[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
with howls of laughter at one of the two comedians billed.
When the applause had subsided and the red plush curtain
had fallen, Tellman rose to his feet.
Would you like a lemonade? he offered.
Thank you, Samuel, she said courteously. That would
be very nice.
He returned barely ten minutes later. She accepted the
glass from him and sat sipping, a very slight frown on her
face.
What s the matter? he asked anxiously. Is it too sour?
It s lovely, she answered. I m just worried about Mr.
Pitt.
Why s that? he said, wanting to reassure her. If she had
seen his anxiety, or the guilt eating at him because the force
he had served and believed in all his adult life was riddled
with corruption, then he must help divert her from the truth,
and find some other explanation. Special Branch is a hard
job, you know, he went on. Not as straightforward as regu-
lar police.
Course it isn t, she agreed, sipping again at the lemon-
ade. Her voice was very soft when she continued. The people
next to them could not have heard. E s tryin ter find out if
them stupid bombers is tellin the truth about the police, or
not. An it in t ardly like e could ask anyone, is it? Oo
could e trust?
Most of us are as honest as anyone in Special Branch!
he said hotly. And he knows that!
E knows you are, she corrected him. E don t know
about nobody else.
Yes he does. He knows . . . He stopped, aware that he
himself was not sure whom he could trust.
152 Anne Perry
She was looking at him, her eyes bright and sharp, seeing
every flicker that crossed his face. He felt the heat in his
cheeks, and knew he was coloring.
E told you about it, din t e? she said levelly, ignoring
the lemonade. Yer know wot it is as e s scared of, don t
yer?
Her friendship was too new, and far too precious to risk by
telling lies, even half-lies. I can t talk about police busi-
ness, he said gravely. Not even with you. If he told her it
was to protect her from worrying she would be furious. He
had tried it before, and been accused of talking down to her.
She had treated him like a leper for two months afterwards.
You don t need to! she said stiffly. I worked for Mr. Pitt
for near ten years. I know as e won t let rottenness go by,
whatever it costs im ter show it up. An Mrs. Pitt might be so
scared for im she can t barely see straight, but that won t
stop im neither.
Isn t that what you d want? he asked, hearing the fierce
admiration in her voice, and seeing it in the brilliance of her
eyes as she stared at him.
She hesitated, somehow caught in doubt.
He did not understand. Well, isn t it? He was certain he
had not misread her emotion. Apart from knowing her, it was
what he believed himself.
She looked away. I know as e s gotter do it, she said so
softly he only just heard her. Then she swung back, her eyes
blazing, full of tears. But you aven t! If they guesses wot
yer doin , oo s gonna pull yer out, eh? She gulped, her
body stiff, shoulders square and tight. Yer in the police all
by yerself, an if they catch yer e can t do nothin ter elp,
nor can nobody else!
He opened his mouth to deny that he was doing anything
dangerous.
An don t yer lie ter me, Samuel Tellman! she said, al-
most choking on the words. Jus don t yer dare!
I wasn t going to lie, he said stiffly. Now he had no
LONG SPOON LANE 153
choice. If he allowed her to dictate to him what he was going
to do, or not do, he would be making a rod for his back from
which he would not be free for the rest of his life. No matter
how he loved her, he was not going to have that. I wanted to
save you the worry of talking about it, he went on. But you
pushed your way in, I don t know how. I never told you, and
I m sure Mr. Pitt didn t either.
Yer don t ave ter tell me, she retorted, still whispering
fiercely. I can work it out for meself! Them anarchists blew
up ouses wot belongs ter a rozzer from Cannon Street, on
purpose, like. Parliament s busy tryin ter make laws ter give
yer all guns, wot Mr. Pitt don t want, cos e says they ll just
make policin arder by puttin everyone s back up agin yer.
An is ole station o Bow Street is run by a schemin sod as
we all know is ead o the Inner Circle wot near killed Mr.
Pitt before.
Gracie! he hissed warningly. Keep your voice down!
You don t know who s listening!
She ignored him. Lady Vespasia s all worried about it,
and Miss Emily, she went on. Yer can t go ter the music all
cos yer too busy, an when yer do, yer that tired yer got cir-
cles round yer eyes like someone s it yer! Yer think I can t
work it out fer meself?
He should have known better than to hope she would re-
main ignorant of at least the size of the trouble. But it made
no difference to his duty.
It seems you can, he conceded. I hoped you would not
need to know, so you wouldn t worry.
She snorted with contempt for the idea.
But I m still going to do all I can, he said firmly. And
don t ask me again, because I don t want to have to tell you
not to, and I m definitely not saying what s happening, not
because I don t trust you, but so s you don t have to keep se-
crets from Mrs. Pitt, nor tell lies to her.
She knows! Gracie said with a gulp. She can work it
154 Anne Perry
out too! We know they blew up that ouse cos the policeman
wot lived in it s rotten!
Then it won t matter if I don t say anything, he re-
sponded. Now there s an end to it, Gracie. That s how it s
going to be, and you d best get used to it. He sat very still
and stared at her levelly, his face grave.
She looked furious, her fists clenched in her lap, small,
white-knuckled, almost like a child s. She breathed in and
out several times, as if her mind were racing for some answer
to give him. He saw the fear in her eyes, wide, dark, and
overwhelmingly real.
He almost wavered. What if she felt so shut out, so ex-
cluded, that she would not forgive him? He drew in his
breath to say something gentler.
Yes, Samuel, she said softly.
What? He was astounded. She was obeying him!
Yer eard me! Her voice was high and angry again. I
in t saying it twice fer yer! Jus . . . jus take care o yerself,
eh? Promise me . . .
I promise you! he answered with overwhelming relief.
He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, but she would
be mortified if he were to do something like that in such a
public place. People were beginning to take their seats again
for the second half, skirts billowing and rustling, everyone
standing on everyone else s toes. There were squeaks of
protest and hasty apologies.
Gracie sat very stiff, her chin high. She was sniffing a lit-
tle and fumbling for a handkerchief, but her face shone with
pride and a kind of inner excitement. It had nothing to do
with the contortionists who were the next act, or the come-
dian who would make her ache with laughter, or the singer
who would top the bill, and have everyone in the house
singing along with the rip-roaring songs.
Tellman found he was smiling so widely that the man next
to him thought he had missed one of the best jokes, but he
didn t like to ask.
LONG SPOON LANE 155
* * *
The next morning all such pleasures vanished as Tellman [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
with howls of laughter at one of the two comedians billed.
When the applause had subsided and the red plush curtain
had fallen, Tellman rose to his feet.
Would you like a lemonade? he offered.
Thank you, Samuel, she said courteously. That would
be very nice.
He returned barely ten minutes later. She accepted the
glass from him and sat sipping, a very slight frown on her
face.
What s the matter? he asked anxiously. Is it too sour?
It s lovely, she answered. I m just worried about Mr.
Pitt.
Why s that? he said, wanting to reassure her. If she had
seen his anxiety, or the guilt eating at him because the force
he had served and believed in all his adult life was riddled
with corruption, then he must help divert her from the truth,
and find some other explanation. Special Branch is a hard
job, you know, he went on. Not as straightforward as regu-
lar police.
Course it isn t, she agreed, sipping again at the lemon-
ade. Her voice was very soft when she continued. The people
next to them could not have heard. E s tryin ter find out if
them stupid bombers is tellin the truth about the police, or
not. An it in t ardly like e could ask anyone, is it? Oo
could e trust?
Most of us are as honest as anyone in Special Branch!
he said hotly. And he knows that!
E knows you are, she corrected him. E don t know
about nobody else.
Yes he does. He knows . . . He stopped, aware that he
himself was not sure whom he could trust.
152 Anne Perry
She was looking at him, her eyes bright and sharp, seeing
every flicker that crossed his face. He felt the heat in his
cheeks, and knew he was coloring.
E told you about it, din t e? she said levelly, ignoring
the lemonade. Yer know wot it is as e s scared of, don t
yer?
Her friendship was too new, and far too precious to risk by
telling lies, even half-lies. I can t talk about police busi-
ness, he said gravely. Not even with you. If he told her it
was to protect her from worrying she would be furious. He
had tried it before, and been accused of talking down to her.
She had treated him like a leper for two months afterwards.
You don t need to! she said stiffly. I worked for Mr. Pitt
for near ten years. I know as e won t let rottenness go by,
whatever it costs im ter show it up. An Mrs. Pitt might be so
scared for im she can t barely see straight, but that won t
stop im neither.
Isn t that what you d want? he asked, hearing the fierce
admiration in her voice, and seeing it in the brilliance of her
eyes as she stared at him.
She hesitated, somehow caught in doubt.
He did not understand. Well, isn t it? He was certain he
had not misread her emotion. Apart from knowing her, it was
what he believed himself.
She looked away. I know as e s gotter do it, she said so
softly he only just heard her. Then she swung back, her eyes
blazing, full of tears. But you aven t! If they guesses wot
yer doin , oo s gonna pull yer out, eh? She gulped, her
body stiff, shoulders square and tight. Yer in the police all
by yerself, an if they catch yer e can t do nothin ter elp,
nor can nobody else!
He opened his mouth to deny that he was doing anything
dangerous.
An don t yer lie ter me, Samuel Tellman! she said, al-
most choking on the words. Jus don t yer dare!
I wasn t going to lie, he said stiffly. Now he had no
LONG SPOON LANE 153
choice. If he allowed her to dictate to him what he was going
to do, or not do, he would be making a rod for his back from
which he would not be free for the rest of his life. No matter
how he loved her, he was not going to have that. I wanted to
save you the worry of talking about it, he went on. But you
pushed your way in, I don t know how. I never told you, and
I m sure Mr. Pitt didn t either.
Yer don t ave ter tell me, she retorted, still whispering
fiercely. I can work it out for meself! Them anarchists blew
up ouses wot belongs ter a rozzer from Cannon Street, on
purpose, like. Parliament s busy tryin ter make laws ter give
yer all guns, wot Mr. Pitt don t want, cos e says they ll just
make policin arder by puttin everyone s back up agin yer.
An is ole station o Bow Street is run by a schemin sod as
we all know is ead o the Inner Circle wot near killed Mr.
Pitt before.
Gracie! he hissed warningly. Keep your voice down!
You don t know who s listening!
She ignored him. Lady Vespasia s all worried about it,
and Miss Emily, she went on. Yer can t go ter the music all
cos yer too busy, an when yer do, yer that tired yer got cir-
cles round yer eyes like someone s it yer! Yer think I can t
work it out fer meself?
He should have known better than to hope she would re-
main ignorant of at least the size of the trouble. But it made
no difference to his duty.
It seems you can, he conceded. I hoped you would not
need to know, so you wouldn t worry.
She snorted with contempt for the idea.
But I m still going to do all I can, he said firmly. And
don t ask me again, because I don t want to have to tell you
not to, and I m definitely not saying what s happening, not
because I don t trust you, but so s you don t have to keep se-
crets from Mrs. Pitt, nor tell lies to her.
She knows! Gracie said with a gulp. She can work it
154 Anne Perry
out too! We know they blew up that ouse cos the policeman
wot lived in it s rotten!
Then it won t matter if I don t say anything, he re-
sponded. Now there s an end to it, Gracie. That s how it s
going to be, and you d best get used to it. He sat very still
and stared at her levelly, his face grave.
She looked furious, her fists clenched in her lap, small,
white-knuckled, almost like a child s. She breathed in and
out several times, as if her mind were racing for some answer
to give him. He saw the fear in her eyes, wide, dark, and
overwhelmingly real.
He almost wavered. What if she felt so shut out, so ex-
cluded, that she would not forgive him? He drew in his
breath to say something gentler.
Yes, Samuel, she said softly.
What? He was astounded. She was obeying him!
Yer eard me! Her voice was high and angry again. I
in t saying it twice fer yer! Jus . . . jus take care o yerself,
eh? Promise me . . .
I promise you! he answered with overwhelming relief.
He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, but she would
be mortified if he were to do something like that in such a
public place. People were beginning to take their seats again
for the second half, skirts billowing and rustling, everyone
standing on everyone else s toes. There were squeaks of
protest and hasty apologies.
Gracie sat very stiff, her chin high. She was sniffing a lit-
tle and fumbling for a handkerchief, but her face shone with
pride and a kind of inner excitement. It had nothing to do
with the contortionists who were the next act, or the come-
dian who would make her ache with laughter, or the singer
who would top the bill, and have everyone in the house
singing along with the rip-roaring songs.
Tellman found he was smiling so widely that the man next
to him thought he had missed one of the best jokes, but he
didn t like to ask.
LONG SPOON LANE 155
* * *
The next morning all such pleasures vanished as Tellman [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]