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had the cruelness in his or her heart to do such a terrible thing.
We lay together on her bed, our arms around each other, both staring out the window at the heavy rain and the dark gray sky. Eugenia wasn't my real sister, but she was my sister in perhaps a truer sense of the word, for we were both children of tragedy, too young to understand a world in which beautiful and innocent creatures were harmed and destroyed.
Fragile Eugenia fell asleep in my arms mourning the loss of something precious and beautiful in our lives, and for the first time, I was really afraid; not afraid of Emily, not afraid of Henry's ghosts, not afraid of storms or accidents, but afraid of the deep sorrow and pain I knew I was destined to feel when Eugenia was taken from me, too. I clung to her as long as I could and then I slipped away to go to dinner.
Mamma didn't want to talk about Cotton at dinner, but she had to explain to Papa why I looked so distraught and just picked at my food listlessly. He listened and then he swallowed what he was eating quickly and slapped his palm down on the table so hard the dishes jumped. Even Emily looked terrified.
"I won't have it," he said. "I won't have sorrow over some dumb animal brought to my dinner table upsetting everyone. The cat's dead and gone; there's nothing more to be done or said. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."
"I'm sure Henry will find you and Eugenia another kitten," Mamma added, smiling.
"Not like Cotton," I replied, choking back my tears. "She was special and now she's dead," I whined. Emily's lips twisted into a sneer.
"Georgia," Papa said in a tone of reprimand.
"Let's talk about pleasant things, honey," Mamma said quickly. She beamed a broad smile my way.
"How did you do in school today?" she asked.
I took a deep breath and wiped my cheeks dry.
"I got an 'Excellent' for my writing," I replied proudly.
"Why that's wonderful," Mamma said, clapping her hands together. "Isn't that splendid?" She looked at Emily, who pretended more interest in her food. "Why don't you run and get it to show the Captain, honey," she asked.
I looked at Papa. He didn't seem to be listening to a word or have any interest. His jaw worked up and down, his teeth grinding the meat in his mouth, his eyes empty. When I didn't move, though, he stopped chewing and gazed at me. I got up quickly and ran out to the entryway where I had left my things on the table, but when I looked for my paper, it wasn't there. I was sure I had left it right on top. I sifted through all my papers in my notebook and shook out my reader just in case one of the chambermaids had stuck it in between the pages, but I didn't find it.
My eyes filled with tears for a new reason as I returned to the dining room. Mamma smiled in anticipation, but I shook my head.
"I can't find it," I said.
"That's because you didn't have it," Emily chortled quickly. "You made it up."
"I did not. You know I had it. You heard Miss Walker tell the class," I reminded her.
"Not today I didn't. You're mixed up with another day," she said, and threw a smile at Papa as if to say, "Children."
He finished chewing what was in his mouth and sat back.
"Spend more time worrying about your lessons, young lady, and less about what happens to stray farm animals," he advised.
I couldn't help it; I started to cry hard, to bawl like I had never bawled before.
"Georgia," Papa demanded. "Put a stop to this behavior immediately."
"Now, Lillian," Mamma said getting up and coming around the table to me. "You know the Captain doesn't like this sort of thing at the dinner table. Come on, honey. Stop your crying."
"She's always crying for one thing or another at school," Emily lied. "I'm embarrassed for one reason or another every day."
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do. Miss Walker's spoken to me about you many times."
"You're lying!" I screamed.
Papa slammed the table again, this time so hard that the top of the butter dish bounced and rattled on the table. No
We lay together on her bed, our arms around each other, both staring out the window at the heavy rain and the dark gray sky. Eugenia wasn't my real sister, but she was my sister in perhaps a truer sense of the word, for we were both children of tragedy, too young to understand a world in which beautiful and innocent creatures were harmed and destroyed.
Fragile Eugenia fell asleep in my arms mourning the loss of something precious and beautiful in our lives, and for the first time, I was really afraid; not afraid of Emily, not afraid of Henry's ghosts, not afraid of storms or accidents, but afraid of the deep sorrow and pain I knew I was destined to feel when Eugenia was taken from me, too. I clung to her as long as I could and then I slipped away to go to dinner.
Mamma didn't want to talk about Cotton at dinner, but she had to explain to Papa why I looked so distraught and just picked at my food listlessly. He listened and then he swallowed what he was eating quickly and slapped his palm down on the table so hard the dishes jumped. Even Emily looked terrified.
"I won't have it," he said. "I won't have sorrow over some dumb animal brought to my dinner table upsetting everyone. The cat's dead and gone; there's nothing more to be done or said. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."
"I'm sure Henry will find you and Eugenia another kitten," Mamma added, smiling.
"Not like Cotton," I replied, choking back my tears. "She was special and now she's dead," I whined. Emily's lips twisted into a sneer.
"Georgia," Papa said in a tone of reprimand.
"Let's talk about pleasant things, honey," Mamma said quickly. She beamed a broad smile my way.
"How did you do in school today?" she asked.
I took a deep breath and wiped my cheeks dry.
"I got an 'Excellent' for my writing," I replied proudly.
"Why that's wonderful," Mamma said, clapping her hands together. "Isn't that splendid?" She looked at Emily, who pretended more interest in her food. "Why don't you run and get it to show the Captain, honey," she asked.
I looked at Papa. He didn't seem to be listening to a word or have any interest. His jaw worked up and down, his teeth grinding the meat in his mouth, his eyes empty. When I didn't move, though, he stopped chewing and gazed at me. I got up quickly and ran out to the entryway where I had left my things on the table, but when I looked for my paper, it wasn't there. I was sure I had left it right on top. I sifted through all my papers in my notebook and shook out my reader just in case one of the chambermaids had stuck it in between the pages, but I didn't find it.
My eyes filled with tears for a new reason as I returned to the dining room. Mamma smiled in anticipation, but I shook my head.
"I can't find it," I said.
"That's because you didn't have it," Emily chortled quickly. "You made it up."
"I did not. You know I had it. You heard Miss Walker tell the class," I reminded her.
"Not today I didn't. You're mixed up with another day," she said, and threw a smile at Papa as if to say, "Children."
He finished chewing what was in his mouth and sat back.
"Spend more time worrying about your lessons, young lady, and less about what happens to stray farm animals," he advised.
I couldn't help it; I started to cry hard, to bawl like I had never bawled before.
"Georgia," Papa demanded. "Put a stop to this behavior immediately."
"Now, Lillian," Mamma said getting up and coming around the table to me. "You know the Captain doesn't like this sort of thing at the dinner table. Come on, honey. Stop your crying."
"She's always crying for one thing or another at school," Emily lied. "I'm embarrassed for one reason or another every day."
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do. Miss Walker's spoken to me about you many times."
"You're lying!" I screamed.
Papa slammed the table again, this time so hard that the top of the butter dish bounced and rattled on the table. No
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