Eugenia's Embrace

Frederick rose swiftly. "I'll get the law after you, Dawn," he said hoarsely. "I'll say you kidnapped Eugenia. Forced her to stay here with you."

Dawn laughed loudly. "And what do you think Eugenia will say when she's questioned?"

"She will return with me," Frederick said, eyeing Eugenia darkly. "You'll see."

Eugenia wondered if he was going to use force, frighten her enough so that she'd tell the sheriff that she had been kidnapped? But no. It was impossible. She was safe as long as she was in Dawn's house. But could she ever feel safe to wander from the establishment? To shop? To feel free to roam Cripple Creek's streets? No, not for a while.

"You don't seem to remember that I've my own ways of persuasion with Sheriff Landsing," Dawn said, going to Frederick, getting so close to his face that he backed away. "He knows to not mess around with my establishment, or he'll not be able to get special favors for himself or his friends. Just you remember that before you start causing me and Eugenia any further trouble."

Frederick swung around and began to walk away from Dawn, then turned and eyed Eugenia darkly once again. He pointed his cane in her direction, shaking it. "Fräulein, I was gut to you while you were a part of my haus. Ja?"

Eugenia swallowed hard, remembering. He had given her everything, had even been responsible for her proper way of speaking.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"You will always be mein klein Fräulein. If you ever decide to return, I will see to it that Clarissa leaves you alone. I'll even pay you much geld if you'll return. But if not, danke schon for the weeks of pleasure you have given me by your presence in my haus." He turned and left the room, but Eugenia could hear his last remarks. "Auf widersehen, klein Fräulein." Then all she heard was the slamming of the front door, followed by an awkward silence between Eugenia and Dawn. Eugenia hurried to the window and watched the carriage carry his bulky figure away from her. It was a part of her life that had just become a closed chapter. She felt Dawn's presence at her side.

"What the hell do you think of that?" Dawn said. "I really think that old German bastard had a thing about you," she added, pulling a curtain back to watch also.

"But he's known to have been responsible for so many girls' deaths," Eugenia said

quietly.

"Are you sure it was him, or was it Clarissa? By herself?" Dawn said, touching Eugenia softly on the arm.

Eugenia's eyes widened, wondering. Maybe Dawn was right. But how had Clarissa explained away the disappearance of the other girls?

"I don't really care," Eugenia said, going to a chair, slumping down into it. She was just glad to see Frederick leave, get out of her life. Even though she felt a bit sorry for him there would always be a sense of fright inside her. She would most surely be too afraid to leave the house for a while. And what would he do when he returned home and found Key gone? Would he return once again? Or maybe he wouldn't connect Key's disappearance with her own.

"We don't have to worry about him bothering you again, honey," Dawn said, stooping, smoothing Eugenia's skirt around her feet. "He knows you're here to stay. For as long as you want."

Eugenia looked up into Dawn's face, seeing the paleness, feeling so sorry for her. "I'll stay for as long as you wish," she said. It had been so easy for Eugenia to forget that Dawn had committed a murder herself, knowing that Dawn had done it not only for spite, but for the safety of many other girls who had been taken advantage of by Madam Valerie. Feeling disgust for anyone who might take another's life, Eugenia just hadn't been able to associate Dawn with these feelings. A sudden rush of petticoat through the doorway made Eugenia sit up to attention.

"Madam Dawn," Nell said, breathless.

"What is it, Nell?" Dawn asked, going to her.

"I just heard the most terrible thing," Nell answered, stopping to take a deep breath.

"What is it?" Dawn asked gently, brushing some loose locks of golden hair from around Nell's face.

"Iris? You know, one of the colored women in back?"

"Yes? What about her?"

"She just came to the back door and told me about Emma Brown. Something terrible she did."

"Okay. Settle down," Dawn said soothingly, guiding Nell to a chair, helping her down onto it. "Now. Please tell me. Slowly. What did Iris tell you?"

"It's sure horrible," Nell said, her eyes widening as she looked first at Dawn, then Eugenia.

"Well? What?" Dawn persisted, stooping down in front of Nell, looking up into her eyes.

"Emma Brown. You know, she's a colored woman who lives in one of the cribs."

"Yes. I know of her. She used to be a part of our establishment. When Madam Valerie first became madam. What about Emma?"

"She killed a man last night."