Eugenia's Embrace

"Oh, no," Alison moaned, bursting into fresh tears.

Eugenia pulled Alison into her arms once again, brushing her hair, soothing her. "It's going to be all right, Alison," she crooned. "It's going to be all right. Please don't cry."

"There's nothing more I can do here," the doctor said, walking away with his black bag swinging at his side.

Eugenia rushed after him. "Nothing? Isn't there anything you can give her?"

The doctor laughed a deep mocking laugh. "Young lady, I don't think I could give her anything more potent than what she's already got in her bloodstream."

Eugenia gasped.

"I don't know where you whores get the drugs," he said darkly, his heavy brows furrowing, almost hiding the brown of his eyes. "But I'd like to catch the ones giving it out so freely. There's too much of that going on here in Cripple Creek. Doesn't do a damn bit of good for a doctor to be around. Everybody just takes it on themselves to be their own doctor. Even if they are killing themselves while doing it. Yes, ma'am. If I had my choice about it, you whores would be run out of town. Right now."

Eugenia could feel her knees almost buckling beneath her. She grabbed onto Alison, clinging. She had never been spoken to so rudely. By anyone, except by Clarissa. But, this? A respectable doctor? She cleared her throat nervously.

"Get out of my establishment," she said firmly, holding her chin up in the air. She had dignity. She would show him.

"Gladly," he spouted and hurried on down the steps.

Eugenia flinched when she heard the slamming of the front door, then she stood in silence, remembering his words. She ran a clean establishment, how could anyone make her suddenly feel so degraded about it all? She looked at Alison, who was studying her, waiting.

"What a terrible man," Eugenia said quietly, then flipped her skirts around as she headed back toward Dawn's room. She had only Dawn to think about now, and how to make her more comfortable in her last hours on this miserable earth.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The Old Homestead Parlour had been closed now for three days, observing a few days of mourning for their Madam Dawn. When there was a knock on the front door it startled Eugenia. She looked up from where she was seated in front of the fireplace in the parlor. She waited to hear someone go to the door, but didn't hear the stirring of feet or the rustle of skirts. She sighed wearily, rose, and went to it herself. The last three days had been almost the hardest in her life. It had appeared to be the same with the rest of the girls. They only came from their rooms to eat in the dining room in silence. Dawn had managed to hang on to a thin string of life until two days after Christmas. And now? A new year to face? Eugenia swung the door open widely and felt hate rising inside herself as she stood face to face with Clarissa.

"What the hell do you want here, Clarissa?" Eugenia snapped, her eyes assessing the small, defeated woman standing before her. Clarissa didn't even have a coat around her shoulders, even though it was a day of near-zero temperatures. She just stood there, clutching her arms around her body, hugging herself. The black dress that had usually hung so crisply against her body now hung in a limp dusty shroud.

"Frederick has sent me away, Eugenia," she said softly, her dark eyes pleading upward at Eugenia. "I have nowhere else to go. Can you please help me?"

"After what you did to me? I can't believe you would have the gall to even face me," Eugenia snapped, starting to close the door in Clarissa's face. But when she heard whimpers surfacing from behind the partially closed door, she opened it slowly and peered outward at a Clarissa that Eugenia had never seen before. Clarissa fell to her knees, clasping her hands before her, looking upward, begging. Something tugged at Eugenia's heart. Even though she hated this woman with a vengeance she just couldn't see anyone, even Clarissa, grovelling at her feet.

"Get up, Clarissa," she said quickly, looking around her, outward to the street, to see if anyone had noticed. "Come on in the house and at least warm yourself before you go elsewhere. I can at least do that much for you. Come," Eugenia added, leaning down, tugging on Clarissa's arm.

Clarissa rose and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "I will always be grateful, Eugenia," she whimpered.

"It's now Madam Eugenia," Eugenia said proudly. "Only call me that when you address me."

Clarissa's head bobbed up and down hurriedly, her eyes wide. It embarrassed Eugenia to see the look of piety on Clarissa's face as she followed Eugenia into the foyer of the house.

"In here. By the fire," Eugenia said, guiding Clarissa into the parlor. She could see Clarissa's eyes take it all in. But yet it was nothing like what she had been used to at The Towers.

"I was just having tea," Eugenia said, sitting down in front of the fire. "Please be seated and have a cup with me. It will help with the chill you obviously have." The light tan of Clarissa's skin seemed to have blemishes to it this day. Eugenia had to wonder where she had been these past days, since Frederick had been known to have dismissed her from his house.

"Thank you, Madam Eugenia," Clarissa said, sitting, then accepted the steaming cup of tea. She put the cup to her lips and sipped at it thirstily. Then she placed the cup in its saucer and studied Eugenia.

"Frederick has made it impossible for me to find work in Cripple Creek," she began slowly. "He's told many lies about me. I'm even sure he's told you many lies, Madam Eugenia."

"Lies?" Eugenia said, her eyes widening, wondering what lies she would now hear from Clarissa herself. "What sort of lies?"

"About the girls that I had chained up in the tower room," Clarissa said quietly, still watching Eugenia, waiting for a hasty reaction, remembering having put Eugenia in the tower room because she had loved Frederick and had wanted him to herself. Yes, she knew that she would have had her own fun with Eugenia before setting her free. She had been without a sexual partner for too long. Even a woman's kiss and touch had been accepted as a willing substitute. But Frederick, he had been all that she had ever wanted.

"What about the girls you chained up? Remember Clarissa. You also chained me up. I am living proof of that."

Clarissa looked away and swallowed hard, remembering. Then she swung her head around once again to face Eugenia. "But I never harmed you did I?" she asked quickly.