Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

But she had something important to say to him and was in no mood to go easy on him. "What's this I hear about Emily's asking you for an annulment?" she said.

"She wants to marry someone else," Edward said dully.

"She can't--she's married to you!"

"Not really," Edward said.

What on earth was he talking about? Much as she loved him, he could be deeply irritating. "Don't be silly," she snapped. "Of course she's married to you."

"I only married her because you wanted me to. And she only agreed because her parents made her. We never loved each other, and ..." He hesitated, then blurted: "We never consummated the marriage."

So that was what he was getting at. Augusta was astonished that he had the nerve to refer directly to the sexual act: such things were not said in front of women. However, she was not surprised to learn that the marriage was a sham: she had guessed it for years. All the same she was not going to let Emily get away with this. "We can't have a scandal," she said firmly,

"It wouldn't be a scandal--"

"Of course it would," she barked, exasperated by his shortsightedness. "It would be the talk of London for a year, and it would be in all the cheap newspapers, too." Edward was Lord Whitehaven now, and a sexual sensation involving a peer was just the kind of thing featured in the weekly newspapers that servants bought.

Edward said miserably: "But don't you think Emily has a right to her freedom?"

Augusta ignored that feeble appeal to justice. "Can she force you?"

"She wants me to sign a document admitting that the marriage was never consummated. Then, apparently, it's straightforward."

"And if you don't sign?"

"Then it's more difficult. These things are not easy to prove."

"That settles it. We have nothing to worry about. Let's speak no more about this embarrassing topic."

"But--"

"Tell her she can't have an annulment. I absolutely will not hear of it."

"Very well, Mother."

She was taken aback by his rapid capitulation. Although she generally got her way in the end, he normally put up more of a fight than this. He must have other problems on his mind. "What's the matter, Teddy?" she said in a softer voice.

He sighed heavily. "Hugh told me the devil of a thing," he said.

"What?"

"He says Micky killed Solly Greenbourne."

Augusta felt a shiver of horrid fascination. "How? Solly was run over."

"Hugh says Micky pushed him in front of that carriage."

"Do you believe it?"