Eugenia's Embrace

"And you," Drew said, rising, helping her with her chemise over her head, then her cape.

She sat in rapture, watching Drew's clothes quickly being put on over his body, hating to see it taken from her sight so soon. She looked up into Drew's eyes. "I'm hungry," she blurted, suddenly feeling famished. She then remembered turning down supper, and also knew that Drew had to be as hungry.

"How 'bout a large steak and a glass of champagne to finish off the evenin?" Drew laughed, lighting a cigarette, sitting down, his back against the wall.

Eugenia's lips curved downward into a pout. "I'm serious, Drew," she said.

"I'm sorry, hon," he drawled. "The same as on our first and last night together. I don't have any food to share with you. And I don't think any jackrabbit is goin' to hop by for me to catch. Maybe a rat…"

"Oh, Drew," Eugenia moaned. "Stop. I'm going to get us some food. Kiyomasu was fixing roast duck for supper. Surely there are some leftovers."

"Who the hell is Kiyomasu?"

"Frederick's Japanese cook."

Eugenia rose, lit her candle, and headed for the door. "I'll be back soon, darling," she said, swinging around, taking one last look at his shadow against the wall. She knew that this all had to be a dream. To be with Drew? Surely it was a dream.

"Be careful, hon," he said. Hearing his voice she knew it was indeed real.

Hurrying down the narrow hallway, Eugenia paused only for a brief moment in front of the door that hid a room of evil. She swallowed hard and hurried on her way until she reached the bottom of the steep staircase. She blew the candle out and opened the door slowly, stopping to listen. As before, nothing. She looked toward Clarissa's closed door and saw no light visible beneath the door, so knew that she was free to do as she chose because Clarissa had to be asleep. She would only have to listen for the carriage…

Eugenia made only fleeting shadows as she hurried around the kitchen, stuffing bread, cheese, and wings and drumsticks of the roast duck into a straw basket. Then she went to the library and chose a red wine. It wasn't champagne as Drew had mentioned, but wine could do as well. She eyed the wine glasses, but knew that they could be a telltale way of knowing she had been up to something besides being ill in bed.

Smiling broadly because of her gatherings, she ran barefoot up the spiral staircase, then stopped in front of her bedroom door. She remembered the coldness of the tower room, so she rushed inside her room and grabbed a blanket from her bed. Eyeing a pillow that she knew would give Drew comfort, she stopped herself from taking it, knowing that would give her too much to be responsible for.

With her arms so full she couldn't light the candle. She felt her knees trembling from fear as she made her way up the narrow staircase in the darkness, then down the long hallway that led to where Drew was waiting. Just the thought of rats running around made her almost grow ill inside. But surely Drew had only been teasing her. She knew, from her brief meetings with him, that he was that. One big tease. Oh, how much fun it would be to live with him. Every day. Forever.

When she reached the door, she tapped lightly with a foot and waited for him to open it. She was anxious to show all that she had brought. They would have a feast. Not only while looking at one another, but while eating and drinking to their pleasure.

"I was beginnin' to get worried 'bout you, Eugenia," Drew grumbled as he threw the door open. Then his eyes settled on her filled arms. "Jesus! What'd you bring? The whole damn kitchen? And what's this?" he added, pulling a blanket from her arms.

"To keep you warm, my love," she said, entering the room. "While I'm out of your arms."

"Damn. You think of everything," he said, shutting the door behind her.

Giggling, Eugenia held the bottle of wine up in the air, letting the moonlight reflect onto it in shimmering lights of white and blue. "And wine?" she said, handing it to Drew, watching the amusement in his eyes. She could tell that he was enjoying this just as much as she was.

She spread the blanket out on the floor and began to pull food from the basket. "Roast duck, sir?" she giggled once again, handing Drew a drumstick. He already had the cork removed from the wine bottle. "And cheese?" she added, "… and bread? Freshly baked today by the hands of the one and only Kiyomasu."

Drew sat down beside Eugenia and took a drumstick and piece of cheese, handing her the bottle of wine. "Drink lightly, my love," he said. "I feel you're already a mite too drunk."

"I do feel drunk, Drew," Eugenia giggled once again. "But only because of your presence by my side. Nothing more."

"My sweet one," Drew said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Now. Tell me. How did you happen to get in that jail, darling?" Eugenia asked, sinking her teeth into the thickness of a duck's wing. "Something about stealing gold?"

Wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve, he pulled his gold watch from his jacket pocket. He removed it from its chain. "See this watch?" he asked.

"Uh huh."

"This is a turnip watch," he said, opening it, revealing an empty case inside, behind the face and hands.

Looking more closely, Eugenia saw that all works had been removed from its insides. "Why would you have a watch that wouldn't work?"

"This watch is how I stole much gold from the mine I was workin'."

"In heaven's name how?"