Don’t you care?
Don’t you…” She lashed out at him but he caught her arm.
“For God’s sake, Suzy!” He yanked her toward him and held her, pinned her body tight to his own, his arms locked across her
back. “For God’s sake, stop it,” he cried hoarsely, as she struggled against him. “Jesus, Suzy…”
But her violence stopped as abruptly as it had started and she slumped against him, her face buried in his chest. Phillip
stroked her hair, wrapping his fingers in it. He looked above her head at the picture on the wall, a picture they had bought
together in Bond Street, a Chagall, and he remembered handing the money over in cash, Mitchell’s cash, he remembered the thrill
of it, the sexual excitement that the power of money could bring. He remembered fucking Suzy all night, the picture propped
up against the wall in the bedroom and her face turned toward it every time she climaxed. Gently he tugged on her hair and
tilted her head back.
“You OK?”
She nodded and tried to hide her face again.
“It’s all right,” he said, “I love you, remember? You won’t put me off with baggy eyes and a red nose.” He did love her, it
was the truth. He loved everything about her, her beauty, the lifestyle they shared, her money.
Suzy smiled, a sad, half-smile, then she moved away from him across the room and picked up the packet of cigarettes, lighting
two, as was their habit. She held Phillip’s out to him and he came over.
“Thanks.”
“I have to go to Spain,” she said flatly. “At the end of the week. Mitchell is entertaining at the villa.” She smoked as she
spoke, almost continually, holding the cigarette close to her face. When she finished one, she immediately lit up another.
“And he wants to do the season, all of it, poncing around with him, dressed up, lying to people, pretending!” She stood up
and walked away. “I won’t be able to see you, he’ll make sure of that. I won’t…” She broke off, unable to go on. Swallowing
hard, she managed to calm herself. “He means it,” she said quietly, coldly. “He wants the House of Lords, he has some deal,
some bloody deal to finance and he needs respectability, he needs me! Ha! What a fucking joke! Mitchell, the East End thug
in the House of Lords! Lord Harvey, duffing up his wife!” The bitterness in her voice shocked Phillip. She hardly ever talked
about Mitchell, he knew very little about the other side of her life. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, looking away. Her
voice had changed again, it was small, like a child’s. “All the time you’ve been in India I’ve thought about you, about this.”
She glanced around the flat, their flat. “Being together.” She dropped her head and put her hands up to her face. “I don’t
think I can live without you anymore,” she whispered, “I really don’t.”
“You won’t have to live without me,” Phillip answered. He reached out to her and took her hands. “Suzy? Look at me, Suzy.”
She lifted her head. “Listen, I promise you that we’ll find a way out of this.”
She shook her head helplessly.
“Yes! I promise!” Pulling her toward him, he held her hands up and kissed her palms, her wrists. “I don’t know how, I can’t
pretend that I do, but there will be a way.” He eased her in closer so that she stood before him and dropped her hands, slipping
his fingers inside the silk, touching her warm flesh. “Have I ever let you down?”
“No.”
He edged the robe down, exposing her bare shoulder and her breast. He put his mouth to her nipple and ran his tongue over
the tip, making her shiver. “I would do anything for you, Suzanna,” he murmured. “Anything.” He parted the rest of the silk
and looked at her body, a body he cherished. “I won’t let you go,” he said, and, closing her eyes, Suzanna almost believed
it was true.
7
P HILLIP JUMPED OFF THE BUS AT THE CORNER OF THE R ITZ AND Green Park,
Don’t you…” She lashed out at him but he caught her arm.
“For God’s sake, Suzy!” He yanked her toward him and held her, pinned her body tight to his own, his arms locked across her
back. “For God’s sake, stop it,” he cried hoarsely, as she struggled against him. “Jesus, Suzy…”
But her violence stopped as abruptly as it had started and she slumped against him, her face buried in his chest. Phillip
stroked her hair, wrapping his fingers in it. He looked above her head at the picture on the wall, a picture they had bought
together in Bond Street, a Chagall, and he remembered handing the money over in cash, Mitchell’s cash, he remembered the thrill
of it, the sexual excitement that the power of money could bring. He remembered fucking Suzy all night, the picture propped
up against the wall in the bedroom and her face turned toward it every time she climaxed. Gently he tugged on her hair and
tilted her head back.
“You OK?”
She nodded and tried to hide her face again.
“It’s all right,” he said, “I love you, remember? You won’t put me off with baggy eyes and a red nose.” He did love her, it
was the truth. He loved everything about her, her beauty, the lifestyle they shared, her money.
Suzy smiled, a sad, half-smile, then she moved away from him across the room and picked up the packet of cigarettes, lighting
two, as was their habit. She held Phillip’s out to him and he came over.
“Thanks.”
“I have to go to Spain,” she said flatly. “At the end of the week. Mitchell is entertaining at the villa.” She smoked as she
spoke, almost continually, holding the cigarette close to her face. When she finished one, she immediately lit up another.
“And he wants to do the season, all of it, poncing around with him, dressed up, lying to people, pretending!” She stood up
and walked away. “I won’t be able to see you, he’ll make sure of that. I won’t…” She broke off, unable to go on. Swallowing
hard, she managed to calm herself. “He means it,” she said quietly, coldly. “He wants the House of Lords, he has some deal,
some bloody deal to finance and he needs respectability, he needs me! Ha! What a fucking joke! Mitchell, the East End thug
in the House of Lords! Lord Harvey, duffing up his wife!” The bitterness in her voice shocked Phillip. She hardly ever talked
about Mitchell, he knew very little about the other side of her life. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, looking away. Her
voice had changed again, it was small, like a child’s. “All the time you’ve been in India I’ve thought about you, about this.”
She glanced around the flat, their flat. “Being together.” She dropped her head and put her hands up to her face. “I don’t
think I can live without you anymore,” she whispered, “I really don’t.”
“You won’t have to live without me,” Phillip answered. He reached out to her and took her hands. “Suzy? Look at me, Suzy.”
She lifted her head. “Listen, I promise you that we’ll find a way out of this.”
She shook her head helplessly.
“Yes! I promise!” Pulling her toward him, he held her hands up and kissed her palms, her wrists. “I don’t know how, I can’t
pretend that I do, but there will be a way.” He eased her in closer so that she stood before him and dropped her hands, slipping
his fingers inside the silk, touching her warm flesh. “Have I ever let you down?”
“No.”
He edged the robe down, exposing her bare shoulder and her breast. He put his mouth to her nipple and ran his tongue over
the tip, making her shiver. “I would do anything for you, Suzanna,” he murmured. “Anything.” He parted the rest of the silk
and looked at her body, a body he cherished. “I won’t let you go,” he said, and, closing her eyes, Suzanna almost believed
it was true.
7
P HILLIP JUMPED OFF THE BUS AT THE CORNER OF THE R ITZ AND Green Park,
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