"Elrod, P.N. - Jonathan Barrett 01 - Red Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

She produced her ivory scratching stick from somewhere and tapped it lightly against the palm of one hand. "And now, Jonathan," she announced importantly, "we will talk about what you are going to do once you get to Cambridge." She paused to poke vigorously at a spot above the nape of her neck with the stick. My teeth instantly went on edge.
Never, never in all my life was I so glad to be drunk.
Some twenty minutes later Mother generously excused me, by which time I'd developed a pressing need to rid myself of all that wine. A good deal of it still remained behind in my head, though, for it was aching badly. The pain so interfered with my thinking that afterward I couldn't decide whether to visit the kitchen or retreat in misery to my room to sleep it away.
Jericho resolved things when he emerged from the hall leading to the kitchen carrying a covered tray.
"Is that for me?" I asked hopefully in response to his smile of greeting.
"Miss Elizabeth suggested it," he said. "Something to see you through until supper."
'Then God bless her for being the dearest, sweetest sister anyone ever had. Where is she?"
"Out taking a ride of her own."
"Yes. Since Mother came back the horses are getting more than their share of exercise. Come, put that down somewhere."
"I would myself suggest that you take it in your sitting room. To avoid interruptions," he added significantly.
i glanced uneasily back at the library and indicated that he should lead the way upstairs. Somehow I was able to follow, leaning heavily on the rail and gulping frequently. Hot in the face and dizzy, I staggered the last few feet into my room and collapsed at the big study table. Jericho smoothly moved some books around to make space for my meal. He had the enviable skill of being able to balance the tray

with one hand while his other quickly and quite independently made order out of chaos. Between the blink of one eye and the next he put down his burden and whipped off the cloth revealing a plump loaf of bread, some cheese, and a squat jug. From the latter he poured out something to drink and gave me the cup.
"More wine?" I asked dubiously. "Barley water. It will thin the wine in your blood." "Good idea." I drank deeply and felt better for it and looked at the food with more interest than before, falling upon the cheese. "There's too much here for me, have some." Jericho hesitated, looking uncomfortable. "Is something wrong?"
"No, sir, but I do not think it would be quite—" "Of course it wouldn't, so ..." I kicked out a chair for him. "Those fools in Philadelphia are rebelling against the king without a second thought, so I shall rebel against our local queen. It's been a hard day, Jericho, and I need your company. Eat or not as you choose, but do sit with me."
He closed the door to the hall and only then allowed himself the ease of the chair and the comfort of good food.
He was slightly older than I and his father was my father's valet. After I was born, they decided that he should assume thai duty for me once I had outgrown the nursery. Though a servant Jericho and I had been friends long before the establishment of his place in the household and this new deference in him troubled me.
"Is it Mother?" I asked, reaching to tear off a piece of bread. I made a mess of it, scattering crumbs everywhere.
"In an indirect way," he admitted. "We've all heard thai you're to go off to England soon."
"I most certainly am not. She's got this idea lodged in ha head, but Father will shake it loose and that will be the end of
it."
"My bomba isn't too sure of that," he said. Jericho spoke perfect English, but sometimes used a few words his father had brought with him from Africa, the only baggage he'd bea allowed by the slavers.
Knowing that Archimedes might be privy to information I didn't, I said, "Why does he think so?"
"Because your father does what your mother says."
"Now you're sounding like Elizabeth," I complained. "But Father is the head of this house. Mother will have to do what he says and she knows that. She waited and told me only after he was gone. She wanted me on her side so he would say yes to please me. I've gone along with it, but only until he comes home." I took a few more vicious bites from the cheese. Damnation. The woman was treating me like a petulant child and now I was beginning to sound like one.
"But until then nothing is settled," he said.
"Why are you worried?"
"I heard some things in the kitchen. She was talking to Mrs. Nooth and I wasn't supposed to be listening."
"Never mind that. What was said?"
"She wanted Mrs. Nooth to be asking around to find a proper English servant to look after you."
For several moments I lost the power of speech. "To .. . to...?"
"To take my place," he said calmly.
"Impossible. She can't mean it."
"But she does. And she plans to sell me."
The blood hit the top of my head so hard that blue and purple smoke clouded my vision. Without knowing how I got there, I found myself up and pacing the length of the room. Nothing intelligible came out of me for quite some time and Jericho knew me well enough not to interrupt.
"It's not going to happen," I told him finally. "It's absolutely not going to happen. It's ridiculous . . . utterly .. . stupid." Then a cold thought rushed past. "Unless you want to ... ?"
Now it was his turn to be upset, though he was so self-disciplined that in no wise was it comparable to my own display. "No. A man must work and if I must work then I would rather work here. I do not wish to be sold. But your father might still do it for the sake of peace in the family."
I shook my head. "Mother can throw whatever sort of fit she pleases, but you are not going to be sold."
He looked reassured. "I have hope then. This is a good place to be and I know of no better. When other servants visit with their masters I hear of the most terrible things. Here we are treated well and given good care. No beatings, no starvations."
"That's something the whole world can do without," I added. He seemed to feel better, but I continued to pace. "Suppose
Father arranged for your freedom? Then I could hire you. Mother wouldn't have anything to do with it."
"Except dismiss me, then hire a replacement. You have no rights of your own until your twenty-first birthday."
"Blast. Well, no matter what, I won't let it happen. I'll run away to sea first and you can come with me."
A smile crossed his dark features. "But then you would be guilty of theft."
"Jericho, you've been hanging about with lawyers too long."
The smile broadened for a moment, then gradually fell in upon itself. I stopped my restless pacing and leaned against a wall and wished Father home immediately. "Why on earth does she want to hire another valet for me? You're the best there ever was."
He nodded regally at the compliment. "It is not a question of finding someone better. It is because Mrs. Barrett is extremely fond of all things English. She wants an English servant."
"No, thank you. He'd only put on airs, correct my speech, and rearrange my clothes so that I couldn't find anything for myself. And who would I have for company? Except for you and old Rapelji, there's no one intelligent to talk to."
His brows pinched together. "But your sister and father—"
"Are my sister and father. You know what I mean. Some of those long conversations we've had with Rapelji would have bored them to death."