Page 71 (2/2)

"I was but I wasn’t," she said "I was sirls, ere four years ahead of me, and I did better in our lessons than they did I was smart and I knewI kne the world worked"

"What did you do?"

"When suhters went back to Cannes to be with their mother, I went to Gérard and asked hiet the care she needed The doctor had ot very good care"

"What did he say?"

"He said such a place was expensive And that although he was very sorry, er worked for him I told him I would take her place I told him I would do the work she did for him if he would pay for the hospital I told hi he wanted In bed and out of it"

"I assume he took you up on your offer"

"I was fourteen by then, tall, a woht inity That was over twelve years ago"

Kingsley stomach turned "You were fourteen"

"I was scared, but the truth is, I enjoyed it Eventually," she said "He’s a good lover Handsome Passionate"

"French"

"Of course," she said with a sht I was in love with hi in bed two people could do But I never forgot, not once, that my mother was at his mercy"

"What would happen to her if you left him?"

"What are sley said "Even the good ones are like Hell, they say"

"Iine what one in Haiti is like"

"I don’t want to Truly, I have seen enough horrors to last a lifetime"

"I believe you," Juliette said "So now you know Gérard takes care of Ma care of hi care of her And when I say he owns me, I mean it"

"Is this why you want to die? Is that why you’re planning to kill yourself?"

She looked askance at hi," he said by way of explanation "I saw the book in your nightstand Planning to follow in Virginia Woolf’s footsteps?"

Juliette’s lips formed a hard line It took a few ain

"When I was eighteen, Gérard gaveDiaone to Miami now, but when he lived here he worked outside the law I had hi, and I told Gérard it was stolen at knifepoint He kissed me, said he was sorry and called the insurance co and then soht hand to display a diaer