men.'
Those men are my bookkeepers. And my friends. You will have to see a lot of them, living here.'
'As long as I am your mistress, Mr. Haggard. I do not have to fear them.'
He held her arms, brought her down on to his chest so he could
kiss her mouth; no strength required here, she seemed to enjoy kissing him. 'You've a very cool and calculating head on those lovely shoulders.'
'When I remember,' she said enigmatically, and pushed herself away as Annie Kent bustled back into the room behind a bevy of girls carrying the tub and buckets of boiling water. Emma gathered her hair on the top of her head, secured it there with a ribbon, sank into the heat. She soaped, gazing at him, her mouth half open and her cheeks pink. Too pink merely for heat. She still felt embarrassed, at performing so intimate a function before him. Yet she had worn not a stitch of clothing for ten days, had used the pot beside him, for ten days, had assisted him in his own necessaries.
But everything about her was surprising. She did not speak like a servant girl, and certainly she did not act like one. Her past was worth investigating. But to do that would allow her a personality of her own, and he was not sure he wanted to risk that.
James Middlesex stood in the doorway. 'Begging your pardon, Mr. Haggard, but some gentlemen are here.'
'Ask them to come up,' Haggard said.
'No,' Emma said, hopping out of the bath.
'Fetch a robe for Miss Emma,' Haggard commanded, 'and come over here to prop me up.' The girls fussed about him, thrusting pillows under his back, while one of their housegowns was found for the girl. Harry Lucas hesitated in the doorway. Behind him were Peter Woodbury and the Reverend Paley.
'Come in,' Haggard said. 'James, chairs for these gentlemen.'
The visitors each glanced at Emma, who had taken up a position by the window, untangling her hair with Haggard's brush.
The matters are confidential, John,' Lucas said.
'She talks to no one save me, Harry, so there's no risk to your confidence.'
Lucas licked his lips.
'Pull the bell, Emma,' Haggard said. 'Our guests will have a glass of sangaree. Come to think of it, so will I. And so may you.' 'It may not be good for you,' Emma said.
'Of course it will be good for me. I feel better today than I have all week. Well, Harry? The inquest?'
'Death by misadventure. The coroner added a corollary deploring duelling in any form, but particularly between gentlemen of unequal skills.'
'Did you come out here to annoy me, Harry? Or on matters of business? Malcolm Bolton would have shot me down had I not hit him first.'
'Aye, well, the fact is, you did hit him first. I'm not here to criticise, John. You asked.'
'So I did,' Haggard agreed. 'Sangaree.' He took the goblet from Middlesex's tray, raised it. ‘I think we should drink to my health.'
Lucas sipped, cautiously, exchanged glances with his two companions. 'John ... I really would like a word in private.'
'Off you go, James,' Haggard told his butler.
‘I did not mean . . .' Lucas bit his lip.
'I've made that position clear. For God's sake, man, unbend a little. Say what you will.'
Lucas sighed. 'Aye, well, you'll have heard the news?' 'What news?'
That the French have taken Brimstone Hill,' Woodbury snapped. 'St. Kitts is theirs. Last year it was Grenada and St. Vincent. Man, things are getting serious.'
'What was Rodney doing while this was happening?'
'Rodney is in England. Hood was in command. But it matters naught. We just do not have the ships to be everywhere at once. It is up to each island to look to its own defence. Now, we, that is the House, would like to know how many people we can call on, from each plantation, and what defensive measures each plantation has already taken.'
They'll not come here,' Haggard said.
'Now, John . . .'
Take my word for it,' Haggard said. 'What, beat a hundred miles to Windward to sack a few sugar plantations? The frogs have more important
Those men are my bookkeepers. And my friends. You will have to see a lot of them, living here.'
'As long as I am your mistress, Mr. Haggard. I do not have to fear them.'
He held her arms, brought her down on to his chest so he could
kiss her mouth; no strength required here, she seemed to enjoy kissing him. 'You've a very cool and calculating head on those lovely shoulders.'
'When I remember,' she said enigmatically, and pushed herself away as Annie Kent bustled back into the room behind a bevy of girls carrying the tub and buckets of boiling water. Emma gathered her hair on the top of her head, secured it there with a ribbon, sank into the heat. She soaped, gazing at him, her mouth half open and her cheeks pink. Too pink merely for heat. She still felt embarrassed, at performing so intimate a function before him. Yet she had worn not a stitch of clothing for ten days, had used the pot beside him, for ten days, had assisted him in his own necessaries.
But everything about her was surprising. She did not speak like a servant girl, and certainly she did not act like one. Her past was worth investigating. But to do that would allow her a personality of her own, and he was not sure he wanted to risk that.
James Middlesex stood in the doorway. 'Begging your pardon, Mr. Haggard, but some gentlemen are here.'
'Ask them to come up,' Haggard said.
'No,' Emma said, hopping out of the bath.
'Fetch a robe for Miss Emma,' Haggard commanded, 'and come over here to prop me up.' The girls fussed about him, thrusting pillows under his back, while one of their housegowns was found for the girl. Harry Lucas hesitated in the doorway. Behind him were Peter Woodbury and the Reverend Paley.
'Come in,' Haggard said. 'James, chairs for these gentlemen.'
The visitors each glanced at Emma, who had taken up a position by the window, untangling her hair with Haggard's brush.
The matters are confidential, John,' Lucas said.
'She talks to no one save me, Harry, so there's no risk to your confidence.'
Lucas licked his lips.
'Pull the bell, Emma,' Haggard said. 'Our guests will have a glass of sangaree. Come to think of it, so will I. And so may you.' 'It may not be good for you,' Emma said.
'Of course it will be good for me. I feel better today than I have all week. Well, Harry? The inquest?'
'Death by misadventure. The coroner added a corollary deploring duelling in any form, but particularly between gentlemen of unequal skills.'
'Did you come out here to annoy me, Harry? Or on matters of business? Malcolm Bolton would have shot me down had I not hit him first.'
'Aye, well, the fact is, you did hit him first. I'm not here to criticise, John. You asked.'
'So I did,' Haggard agreed. 'Sangaree.' He took the goblet from Middlesex's tray, raised it. ‘I think we should drink to my health.'
Lucas sipped, cautiously, exchanged glances with his two companions. 'John ... I really would like a word in private.'
'Off you go, James,' Haggard told his butler.
‘I did not mean . . .' Lucas bit his lip.
'I've made that position clear. For God's sake, man, unbend a little. Say what you will.'
Lucas sighed. 'Aye, well, you'll have heard the news?' 'What news?'
That the French have taken Brimstone Hill,' Woodbury snapped. 'St. Kitts is theirs. Last year it was Grenada and St. Vincent. Man, things are getting serious.'
'What was Rodney doing while this was happening?'
'Rodney is in England. Hood was in command. But it matters naught. We just do not have the ships to be everywhere at once. It is up to each island to look to its own defence. Now, we, that is the House, would like to know how many people we can call on, from each plantation, and what defensive measures each plantation has already taken.'
They'll not come here,' Haggard said.
'Now, John . . .'
Take my word for it,' Haggard said. 'What, beat a hundred miles to Windward to sack a few sugar plantations? The frogs have more important
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