Eugenia's Embrace

"Yes. Real sweet," Eugenia said, watching, slowly beginning to hate her sister all over again.

"Well? Kin I git it?" Elizabeth prodded.

"No. You children just visit," Mama said, swishing away with her skirt trailing along behind her. "I'll get us all some tea. Might do us all some good. Want to help, Drew?" she asked, stopping to eye him warmly.

"Yep. Might do me some good to have somethin' to busy my fingers with," he said, taking another fast glance toward Eugenia, then Elizabeth.

Eugenia watched as they both left the room, then glowered toward Elizabeth. "And to think I was feeling sorry for you for being so tiny and frail," she snapped, sitting upright in bed. "And all the while you've been having fun with my man behind my back."

"I cain't help myself, Eugenia," Elizabeth whined again. "I ain't never been 'round men. I had to find out what it felt like. I only wanted him to make me feel good. Once. I didn't 'spect him to ask me all those other times."

Eugenia flung herself from the bed, feeling the heat creeping into her face. "All those other times?" she asked, doubling her fists at her side.

"Yes. Every day. When you've been workin' in the fields? We went out to the barn. I didn't figger you'd care none. You are my sister, you know."

Eugenia put her hands to her head. "Oh, God, Elizabeth," she moaned. "I know you're not really all that dumb. You're Papa's child, so you couldn't be that dumb. This is all an act. I know it. You wanted a man, so you decided to take Drew. And the worst part of it is he was so willing to participate in your little venture. I thought he had truly loved me. But I know he can never love me the way I want a man to love me."

"There's somethin' I needs to tell you, Eugenia," Elizabeth said, going to Eugenia's side, touching her softly on the arm. Eugenia drew away from her, feeling like her touch was the touch of a knife cutting her deeply.

"What else could you say that could hurt anymore than I've already been hurt?" she said. "Go on. Tell all, little sister."

"I'm going to have a baby," Elizabeth drawled.

The room began to spin around in front of Eugenia's eyes. When she looked toward Elizabeth she saw two of her. She felt as though she was going to be ill. Clutching her stomach, she tumbled back down on the bed and buried her face in a pillow. She didn't want Elizabeth to see her renewed tears. She had to be stronger. She had to show that the hurt wasn't that deep. She had to think now of her Mama. How would she think of this deceit from the daughter who she had always cherished like a fragile kitten.

"Did you hear me, Eugenia?" Elizabeth said loudly, going to Eugenia, rubbing her fingers through Eugenia's red hair.

"Don't touch me," Eugenia growled, turning over, facing her. "You can tell me so easily that you're going to have a baby? Drew's baby? What kind of sister are you?"

"Eugenia, you've got to help me," Elizabeth said, tears wetting her long, thick lashes. "Mama. She doesn't know. How kin I tell her? She'll hate me."

"Never as much as I hate you, sister," Eugenia said, wiping the tears from her own eyes.

"Mama might ha

ve a heart attack like Papa if we tell her," Elizabeth continued. "What kin I do?"

Eugenia's mind began to turn, knowing she had to think of Mama, knowing that what Elizabeth was saying was true. Yes, she had to think of her Mama. Only of her Mama.

"I'll take care of it for you," she said. "But only for Mama's sake. You always remember that."

"What kin you do?"

"Drew will marry you," Eugenia said, almost choking on the words. "He has a house in Colorado Springs. He will take you there, marry you, and have a home for your baby. My niece or nephew. That's all we can do."

"But will Drew marry me?" Elizabeth sobbed. "What if he really loves you?"

Eugenia hated saying the words, but they came much more easily than she had thought possible. "I don't love him, Elizabeth," she said flatly. "It's as simple as that. So there's no problem."

"You don't love him?" Elizabeth sighed deeply, her blue eyes wide, almost like the sky on a fresh spring morning.

"No. The only way I can describe my feeling for that son of a bitch is to use the word hate," Eugenia hissed, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands.

"I cain't believe that," Elizabeth said, flopping down onto the bed, lowering her head. "I jist cain't believe that."

"You'd better believe it," Eugenia snapped back. She swung around as Drew and Mama entered the room. She looked at Drew with deep contempt, and she knew that he couldn't help but see it in her eyes. She rose from the bed, held her back straight and walked on past him out of the room. When he followed her, she continued until she got out on the front porch, which was flooded by the full moon's light. With trembling fingers, she sat down on the porch swing, and waited for his arrival by her side.

"Eugenia?" he said, sitting down beside her.