Читать книгу The Mouthpiece - Edgar Wallace - Страница 9
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ОглавлениеJacqueline found Jim Asson smoking a cigarette in the lounge and seated herself beside him on the settee.
"Well, Jim, do you really want me to marry you?"
"Of course I do, Jacqueline. I've been waiting and hoping—"
"Listen, Jim, before you start getting rapturous," interrupted the girl. "I don't love you, and if I marry you it will be because I'm sick of never having a shilling to spend, sick of the sort of life I've been leading. It'll be because you've got enough money to give me a home of my own, and a good time and nice clothes and all that sort of thing, and because you've promised to make mother a generous allowance. Is that clear?"
"You don't give me much chance to misunderstand, Jacqueline."
"It's best to be frank. That's why I should be marrying you, and for no other reason at all. I don't want to marry you under false pretences. I like you, but I don't love you, and I don't believe I shall ever love you."
"It sounds a bit cold-blooded, Jacqueline."
She smiled. "Your proposal wasn't exactly ardent, Jim," she reminded him. "That's the position, anyway. Of course, I'll be a sport and play the game and behave as a good wife is expected to behave, but it will only be for the reasons I've given you. Do you still want to marry me?"
"Of course."
"Right-o, Jim, I'm willing. So we call it a bet, do we?"
"Absolutely. And as soon as possible, eh. Jacqueline? I'll see old Lutman and get things fixed up and we'll be married straight away, shall we?"
She nodded and got up.
"See you later, then, Jim," she said, and went up to her bed room.
There, for a long time she sat staring out of the window. 'But why?' she kept asking herself. 'Why does Jim want to marry me? And why does Colonel Lutman want him to?'
