was a condem ned felon before you picked her up. Now she's a murderess, all but. What in the name of God has got into you?'
'Out,' Haggard said. 'Out. James, are you there?'
‘Is here, Mr. Haggard."
'Is Mr. Lucas here? ’
'I'm waiting, John.'
'You're invited to dinner. Sorry I can't be with you. Serve Mr. Lucas the best wine, James. Dr. Meade as well if he wishes to stay. Willy, are you there?'
'Yes, John.' Another voice from the darkness.
'You're in charge for the next fortnight.'
'Yes, John.'
'But so help me God no one is to attempt to lay a finger on this girl. James, fetch some food for her. Can I eat, Tom?' 'A broth. I've ordered it prepared.'
'Then send it up.' Haggard sighed, and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. Nothing more than that. Just exhausted. It had been a long day.
'Mad,' Meade remarked at large. 'Stark, raving mad.'
But people were filing out of the room. Haggard waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps. Then he released the girl's wrist. She rubbed it with her other hand. 'You asked me not to die,' he said. 'After stabbing me. What changed your mind?'
He could just see her in the semi-darkness; the candle was now in its holder on the far side of the room, ‘I don't want to be burned alive,' she said. "Or to hang.'
He smiled at her. 'Honest enough.'
'But I did stab you, Mr. Haggard. Why didn't you let them take me?'
Haggard raised his arm, and she came closer, allowed him to feel the texture of her hair, run his hand over her shoulder and down on to her breast, still slippery with butter. 'You're mine,' he said. 'I want you here.'
'Do you suppose I could have a bath, Mr. Haggard?' Emma propped herself on her elbow, looked down at him.
'You may have anything you wish,' Haggard said. 'There is a bell pull behind the bed. But have it here, where I can watch you.'
She gazed at him for some seconds, in a peculiarly intense way she had. Then she leaned forward and licked the end of his nose. 'You must not be excited.'
She got out of the bed, pulled the silk cord. She had not left the bedchamber for ten days, had slept snuggled up against him. He had not tired of either watching her or feeling her. She moved with an unconscious grace, full of the most delightful little intimacies, the way she flicked her head to settle her hair on her back, the way her breasts just trembled, the way her belly fluttered, the way the slivers of muscle rippled down her legs. All of these things Susan had possessed, as indeed no doubt all women, but for four years he had seen none of them. No doubt he had been foolish, to turn his back on sex for that long. Or had he merely been fortunate, in that had he sought it earlier, he would never have found it in Emma?
She sat beside him, held a glass of water for him to drink. He took her hand, guided it beneath the sheet to feel him harden.
'No,' she said. 'You are not well yet.' But she left her hand there for a moment. To reassure him? That she would, eventually, give herself to him?
He wondered if he was not, indeed, being a fool. He was John Haggard. He snapped his fingers and people jumped. And he owned this girl. But he knew nothing about her, save that the seamen from Biddies' ship thought of her as a witch. Perhaps she was, and he was bewitched.
'Yes, sir, Mr. John.' Annie Kent stood in the doorway.
'Miss Emma would like a tub, Annie. She'll have it here.'
'Mr. Haggard . . .' Emma began, withdrawing her hand.
'You'll do as you're told,' Haggard said.
‘I going fetch the tub,' Annie said.
'I wish you to be well, and strong,' Emma said. 'And you are still very weak.'
'Why?" Haggard asked, ‘I bought you for my bed. When I am well again, I shall want you twice in every day. Will you fight me twice in every day?'
'No,' she said.
'Why not?'
‘I have nothing left to fight for,' she said. 'And I understand more. Is it true you had just killed a man when you bought me?' 'Yes.'
'I can understand your mood. And you saved me from those
'Out,' Haggard said. 'Out. James, are you there?'
‘Is here, Mr. Haggard."
'Is Mr. Lucas here? ’
'I'm waiting, John.'
'You're invited to dinner. Sorry I can't be with you. Serve Mr. Lucas the best wine, James. Dr. Meade as well if he wishes to stay. Willy, are you there?'
'Yes, John.' Another voice from the darkness.
'You're in charge for the next fortnight.'
'Yes, John.'
'But so help me God no one is to attempt to lay a finger on this girl. James, fetch some food for her. Can I eat, Tom?' 'A broth. I've ordered it prepared.'
'Then send it up.' Haggard sighed, and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. Nothing more than that. Just exhausted. It had been a long day.
'Mad,' Meade remarked at large. 'Stark, raving mad.'
But people were filing out of the room. Haggard waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps. Then he released the girl's wrist. She rubbed it with her other hand. 'You asked me not to die,' he said. 'After stabbing me. What changed your mind?'
He could just see her in the semi-darkness; the candle was now in its holder on the far side of the room, ‘I don't want to be burned alive,' she said. "Or to hang.'
He smiled at her. 'Honest enough.'
'But I did stab you, Mr. Haggard. Why didn't you let them take me?'
Haggard raised his arm, and she came closer, allowed him to feel the texture of her hair, run his hand over her shoulder and down on to her breast, still slippery with butter. 'You're mine,' he said. 'I want you here.'
'Do you suppose I could have a bath, Mr. Haggard?' Emma propped herself on her elbow, looked down at him.
'You may have anything you wish,' Haggard said. 'There is a bell pull behind the bed. But have it here, where I can watch you.'
She gazed at him for some seconds, in a peculiarly intense way she had. Then she leaned forward and licked the end of his nose. 'You must not be excited.'
She got out of the bed, pulled the silk cord. She had not left the bedchamber for ten days, had slept snuggled up against him. He had not tired of either watching her or feeling her. She moved with an unconscious grace, full of the most delightful little intimacies, the way she flicked her head to settle her hair on her back, the way her breasts just trembled, the way her belly fluttered, the way the slivers of muscle rippled down her legs. All of these things Susan had possessed, as indeed no doubt all women, but for four years he had seen none of them. No doubt he had been foolish, to turn his back on sex for that long. Or had he merely been fortunate, in that had he sought it earlier, he would never have found it in Emma?
She sat beside him, held a glass of water for him to drink. He took her hand, guided it beneath the sheet to feel him harden.
'No,' she said. 'You are not well yet.' But she left her hand there for a moment. To reassure him? That she would, eventually, give herself to him?
He wondered if he was not, indeed, being a fool. He was John Haggard. He snapped his fingers and people jumped. And he owned this girl. But he knew nothing about her, save that the seamen from Biddies' ship thought of her as a witch. Perhaps she was, and he was bewitched.
'Yes, sir, Mr. John.' Annie Kent stood in the doorway.
'Miss Emma would like a tub, Annie. She'll have it here.'
'Mr. Haggard . . .' Emma began, withdrawing her hand.
'You'll do as you're told,' Haggard said.
‘I going fetch the tub,' Annie said.
'I wish you to be well, and strong,' Emma said. 'And you are still very weak.'
'Why?" Haggard asked, ‘I bought you for my bed. When I am well again, I shall want you twice in every day. Will you fight me twice in every day?'
'No,' she said.
'Why not?'
‘I have nothing left to fight for,' she said. 'And I understand more. Is it true you had just killed a man when you bought me?' 'Yes.'
'I can understand your mood. And you saved me from those
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