Southampton Row - Anne Perry [103]
Rose breathed in sharply.
Emily must be quick before Rose spoke and ruined it. “Of course, I don’t know it all myself,” she hurried on. “I know something, but please don’t ask me! It was most certainly an act of great physical courage, and violence . . . I cannot say what, I should not like to misrepresent anyone, perhaps malign them . . .” She left that suggestion lingering in the air. “But it was of great worth to Her Majesty, and to the Tory government. It is very natural that he should be rewarded for it . . . and quite right.” She shot a jaggedly warning glance at Rose. “I am sure that is what you meant!”
“He is an opportunist,” Rose snapped back. “A man seeking office for himself, not to pass laws that will bring social justice for more people, for the poor and ignorant and dispossessed, who should be our greatest charge. I would have thought a little time listening to what he says, with thought rather than simply emotion, would have made that abundantly clear.” It was an accusation, and directed at all of them.
Emily began to panic. Rose seemed bent on self-destruction, and of course that meant taking Aubrey with her, which would cause endless guilt and pain afterwards. Could she not see what she was doing?
“All politicians are tempted to say whatever they think will get them elected,” Emily answered a little too loudly. “And it is so easy to respond to a crowd and to try to please them.”
Rose’s eyes were wild and hard, as if she felt Emily were deliberately attacking her and it was yet another betrayal of friendship. “It is not only politicians who have succumbed to the temptation to play to the gallery, like a cheap actress!” she retaliated.
Emily lost her temper. “Indeed? Your simile escapes me. But then apparently you know more about cheap actresses than I do!”
One woman gave a nervous giggle, then another. Several looked acutely uncomfortable. The quarrel had reached the pitch where they were no longer happy to be witnessing it and were desperate to find any excuse to withdraw and join some other group. One by one they left, murmuring unintelligible excuses.
Emily took Rose by the arm, feeling her resist with rigid body. “What on earth is the matter with you?” she hissed. “Are you mad?”
Rose’s face lost the shred of color it had had, as if every drop of blood had drained out of her.
Emily clasped Rose’s arm, afraid she was going to fall. “Come and sit down!” she ordered. “Quickly! This chair, before you faint.” She dragged her the few yards to the nearest seat and forced her onto it, against her will, pushing her until her head was forward, almost to her knees, and shielding her from the rest of the room with her own body. She would have liked to fetch her something to drink, but she dared not leave her.
Rose remained motionless.
Emily waited.
No one approached them.
“You can’t sit like that forever,” Emily said at last, quite gently. “I can’t help you if I don’t know what is wrong. This calls for sense, not tantrums. Why is Aubrey behaving like such a fool? Is it something to do with you?”
Rose jerked up, two spots of furious color in her cheeks, her eyes brilliant like blue glass. “Aubrey is not a fool!” she said very quietly but with an intensity of feeling that was almost shocking.
“I know he isn’t,” Emily said more gently. “But he is behaving like one, and you are even more so. Haven’t you any idea how ugly it looks to attack Voisey as you are doing? Even if everything you say is true, and you could prove it, which you can’t, it would still not gain you any votes. People don’t like having their heroes torn down or their dreams burst. They hate the people who deluded them, but they hate the ones