Under False Colours Read Online Free PDF Page A

more guineas reposed there. If she summoned Jem they might roll him for the contents of his pockets and that would be disastrous. He took a small step forward and she fell back towards the door.
    'You ain't 'ere for a fuck, are you?' she asked, edging towards the door, her voice rising wildly. He raised his cane and stabbed its point into the door, preventing her from opening it. His left hand reached out and caught her black tresses. He gave a quick tug and pulled the wig from her head. With a sharp whimper she shrunk back into the room, crouching in her humiliation. He knelt quickly beside her, putting an arm about her shoulders. Strands of hair clung to her skull and suddenly he felt sorry for her.
    'Please, Zenobia,' he hissed insistently into her ear, ' trust me. You will come to no harm and I will not forget you. Is the man Fagan here, now? A big man, like a prize fighter, with a thick left ear? Tell me.'
    She looked up. 'You won't tell Mrs Hockley?' Her eyes were imploring.
    'What? That I didn't bed you?'
    'No, about my 'air. If she knows about my 'air, she'll chuck me out. I've a boy to feed, a good boy ...'
    'No, of course not. I'll give you something for the boy if you help me ...'
    'Will ya? Honest?'
    'Yes, now come, I haven't much time ...' He stood and held out his hand. She took it and gave him a shy smile, sitting herself on the bed.
    "E's 'ere,' she jerked her head, 'next door, wiv Annie, I means Lucinda. It was 'im, the pig, as was making all the bleedin' noise.'
    'Will he stay all night?'
    'No, not 'im. 'E'll be at it for an hour or so, then 'e'll sleep orf'is drunkenness, then 'e'll give 'er another turkin' afore he leaves. 'E likes 'is money's worth, does Mr Fagan.'
    'Does he just leave? He doesn't stop below, for a drink or a chat with Mrs Hockley?'
    'What you askin' all these questions for? Are you a runner, or a magistrate's man or somefink?'
    'No ...' He fell silent, trying to think out his next move. He had to come upon Fagan in a situation of the most contrived casualness ...
    'Have you ever been with him?'
    'Fagan? No. 'e's the kind who gives a girl a rough time.'
    'How d'you know?' Drinkwater asked.
    'We talk, Mister,' Zenobia said, a note of contempt in her voice. 'We don't spend all our lives on our bleedin' backs. Annie, I means Lu, told me.'
    'You mean you don't offer yourself to him because of...' He picked up the wig and held it out to her.
    'Yeah, 'e'd soon find out, then 'e'd tell Ma Hockley and I'd be in the gutter.'
    'D'you have a bottle of gin or anything here?'
    'I got a bit.' She held up her skirt questioningly. 'You ain't going to ... ?'
    He shook his head and said, 'Where's the bottle?'
    Fastening her skirt she reached on to a shelf. The bottle was only a quarter full. 'It ain't free.'
    'I'll give you tuppence for it. Now listen,' he dug for the pennies, 'I want you to be a very good girl. I want you to tell me the moment Mr Fagan comes out of the room next door ...'
    'You ain't going to . . .' she made a lunging and twisting movement with her right hand, 'give 'im one wiv that rum degen of yours, are ya?' She nodded at the sword-stick. 'I don't want nuffink to do wiv you —'
    'I only want to talk to him.'
    She stared at him, weighing him up, her head cocked on one side. ' 'E's a dangerous bugger. If 'e gets wind I helped you ...'
    'Look,' said Drinkwater urgently, exasperation creeping into his voice, 'if you do exactly what I ask, I'll leave another two guineas with the chandler next door. For your boy ...'
    'How do I know ...?'
    He did not blame her for her suspicions, but he could now hear the noise of voices from the adjacent room. All the indications were that Fagan had finished with the obliging Annie. He had no time to lose. 'Do as I say,' he said sharply, keeping his voice low, 'or I'll have that wig off again and I'll be on that landing screaming for Mrs Hockley that you've poxed me!'
    The words struck her like a whip. Her face blanched. She turned and put her hand out to a