Chapter 5

Three weeks after the reluctant Amanda's substitution for the stricken Deirdre, Edward, Irena and Deirdre were sitting in the Three Horseshoes in their favourite seat by the window. Deirdre was inspecting her nose in her little mirror. Today had been much harder than of late for her and she had sustained quite a bit of damage. She had still won, though - just about.

"What's keeping Amanda?" asked Edward.

"She'll be talking to Mr Goldstein" replied Deirdre. "I think he hopes to talk her into making a return appearance!"

"Oh. Good!" said Irena. "She was fantastic that time. I used to dislike her at first, but she was so great the way she ran rings around that other girl. I can't wait to see a repeat performance!"

"Yes, she was good." replied Deirdre grudgingly.

Deirdre had, it will be recalled, been temporarily indisposed at the time and Amanda had agreed, for reasons of her own, to stand in for her. Because there was not a pair of boots that would fit her, the pair had fought in bare feet, but this had made no difference to Amanda's incredible speed and agility. Her opponent had, at first, been contemptuous of this ornamental bimbo - as she thought - and had aimed a ferocious haymaker at the poor girl, hoping to floor her in the first seconds of the bout.

The ease with which Amanda had evaded the blow and retaliated with a series of light but irritating jabs of her own, which she poured in from every point of the compass, had soon caused the girl to revise her estimation of her stand-in foe. Edward, roped in at the last minute as her second, had been told very firmly to keep his advice to himself.

"It would only confuse me to have you giving me advice, darling Teddy. Just let me get on with it, there's a dear!"

And so it had been entirely Amanda's doing, her easy victory over a girl who could never land any kind of telling blow. Near the end of the seventh round, Amanda, who had not seemed to have much of a punch up till then, having only lightly peppered her opponent with the merest taps, unleashed a succession of wickedly accurate and hurtful blows which had resounded throughout the hall as they pounded into the poor woman. After the bell, she whispered to her as they passed to go their respective corners, "Don't come out of your corner again, sweetie, if you know what's good for you. I've done playing around."

Something in her voice must have registered, because the opposition threw in the towel and Amanda had won with ease and in style.

"Never again, Deirdre. Though it was an experience - I'll admit that much!" she had said later. She had told her future husband about it later, together with an explanation of her reasons for this out of character behaviour. He had approved of her decision, although concerned that she take care not to come to harm in this world of hers which he so longed to enter.

His mother had died a week ago and there was now nothing to prevent his walking naked out of his upper sanctum and into the Twentieth century. Nothing but the need to be provided with an identity!

Finally Amanda came into the pub and ordered herself a drink - a very large Cognac, which she downed in one gulp, sending Edward across to order a second! She did not look at all happy. She sat down with her friends and did not speak for some time and when she did, it was not anything Deirdre particularly wanted to hear.

"Your performance was a disgrace today, Deirdre! I was frankly ashamed of you. I work my guts out getting you into shape and all you do is let me down."

Whereupon she burst into tears and sat sobbing uncontrollably for some minutes, to everyone's concern. She was usually such a self-composed person.

It was Irena who took the initiative, moving around next to the weeping girl, putting her arm around her and pulling her towards her in a comforting hug. Gradually the sobbing died down and Amanda smiled tearfully and apologised for her silly behaviour, telling Deirdre she had not meant a word of what she had just said. It was some more minutes before she could speak coherently.

"That swine, Goldbugger or whatever his bloody name is wants me to appear on the bill again next week and for quite a few weeks after that. I hate the idea, but I can't see any way out. If you must know - I'm being blackmailed!"

And so she explained to the disbelieving Irena and Edward how she was trying to obtain papers for a man who didn't exist. Deirdre had half guessed what her friend was up to and spoke angrily.

"You bloody little fool, Amanda. You might have told me what you wanted. I'd have come up with something better than your hare-brained scheme!"

"Oh, yes, Miss Clever! And what, exactly? There's absolutely NO legal way we can do what we need - not unless we tell the truth, and who's going to believe that? We'd be sectioned!"

Deirdre was forced to agree. Unlike her friend she had not been so concerned about the technicalities of providing Richard with an identity. Edward intervened.

"I can't say I believe a word of all this, but I suggest we go along with Goldstein for the time being and start digging around to see what dirt we can come up with on him. You'll just have to do as he says for the next week or two, I'm afraid old girl. Frankly I don't really see your problem. You'll make mincemeat of what I've seen of the likely opposition!"

"Of course I will. But I DON'T BLOODY WELL WANT TO. I HATE THE IDEA OF BASHING SOME ONE ELSE'S BRAINS OUT week after bloody awful week! The other customers turned around at this loud tirade from Amanda, who smiled sweetly at them, causing them to look away again in embarrassment.

Deirdre said "If you want this marriage to go ahead as planned, you've no choice, at least for a while. I'll see what I can come up with - but you've plenty of money, why not hire someone?"