Belle - Lesley Pearse [121]
Cat fights had been commonplace back home in London where hardly a day passed without some little altercation. Belle remembered Mog saying once that girls could be as deadly as snakes when they were jealous, so she was careful not to antagonize Anna-Maria further.
Ten days passed before Faldo turned up again, and he arrived with a beautiful box of candy for Belle. It was decorated with pink velvet roses, and so pretty it made a lump come up in her throat.
‘May I stay all night again?’ he asked before he’d even had a drink.
‘Are you sure you want to spend that much?’ she whispered back to him, not wanting anyone else to hear. Fortunately the parlour was crowded and the Professor was playing quite loudly.
‘The hell I do!’ he said. ‘I’d risk swimmin’ through the ’gators in the swamp to be with you.’
Belle laughed, but said he must ask Martha. There were so many gentlemen in that evening that she felt sure Martha would refuse.
Surprisingly Martha agreed, though Belle didn’t know how much there was in the wedge of notes Faldo handed her.
Once again he ordered champagne and Cissie followed them upstairs with it.
Once in her bedroom, Belle kissed Faldo on the lips and began to remove his jacket. ‘You can’t go on doing this,’ she said. ‘It’s madness.’
‘A good madness, honey,’ he laughed, catching hold of her waist and kissing her again. ‘I’ve thought of nothing else but you since I left last time. It’s sure been torture thinking ’bout you with other men.’
She cupped his face in her hands and looked at him tenderly. ‘I can’t do anything about that, Faldo. I’ve been wishing I could be with you too.’
He turned her round and began unhooking her dress, bending to kiss her back as he pushed the dress down on to the floor. ‘You are so lovely,’ he murmured. ‘So little and perfect, and I’m being an old fool in fallin’ for you.’
Belle stepped out of her dress and turned to him again. ‘I’m falling for you too,’ she said, and she didn’t feel bad saying it as it felt like the truth.
He took her with a fierce passion before they were even completely undressed, and Belle responded eagerly.
Later, as they sat in her bed drinking the champagne, with all the noise and music from the District wafting up through the open windows, Faldo sighed deeply.
‘That sounds like you’ve got all the worries of the world on your shoulders,’ she said.
‘Only one worry, and that’s you,’ he said. ‘What would you say if I asked you to give this up and come and be with me?’
Belle’s heart leapt. She hadn’t expected it to come to this so quickly. ‘I wish I could,’ she said, ‘but I’m tied into a contract with Martha.’ She went on to explain it and how she didn’t know how much money was still owing.
‘I see,’ he said, sounding angry with Martha. ‘But I’ll sort that out, don’t you fear.’
‘But Faldo, she won’t let me go easily,’ Belle said, and she clung to him, for all at once it occurred to her that Martha hadn’t risen to own one of the most successful sporting houses in the District by being soft, honest or caring about the future of her girls.
‘I have influence,’ he said reassuringly. ‘Let me worry about Martha.’
The next morning Faldo got up and pulled his clothes on. Belle stayed in bed, but she was a little worried about his set expression. ‘What is it?’ she asked.
Faldo sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her. ‘I’ve thought it all through,’ he said. ‘You must act like nothing is going on between us, don’t say a word to anyone.’
Belle nodded. She was afraid he’d gone off the idea of taking her away.
‘I’ll set up a place for us,’ he said. ‘It has to be here in New Orleans because this is the only place I come to all the time, but I can find somewhere away from the District. When I’ve got it all arranged I’ll come back one evening to let you know. The next afternoon you pretend to go out for a walk, but you get a cab and come to me. Once you are out of here I’ll settle up with Martha.’
Belle could tell by his serious expression that he’d thought it all through and