It was a sore point. Old Seth was still alive, still Senior Partner of Pilasters Bank. It was August. In September the winter snow would start to melt on the mountains of Santamaria. Papa wanted to go home--with his weapons. As soon as Joseph became Senior Partner, Edward would put the deal through and the guns would be shipped. But old Seth clung on with infuriating stubbornness to his post and his life.

"You'll get them soon, Papa," said Micky. "Seth can't last much longer."

"Good," said Papa, with the smug expression of one who has won an argument.