JACK OF DIAMONDS

Chap2-pt2 (Is Paved With Good Intentions...)

ii

"Deal!" Artie said, stuffing himself back into his pants and doing the buttons of his fly back up.

He'd leaned over and untied her hands as soon as he realized how far she was willing to go; he'd wanted to feel her holding him, encouraging him. She had no objections to him pushing her dressing gown down and exposing her breasts as he finally spilled his seed into her mouth.

He looked at her breasts in the soft moonlight, the nipples teased by the night air coming through the open window. She was spitting into a small lace hankie, looking at him with a tight smile, her long dark hair covering half of her face. She sat back up on her haunches, pulling the dressing gown up and over her shoulders, then raking her hair out of her face with her fingers.

"I will not copulate with you, I'll have you know—not yet—but I will fellate you. Also, I will not swallow your seed until I feel there's something worthwhile between us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sitting on a small settee.

"Our partnership? I'd hoped you might think we were off to a good start? It would better persuade me as to your sincerity if you were to take that silly rag off your head and let me see your face."

"Why? I can assure you, you do not know me."

“Then what do you have to hide? You asked me to prove that I’d be willing to go as far as I did to be your partner—and I did. The least you could do is reciprocate."

He nodded, pulling the mask off.

"Do you have a cigarette?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Look, I'm willing to work with you as one of my partners—”

“One of them?”

“But it seems obvious to me that you have issues—"

"Issues?" she laughed, crawling into the shadows and sitting with her back against the wall, looking up at him. She pulled the dressing gown tight, wrapping her arms around herself. "My husband's not here tonight. Do you want to know why?"

“Is he part of the issue, or the whole issue?”

“I suppose he is, in a way.”

“And you want to use me to get back at him?”

“Does it matter what my motives are?”

“It might help me understand you a little better.”

“He's in London--probably for the night. He did not feel the need to telephone and let me know he was not returning, but that's probably because he has needs, like every man—like yourself—which explains why he'd rather be with his mistress, than his wife."

"Then the man's a fool.”

“That’s kind of you to say.”

"You're a very beautiful woman…I do not even know your name.”

“Jennifer Ashcroft. Jenny.”

“Artemis Spencer. And let me say, I would never let you out of my bed if you were mine."

"That's the problem with men, isn’t it?”

“What’s that?”

“You all feel that women are possessions."

"I never said that. I never even implied that--"

"You just said you would never let me out of your bed if I were yours. That sounds like possession to me. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong."

"You're one of these free thinkers," he said, matter of factly.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?"

"Do you believe women should have the vote?"

"I thought they all ready did?"

"Only if you are over thirty. And have limited land holdings."

"You sound as if you do not agree?"

"I care little one way, or the other. The social needs of women matter little to me. I merely suggested that I felt you are an obvious free thinker. You certainly have no reservations when it comes to satisfying a man."

"Is that all it takes to satisfy a man?" she smiled. "I told you, I will not copulate with you. I may, in time, but not now."

"And what if I forced myself on you?"

"I simply refuse to believe you would jeopardize your new partnership with a single act of carnal desire."

"Carnal desire? Is that what you call it?"

"What would you have me say?"

“No. You're rightt. Carnal desire, carnal knowledge, so much better than the vulgarity of the trenches.”

“You were in the trenches? Of course you were. I mean, every able bodied man was there.”

“I was there.”

“So was Roger. He’s haunted by horrible dreams.”

“I can understand that. He wouldn't be a real man if he wasn't.”

“He seldom sleeps more than three or four hours.”

“It’s hard to sleep, when you have horrible dreams to look forward to.”

“He refuses to talk to me about it.”

“Did you expect he would?”

“I need to know what he saw there. I want to understand him.”

“And so you seduce me as a way of…what? Getting him to pay attention to you?”

“Seduce you?”

“Was I the one who suggested you should be my partner? You asked me, as I recall.”

“And you agreed.”

“Under duress.”

“Duress? Is that what they are calling it now?” she laughed.

“Look, I’m not going to say that I will not benefit from having you as my partner. You probably know the people that live in the surrounding houses? I do not. Now that the war's behind us, I’m sure they'll be having their socials, balls--costume balls--and fox hunts. You know who has what for jewelry and art—paintings, and the like. Paintings are always a good sell. Why would I not want someone like you for my partner? But if you want to do this to get back at your husband for his dallying with whores, or a mistress, or whatever the issue is, we may have a problem.”

“And what sort of a problem is that going to be?”

“You will not be thinking of the job I have planned, but of your husband, and how best you can get back at him.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because it has been my experience with women like yourself, that once a man has done you a grave injustice, there is little you will not do to hurt him.”

“Women like myself?”

“Yes. Women like you who know nothing of the world around you.”

“I have a child.”

“And that makes you a woman of the world?”

“I may not be a woman of the world when it comes to having seen the world, but believe me, having had a child opens your eyes to a great many things a man would never understand.”

“Such as?”

“Love.”

“Love? That’s naive. My mother is a woman—a great woman. I grew up in a house not unlike this one. She had five of us boys. I was her youngest. Believe me, love is the last thing a woman thinks of when it comes to having children.”

“Is that why you became a thief?”

“Is what?”

“Because you were the youngest, and as such, would inherit little.”

“I believe we were talking about yourself, and how little worldly knowledge you have.”

“I readily admit to having been sheltered for most of my life. What would you have me do?”

“Do? Tell your husband you want to see Europe. Tell him you want to see Paris, and Vienna, Berlin. Amsterdam.”

“And why would I tell him that?”

“Because he’s sure to have friends in Europe who are just as wealthy as he is.”

“My husband is not wealthy.”

“No?”

“He married me for the money my father had to offer.”

“And what is it that your father does?”

“Do you not know? He owns the Great Eastern Railway.”

“And what is his name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Baron Guernsey, 3rd Earl of Aylesbury.”

“You father is the Earl of Aylesbury?”

“I thought you knew? Why else would you be here?”

“My present partner is in no position to know the names of many of the great land owners about.”

“Which only proves how much you need someone such as myself; issues or no issues.”

“I prefer no issues.”