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 Cordelia! he said.  How delightful to see you on this fine morning. I was just on my way out, but if I
had known you were coming& 
 You have not been expecting me? Cordelia asked, bristling at the sight of his smiling, ingenuous face.  I
should not be surprised, since you obviously never considered that I might discover your scheme to gain
my fortune.
Inglesham s smile tightened.  I beg your pardon?
 You know perfectly well to what I refer, sir. Would you rather discuss it here, or in a more private
situation?
The viscount glanced up the lane, his face drawn in an excellent approximation of bewilderment.  Of
course, Cordelia. I should not wish you to remain upset with me when we can so easily resolve this
matter with a little conversation.
 I doubt that very much, Cordelia said. She urged Desdemona into a trot and rode ahead while
Inglesham s coachman laboriously maneuvered the brougham back toward the house. No servant
appeared to greet her; she dismounted and tied the mare to a shrubbery while she waited for Inglesham
to join her.
He was all humble reassurances and courtly bows as he ushered her into the drawing room. Cordelia
tried, and failed, to remember why she had ever found him so charming and attractive, or when he had
changed from the spirited boy she had known to this deceitful cad.
 Please, make yourself comfortable, Inglesham said, indicating his favorite chair.  I fear most of the
servants are out today, as I expected to be away, but Mrs. Gazard should still be on the premises. I shall
send for tea 
 Pray do not trouble yourself, Cordelia said, declining the offered seat.  I shall get right to the point.
Your plot has been uncovered. It has been brought to my attention that you  She paused, her anger
seething white-hot, as Inglesham tugged the bellpull and faced her again with a faintly condescending
smile.  I know what you ve done, enticing my father with poisonous substances and threatening to
withhold them if he did not actively support your bid for my hand in marriage.
Inglesham showed no dismay and not the slightest remorse.  Who told you such a farrago of lies, my
dear? Is it too audacious to speculate that your friend Dr. Fleming had something to do with these
allegations?
 The manner in which I learned of your treachery hardly signifies, she said sharply.  I saw the evidence
of it, and my father has been suffering to rid his body of the poisons you forced upon him.
 No one forces anything upon Sir Geoffrey, Inglesham said.  I am sorry if he has become dependent
upon these  poisonous substances, as you call them, but I assure you  He glanced toward the door,
where his thin and fragile-looking housekeeper had appeared with a tea tray.  Will you pour, my dear? A
little refreshment will do us both good.
Cordelia wanted to laugh at his brazen insolence, but her nerves were so tightly strung that she feared for
her own self-control. She thanked the housekeeper, sat and poured out the tea, grateful to find that her
hands were not shaking.
Inglesham picked up his cup and sniffed it with appreciation.  As you were saying?
 What more is there to say? You have offered no explanation for your behavior, only pretended
ignorance and denials which I do not credit in the least. She raised the cup to her lips and drank as if the
liquid were some potent liquor by which she might supplement her courage.  I know you are guilty. I
know that you are greatly in debt, and that you would have broken your promise to allow me continued
control of my fortune after our marriage. She drained the cup.  You may dismiss any hopes you may
have nourished regarding our marriage. I should sooner wed one of our footmen.
 Or a country veterinarian? Inglesham said dryly.  Oh, no, my dear. I doubt that you will lower
yourself.
 Dr. Fleming is a man of impeccable honor. If he should offer  her cheeks burned   I should accept,
with pleasure.
Inglesham chuckled.  That would be a most amusing scene. I almost wish I could witness it.
Unfortunately, such a circumstance is very unlikely to occur.
Cordelia jumped up.  You may be surprised to learn how little you know Dr. Fleming s mind& or my
own.
 I know you well enough. He watched Cordelia curiously as she swayed on her feet and touched her
hand to her forehead.  What is it, my dear? Have the morning s hyperbolic passions quite overwhelmed
you?
She braced her feet, not daring to move lest she fall.  I am done with you, Inglesham. You shan t be
welcome at Edgecott, now or any time in the&  She fought off another wave of dizziness and stared at
the teapot.  What have you done?
 It is not what I have done that should concern you. He signaled to someone standing in the doorway
behind Cordelia. Before she could turn, she felt her arms being grasped by strong, burly hands and
inhaled a stream of malodorous breath.
 Careful, Fawkes, Inglesham said.  Bind her gently. We would not want anyone to find suspicious
marks on my little bride-to-be.
 You re mad! Cordelia snapped, her resistance ending in a painful twist of her elbows. Her captor
grunted in satisfaction and finished knotting the rope at her wrists.  What do you think to achieve by
this?
 Only your temporary cooperation, my dear, Inglesham said.  Soon such restraints will no longer be
necessary.
 You have no power over me or my family, Cordelia said.  Release me at once, and I may not lay
charges of assault against you.
Inglesham strolled toward her and took her chin in his hand.  Why should a loving wife wish to lay
charges against her devoted husband? He kissed her full on the mouth, stabbing his tongue inside, and it
was all she could do not to retch in disgust.
 Take her out to the carriage, Inglesham instructed his brutish servant,  and keep her quiet.
 Right, your lordship. The man spun Cordelia around and half dragged, half carried her from the
drawing room and out the front door as if he had nothing in the world to fear. No one else witnessed
Cordelia s struggles, and when she opened her mouth to scream her captor stuffed a bit of filthy cloth in
her mouth and pushed her into the carriage.
A few moments later Inglesham joined Cordelia, though he seemed disinclined to explain himself further.
The shades were drawn over the windows, so Cordelia could see nothing of their progress as the
carriage bumped and rolled from the relatively smooth gravel of the drive onto a deeply rutted road.
After perhaps twenty minutes of travel, the carriage stopped and Inglesham s henchman let down the
steps. Together he and his master lifted Cordelia out and allowed her to study her surroundings.
They had come to a dense patch of woodland with a narrow footpath leading among the trees. Cordelia
caught a glimpse of a half-hidden cottage, and then Inglesham grabbed her elbow and pulled her along
the path. Inglesham s servant remained behind. Soon the cottage, a well-kept dwelling with an
overgrown garden, came into full view. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]