Chapter 10
Quentin stepped into the foyer grinning slyly. If Barnabas had done a good job, he'd be a busy man tonight. He walked into the drawing room and saw Nancy sitting on the sofa reading. He poured himself a glass of sherry and looked over her shoulder quietly.
"What are you reading?" he asked softly in her ear, Nancy jumped but surprisingly the book did not fly from her hand. She whirled around to face him breathless. "You scared me," she accused, "I just wanted to know what had you so engrossed," he asked taking a large gulp of his drink. She showed him the cover, "Wuthering Heights, did you want to talk to me or something?" "I'm expecting your friend Rhiannon here shortly, I paid her brother to give her a message for me." "What kind of message? A command? A royal summons? I'd expect that of you." "I mearly told him to tell her that I wanted her to come over and ...study" he grinned slyly. "I should have known, I suppose you wanted to remind me of our discussion last night and make sure I keep my mouth shut, am I right?" "On the nose." "Don't worry," she said softly, bowing her head, "I won't, I need more friends around here. If all my friends died because of me, I suppose that would make me a sort of jinx wouldn't it?" "I'd still be your friend Nancy," Quentin said seductively, "You mean my captor Look do anything you want to her then, but leave me out of it"
The book goes flying across the room and lands in a corner unnoticed. "What's happened to you Quentin?" she asked forlornly, "you've changed. But you never really love me did you? I remember, when I was little there would be times when I thought you did. You gave me your attention, you held me and gave me pretty things. You'd tell me you loved me, when you touched me and smiled at me, I believed you. I believed you had a heart and I didn't know what an animal you were until you became more demanding. Running my life for me, running David's. I knew what you did to him too. Sometimes at night I'd hear you. I heard you beat him, you'd make him cry so hard it broke my little heart. He was like a brother to me, you were hurting my brother and that hurt me more than anything you could do to me. You hurt everyone. I'd hear you screaming at Mrs. Johnson if something wasn't cooked exactly to your specifications. She was so old and you had her cowering in fear, her once such a proud woman.
I know what you did to Maggie to, why she left. She knew what you did to us and she couldn't to anything because she was so weak. She was all we had left when Grandma Liz and Uncle Roger died. She'd tell us we'd get away from you. The three of us, her, David and I, and we'd be happy and you'd never hurt us again." Nancy was trembling now, "I heard what you'd do to her She'd beg you not to and you did it anyway. She'd cry and you'd hit her and in the morning her face would be a million different colours. But our pain didn't matter to you, it never has, you're the master of Collinwood and you preside over us all Like a king with his own little kingdom and you make us jump to please you You treat the town the same way. Everyone in Collinsport lives in fear of displeasing you, you hold their lives and the lives of their families in your hand and that thought brings you such perverse pleasure. To know that you could crush them and not feel anything." She pounded against his chest with her fists, " Do you know how many lives you've ruined? This girl is just one more for you, one more conquest. But why just have one whore when you could have the whole brothel eh Quentin?
Lord Quentin, Quentin the Mighty, but the mighty will fall Quentin, and fall hard. You'll get everything you deserve and more. And when you're gone I won't cry for you, i'll sing , I'll dance, I'll jump for joy I'd kill you myself if I could and I wouldn't be sorry. No it'll come when you least expect it and then we'll all be free. Free And-" Quentin smacks her face hard and she ceases her babbling but looks at him triumphantly. His face twists with disgust. "Get out of my sight Nancy, or I'll really give you something to hate me for." She runs up the stairs without a backwards glace. Quentin holds his head in his hands and lets loose a primal scream of anger and frustration, of pain and regret, "Damn you Petofi"
