Gornt took out a handkerchief and dried his forehead, and Angelique felt weak, nauseated at the strength of her enemy--if Tess could make Gornt sweat like this, what might Tess do to her? "She just stood there and then her eyes turned on me. Astonishing how such a woman could seem so... so tall. And tough.
Tough one minute, soft the next but never her guard down. I had to force my feet not to back off and looked around pretending to be afraid of being overheard, and said in a rush that I was dreadfully sorry too, Malcolm really was my friend, that you were her friend too and it was because of you I was there as I had information that would bankrupt Tyler and Morgan Brock. The moment I said "bankrupt Tyler" the madness left her, at least the scary fire left her and she sat down, still didn't take her eyes off me, sat down and after a long time said, "What information?"' I said I'd come back tomorrow but she said with a voice like a knife, What information? I gave her the bare bones ... Sorry, Angelique, could I have a drink? Not champagne, whisky, bourbon if you have it."
She went to the sideboard and poured for him, water for herself as he continued, "The next day I brought half of the evidence and left it with her.
She--"
"Wait, was she the same as the day before?"
"Yes and no. Thanks, health, a long one and a merry." He took a deep swig and gasped as the spirit caught his throat. "Thanks. When I'd finished she looked at me and I thought I'd failed. That's one hell of a scary woman, I wouldn't like to be her enemy."
"But I am? Mon Dieu, Edward, tell me the truth."
"Yes, you are but that doesn't matter for the moment, let me go on. I--"
"You gave her my letter?"
"Oh yes, sorry forgot to mention it, I did that the first day, before I left, just as we agreed, again stressing this was all your idea, telling her then that as my arrangement was with Malcolm, the tai-pan, and he was dead, I had considered the deal was off and was going back to Shanghai to wait for a new tai-pan. But you sought me out and begged me to come to see her, saying I owed it to my friend Malcolm, that he had mentioned my proposal to you in secret--with none of the details--and you were certain it would be his wish to pass the information on to his mother as soon as possible, that I must do it urgently. At first I didn't want to, but you pleaded with me and persuaded me. So I was there because of you and you had asked me to give her a letter. I passed it over."
"Did she read it in front of you?"
"No. That was the first day. The next day at our dawn meeting, after I'd given her part of the info, she asked lots of questions, intelligent ones and said to come back after sunset, the side door again. I did. At once she said the dossier was incomplete. I told her yes, sure, no point in showing everything until I knew how committed she would be--was she truly interested, like Malcolm, in wrecking the Brocks? She said yes, and asked why was I after them, and what was my interest.
"I told her bluntly. The whole story of Morgan, the truth. It was Morgan I wanted to break, if his father went too, that was fine with me.
I didn't mention that this made her my step-aunt, not once in all the meetings, nor did she. Never. Nor did she mention your letter to her. Not once. All she did was ask questions.
After the Morgan revelations I expected her to say something, how sorry she was, or that that was typical of Morgan--after all he is her brother. But nothing. She didn't say a word, asked details of my deal with Malcolm and I gave her the contract." He finished his glass.
"Your contract."
"Your contract," she said, on edge. "How you must hate her, Edward."
"You're wrong, I don't hate her, I think I understand she was living on her nerves.
Malcolm's death had torn her apart as much as she tried to hide it and rise above it. I'm sure of it. Malcolm was the future of the Noble House, now she faces chaos--her only ray of hope was me and my scheme, barely legal by the way even in Hong Kong which stretches rules like nowhere else. May I?" he asked lifting his glass.
"Of course," she had said, wondering about him.
"She read the contract carefully then got up and stared down at Hong Kong harbor, looking frail in a way, spun steel in another.
"When do I get the rest of the evidence?"' she asked and I told her now, if she agreed to the deal. "It's agreed," she said and sat down and signed her name, and chopped it in front of her secretary as witness, then told her to lock up and leave. She..."
"She never mentioned my signature as witness."
"No, though as you forecast she sure as hell noticed it first thing. To continue: I stayed with her perhaps four hours, guiding her through the maze of papers and copies of papers, not that she needed much guiding. Then she put them into a neat pile and asked me about the Tokaido affair, Malcolm, you, McFay, Tyrer, Suh William, Norbert, what Morgan and Tyler had told me in Shanghai, my opinions of you, of Malcolm, did he pursue you, did you pursue him, volunteering nothing, questions and more questions --avoiding mine--her mind as sharp as a samurai's sword. But I swear to God, Angelique, every time Morgan or Old Man Brock's name came up, every time I mentioned another quirk that the papers allowed, or suggested another barb that would rip into their empire, Tess almost salivated."
She shuddered. "Is, is there a chance for a peace with me, do you think?"
"I think so, let me finish in sequence. She asked again if the deal Malcolm had signed was still an agreeable reward. I said yes. She said, "Tomorrow I will replace it with a more legal document chopped and signed as the other." Now to the last matter tonight, Mr. Gornt. What should I give this woman? Angelique, I had told her you had asked me for nothing, you only wanted to put your husband's wishes and hopes before her, and that, if they proved fruitful--I had told her you knew nothing of their contents--that that would be reward enough."
"You used that word, "husband"? And she let it pass?"
"Yes but she said at once, "I am informed that "marriage" whatever she claims or Sir William says is not valid."
Angelique began to bridle but Gornt said, "Not so fast, honey, be patient. I'm telling you what she said. Be patient, time enough to make our play. After that meeting she wanted another the following evening. To keep everything on the table, I told her I had seen the Brocks and told them the same Yokohama story, particularly about the duel, and had given them a copy of the Norbert's inquest. Old Tyler was mad as a pit bull terrier but Morgan calmed him, said that shooting Jamie McFay in the back would have hurt them more than the loss of one easily replaceable manager."
Angelique watched him collect his thoughts, her heart thumping, so many questions unanswered yet.
"She'll act, act on the information?"
"On my evidence, yes. Oh yes, and quickly. I'll have my revenge and you'll get a settlement."
"Why are you sure?"
"I'm sure, Ma'am, never fear. It's taken years of biting my tongue, kowtowing, but soon... you'll see! When I told her about my meeting with the Brocks--she kept asking about them, what was Tyler's reaction to the marriage and death of her son and so on, and never once used the term "father." I told her frankly how they both guffawed over your naval marriage and going against her wishes, Old Man Brock had said, "Pays the bitch back, for goin' agin mine!"
I told her straight how both gloated over Malcolm's death, Morgan saying, now they've no tai-pan and come February 1st Tess be out of Jockey Club, busted in Hong Kong, Tyler adding, An' I be The Tai-Pan, Dirk's nose be in't shit an' Noble House an' his name forgot forever!"