Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

Augusta looked at her son's face. Could it be that he was more afraid of his wife than of his mother? Augusta thought wildly about snatching the document away, throwing the pens on the fire and spilling the ink. She got a grip on herself. Better perhaps to give in and pretend it was of no great consequence. But the pretense would be useless: she had made a stand and forbidden this annulment, and everyone would know she had been defeated.

She said to Edward: "You'll have to resign from the bank if you sign that document."

"I don't see why," he replied. "It's not like a divorce."

Emily said: "The church has no objection to an annulment if the grounds are genuine." It sounded like a quotation: she had obviously checked.

Edward sat at the table, selected a quill, and dipped its point into a silver inkwell.

Augusta fired her last shot. "Edward!" she said in a voice quivering with rage. "If you sign that I will never speak to you again!"

He hesitated, then put the pen to paper. Everyone was silent. His hand moved, and the scratch of the quill on the paper sounded like thunder.

Edward put down the pen.

"How could you treat your mother this way?" Augusta said, and the sob in her voice was genuine.

Emily sanded the signature and picked up the document.

Augusta moved between Emily and the door.

Both Edward and Micky looked on, bemused and motionless, as the two women faced each other.

Augusta said: "Give me that paper."

Emily stepped closer, hesitated in front of Augusta, and then, astonishingly, she slapped Augusta's face.

The blow stung. Augusta cried out with surprise and pain and staggered back.

Emily stepped past her quickly, opened the door, and left the room, still clutching the document.

Augusta sat down heavily in the nearest chair and began to cry.

She heard Edward and Micky leave the room.

She felt old, defeated and alone.

Section 3

THE ISSUE OF TWO MILLION POUNDS' WORTH of Santamaria harbor bonds was a flop, much worse than Hugh had feared. By the deadline date Pilasters Bank had sold only four hundred thousand pounds' worth, and on the following day the price immediately fell. Hugh was deeply glad he had forced Edward to sell the bonds on commission rather than underwriting them.