The Song of the Siren

You invite. You promise. You are meant for love ... our sort of love.”

“Love,” I cried. “I should think that is a subject you know nothing about. You mean lust, do you not? I am at your mercy. You are intent on rape-a very gentlemanly activity, I believe, and I have no doubt you are well versed in it. It is easy, is it not, to seek out helpless women who are unable to fight against you. Oh, very gallant.

I despise you ... Field ... Hessenfield, whatever your name is. You haven’t even the courage to own up to that and have to masquerade under a false name. Let me tell you this, if ever I get out of this place I shall not forget you.”

“I hope not,” he said. “I intend to make you remember me for the rest of your life.”

“With a shudder ... with loathing.... Yes, you are probably right. That is how I shall remember you.”

“No,” he said, “perhaps otherwise.”

His arm was about my shoulder and there was a curious gentleness in his touch. He forced me onto the stool and knelt at my feet and taking my hands in his smiled up at me. His eyes were shining. I noticed that they were golden coloured. Again he reminded me of Beau. He had looked like that before we made love.

He kissed my hands just as Beau used to and he said: “Carlotta, you have been very unhappy. I am going to change that.”

I tried to snatch my hands away. “You know nothing about me,” I cried.

“I know a great deal,” he answered. “I knew Beaumont Granville well.”

I closed my eyes. There was something unreal about this scene. If he had taken me by force, roughly, crudely, it would have seemed the natural outcome and in any case I had been expecting it. But this talk about Beau was unnerving.

“He was a friend of my father,’ he said. “He often came to our house. He took a fancy to me. He used to talk a great deal to me.”

“Did he talk of me?”

“He talked of all his women.”

“All his women!”

“They were legion. There had been women in his life since he was fourteen. He was very frank with me. He said he would undertake my education. What aspect of that education I don’t need to explain.”

“I don’t want to hear any more.”

“My dear, it is for me to say what shall and shall not be. I know you still think of him, don’t you? How long is it since he disappeared? Three years. Four years.

What happened to him do you think?”

“Perhaps he was killed as you intend to kill me.”

He was thoughtful. “He had many enemies. A man like Beaumont Granville would. It is generally thought that he went abroad ... in search of higher game. It was not unusual for him to disappear for periods at a time. Usually creditors or having involved himself in some affair that was giving him trouble was the cause.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because you must get him out of your mind. You have set up a great memorial to him.

He is not worth it, Carlotta.”

“Another quality I have discovered in you. Such loyalty to your friends.”

“Yes, he was a friend in a way but you mean more to me.”

I laughed. “This time yesterday I saw you for the first time. I wish to God I never had.”

“I do not think that is exactly true.” He laid a hand on my wrist. “I can feel your heart beating fast, Carlotta. Oh, it is going to be wonderful between us. I know it. But I want you to stop comparing me with Beaumont Granville.”

“I did nothing of the sort “

“You should keep to the truth, Carlotta. The truth is so much more interesting than lies.”

“Oh, let me out of here. I promise I will not say a word of what I have seen. Give me a horse. Let me go. I will find my way to Eyot Abbass. I will say I lost my way.

I will make up some plausible tale. I promise you, you and your band shall not be the worse for anything I shall say.”

“Too late,” he said. “You are here, Carlotta, in the trap. A most delightful trap, I promise you.”

“With death at the end ... ?” I asked.

“It will depend on you. You will entertain me and each night I shall look forward to more shared joys. Have you heard of Scheherazade? She told stories and for her skill was allowed to live through another day. You are a Scheherazade of sorts, Carlotta, and I am your sultan.”

I put my hands over my face. I did not want him to see my expression. His talk of Beau had brought back so many memories of the room in Enderby Hall. This room was not unlike it. He reminded me more and more of Beau. I was afraid of myself. I felt that if this man touched me I should not be able to fight off the fantasy. I should let myself slip into the dream.

“Stop regretting Beaumont Granville,” he was saying. ‘You would have been wretched with him. Your people were right to try to stop the marriage. Beaumont could never be faithful to one woman for more than a week. He was completely cynical about them.

He talked of them to me ... to others too, I don’t doubt. He talked of you, Carlotta.”

I repeated blankly: “He talked of me!”