Eugenia's Embrace

"What's your names?" Alison asked impatiently, eyeing the staircase, obviously wanting to mingle downstairs with the rest of the women and men. Eugenia hadn't looked closely around her when she had passed the entrance to the main lobby. She had only been concerned about seeing Dawn, and what she had to say about her sudden appearance.

"Just say Eugenia," Eugenia said. "That will suffice. I'm sure of it."

Alison gave her a look of disgust, then spoke Eugenia's name. Only a moment went by before the door swung open, revealing Dawn, even more lovely than Eugenia could remember. But in the dim lighting of Dawn's room, Eugenia knew that all traces of her illness had to be well hidden.

"Eugenia? Is it really you?" Dawn said in a weak voice, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes.

Eugenia wanted to take Dawn in her arms and hug her, but she remembered what Dawn had said about possibly catching her illness. "Does your offer still stand? Can I live here with you?" she asked.

"God, yes!" Dawn said, pulling Eugenia into her private room.

Eugenia looked toward Key, still standing in the hallway. "I have a friend with me, Dawn," she said, motioning for Key to come on into the room. Key bent his shoulders and scooted on into the room.

"Key, this is Madam Dawn," Eugenia said proudly. "And Dawn, my very good friend and confidant, Key."

Dawn held out a hand in front of her. "Glad to meet you, Key. Any friend of Eugenia's is a friend of mine." Then she pulled a handkerchief from a pocket, turned her head, and began to cough violently. Eugenia could see the heaving of Dawn's chest as Dawn turned back in Eugenia's direction.

"Do you think you could use another cook, Dawn?" she asked, not liking to see the redness of Dawn's face after her coughing bout but knowing that she was going to have to get used to it. It apparently went along with Dawn's disease.

"We'll make room for another," Dawn whispered, rasping.

"I'd like for him to be our own private cook, if possible," Eugenia said further. "He's special. Believe me."

"That's fine with me," Dawn said, then went to the hallway. She brought Alison back into the room with her. "Alison, I want you to meet your new madam."

Eugenia's eyes widened in disbelief, and her heart skipped many beats. Had she heard right?

"My… new… madam?" Alison spoke weakly.

Dawn went to Eugenia and clung to a hand. "Yes. This is Madam Eugenia. She and I will be working together. Please tell the other girls. Tomorrow we will arrange for you all to meet her. With a special tea. Just you girls and us. Will you please pass this news around to the girls for me?"

"Anything you say, Madam Dawn," the girl said, shock still present on her face—a face that was as red with rouge as her hair that stood in a high pompadour on top of her head.

"Be off with you then," Dawn said, motioning with her hand.

Alison stood her ground, staring in the direction of Key. "And what are you going to do about… him?" she asked snappishly.

"Please show him to the kitchen," Dawn answered. "The other cooks will show him his living quarters."

"Yes, ma'am," Alison said, then began to walk away with her nose tilted up into the air. "Come with me," she said to Key, not even looking his way.

Key eyed Eugenia questionably.

"Goon, Key," Eugenia said. "It will be all right. You'll see."

Key nodded then hurriedly left the room.

Eugenia turned to face Dawn. Dawn's dark curls cascaded around her shoulders, settling on white lace trimming of a black velveteen dress that obviously hung too loosely from her body. Eugenia knew that Dawn had lost more pounds than she had previously been aware of, and she wondered just how bad the illness was. But she now had to ask another question. "Dawn, I can't believe what I just heard. Do you mean I'm already going to be given the title of madam so fast, just like that?"

Dawn went to a chair and slouched down into it, taking a long-stemmed wine glass between her fingers, turning it round and round, watching the lights reflecting onto it like jewels sparkling on a woman's finger. "Yes. You are now Madam Eugenia. Doesn't it sound pretty?" Her eyes shone when she looked upward at Eugenia. "I'm just so glad you came." She sighed deeply. "Please sit and have a glass of wine with me and tell me what happened to change your mind."

Eugenia threw her cape from around her shoulders and sat down opposite Dawn. She accepted the long-stemmed glass filled with cherry red liquid, then settled back against the deeply upholstered chair, knowing that she was now "home."

"You won't believe it when I tell you." She sighed, taking a sip of the wine, liking the feel of it as it moved from her throat down into her stomach. "You just won't believe it," she repeated, then began to tell all, still thinking of her newly given title. Madam Eugenia. Yes, she liked it… very much.

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Chapter Thirteen