Читаем Forever Amber полностью

Amber exchanged a sly glance with Nan, who was across the room behind Jemima. “No doubt,” she agreed and got up to begin undressing. The Dangerfields entertained a great deal-more than ever since Samuel was so eager to display his lovely young wife—and it was her chief diversion to change one beautiful gown for another.

“You know,” said Jemima now, not watching her step-mother but staring reflectively down into her glass. “I think it would be a mighty fine thing to have a lover—if he was a gentleman, I mean. I hate common fellows! All the Court ladies have lovers, don’t they?”

“Oh, some of ’em do, I suppose. But to tell you truth, Jemima, I don’t think Lettice would like to hear you talk that way.”

“Much I care what Lettice would like! What does she know about things like that? The only man she ever knew was John Beckford—and she married him! But you’re different. You know everything—and I can talk to you because you won’t tell me I’m wanton. Husbands are always such dull fellows—the gentlemen never seem to get married, do they?”

“Not while they can get—not while they can help it,” amended Amber.

“Why not? Why don’t they?”

“Oh,” she shrugged into a dressing-gown, “they say they’ll lose their reputations as men of wit. But come, Jemima, you don’t really mean all this. I thought that you were going to marry Joseph Cuttle.”

Jemima made a violent face. “Joseph Cuttle! You should see him! Don’t you remember—He was here last Wednesday. He’s got teeth that stick out and skinny legs and pimples all over his face! I hate him! I won’t marry him! I don’t care what they say! I won’t!”

“Well—” said Amber soothingly. “I don’t think your father will make you marry a man you hate.”

“He says I have to marry him! They’ve been planning it for years. But, oh, I don’t want to! Amber!” she cried suddenly, and rushed to kneel before her where she sat in her dressing-gown, stroking a great purring tortoise-shell cat. “Father will do anything you say! You make him promise I don’t have to marry Joseph Cuttle, will you? Will you, Amber, please?”

“Oh, Jemima,” protested Amber, “you mustn’t say such things! Your father doesn’t do what I tell him to, at all.” She knew that even Samuel would not want his family to think he was hen-pecked. “But I’ll speak to him about it for you—”

“Oh, if only you would! Because I won’t marry him! I can’t! I’m—Do you want to know something, Amber? I’m in love!”

Amber seemed duly impressed, and asked the expected question. “How fine. Is he handsome?”

“Oh,” breathed Jemima fervently. “The handsomest man I’ve ever seen! He’s tall and his hair’s black and his eyes—I forget what colour they are, but when he looks at me I get such a queer feeling right here. Oh, Amber, he’s wonderful! He’s everything in the world that I admire!”

“Hey day!” said Amber. “Where’s this wonder to be seen?”

Jemima grew wistful at that. “Not here—not in London. At least not now—but I hope he’ll be back one day soon. I’ve been waiting for him for thirteen months and a week—and I’ll never love another man till he returns.”

Amber was amused, for Jemima’s enthusiasm seemed quite childish to her, considering that the girl did not guess what the primary business of love was about. Naive kisses and queer feelings were the limit of her experience. “Well, Jemima, I hope he comes back to you. Does he know you’re waiting?”

“Oh, no. I suppose he scarce knows I’m alive. I’ve only seen him twice—he was here one night for supper and another time I went down with Sam and Bob to see his ships, just before he sailed for America.”

“Sailed for America! Who is this man! What’s his name!”

Jemima looked at her in surprise. “If I tell you will you promise not to tell a soul? They’d all laugh at me. He’s a nobleman—Lord Carlton—Oh! What’s the matter? Do you know him?”

It was like a smack in the face with cold water, rude and shocking, and it made her angry because it scared her. But why should it? she thought, annoyed by her own uneasy lack of confidence. This girl can’t mean anything to him—Why, she’s just a child. Besides, she’s not half as pretty as I am—Or is she? Amber’s eyes were going swiftly over her step-daughter’s face—seeing there now a threat to her own happiness. Don’t be such a fool! she told herself wrathfully. Do you want her to guess—Only seconds had passed before she managed to answer, with a show of casualness:

“Why, I think I met him once at the Theatre. But how d’you come to be entertaining a lord and visiting his ships?”

“He does some business with Father—I don’t know just what.”

Amber lifted her eyebrows. “Samuel doing business with a pirate?”

“But he’s not a pirate! He’s a privateer—and there’s a world of difference between ’em. It’s the privateers we have to thank for keeping England on the seas—his Majesty’s navy won’t do it!”