Dominic (35 page)

“Then we understand each other completely, I have not the need to explain
m
y presence.”

“Sit
down,
sit
down,
there
is no
need
to
stand
on cere
m
ony,”
said
Thornton,
pushing
a
chair
forward
with his
foot.
“Here
take
a
drink
.
The
only
issue
we
have
to agree on is ter
m
s, no reason we cannot do it a
m
icably.”

“Ter
m
s
?
” queried Vale harshly.

“Aye, ter
m
s for the chit. How
m
uch...”

He
was
not
allowed
to
finish his
sentence,
Vale
lunged across
the
table
gripping
his thro
a
t
in
his
lo
n
g
slend
e
r fingers, fingers that belied t
h
eir strength, and dragged him across the
width.
The
grip
was
so
fierce
that
t
h
ere
ca
m
e
a blue line
about Thornton’s lips and a purple hue to his already florid countenance.

Suddenly
letting
him go
so
that
he
rolled
from the
table and
knelt
choking
on
the
floor,
clawing
at
his
neck
cl
o
t
h for air, Vale stood over hi
m
. “Those are
m
y ter
m
s;
m
y pay
m
ent. You
m
ay not know it but you owe your life to your
sister.
For
m
y
part
I
would
put
an
end
to
you
now and have no conscience about it. Now get up. Because of my
pro
m
ise
to
her,
you
live,
but
I
am deter
m
ined
to
put
an end
to
this a
ff
air
so
I will
p
l
ay
y
o
u
at
yo
u
r
ow
n
ga
m
e
in which winner ta
k
es all.”

Thornton
rose
unsteadily
to his
feet,
the
light
of realiz
a
tion
c
o
m
i
ng
to
him
that
he
was
not
to
be
slain
after
all. Perhaps
this
e
arl
w
a
s
a
bigger
fool
than
he
had
given him credit
for,
perhaps
there
would
be
a
way
out,
and
it e
m
boldened h
i
m
. “Th
e
re is no need for this ani
m
osity between
us,
sir,”
he
said,
s
m
iling
ingratiatingly.
“I
am more than
w
illing to co
n
sider any compro
m
i
se. Indeed, to play
for
the
girl
suits
m
e
ad
m
i
rably.
W
hat
is
your
ga
m
e and what do you stake?”

“Any g
a
m
e of your choosing,” scorned Vale taking the chair, “and as for stake—I pledge all that I o
w
n, so your winnings would be considerable.
S
hould I win however, you
will
relinquish
all
clai
m
s on
your
si
s
t
er
and
brother. Now
I
a
m
sure
such
odds
m
ust
tempt
you,
you
would stand to win a fortune.”

“And
you
to
lose
it,
sir.
I
like
the
o
d
ds
and
will
accept. I
have
a
fancy
to
your
weal
t
h,
obviously
as
you
have
to my sister. In this she serves
m
e
well, for you
m
u
st know I have a
m
i
nd to both.”

“I
have
one
other
condition to the
m
atch,” continued Vale, “that is, if I should win, you will
re
m
ove yourself back
to
France
and
there
re
m
ain.
If
you
value
your
life that is, for I tell you now, I shall have no hesitation whatsoever in ending it should you return. I intend to take Sophie
to
wife
and
as
such
she
will
be
free
from your in
f
luence.
David
will
live
with
u
s
.
He
shall
not
be
le
f
t open to your coercion.”

“You
m
ay
keep
hi
m
,
m
y
lord; he is of no use to
m
e and would only prove an added burden, an extra
m
outh to feed.”

“You
will
sign
papers to the effect
that
you
relinquish guardianship of both Sophie and David
?
”

Thornton laughed mirthlessly
.
“
You know not what
you
take
upon
yourself,
what
r
e
sponsibilities. I felt them keenly
eno
u
gh.
You
will
soon
wish
to
be
rid
of
the
m
,
as did I.”

“The
only responsibility
you ever f
e
lt was for yourself. You will
n
ever ha
v
e the opport
u
nity to wreak your influence
over
Sophie
again.
You
must
only
be
grateful that
I
don’t
put
an
end
to
your
li
f
e
now,
for
so
is
m
y hatred of you.”

E
m
boldened by the drink Thornton lounged back in his chair. “You think I care ought for your hatred, you fool, when I can secure both
m
y sister and your fortune.
B
e assured,
sir, there
are
s
till
those
w
ho
are
willing
to
pay dearly for
h
er. Quite a
g
ainst
h
er will, she has t
h
e power to provide well for
m
e. Indeed she will
m
ake my fo
r
t
une.”

“Or your death,” seethed Vale co
m
ing to his feet, but Sophie’s pleadings ca
m
e to his
m
i
nd and he held back. “This is not the ti
m
e or the place,” he scorne
d
. “If and when
I
should
decide
to
put
an
e
n
d
to
yo
u
r
e
xiste
n
ce,
it will
be
when
you
least
expect
it.
It
will
serve
y
ou
well
to be
vigilant—extre
m
ely
vigil
a
nt.
Don’t be
deluded
that honor or convention will bind
m
e, I won’t balk at serving you ill as y
o
u have ser
v
ed
m
y Sophie.”

“
Your
Sophie
?
”
m
ocked Thornton scornfully. “You would
do
well
to
re
m
ember
she is
not
yet
y
o
urs.
She
is
mine
—and that is by la
w
.”

Regaining his co
m
po
s
ure Vale returned to his seat. “That
is
a
m
atter
we
are
abo
u
t to redress. Have you the card
s
?”

*****

As the evening wore on,
m
ore bottles were called for from the
room below.
Both
m
en
drank
heavily
throughout
the
night
,
the
only
effect visible
on
Vale
being
an
unnatural brilliance to h
i
s eye whilst Thornton had achieved a slurring of speech.
Oblivious of both the hour and
the
noise
from b
e
neath
which
at
ti
m
es
rose
to
a crescendo,
they
continued
with
their
play,
neither e
m
erging
as
the
outright
victor,
and
so
they
continued until the s
m
all ho
u
rs.