Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

Nothing worked on Samuel--least of all her feminine charms. He had an infuriating way of laughing at her when she thought she was being subtle and clever. He gave the impression that she was not to be taken seriously--and that offended her mortally. She was much more wounded by Samuel's quiet mockery than she was at being called an old bitch by a trollop in the park.

Today, however, Samuel did not wear that amused, skeptical smile. He looked angry, so angry that for a moment Augusta was alarmed. He had obviously come early in order to find her alone. It struck her that for two months she had been conspiring to ruin him and that people had been murdered for less than that. He did not shake her hand, but stood in front of her, wearing a pearl-gray morning coat and a deep wine-red tie, smelling faintly of cologne. Augusta held up her hands in a defensive gesture.

Samuel gave a humorless laugh and moved away. "I'm not going to strike you, Augusta," he said. "Though heaven knows you deserve a whipping."

Of course he would not touch her. He was a gentle soul who refused to finance the export of rifles. Augusta's confidence came back in a rush, and she said disdainfully: "How dare you criticize me!"

"Criticize?" he said, and the rage flashed again in his eyes. "I don't stoop to criticize you." He paused, then spoke again in a voice of controlled anger. "I despise you."

Augusta could not be intimidated a second time. "Have you come here to tell me that you are willing to give up your vicious ways?" she said in a ringing voice.

"My vicious ways," he repeated. "You're willing to destroy my father's happiness and make my own life miserable, all for the sake of your ambition, and yet you can talk about my vicious ways! I believe you're so steeped in evil that you've forgotten what it is."

He was so convinced and passionate that Augusta wondered if perhaps it really was wicked of her to threaten him. Then she realized he was trying to weaken her resolve by playing on her sympathy. "I'm only concerned for the bank," she said coldly.

"Is that your excuse? Is that what you'll tell the Almighty, on the Day of Judgment, when he asks you why you blackmailed me?"