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Authors: Judith Ann McDowell
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and, in so doing, dropped her end of the ribbon. “You don’t know what a weight just knowin’ that lifts from my heart.”
“ Well… of… course… I do.” Martha stammered, eyeing the unraveled ribbon; but then she looked away as the full realization of her sister’s words sank into her thoughts. Jessie’s death had not been an act of God, but an act brought about by Jessie’s own hand. And with her own words, she had sanctioned that act! Drawing a deep breath, she made ready to contradict herself, when she looked up to see the burning relief in Charlotte’s eyes. Swallowing hard against the niggling guilt brought about by her Catholic teachings against suicide, the unforgivable sin, she remained silent.
“ Then I’ll stay.” Charlotte busied her hands with tucking her white cotton blouse into the waistband of her long blue skirt. “I’ll send a wire to Eathen first thing tomorrow, tellin’ him I’ve been delayed until after the holidays.”
“ Do you think he’ll mind?” Martha bent over, retrieving the unraveled ribbon.
“ No.” Charlotte bit her lip. “Not really.”
“ Are things that bad between you and Eathen?” Martha laid the ribbon aside to walk over to the giant Blue Spruce standing before the floor-to-ceiling window. Being careful not to prick her fingers on the sharp needles, she pulled down on first one branch then another, until the tree had an even look all the way around.
“ Yes, Martha, they are.” Charlotte picked up a box of Christmas bulbs, lifting away the lid as she followed behind Martha. “We’ve been driftin’ further apart for almost a year.”
“ Because of Jessie?” Martha turned her attention from the tree to a subject she was quite interested in hearing about, the trouble going on between Charlotte and Eathen. Walking across the floor, she pushed the decorations to the far corner, swept the skirt of her long blue silk dress to one side to seat herself and patted the cushion beside her.
Charlotte made her way over to the couch. “To tell you the truth, now that I stop to think about it, what happened with Jessie may have given Eathen the excuse he’s been lookin’ for all along to go back to his old ways. He’s never been,” she stumbled over her words, “what you’d call…a man of high morals.”
“ You mean to tell me,” Martha yanked Charlotte down beside her, “he’s cheated on you?”
Charlotte nodded, hating the shame welling up in her at Martha’s piteous gaze.
“ Oh, Charlotte! You poor, poor dear.” She rubbed a hand up and down Charlotte’s back. “If John ever cheated on me, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“ If you love him, I can tell you what you’d do. The same thing I do.” Charlotte turned, placing the box of Christmas bulbs with the rest of the decorations. “Close your eyes and pretend it doesn’t happen.”
“ You love Eathen very much, don’t you?” Martha watched Charlotte’s face, gauging her feelings for a man that she herself would rather never lay eyes on again.
“ With all my heart,” Charlotte replied. “If I didn’t, I woulda been gone long ago.”
“ Well, all I can say is,” Martha moved off the couch, “it is a wise decision on your part to let us raise Tia. If your marriage is in this much trouble,” she righted a double strand of pearls surrounding her throat, “she’s far better off with a family who will always be together.”
“ Don’t tempt fate, Martha. John’s a very, good-lookin’, successful man. There are a lotta women who’d settle for him without a marriage license.”
“ My husband is a good and moral man, Charlotte Thornton!” Martha whirled on her. “Simply because you can’t keep your husband happy, doesn’t mean I can’t!”
“ Let me give you some advice, Martha.” Charlotte ignored her sister’s childish dramatics. “I learned this from talkin’ to a woman who made her livin’ from those so- called good and moral men.” She settled herself
“ Well… of… course… I do.” Martha stammered, eyeing the unraveled ribbon; but then she looked away as the full realization of her sister’s words sank into her thoughts. Jessie’s death had not been an act of God, but an act brought about by Jessie’s own hand. And with her own words, she had sanctioned that act! Drawing a deep breath, she made ready to contradict herself, when she looked up to see the burning relief in Charlotte’s eyes. Swallowing hard against the niggling guilt brought about by her Catholic teachings against suicide, the unforgivable sin, she remained silent.
“ Then I’ll stay.” Charlotte busied her hands with tucking her white cotton blouse into the waistband of her long blue skirt. “I’ll send a wire to Eathen first thing tomorrow, tellin’ him I’ve been delayed until after the holidays.”
“ Do you think he’ll mind?” Martha bent over, retrieving the unraveled ribbon.
“ No.” Charlotte bit her lip. “Not really.”
“ Are things that bad between you and Eathen?” Martha laid the ribbon aside to walk over to the giant Blue Spruce standing before the floor-to-ceiling window. Being careful not to prick her fingers on the sharp needles, she pulled down on first one branch then another, until the tree had an even look all the way around.
“ Yes, Martha, they are.” Charlotte picked up a box of Christmas bulbs, lifting away the lid as she followed behind Martha. “We’ve been driftin’ further apart for almost a year.”
“ Because of Jessie?” Martha turned her attention from the tree to a subject she was quite interested in hearing about, the trouble going on between Charlotte and Eathen. Walking across the floor, she pushed the decorations to the far corner, swept the skirt of her long blue silk dress to one side to seat herself and patted the cushion beside her.
Charlotte made her way over to the couch. “To tell you the truth, now that I stop to think about it, what happened with Jessie may have given Eathen the excuse he’s been lookin’ for all along to go back to his old ways. He’s never been,” she stumbled over her words, “what you’d call…a man of high morals.”
“ You mean to tell me,” Martha yanked Charlotte down beside her, “he’s cheated on you?”
Charlotte nodded, hating the shame welling up in her at Martha’s piteous gaze.
“ Oh, Charlotte! You poor, poor dear.” She rubbed a hand up and down Charlotte’s back. “If John ever cheated on me, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“ If you love him, I can tell you what you’d do. The same thing I do.” Charlotte turned, placing the box of Christmas bulbs with the rest of the decorations. “Close your eyes and pretend it doesn’t happen.”
“ You love Eathen very much, don’t you?” Martha watched Charlotte’s face, gauging her feelings for a man that she herself would rather never lay eyes on again.
“ With all my heart,” Charlotte replied. “If I didn’t, I woulda been gone long ago.”
“ Well, all I can say is,” Martha moved off the couch, “it is a wise decision on your part to let us raise Tia. If your marriage is in this much trouble,” she righted a double strand of pearls surrounding her throat, “she’s far better off with a family who will always be together.”
“ Don’t tempt fate, Martha. John’s a very, good-lookin’, successful man. There are a lotta women who’d settle for him without a marriage license.”
“ My husband is a good and moral man, Charlotte Thornton!” Martha whirled on her. “Simply because you can’t keep your husband happy, doesn’t mean I can’t!”
“ Let me give you some advice, Martha.” Charlotte ignored her sister’s childish dramatics. “I learned this from talkin’ to a woman who made her livin’ from those so- called good and moral men.” She settled herself
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