Dennis Wheatley - The Rape Of Venice

Everyone was now crowding round Clarissa offering congratulations. Even the sour Mrs. Armitage and her pimply Jane politely hid their surprise by gushing and simpering. Winters sent a steward for champagne and, as it was now getting on for ten o'clock, asked the Second Mate, who happened to be present, to use his good offices with the Commander to secure an hour's extension of 'lights out', and to request his presence at the celebration.

Captain Finch and the champagne arrived together. The engaged couple's health was drunk, their plan for marrying in Cape Town was discussed, and Clarissa, all smiles, graciously asked Jane to be her bridesmaid. The ladies retired soon after eleven, but the Commander did not insist on the extra time being limited to an hour; so it was near one o'clock before the party broke up and most of the men, having taken full advantage of Winter's liberal supplies of champagne, staggered tipsy to their bunks.

Next day a more sober atmosphere prevailed. Winters proudly paraded Clarissa about the deck but whenever they paused to talk with some of her young men conversation proved slow and awkward. None of her ex-​court now attempted to laugh and jest with her; they seemed to regard her with different eyes, as though she were some strange bright-​plumaged bird that might without the least warning either lay a golden egg or suddenly peck at them.

Roger went into private conference with the Beaumont’s. He told them that the engagement had been sprung upon him, that he had been more or less trapped into giving his consent and most strongly disapproved of the match. He then admitted that Clarissa called him 'uncle' only as a courtesy and because his late wife, being considerably older than herself, had been looked on by her as an aunt.

The Beaumont’s also regarded Clarissa's choice as most unsuitable, but her conduct in the matter tallied with the way in which she was supposed to have smuggled herself aboard from a wilful determination to see the gorgeous East. As Roger unburdened himself to them, they received his confidences with the deepest sympathy; but the judge ruled that since Roger was, in fact, only a kinsman of Clarissa's by marriage, and had been vested with no powers as her guardian, although she was under twenty-​one, there was no legal step that he could take to stop her marriage.

Roger then detached Winters from Clarissa on the plea of discussing business with him. As soon as they had found a quiet corner, the merchant said, 'From your manner last night and your abruptness this morning, Mr. Brook, I very much fear that you do not approve of me as a husband for Miss Marsham.'

'Frankly, I do not,' Roger replied crisply. 'I have nothing against you personally, Sir, but I consider you far too old for my niece; and, without offence, I have no reason to believe that your family is one with whom mine would ordinarily seek an alliance.'

Winters made a slight bow. 'I will not argue with you on either point. I can only say that no man could be prepared to do more to make her happy.'

'Whatever you may do it will not be enough,' Roger retorted brutally. 'Within three months she'll have a gallant in your bed.'

'Sir!' Winter’s heavy face went as red as a turkey cock's. 'You have no right…'

'Right be damned!' Roger cut him short. 'Although I am twenty years your junior, I'll vow that I have forgotten more about women than you have ever learned. Once Clarissa's natural passions are aroused you'll never be able to satisfy her. She will swiftly come to desire young, handsome men, and soon take one or more as lovers. If you truly love her, your life will become a misery and you will become the laughing stock of all your friends. Have some sense, man! Relinquish her before it is too late. I'll deal with any tantrum she may throw, while you save your face by leaving this ship at Cape Town and transferring to another.'

Drawing himself up to the limited height that his absurdly short legs would allow, Winters replied with dignity: 'You insult me, Sir; and I count your conduct in traducing the virtue of your own niece infamous.'

Roger bared his teeth for a second in an ugly grin.

'So far, I have prophesied only what any reasonable man would agree with me is most likely to come about. Now I intend to insult you. But before giving open vent to any umbrage you may take, be good enough to get it clearly into your mind that with my sword I could spit you in thirty seconds like a turkey-​cock, and that with a pistol I could shoot you dead at a hundred yards. All your life you have been a man of business. Act like one now. Accept the substance and reject the shadow. If you will repudiate your engagement to Miss Marsham, I will enter into a bond to pay you the sum of ten thousand pounds.'

'No, Sir!' came the swift retort. 'I'd not do it if you paid me a hundred thousand.'

'Then you must be richer than I thought,' Roger sneered. 'I'll wager, though, that you could not yourself produce the hundred thousand that you so glibly speak about.'

'I could, Sir, and fifty thousand more!'

Roger had now extracted the information the obtaining of which had been his object should his offer be rejected. With a shrug, he said, 'Very well, then. Since you will not see sense, your blood be upon your own head. It remains only for me to safeguard my niece's interests. How much do you propose to settle on her?'

After a moment's hesitation, Winters replied, 'I have a son, Sir, and too great a withdrawal of capital would handicap him in the business. I would suggest fifty thousand pounds.'

With a slightly contemptuous look, Roger said, 'At home Miss Marsham would have had only to lift her finger to get an Earl, or a quarter of a million pounds. As your son is already established in trade, I am sure he will be able to look after himself well enough. I would prefer to spare her any part in discussions on such a sordid subject; but, in the circumstances, I feel she would have grave reasons to doubt your regard for her do you settle on her less than a hundred thousand.'

Before the implied threat, Winters wilted. 'So be it, then,' he murmured. 'I will make it a hundred thousand.'

'Good,' Roger nodded. 'That would be in the event of your death, of course. And now, should you part company for any reason? Shall we say twenty-​five thousand?'

'But.,, but…' Winters stammered, 'such a possibility is not normally envisaged in a marriage contract.'

'Your experience appears to be limited, Sir,' Roger said stiffly. 'In good families it is far from unusual. If I am to leave my niece in India, many thousand miles from home, the least I can do is to protect her against the possibility of your turning her out of house and home. I am her uncle, remember, and,, whatever she may say, I will ask the Court in Cape Town to forbid her marriage on the grounds that she is not yet twenty-​one unless you agree my very reasonable requirements.'

For a moment Winters hesitated, then he asked, 'May I take it that if I do agree you will raise no further objection to the marriage?'

'Yes,' Roger nodded rather grudgingly. 'My niece has made it plain that it is her wish; and I've no desire to quarrel with her, or yourself. But I've a duty to fulfil. Do you agree my terms and I'll say no more.'

'It is a bargain, then.' The merchant held out his hand and Roger took it. Each gave the other a formal smile, then they separated.

As Roger turned away he could not remember a time when he had felt so awful. It gave him no satisfaction at all to know that, though Winters had got the best of him overnight, he had been made to pay for it by mortgaging a large part of his fortune in the morning. Now, if Clarissa could put up with him until he died, she would come into a hundred thousand pounds. That was fair enough. But if she chose to leave him at any time, he would have to pay her twenty-​five thousand. And she intended to refuse him his marital rights while deceiving him with someone else. He would find out, they would quarrel, she would leave, and he, poor wretch, would have to pay up.