Part 11 (1/2)
”It won't be necessary,” Ruby assured him ”I can handle Johnny Lance”
”No” Swiftly Benedict crossed to her chair and took her hands, drawing her to her feet ”I must be there with you
Promise me that” Then it becath of her position was unassailable Benedict needed her not for any physical reasons - butsteadily into Benedict's eyes she determined to test her intuition
”He does not have to know about you,” she said ”I could arrange a divorce with him”
”He must know about me That's what I want, don't you see?”
”Yes, I see” She was secure
”It is agreed?” He could barely conceal his anxiety
”Yes,” she nodded ”It's agreed” And they smiled at each other each completely satisfied
”Come” He led her almost reverently into his bedrooht
The double bed was afroe and oyster, pale slossy black
”Choose one!” he ordered her ”To seal our bargain” She moved like a sleepwalker towards the bed, but as she reached the centre of the Khedive carpet Benedict called out softly
”Wait” She stopped obediently and he came up behind her She felt his hands on the back of her neck, and she lowered her chin, shaking her hair forward so that he could unhook the clasp and dran the fastening of her dress
She stepped out of the dress as it dropped around her ankles, then waited passively as he carefully removed her brassiere
”Now,” he said ”Try theh-heeled shoes she went to the bed, subtly e the lilt of her movements, and took up the first fur
Benedict was sprawled in the wing-back chair across the roo and flushed, so that his features seemed swollen and coarsened as he stared at her She understood now that this was a fored Like a victorious Ro his own personal triu the spoils and the plunder It had no basis in sexual or physical desire, but was rather a service of worshi+p to Benedict hi this, Ruby felt no resentment Rather, she found herself excited by the cold perversity of the pageant
As she paraded and postured, turned and swirled and flared the skirts of a wild mink, she was very conscious of his eyes upon her body She kneas perfect, and his scrutiny stirred her physically for the first time in her life She felt her blood quicken and pound, felt her heart flutter within its cage of ribs like a captive bird, and her loins tighten like a clenching first For her also the ritual was narcissistic satisfying her own deep emotional need
As she discarded each of the coats she dropped it in the centre of the floor, until there was a knee-high pile of precious fur
At last she faced hihtly about her body Then she opened her arhlight the hard s and flanks
This one,” she whispered, and he came out of the chair, picked her up in his arreat pile of furs
Ruby woke in the double bed to a feeling of excite such as she had not experienced since she was a schoolgirl on the firstwas far advanced, pale sunshi+ne in a square shaft poured through the openlike a stage effect
Benedict in a yellow silk dressing-gown stood beside the bed watching her with an unfathoed immediately he realized that she ake
”My e fros are in the bathroo-rooe of the bed, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead and then each cheek
”We will breakfast when you are ready” He sat back and watched her eyes; clearly he aiting for her to say souard, wary ofa clue in his expression
”Last night,” he asked ”Was it as good for you, as it was forwashed over her in a ave He wanted assurance, a comparison between himself and Johnny Lance
”I have never in my life She placed the e like it” He nodded, relieved, pleased - and stood up
”After breakfast ill go to town” This , Edhted at the north end of Bond Street and walked arnified crawl, steadfastly ignoring the abuse of other drivers
The h for Ruby to wear her new cream mink, and the looks of adhted Benedict He wanted to impress her, he wanted to flaunt his wealth
”The wife of a diamond man must have diamonds” He spoke on i jewellers Ruby squeezed his arm and turned to look into the
”Good Lord,” Benedict laughed ”Not here!” And Ruby looked at hi the signs in the
”Paradise jewellers A large selection of blue white gems
Certificate of flawlessness with every diaain prices as advertised on TV and in the national Press S now A diamond is forever - show her you really care””
”But they are such a well-known firm They have branches all over the world - even in South Africa!” Ruby protested, and bridled a little as Benedict sly
”Let ht for two reasons by two different types of people Firstly by rich men as investments that will not erode and can only increase in value These men buy notable stones on the advice of experts, the best of the geoes to them So when Richard Burton buys Liz a 300,000 pounds dia ultraconservative and thrifty with his hed, and Benedict smiled at her honesty
”You may find me as thrifty,”he promised
”Go on,” she said, ”tell me more about diamonds”
”Well, there is another type who buys diamonds Usually just one in his life, luckily for hiet a nasty shock This type is Joe Everybody ants to get oes to somebody like Paradise jewellers” Benedict poked a derisive finger at the sign in the”Because he has seen it on telly and he can get a ring on the instalment plan In many cases the deposit covers the dealer for the cost of the stone - the rest goes on advertising, finance charges and, of course, profit”
”How do you know Paradise jewellers are that type?” Ruby's attention ide-eyed and girlish
”You recognize theuage” Again he studied the notices in the ”
A large selection of blue-white gems” - of every thousand stones of jewellery quality produced only one is fine enough in colour to be tere selection ”Gem”
is a special term reserved for a diamond which is in every way superb