Tanith Lee by Felixity

Author:Felixity [Felixity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-12-12T02:17:00+00:00

Felixity would sit most of the day, listening with unfixed open eyes to the radio. Now and then she would read part of a book. Occasionally she would wander to the window and look out. But the view never changed, and the glare of the distant mountains tired her eyes. Often she found it very hard to focus on the printed word, and would read the same phrase in a novel over and over, trying to make sense of it.

After perhaps three months had gone by, an afternoon came when she heard the key turn in the lock of her door.

She was now too apathetic to be startled. Yet when Roland, gleaming in his ice-cream clothes, came into the room, she knew a moment of shame. But then she acknowledged it did not matter if he saw her unwashed in her robe, her thin hair and unpowdered face greasy, for he had never cared what she looked like; she was nothing to him.

And Roland approached with his usual charm, smiling at her, and holding out some papers.

“Here I am,” he said, “I won’t keep you a minute. If you’d just be kind enough to sign these.”

Felixity did not get up at once only because she was lethargic. But she said softly, “What if I refuse?”

Roland continued to smile. “I should be forced to take away your radio and books, and to starve you.”

Felixity believed him. After all, if he starved her to death, he would inherit everything. It was really quite good of him to allow her to live.

She went to the table and signed the papers.

“Thank you so much,” said Roland.

“Won’t you let me out?” said Felixity.

“Obviously I can’t.” He added logically, “It’s much better if you stay here. Or you might be tempted to run away and divorce me. Or if you didn’t do that, you’d be horribly in my way.”

Roland had, prior to their drive to the villa, sacked the original servants and installed a second set, all of whom were bribed to his will, served him unquestioningly, and held their tongues. Roland now lived the life which ideally suited him, answerable to no one. He lay in bed until noon, breakfasted extravagantly, spent the day lazily, and in the evening drove to the nearest city to gamble and to drink. Frequently he would return to the villa in the small hours with beautiful women, to whom, in a great scrolled bed, he made ferocious love, casting them out again at dawn, in their spangled dresses, like the rinds of eaten fruits.

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