morning I saw something far more interesting than a naked male body.”
“ I pray you, don’t tell me you watched him tumble the upstairs maid. I would think a woman of your experience would have long ago tired of voyeurism. There are, after all, only a limited number of variations, and I imagine you’ve tried most of them. Certainly more than a spotty adolescent could think of.”
“ Oh, it was far more interesting than fucking, Killoran,” she said, using the word deliberately, as if to prove she could say it without flinching. It sounded sad and absurd on her lips. “I got the chance to watch murder being done.”
He closed the book. “Indeed,” he murmured. “And who was murdered? The spotty little voyeur?”
“ Presumably. She bashed him over the head with a fire poker, and even from my vantage point I could see the blood.”
“ She? The upstairs maid, I presume. This loses interest, darling. It’s far too predictable.”
“ I was hoping it was his sister,” Lady Barbara said, “but I gather that young lady is still in leading strings. I’m guessing it was the governess, though I’ve yet to find out.”
“ Why should the governess kill him?”
“ He was trying to rape her. Ripping at her clothes, tearing at her. I’m afraid it’s my fault. I must have driven him to a frenzy.”
Killoran managed a faint snort. “A flattering notion, beloved,” he said. “So what happened?”
“ She hit him with the fire poker, he went down in a bloody heap, and she stood there staring at him, frozen, for what must have been minutes. I kept waiting for someone to burst into the room, but nothing happened. Eventually she set the poker down and went about tidying herself. Even from that distance I could see her hands were shaking.”
“ Not everyone has your sangfroid, my dear.”
“ And then she leaned down, and was out of sight for a while. I don’t know whether she was finishing him off or trying to help him. After a bit she rose, repinned her hair, and left the room.”
“ And?”
“ And I waited for an hour, to see whether there’d be a hue and cry, but no one seemed to have realized what happened. No one entered the young man’s bedroom, and I assume his body wasn’t discovered. So I came here for lunch. You don’t mind, do you, darling? After all that excitement, I needed some companionship.”
“ You’ve probably missed all the fun. By the time you return, your murdering governess will have been hauled off to jail, the young man’s corpse removed, and the shutters to his room closed. Your entertainment is at an end. If I were you, I’d hurry back home in case it hasn’t quite concluded.”
“ Are you trying to get rid of me, Killoran?”
“ Yes.”
“ You prefer a treatise on the growing of corn to the delights I could offer you?” She dropped her voice to a husky note, and her slim hand rested on his thigh.
“ The delights you are so eager to offer are nothing that I haven’t already experienced in abundance. I doubt you could provide me with anything novel.”
“ Why are you so cruel to me, Killoran? Don’t you want me? I assure you, I would dedicate myself to pleasing you. I’m very... inventive.”
“ I’m certain you are, Babs. But the fact remains that your inventiveness is mental, not sensual. You have no desire for the men you bed, and no real desire for me. Therefore I have no intention of boring myself by tumbling a cold, lying, aristocratic slut. If you’re going to be a well-bred whore, Babs, you might at least be more convincing.”
She snatched her hand back. “You are a blackhearted bastard,” she said bitterly. “If I were that strapping, red-haired governess, I’d be tempted to kill you myself.”
He was about to abandon her, but he stilled for a moment. “Strapping, red-haired governess?” he echoed. “Now, that I find a great deal more interesting than spotty adolescent males. You forgot to mention that part.”
“ You have a streak
“ I pray you, don’t tell me you watched him tumble the upstairs maid. I would think a woman of your experience would have long ago tired of voyeurism. There are, after all, only a limited number of variations, and I imagine you’ve tried most of them. Certainly more than a spotty adolescent could think of.”
“ Oh, it was far more interesting than fucking, Killoran,” she said, using the word deliberately, as if to prove she could say it without flinching. It sounded sad and absurd on her lips. “I got the chance to watch murder being done.”
He closed the book. “Indeed,” he murmured. “And who was murdered? The spotty little voyeur?”
“ Presumably. She bashed him over the head with a fire poker, and even from my vantage point I could see the blood.”
“ She? The upstairs maid, I presume. This loses interest, darling. It’s far too predictable.”
“ I was hoping it was his sister,” Lady Barbara said, “but I gather that young lady is still in leading strings. I’m guessing it was the governess, though I’ve yet to find out.”
“ Why should the governess kill him?”
“ He was trying to rape her. Ripping at her clothes, tearing at her. I’m afraid it’s my fault. I must have driven him to a frenzy.”
Killoran managed a faint snort. “A flattering notion, beloved,” he said. “So what happened?”
“ She hit him with the fire poker, he went down in a bloody heap, and she stood there staring at him, frozen, for what must have been minutes. I kept waiting for someone to burst into the room, but nothing happened. Eventually she set the poker down and went about tidying herself. Even from that distance I could see her hands were shaking.”
“ Not everyone has your sangfroid, my dear.”
“ And then she leaned down, and was out of sight for a while. I don’t know whether she was finishing him off or trying to help him. After a bit she rose, repinned her hair, and left the room.”
“ And?”
“ And I waited for an hour, to see whether there’d be a hue and cry, but no one seemed to have realized what happened. No one entered the young man’s bedroom, and I assume his body wasn’t discovered. So I came here for lunch. You don’t mind, do you, darling? After all that excitement, I needed some companionship.”
“ You’ve probably missed all the fun. By the time you return, your murdering governess will have been hauled off to jail, the young man’s corpse removed, and the shutters to his room closed. Your entertainment is at an end. If I were you, I’d hurry back home in case it hasn’t quite concluded.”
“ Are you trying to get rid of me, Killoran?”
“ Yes.”
“ You prefer a treatise on the growing of corn to the delights I could offer you?” She dropped her voice to a husky note, and her slim hand rested on his thigh.
“ The delights you are so eager to offer are nothing that I haven’t already experienced in abundance. I doubt you could provide me with anything novel.”
“ Why are you so cruel to me, Killoran? Don’t you want me? I assure you, I would dedicate myself to pleasing you. I’m very... inventive.”
“ I’m certain you are, Babs. But the fact remains that your inventiveness is mental, not sensual. You have no desire for the men you bed, and no real desire for me. Therefore I have no intention of boring myself by tumbling a cold, lying, aristocratic slut. If you’re going to be a well-bred whore, Babs, you might at least be more convincing.”
She snatched her hand back. “You are a blackhearted bastard,” she said bitterly. “If I were that strapping, red-haired governess, I’d be tempted to kill you myself.”
He was about to abandon her, but he stilled for a moment. “Strapping, red-haired governess?” he echoed. “Now, that I find a great deal more interesting than spotty adolescent males. You forgot to mention that part.”
“ You have a streak
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