jamesclavell.noblehouse-第256章

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le；　or　even　a　palace？
　Who's　this　mysterious　Mrs。　Gresserhoff　who　took　Kiernan's　second　call　and　then　vanished　like　a　smoke　ring？
　And　what　about　those　bloody　files？　What　about　bloody　AMG　and　bloody　Dunross　trying　to　be　so　bloody　clever。　。。。
　
　It　was　getting　toward　midnight　and　Dunross　and　Casey　were　sitting　happily　side…by…side　in　the　glassed…in　forward　section　of　one　of　the　Golden　Ferries；　which　swerved　confidently　toward　its　berth　Kowloon　side。　It　was　a　good　night　though　the　clouds　still　scudded　low。　Canvas　storm　panels　still　closed　in　and　protected　the　open　part　of　the　decks；　but　here　where　they　were；　the　view　was　good　and　a　fine　sea…salt　breeze　came　through　one　of　the　open　windows。
　〃It　is　going　to　rain　again？〃　she　asked；　breaking　their　fortable　silence。
　〃Oh　yes。　But　I　certainly　hope　the　heavy　stuff　stays　away　till　late　tomorrow　afternoon。〃
　〃You　and　your　races！　Are　they　that　important？〃
　〃To　all　Hong　Kong　yan；　oh　yes。　To　me；　yes　and　no。〃
　〃I'll　put　my　entire　fortune　on　your　Noble　Star。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　do　that；〃　he　said。　〃You　should　always　hedge　a　bet。〃
　Casey　glanced　across　at　him。　〃Some　bets　you　don't　hedge。〃
　〃Some　bets　you　can't　hedge；〃　he　said；　correcting　her　with　a　smile。　Casually　he　lifted　her　arm　and　linked　his　with　hers　and　settled　his　hand　back　in　his　lap。　The　contact　pleased　both　of　them。　It　was　their　first　real　touch。　All　during　their　stroll　from　the　Mandarin　Hotel　to　the　ferry　Casey　had　wanted　to　take　his　arm。　But　she　had　fought　back　the　impulse　and　now　she　pretended　not　to　notice　their　interlinking　though；　instinctively；　she　had　moved　a　fraction　closer。
　〃Casey；　you　never　finished　your　story　of　George　Toffer　…　did　you　fire　him？〃
　〃No；　no　I　never　did；　not　as　I　thought　I　would。　When　we'd　won　control　I　went　to　his　boardroom。　Of　course　he　was　fit　to　be　tied　but　by　that　time　I'd　found　out　he　wasn't　the　hero　he　claimed　to　be　and　a　few　other　things。　He　just　waved　one　of　my　letters　about　the　money　he　owed　me　in　my　face　and　shouted　that　I'd　never　get　that　back；　never。〃　She　shrugged。　〃I　never　did；　but　I　got　his　pany。〃
　〃What　happened　to　him？〃
　〃He's　still　around；　still　cheating　someone。　Say；　can　we　stop　talking　about　him；　it　gives　me　indigestion。〃
　He　laughed。　〃Perish　that　thought！　Terrific　night；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。〃　They　had　dined　impeccably　in　the　Dragon　Room　atop　the　skyscraper　hotel。　Chateaubriand；　a　few　thread…thin　French　fries；　salad　and　crème　br？lée。　The　wine　was　Chateau　Lafite。
　〃Celebration？〃　she　had　asked。
　〃Just　a　thank　you　for　the　First　Central　New　York。〃
　〃Oh；　Ian！　They　agreed？〃
　〃Murtagh　agreed　to　try。〃
　It　had　taken　just　a　few　seconds　to　fix　the　terms　based　on　the　bank's　agreeing　to　the　financing　that　Casey　had　laid　out　as　possible：　120　percent　of　the　cost　of　both　ships；　a　50　million　revolving　fund。　〃Everything　covered　by　your　personal　guarantee？〃　Murtagh　had　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　he　had　said；　mitting　his　future　and　his　family's　future。
　〃We；　er；　I　figure　with　Struan's　great　management　you'll　make　a　profit　so　our　money's　secure　and　。。。　but　Mr。　Dunross；　sir；　we　gotta　keep　this　secret　as　hell。　Meanwhile；　I'll　give　it　the　old　college　try。〃　Murtagh　was　trying　to　hide　his　nervousness。
　〃Please　do；　Mr。　Murtagh。　The　very　best　old　college　try　you　can。　How　about　joining　me　for　the　races　tomorrow？　Sorry；　I　can't　invite　you　to　lunch；　I'm　crammed　to　the　gills　and　overbooked；　but　here；　here's　a　pass　if　you're　free　to　join　us　from　2：30　on。〃
　〃Oh　Jesus；　tai…pan；　you　mean　it？〃
　Dunross　smiled　to　himself。　In　Hong　Kong　an　invitation　to　a　steward's　box　was　like　being　presented　at　court；　and　just　as　useful。
　〃Why　the　smile；　tai…pan？〃　Casey　asked；　shifting　slightly；　feeling　his　warmth。
　〃Because　all's　well；　at　the　moment；　in　the　world。　At　least　all　the　various　problems　are　in　their　partments。〃　Going　ashore　and　out　of　the　ferry　terminal　he　explained　his　theory　that　the　only　way　to　deal　with　problems　was　the　Asian　way；　to　put　them　into　individual　partments　and　take　them　up　only　when　ready　for　them。
　〃That's　good；　if　you　can　do　it；〃　she　said；　walking　close　beside　him　but　not　touching　now。
　〃If　you　can't　you'll　go　under　…　ulcers；　heart　attack；　old　before　your　time；　your　health　broken。〃
　〃A　woman　cries；　that's　her　safety　valve。　She　cries　and　then　she　feels　better。　。。。〃　Casey　had　wept　earlier；　before　leaving　the　V　and　A　to　meet　him。　Because　of　Linc　Bartlett。　Part　rage；　part　frustration；　part　longing；　and　part　need　…　physical　need。　It　was　six　months　since　she　had　had　one　of　her　rare；　very　casual　and　very　short　affairs。　When　the　need　became　too　strong　she　would　go　away　for　a　few　days；　skiing　or　sunning　and　she　would　choose　whom　she　would　allow　into　her　bed。　Then；　as　quickly；　she　would　forget　him。
　〃But　oh；　isn't　it　very　bad；　Ciran…chek；〃　her　mother　had　once　said；　〃to　be　so　callous？〃
　〃Oh　no；　Mama　darling；〃　she　had　told　her。　〃It's　a　fair　exchange。　I　enjoy　sex　…　I　mean　I　enjoy　it　when　I'm　in　the　mood；　though　I　try　to　keep　the　mood　as　infrequent　as　possible。　I　love　Linc　and　no　one　else。　But　I　th…　〃
　〃How　can　you　love　him　and　go　to　bed　with　someone　else？〃
　〃It's；　it's　not　easy；　in　fact；　it's　awful。　But　Mama；　I　work　hard　for　Linc　all　hours；　weekends　and　Sundays；　I　work　hard　for　all　of　us；　for　you　and　Uncle　Tashjian　and　Marian　and　the　kids；　I'm　the　wage　earner　now　that　Marian's　on　her　own　and　I　love　it；　truly　I　enjoy　it；　you　know　I　do。　But　sometimes　it　all　gets　too　much　so　I　just　go　away。　And　that's　when　I　choose　a　partner。　Honestly；　Mama；　it's　just　biological；　there's　no　difference　that　way　between　us　and　men；　and　now　that　we've　the　God…blessed　pill　we　can　choose。　It's　not　like　in　your　day；　thank　God；　my　darling　。。。〃
　Casey　stepped　aside　to　avoid　a　phalanx　of　oning　pedestrians　and　bumped　Dunross　slightly。　Automatically　she　took　his　arm。　He　did　not　withdraw。
　Since　she　had　asked　him　for　equality　this　afternoon　and　had　been　turned　down　。。。　No；　that's　not　fair；　Casey；　she　told　herself。　Ian　didn't　turn　me　down；　he　just　gave　me　the　truth　from　his　point　of　view。　From　mine？　I　don't　know。　I'm　not　sure。　But　the　one　thing　I'm　not　is　a　fool　and　so　tonight　I　dressed　carefully；　a　little　differently；　and　put　on　perfume　and　made　my　makeup　more　definite　and　tonight　I　bit　my　tongue　three　to　thirty　times　and　held　back；　not　giving　measure　for　measure；　playing　it　more　conventionally；　saying　sweetly；　〃That's　interesting！〃
　And　most　times　it　was。　He　was　attentive；　entertaining　and　receptive　and　I　felt　marvelous。　Ian's　certainly　one　helluva　man。　Dangerous　and　oh　so　tempting。
　The　wide　marble　steps　up　to　the　V　and　A　were　ahead。　Discreetly　she　let　go　of　his　arm　and　felt　nearer　to　him　because　of　her　understanding。　〃Ian；　you're　a　wise　man。　Do　you　think　it's　fair　to　make　love　to　someone　…　if　you　don't　love　them？〃
　〃Eh？〃　He　was　startled　out　of　the　pleasantness。　Then　he　said　lightly；　〃Love　is　a　Western　word；　lady。　Me；　I'm　China…man！〃
　〃Seriously。〃
　He　laughed。　〃I　don't　think　it's　time　to　be　serious。〃
　〃But　do　you　have　an　opinion？〃
　〃Always。〃
　They　went　up　the　stairs　into　the　foyer；　crowded　even　this　late。　At　once　he　felt　many　eyes　and　recognition　which　was　why　he　had　not　left　her　on　the　steps。　Every　little　helps；　he　thought。　I　must　seem　calm　and　confident。　The　Noble　House　is　inviolate！　I　will　not　and　cannot　allow　myself　the　luxury　of　normal　fear　…　it　would　spill　over　and　wreck　others　and　do　untold　damage。
　〃Would　you　like　a　nightcap？〃　she　asked。　〃I'm　not　sleepy。　Maybe　Linc'll　join　us　if　he's　in。〃
　〃Good　idea。　Tea　with　lemon　would　be　fine。〃　The　smiling　head…waiter　appeared　miraculously。　And　an　empty　table。　〃Evening；　tai…pan；〃
　〃Evening；　Nighttime　Gup。〃
　〃Tea　and　lemon's　fine　with　me　too；〃　she　said。　A　waiter　scurried　away。　〃I'll　just　check　my　messages。〃
　〃Of　course。〃　Dunross　watched　her　walk　away。　Tonight；　from　the　first　moment　in　the　Mandarin　foyer；　he　had　noticed　how　much　more　feminine　she　had　seemed；　nothing　discernible；　just　a　subtle　change。　Interesting　woman。　A　sexuality　that's　waiting　to　explode。　How　the　devil　can　I　help　her　to　get　her　drop　dead　money　quickly？
　Nighttime　Gup　was　bustling　around　and　he　said　quietly　in　Cantonese；　〃Tai…pan；　we　certainly　hope　you　can　deal　with　the　stock　market　and　Second　Great　House。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Dunross　chatted　awhile；　exuding　confidence