Page 33 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“Madame LaMont? The courtesan?”
“Yes.”
“They aren’t ladies.”
For a moment Jack didn’t speak, as a suddenuncomfortable silence came over them. He felt a rush ofdisappointment come over him, though he couldn’t understand it. Hethought carefully before speaking.
“I suppose you think if a woman works for aliving, she couldn’t possibly be a lady.”
Meredith frowned.
“That’s not what I said.”
“It’s what you meant, though.”
“It is not,” she argued. “I simply meantthat women who, well, who are paid to … to lay with men aren’texactly ladies of…” Her face contorted and she gazed down, herhands coming together to fidget. Jack wondered what argument shewould make when after a long pause she raised her head, appearingcontrite. “You’re right. I did mean that.”
Jack only watched her, curious as what shewould say next.
“I was raised to believe that a woman shouldonly do those sorts of things with her husband. That it is a wickedway to live a life. Fallen women have always been consideredimmoral. Sinful.”
“The women who work for LaMont have foundthemselves without any other options. But I’m aware of them, grewup with people like them, and I’ll tell you that their occupationdoes not negate their humanity.” He paused. “Besides, to deny halfthe world the pleasures of sex, simply because it’s always beenthat way is ridiculous. Women should be allowed to enjoy all thethings men do.”
Meredith’s eyes rounded at his words,seemingly surprised that he would speak about such things in frontof her. Perhaps he had crossed a line.
“Do you really believe that?” she asked, hervoice suddenly rushed.
“Yes.”
Jack was sure she was going to lay into along-winded speech about morality and duty, but he had heard all ofthose arguments before. It just never made any sense to him thatwomen were denied all the desires that men lived with openly andwithout consequence. He knew women, when properly engaged, couldreach the same heights of pleasure as men and would even seek itout once they had experienced orgasm.
His conversations with LaMont over the yearshad been rather eye opening, but then he knew he was on the wrongside of society when it came to these sorts of things. He had grownup in the underbelly of humanity and often found himself defendingit.
“I’m sorry if I offended you,” she saidafter several moments. “It’s wrong to judge people, especiallythose who have fallen on hard times. I certainly have no right todo so.”
Her humility was rather refreshing, but herwords piqued his curiosity.
“Why don’t you have a right to?” he asked asthe rumble of thunder echoed closer this time, almost directlyabove them.
They both looked up.
“Oh, no,” Meredith said without answeringhis question. “A storm.”
“It’s going to rain before we get back,” hesaid, but just as he said that, the sky opened up and fat raindropsbegan to fall immediately.
Meredith hurried beneath a large oak tree asthe rainstorm beat down on them, trying to avoid it. She pressedherself as close to the tree trunk as possible, obviously hoping toavoid getting wet.
“You shouldn’t stand under a tree during astorm,” he said, following her.
“That’s only if there’s lightning,” shecountered, just as a flash cut across the sky.
Drachma reared back, neighing loudly as heripped away from Jack’s grip, running away. Without warning,Meredith took off like a shot after the horse, gathering her skirtsup into her arms as she raced up the rest of the hill as fast asshe could. Jack raced after her.
“Wait!” he called out through the storm ashe followed, reaching her just as she made it to the top.
Jack grabbed her and pulled her back towardshim when he saw a petrified expression on her face. Her hands cameup to either side of her face as if to block out the noise. Jack’shands came up, covering hers.
“Easy, darling. It’s all right.”
