Eugenia's Embrace

"I would've thought you would have let any man come any time of the day," Eugenia blurted. "You know. To get more business that way."

"No. It might be that way in other parlors in town," Dawn said. "But not here in ours. Usually only the local mining kings frequent our house. They entertain out of town business associates. We serve them the finest food, liquor, and entertainment. And the most beautiful and witty girls that we can get in."

A sudden loud tapping noise at the front door drew Eugenia's attention away from what Dawn was saying. She turned her eyes in the direction of the foyer as she saw Alison pass by, hurrying toward the door.

Dawn rose, frowning darkly. "No one comes to our door in such a manner," she said in a huff. She swept her skirts up into her arms and hurried out of the room.

Eugenia started to rise when she heard the familiar voice. Its gruffness, its deepness. It was Frederick! Her heart seemed to stop as she listened to him expressing threats at Dawn if she didn't let him see Eugenia. The arguing ended up in a bad bout of coughing for Dawn, and Alison was heard taking over. In only one more second, Frederick's bulkiness was standing in the doorway leading into the parlor, with his cheeks flaming red and his eyes bulging. Eugenia's eyes met his gaze and her heart seemed to settle in her throat.

"And why have you left my haus?" he asked, swinging his cane up in the air.

"You need to ask?" Eugenia said in a squeaking voice. Her tongue seemed to have frozen to the inside of her mouth.

"Did Fräulein Clarissa frighten you away?" he asked, moving toward Eugenia. She could see the beads of perspiration on his brow, and she could just envision the sweatiness of his palms. She only hoped that he wouldn't touch her.

"I'm only thankful now to Clarissa for enlightening me about what was to become of me in the near future," Eugenia said. "Didn't she tell you what she had done to me?"

"Nein. I only treated you gut. What did Fräulein Clarissa do to you?"

Eugenia hadn't ever heard him speak in his German tongue before. And his sprinkling of German words now was surprising to her. Maybe he was indeed upset by what had occurred. Maybe all that happened had only been of Clarissa's doings. But yet, there was Key, and he had said that Frederick and Clarissa had done this to other girls. She knew that she was no different.

"Your Fräulein Clarissa chained me to the wall in one of your tower rooms," she hissed, growing bolder, seeing that he didn't grow angrier. In a confusing way to Eugenia, she could tell that he was more hurt by what she had said. He seemed like a little puppy who had lost a bone. A plaything.

Frederick's face drained of color. "No. Clarissa didn't tell me all," he said, going to a chair, slouching his bulkiness down into it, lowering his head.

More surprised than before, Eugenia knew that he hadn't lingered long enough with Clarissa to find out all the reasons why, that he had more than likely left her standing there in the middle of telling him, before she had had a chance to finish. Eugenia was growing more confused by the minute. Did Frederick think more of her than he had of any of his previous girls? Was he ready to ask her to go back with him? God! She hoped not. She would never enter that house again. No matter what. And there was Clarissa. How Eugenia hated her. And Clarissa would surely tell all when Frederick returned. She even wondered if he had missed Key yet? He had prized Key's way of cooking. Key had always taken pains to please Frederick, and Eugenia knew that he probably could never be matched by another cook.

Eugenia could no longer see the red of the chair, but only the black of his attire. "How did you know I was here?" she asked cooly.

"I saw Dawn's carriage at my haus yesterday. I knew that she had only been allowed to enter my haus for one reason. That reason had to be you. I was going to question you about it later," he said. "When Clarissa said that you had run away, I knew you didn't have anywhere else to go but here."

"Oh," Eugenia murmured, her eyes darting upward as Dawn entered. Dawn's eyes were almost completely black from the dilated pupils. Only a small rim of blue was present. Eugenia knew that Dawn had just given herself another injection of morphine. Apparently the last bout of coughing had become much too painful for her. And now? Could Dawn cope with Frederick more skillfully? Or would she be so lethargic from the drug that she wouldn't be capable of fighting back for Eugenia's sake?

Eugenia soon found out.

"What the hell do you mean by storming into my establishment?" Dawn demanded, crossing her arms in defiance before her. "I told you to never darken my door. Ever again. We don't need the likes of you. My girls don't need your kinky habits to soil their bodies."

Eugenia's eyes darted toward Frederick. She could see that the color had returned to his face in a bright crimson and that his jowls were fast enlarging. She knew that he was on the verge of exploding. She could see his chest heaving inward and outward at a fast rate and wondered if he might have a heart attack right there. But he only lifted a handkerchief to his forehead and dabbed the perspiration from it, then smiled darkly up at Dawn.

"I've come to take Eugenia back with me," he finally answered, tapping his cane nervously in front of him.

Dawn threw her head back and began to laugh hysterically, which made her cough once again.

When her coughing ceased, she went and stood over Frederick, glaring downward. "You'll never get the chance to get your hands on Madam Eugenia," she hissed, then stopped when she saw the reaction from Frederick as his jaws flew open and his eyes bulged as he stared quickly at Eugenia.

"'Madam Eugenia' did she say, Eugenia?" he said, almost inaudibly. "What does she mean?"

Eugenia rose and went to a window, putting her back to him. She knew that she should hate him, knowing so much about him, but he was so pathetic. She swung around, still aware of his eyes on her. She now knew that her own breath was coming in short rasps and that her bosom was noticeably working in and out. She could even see his eyes settle on the front of her. She had to wonder if he was thinking about what he had missed by not having had the chance to take advantage of her before she had been set free by Key.

"Yes. 'Madam Eugenia,'" she snapped, waiting to see his reaction.

"What does it mean?" he gasped, looking from Dawn to Eugenia, his eyes fast becoming red-streaked from the strain.

"It means that Eugenia is now the madam of this establishment," Dawn blurted. "I am no longer able. She is to run my house. You can be sure that no slobs such as yourself are allowed inside. Right, Eugenia?" Dawn asked, looking for Eugenia's words of reassurance.

"It's true, Frederick," Eugenia said, walking to the fireplace, stooping, putting a log on the fire. , So casually, as though she wasn't being confronted by the man who could have killed her. But she had to act unafraid. As though she was capable of handling herself. Not for only now. But for the future, in case he decided to come back for her.

"Now will you please leave?" Dawn shouted. "Leave Eugenia alone. She's not associated with you, or your name, any longer. She's the Madam Eugenia. Someone to be respected. Not to be used."