Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

She would do anything he asked in bed, but she believed that outside the bedroom a woman should not be a slave to her husband, and she was equally rigid about both rules. Consequently they were always fighting about domestic issues. Sometimes Micky could turn one situation into the other. In the middle of a row about servants or money he would say: "Lift up your dress and lie on the floor," and the quarrel would end in a passionate embrace. But that no longer worked every time: sometimes she would recommence the argument as soon as he rolled off her.

Lately he and Edward had been spending more and more evenings in their old haunts. Tonight was Mask Night at Nellie's brothel. This was one of April's innovations: all the women would be wearing masks. April claimed that sexually frustrated high-society ladies came in and mingled with the regular girls on Mask Nights. Certainly some of the women were not regulars, but Micky suspected the strangers were in fact middle-class women in desperate financial straits, rather than bored aristocrats in search of degenerate thrills. Whatever the truth of the matter, Mask Night never failed to be interesting.

He combed his hair and filled his cigar case, then he went downstairs. To his surprise, Rachel was standing in the hall, barring the way to the door. Her arms were folded and she wore a determined expression. Micky braced himself for a fight.

"It's eleven o'clock in the evening," she said. "Where are you going?"

"To the devil," he replied. "Get out of my way." He picked up his hat and cane.

"Are you going to a brothel called Nellie's?"

He was startled enough to be silenced for a moment.

"I see you are," she said.

"Who have you been talking to?" he said.

She hesitated, then said: "Emily Pilaster. She told me that you and Edward go there regularly."

"You shouldn't listen to women's gossip."

Her face was white. She was scared. That was unusual. Perhaps this fight would be different.

"You must stop going there," she said.

"I've told you, don't try to give orders to your master."

"It's not an order. It's an ultimatum."

"Don't be silly. Get out of my way."

"Unless you promise not to go there anymore, I shall leave you. I'll go away from this house tonight and never come back."

She meant it, he saw. That was why she looked scared. She even had her outdoor shoes on, ready. "You're not leaving," he said. "I shall lock you in your room."