His money.
I very nearly laughed.
Instead I looked at the carpet, because men like Dorian always read silence as surrender.
His mother raised him to. Georgiana Ashcombe believes a wife should obey quietly, smile nicely, and put up with things gracefully.
And he stepped over me, put his pyjamas on, and got into bed.
And inside about four minutes he was asleep.
I stayed on the floor until the room stopped moving.
Then I got myself into the bathroom and locked the door.
There was a dark mark coming up under my eye.
I touched it once.
And then I reached behind the loose tile under the basin and took out the small black phone my husband does not know exists.
Four unread messages.
The four messages.
The first was from Margit Oduya, my advocate. I have had an advocate since June. She works for a domestic abuse service two towns over and she has done this for nineteen years.
***Checking in. Plan still Friday. Are you safe tonight? Reply 1 yes, 2 no.***
The second was from Hollis Brandt, my solicitor.
***Emergency order papers drafted and ready to file on your word. Any day, any hour.***
The third was from my bank. A six-digit code, confirming the transfer I had set up on the Thursday had cleared into an account in my name only.
