Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

Augusta nodded. She was beginning to feel better. Lady Morte would turn the queen against Greenbourne, Hobbes would make an issue of it in the press, and Fortescue was standing by to whisper into the ear of the prime minister the name of a blameless alternative: Joseph. Once again the prospects looked good.

She stood up to go, but Hobbes had more to say. "If I might venture a question on another topic?"

"By all means."

"I've been offered a printing press rather cheaply. At present, you know, we use outside printers. If we had our own press it would reduce our costs, and we could perhaps make a little extra by printing other publications as a service."

"Obviously," Augusta said impatiently.

"I was wondering whether Pilasters Bank might be persuaded into a commercial loan."

It was the price of his continuing support. "How much?"

"A hundred and sixty pounds."

It was a peppercorn. And if he campaigned against peerages for Jews with as much energy and bile as he had brought to his campaign in favor of peerages for bankers, it would be well worth it.

He said: "A bargain, I assure--"

"I'll speak to Mr. Pilaster." He would assent, but she did not want to let Hobbes have it too easily. He would value it more highly if it was granted reluctantly.

"Thank you. Always a pleasure to meet with you, Mrs. Pilaster."

"Doubtless," she said, and she went out.

Chapter FOUR

JUNE

Section 1

THE CORDOVAN MINISTRY was quiet. The offices on the first floor were empty, the three clerks having gone home hours ago. Micky and Rachel had given a dinner party in the second-floor dining room for a small group--Sir Peter Mountjoy, an under-secretary at the Foreign Office, and his wife; the Danish Minister; and the Chevalier Michele from the Italian embassy--but the guests had left and the domestic staff had cleared away. Micky was about to go out.

The novelty of being married was beginning to wear off. He had tried and failed to shock or disgust his sexually inexperienced wife. Her unfailing enthusiasm for whatever perversion he proposed was beginning to unnerve him. She had decided that whatever he wanted was all right with her, and when she made a decision like that there was no moving her. He had never met a woman who could be so implacably logical.