Free Justice Is a Woman by Yelena Kopylova

Impossible. He didn’t. He wouldn’t.”
    But after an early visit to the bathroom on the Tuesday morning as well, she returned to the bedroom
    and stood by the bed and waited for Joe to come from the small dressing-room that
    adjoined the
    bedroom, and when he did, such was the expression on her face that he stopped in the act of buttoning
    his waistcoat and asked quietly, “What’s the matter?”
    “You’re a swine.” The words were low, scarcely audible.
    “What did you say?” He was approaching her slowly now.
    “You heard what I said. You know what you’ve done, you do. You do. And you
    promised.” The
    effort to speak was so great that her chin came forward on to her bare chest and she
    gulped twice before
    bringing her head up again and accusing him, but still softly, “You did it on purpose.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “You know, you know very well what I’m talking about. You have made me pregnant.”
    She watched his face crinkle into a smile as he whispered, “Pregnant?” Then his whole expression
    changing, he waved his hand in front of his face as if brushing off a fly, and said, “Don’t be silly.”
    “I hope I am being silly, but I know I’m not. I wouldn’t mind so much, but you promised on your oath
    you ...”
    “And I kept my promise; you know I did.” He turned from her now and walked across the room.
    “I... I don’t know when it could have happened, unless it was that night we came back from the Leveys;
    we’d both had more than enough that night ...”
    “Yes, yes, I remember; we both had more than enough’ she was hissing at his back now
    ‘but I wasn’t
    so tight that I don’t remember you going into the bathroom. You! you’ve tricked me, and I hate you.
    Do you hear? I hate you. And what’s more, I won’t have it; I’ll have it taken away.”
    “You’ll what?” He had swung round and moved towards her so quickly that she flopped
    back on the
    bed in not a little fear at the sight he presented, for his lower jaw was thrust out and his whole attitude
    overall was aggressive.
    “Don’t you ever say that again!” She hitched herself along the bed away from him, and now her chin
    went up as she said, “I will say it, and I mean it; I’m not going to be tied down at this stage. I ... I told
    you before we were married, we talked it all out, and what did you say? All you wanted was me.”
    “I know what I said, but this has happened and now it stays. The child will be part of you.”
    “Not if I can help it.”
    “Listen.” He was bending over her now, where she lay half on the bed, her feet still on the floor, and as
    if the words pained him, he said, “I don’t want to lose my temper with you, not at this moment when we
    should be all in all to each other, but if you attempt to carry out your threat you’ll never get back into this
    house again. And I mean that. I’ll throw you off even if I have to take you to court.
    You’ll have the
    child. Whether you like it or not, you’ll have it. My God!”
    He pulled himself up straight and, gazing down at her, he shook his head slowly as he added, “I wouldn’t
    have believed it. Now, since I know how you feel, I’ll tell you how I feel. Yes, I tricked you; I wanted a
    child so badly I tricked you. But I wasn’t thinking only of myself when I did it, I was thinking of you,
    hoping it might make a woman of you, alter your outlook, your silly, selfish, middle-class outlook. I
    thought, in my ignorance, that after a small protest you would throw your arms about me and say, “ Isn’t
    it wonderful! “ But not you. Well, we both know where we stand: you said you hated me; well, at this
    moment I can return the compliment, and I only hope for your sake it’s a passing phase.”
    He now turned away from her and his step, as he walked towards the dressing-room
    again, was slow
    and heavy. It had lost its spring; he walked like a man well on in years and heavily
    burdened.

PART TWO
    Beatrice