"Did she read it in front of you?"

"No. That was the first day. The next day at our dawn meeting, after I'd given her part of the info, she asked lots of questions, intelligent ones and said to come back after sunset, the side door again. I did. At once she said the dossier was incomplete. I told her yes, sure, no point in showing everything until I knew how committed she would be--was she truly interested, like Malcolm, in wrecking the Brocks? She said yes, and asked why was I after them, and what was my interest.

"I told her bluntly. The whole story of Morgan, the truth. It was Morgan I wanted to break, if his father went too, that was fine with me.

I didn't mention that this made her my step-aunt, not once in all the meetings, nor did she. Never. Nor did she mention your letter to her. Not once. All she did was ask questions.

After the Morgan revelations I expected her to say something, how sorry she was, or that that was typical of Morgan--after all he is her brother. But nothing. She didn't say a word, asked details of my deal with Malcolm and I gave her the contract." He finished his glass.

"Your contract."

"Your contract," she said, on edge. "How you must hate her, Edward."

"You're wrong, I don't hate her, I think I understand she was living on her nerves.

Malcolm's death had torn her apart as much as she tried to hide it and rise above it. I'm sure of it. Malcolm was the future of the Noble House, now she faces chaos--her only ray of hope was me and my scheme, barely legal by the way even in Hong Kong which stretches rules like nowhere else. May I?" he asked lifting his glass.

"Of course," she had said, wondering about him.

"She read the contract carefully then got up and stared down at Hong Kong harbor, looking frail in a way, spun steel in another.

"When do I get the rest of the evidence?"' she asked and I told her now, if she agreed to the deal. "It's agreed," she said and sat down and signed her name, and chopped it in front of her secretary as witness, then told her to lock up and leave. She..."

"She never mentioned my signature as witness."

"No, though as you forecast she sure as hell noticed it first thing. To continue: I stayed with her perhaps four hours, guiding her through the maze of papers and copies of papers, not that she needed much guiding. Then she put them into a neat pile and asked me about the Tokaido affair, Malcolm, you, McFay, Tyrer, Suh William, Norbert, what Morgan and Tyler had told me in Shanghai, my opinions of you, of Malcolm, did he pursue you, did you pursue him, volunteering nothing, questions and more questions --avoiding mine--her mind as sharp as a samurai's sword. But I swear to God, Angelique, every time Morgan or Old Man Brock's name came up, every time I mentioned another quirk that the papers allowed, or suggested another barb that would rip into their empire, Tess almost salivated."

She shuddered. "Is, is there a chance for a peace with me, do you think?"

"I think so, let me finish in sequence. She asked again if the deal Malcolm had signed was still an agreeable reward. I said yes. She said, "Tomorrow I will replace it with a more legal document chopped and signed as the other." Now to the last matter tonight, Mr. Gornt. What should I give this woman? Angelique, I had told her you had asked me for nothing, you only wanted to put your husband's wishes and hopes before her, and that, if they proved fruitful--I had told her you knew nothing of their contents--that that would be reward enough."

"You used that word, "husband"? And she let it pass?"

"Yes but she said at once, "I am informed that "marriage" whatever she claims or Sir William says is not valid."

Angelique began to bridle but Gornt said, "Not so fast, honey, be patient. I'm telling you what she said. Be patient, time enough to make our play. After that meeting she wanted another the following evening. To keep everything on the table, I told her I had seen the Brocks and told them the same Yokohama story, particularly about the duel, and had given them a copy of the Norbert's inquest. Old Tyler was mad as a pit bull terrier but Morgan calmed him, said that shooting Jamie McFay in the back would have hurt them more than the loss of one easily replaceable manager."

Angelique watched him collect his thoughts, her heart thumping, so many questions unanswered yet.

"She'll act, act on the information?"

"On my evidence, yes. Oh yes, and quickly. I'll have my revenge and you'll get a settlement."

"Why are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Ma'am, never fear. It's taken years of biting my tongue, kowtowing, but soon... you'll see! When I told her about my meeting with the Brocks--she kept asking about them, what was Tyler's reaction to the marriage and death of her son and so on, and never once used the term "father." I told her frankly how they both guffawed over your naval marriage and going against her wishes, Old Man Brock had said, "Pays the bitch back, for goin' agin mine!"

I told her straight how both gloated over Malcolm's death, Morgan saying, now they've no tai-pan and come February 1st Tess be out of Jockey Club, busted in Hong Kong, Tyler adding, An' I be The Tai-Pan, Dirk's nose be in't shit an' Noble House an' his name forgot forever!"

"You said that to her?" Angelique's head reeled.

"Yes, Ma'am, but that's what Tyler said-- he really did. And he's the engine to send her mad so thought I should report it accurately and when I did, Lordy Lordy, Ma'am, her head was shaking so much her eyeballs had a hard time catching up and I thought the Medusa was coming back.

But it didn't, not this time. This time the fiend's fire was confined, it was still there, oh yes Ma'am, yes indeed. But she corked it, she kept it inside, even so I sure as hell... sorry, I sure as shooting sweated. Not proper for a woman to have that amount of rage but after Tyler and Morgan easy to see where she gets it from.

"When she'd cooled down a bitty, I told her Tyler had eventually agreed to Morgan's suggestion I should come back here as manager, on trial for a year, with plenty of dire threats for nonperformance. She asked my salary.

"Excellent. Publicly we will be enemies, secretly we will be close allies, and if Brock and Sons goes under forever which I pray God happens, your Rothwell-Gornt will take their place."

That's about it, Angelique, except she had decided to send Hoag back here and was writing you a letter."

He sipped his bourbon, the taste turned smooth. "I didn't ask what was in it or make any defense of you other than continuing to say in various ways, if my scheme helped her destroy Brock's, she had you to thank too.

What was in her letter?"

She had given it to him.

"A lot of dung with the bales of cotton," he had said, handing it back. "It's her first bargaining position--and clear from this I kept my bargain: she's convinced she has to thank you as well. You'll win."

"Win what? No legal harassment?"

"That and a stipend. She admits she's in your debt."

"Yes, but nothing more, just threats."

"We hold a few trumps."

"What?" They heard voices outside.

"Time, among others, Angelique. Tonight I'll invite you to a casual supper, we can talk safely there an--"

"Not in Brock's, and not alone. We must be careful," she said hastily. "Please invite Dmitri and Marlowe. We must be very careful, Edward, must pretend not to be too close--that would make that woman suspicious and she's bound to hear, Albert is totally on her side. If we can't talk tonight I'll promenade tomorrow at ten and we can continue...." To forestall the embrace she had felt imminent she had kissed him quickly on the cheek and offered her hand, thanking him effusively.

When alone once more in the privacy of her boudoir, she let her mind roam. What trumps? What aces? And why that strange smile? And what had he really agreed with Tess? Is he hiding something from me? It's true from her letter he convinced her of my help and that's important. Or am I just being over-suspicious? If only I could have been there!