One Night Only (61 page)

“Th
e
dirt
y
lyin
g
cheatin
g
bastard!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“
I
hope yo
u
cu
t
hi
s
ball
s
off
!
I
mea
n
it
.
I
woul
d
hav
e
don
e
tim
e
for tha
t
motherfucke
r
–
”

“No,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“
I
didn
’
t
d
o
anything.” “Ruth!
”
sai
d
T
ess
.
“Wh
y
not?
”

“
Y
o
u
don
’
t
understan
d
th
e
powe
r
o
f
mone
y
,
ladies,
”
said
Ruth
.
“I’
m
no
t
talkin
g
thousand
s
here
.
I’
m
talkin
g
millions
.
Spence
r
Baker
’
s
famil
y
ar
e
wort
h
thei
r
weigh
t
i
n
gold.
”

“
W
ow
!
”
sai
d
Gina
.
“
W
ow
!
”

“
W
o
w
indeed,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Jeffre
y
wa
s
minte
d
too
.
I
ha
d
al
l
th
e
trapping
s
o
f
a
wonderfu
l
lifestyle
.
I
ha
d
a
hom
e
i
n
Surre
y
surrounde
d
b
y
stable
s
an
d
th
e
ca
r
o
f
my
dream
s
o
n
th
e
doorstep
.
I
ha
d
a
circl
e
o
f
friend
s
–
well,
that
’
s
wha
t
the
y
calle
d
themselve
s
–
the
y
wer
e
neve
r
my
friends
.
The
y
wer
e
associate
s
a
s
I
kno
w
no
w
.
The
y
were friend
s
o
f
ou
r
mone
y
,
no
t
friend
s
o
f
mine.
”

Rut
h
twiste
d
he
r
napki
n
an
d
stare
d
a
t
th
e
table
.
I
t
was
a
shocke
r
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
n
o
laughin
g
matte
r
.
Rut
h
was obviousl
y
stil
l
ver
y
stun
g
b
y
Jeffre
y
an
d
hi
s
littl
e
bo
y
race
r
.

“S
o
wha
t
happened
,
Ruth
?
I
can
’
t
believ
e
this
.
Y
ou hav
e
bee
n
throug
h
th
e
mill!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
believ
e
he
r
ears
.
I
t
wa
s
lik
e
a
whol
e
bi
g
differen
t
world.
Lik
e
somethin
g
ou
t
o
f
a
Jill
y
Coope
r
novel
.

“I
t
wa
s
a
hug
e
shoc
k
t
o
m
e
tha
t
Jeffre
y
wa
s
ga
y
,
let alon
e
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
havin
g
a
n
affai
r
,
”
sai
d
Rut
h
whe
n
she
go
t
he
r
breat
h
back
.
“O
f
course
,
I
wa
s
th
e
las
t
t
o
kno
w
.
Th
e
whol
e
Landsbur
y
‘set’
,
a
s
the
y
calle
d
themselves
,
knew i
t
wa
s
goin
g
o
n
fo
r
ages
.
The
n
eventuall
y
I
wa
s
aske
d
by
W
illia
m
Bake
r
,
Spencer
’
s
fathe
r
,
t
o
quie
t
l
y
le
ave
a
n
d
h
e
woul
d
mak
e
sure
,
i
f
I
didn
’
t
mak
e
an
y
noise
,
tha
t
my
childre
n
an
d
I
neve
r
wante
d
fo
r
anything.
”

“O
h
Ruth
,
yo
u
poo
r
thing!
”
sai
d
Poll
y
.
“S
o
di
d
you
leav
e
ther
e
an
d
then?
”

“
I
ha
d
to,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“
I
didn
’
t
hav
e
a
choice
.
These
ar
e
ver
y
powerfu
l
peopl
e
an
d
withou
t
Jeffre
y
I
was nothin
g
t
o
them
.
Besides
,
wha
t
coul
d
I
do
?
I
ha
d
ver
y
little dignit
y
left
.
I
wa
s
humiliate
d
s
o
I
decide
d
t
o
han
g
o
n
to whateve
r
littl
e
dignit
y
I
coul
d
scrap
e
of
f
th
e
floo
r
an
d
get
ou
t
o
f
there.
”

“An
d
wha
t
abou
t
th
e
children
?
D
o
the
y
know?
”
asked
Poll
y
.

Rut
h
shoo
k
he
r
head
.
“No
,
the
y
don
’
t
kno
w
th
e
full
stor
y
.
I
couldn
’
t
tel
l
them
,
no
t
ye
t
anyho
w
.
Al
l
the
y
know
i
s
tha
t
Jeffre
y
ha
d
foun
d
someon
e
els
e
an
d
tha
t
I
wa
s
in to
o
muc
h
pai
n
t
o
sta
y
i
n
London
.
The
y
hav
e
bee
n
so strong
,
eve
n
thoug
h
Melani
e
doe
s
irritat
e
th
e
lif
e
ou
t
of
m
e
sometimes.
”