thoughtful. “He had many enemies. A man like Beaumont Granville would. It is generally thought that he went abroad ... in search of higher game. It was not unusual for him to disappear for periods at a time. Usually creditors or having involved himself in some affair that was giving him trouble was the cause.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because you must get him out of your mind. You have set up a great memorial to him.
He is not worth it, Carlotta.”
“Another quality I have discovered in you. Such loyalty to your friends.”
“Yes, he was a friend in a way but you mean more to me.”
I laughed. “This time yesterday I saw you for the first time. I wish to God I never had.”
“I do not think that is exactly true.” He laid a hand on my wrist. “I can feel your heart beating fast, Carlotta. Oh, it is going to be wonderful between us. I know it. But I want you to stop comparing me with Beaumont Granville.”
“I did nothing of the sort “
“You should keep to the truth, Carlotta. The truth is so much more interesting than lies.”
“Oh, let me out of here. I promise I will not say a word of what I have seen. Give me a horse. Let me go. I will find my way to Eyot Abbass. I will say I lost my way.
I will make up some plausible tale. I promise you, you and your band shall not be the worse for anything I shall say.”
80
“Too late,” he said. “You are here, Carlotta, in the trap. A most delightful trap, I promise you.”
“With death at the end ... ?” I asked.
“It will depend on you. You will entertain me and each night I shall look forward to more shared joys. Have you heard of Scheherazade? She told stories and for her skill was allowed to live through another day. You are a Scheherazade of sorts, Carlotta, and I am your sultan.”
I put my hands over my face. I did not want him to see my expression. His talk of Beau had brought back so many memories of the room in Enderby Hall. This room was not unlike it. He reminded me more and more of Beau. I was afraid of myself. I felt that if this man touched me I should not be able to fight off the fantasy. I should let myself slip into the dream.
“Stop regretting Beaumont Granville,” he was saying. ‘You would have been wretched with him. Your people were right to try to stop the marriage. Beaumont could never be faithful to one woman for more than a week. He was completely cynical about them.
He talked of them to me ... to others too, I don’t doubt. He talked of you, Carlotta.”
I repeated blankly: “He talked of me!”
“He was going to marry you because of your fortune. Solely because of your fortune, Carlotta. He wasn’t in the least reluctant, though. A nice fortune and a loving little wife. He told me how it was with you. He described those times you spent together in Enderby Hall, wasn’t it? He talked about women like that. He used to talk about Naturals. They were born for it, he said. Lovely passionate creatures. They are as eager as you are. Carlotta, he said, is like that. He was glad, he said. One grew tired of the shrinking kind who had no heart in the romp.”
“Be silent,” I cried. “How can you? I hate you. I hate you. If I could I would ...”
“I know. If you had a sword here you’d run it through me as Durrell would have run it through you this morning. You owe me your life, Carlotta.”
I could not explain my feelings. There was shame there, shame for what Beau had said of me. I never wanted to see that room at
82
Enderby again. My mother had done everything she could to stop me and she had been right. I could not bear to think of him-discussing me and my emotions and my reactions to this ... disciple of his.
His fingers were on my coat. “Come, dear Carlotta,” he said. “Forget him. He is past.
Perhaps he lies mouldering in some grave. Perhaps he is at this moment lying with someone who can give him more than you could. Forget him. I know you and love you already. You are no
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because you must get him out of your mind. You have set up a great memorial to him.
He is not worth it, Carlotta.”
“Another quality I have discovered in you. Such loyalty to your friends.”
“Yes, he was a friend in a way but you mean more to me.”
I laughed. “This time yesterday I saw you for the first time. I wish to God I never had.”
“I do not think that is exactly true.” He laid a hand on my wrist. “I can feel your heart beating fast, Carlotta. Oh, it is going to be wonderful between us. I know it. But I want you to stop comparing me with Beaumont Granville.”
“I did nothing of the sort “
“You should keep to the truth, Carlotta. The truth is so much more interesting than lies.”
“Oh, let me out of here. I promise I will not say a word of what I have seen. Give me a horse. Let me go. I will find my way to Eyot Abbass. I will say I lost my way.
I will make up some plausible tale. I promise you, you and your band shall not be the worse for anything I shall say.”
80
“Too late,” he said. “You are here, Carlotta, in the trap. A most delightful trap, I promise you.”
“With death at the end ... ?” I asked.
“It will depend on you. You will entertain me and each night I shall look forward to more shared joys. Have you heard of Scheherazade? She told stories and for her skill was allowed to live through another day. You are a Scheherazade of sorts, Carlotta, and I am your sultan.”
I put my hands over my face. I did not want him to see my expression. His talk of Beau had brought back so many memories of the room in Enderby Hall. This room was not unlike it. He reminded me more and more of Beau. I was afraid of myself. I felt that if this man touched me I should not be able to fight off the fantasy. I should let myself slip into the dream.
“Stop regretting Beaumont Granville,” he was saying. ‘You would have been wretched with him. Your people were right to try to stop the marriage. Beaumont could never be faithful to one woman for more than a week. He was completely cynical about them.
He talked of them to me ... to others too, I don’t doubt. He talked of you, Carlotta.”
I repeated blankly: “He talked of me!”
“He was going to marry you because of your fortune. Solely because of your fortune, Carlotta. He wasn’t in the least reluctant, though. A nice fortune and a loving little wife. He told me how it was with you. He described those times you spent together in Enderby Hall, wasn’t it? He talked about women like that. He used to talk about Naturals. They were born for it, he said. Lovely passionate creatures. They are as eager as you are. Carlotta, he said, is like that. He was glad, he said. One grew tired of the shrinking kind who had no heart in the romp.”
“Be silent,” I cried. “How can you? I hate you. I hate you. If I could I would ...”
“I know. If you had a sword here you’d run it through me as Durrell would have run it through you this morning. You owe me your life, Carlotta.”
I could not explain my feelings. There was shame there, shame for what Beau had said of me. I never wanted to see that room at
82
Enderby again. My mother had done everything she could to stop me and she had been right. I could not bear to think of him-discussing me and my emotions and my reactions to this ... disciple of his.
His fingers were on my coat. “Come, dear Carlotta,” he said. “Forget him. He is past.
Perhaps he lies mouldering in some grave. Perhaps he is at this moment lying with someone who can give him more than you could. Forget him. I know you and love you already. You are no
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