The Awakening by Elizabeth Montgomery Page A

for Bentley. She swallowed hard and wiped her eyes.
      A few minutes later a knock sounded on the door.
      “May I come in?” Bentley asked.
     “Yes,” Adele said softly.
      Bentley walked in the room, leaned over Adele as she sat sniffling on her bed and asked, “May I?” He tapped the bed with his hand. Adele nodded and he sat down beside her. “What happened?”
       In the silence that followed Adele’s face felt hot. “It’s Jefferson.”
       “What about him?”
        Adele clenched the handmade quilt, wiped her nose on it, then cupped her face in her hands. “Your nephew’s a pervert!”
     “A pervert?”
    “You heard me.”
    “What did he do?”
    “He came in my room when I was half naked.”
    “Why would he do that?”
    “Cause I told him to come in. I thought it was Eva.”
     Bentley shrugged his shoulders. “Then it wasn’t really his fault, now was it? It was an accident.”
     “Accident my foot! When I told him to leave, he wouldn’t, he just stood there with a dumb look on his face gawking at me. I’ve never been so angry. Honestly Bentley, living with Dad was bad enough, but now a pervert?”
      “If you don’t like it here Adele, you can always go back home.”
     “What?” She stood up and whirled around to glare at him.
     “I’m just saying.” Bentley broke out into a loud infectious laughter.
     “What’s so funny?”
     “You,” he said, “I can’t help it Adele this is the most fun I’ve had in over twenty years. Come on, it was an accident.”
    “Well I’m glad to see you find this funny, because I don’t.” She stomped her foot and then sat back down beside him.
     “I’ll have a talk with him.”
    “Good.”
      “I called your mother,” Bentley said.
     “What?”
     “I had too. You gave me know other choice. Your mother was worried sick about you.”
     “What did she say?”
     “That’s the strange part. She said to stay as long as you wanted. Strange woman.”
      “It’s not Mom, it’s Dad, and I can’t believe you did that.”
      “What would you like me to do?”
       “Talk to your nephew and make sure it never happens again.”
      “I’ll have a word with him,” Bentley said, cradling her in his arms.
         Adele lifted her eyes to meet his. “Thanks,” she said wiping tears away, watching as Bentley left the room.
      She rose and stood in front of the mirror, looking at her figure, noting her face still flushed from the episode. Then she went back to bed.
        After a while she was able to settle down and shortly after, fell into a deep sleep, forgetting all about the incident.

     In the morning Adele came awake with a start. The knocking at the door made her eyes snap open. She rolled over, grateful to see Eva waltz in the room. The memories of young Jefferson barging in her room unannounced didn’t seem to trouble her today. Perhaps a good night’s sleep had brought about her forgiving heart.
         “Thought I’d let you sleep in,” Eva said whipping open the closet doors. “Breakfast is almost over, better hurry before it gets cold.” Eva pulled out a few of articles of clothing and laid them on the bed.
         “Shouldn’t have lost my temper last night. Never realized what I was doing,” she said, recalling the event. “Guess I’ll just have to apologize and hope Bentley doesn’t send me home.”
        “Don’t think you have to worry about that. My brother likes you. A lot. Says you’re a sweet girl.”
        “Hope so.”
        She dressed slowly, not convinced Eva was correct in her speculations. On her way out of the room she slid her fingers over the door and felt a gouge. However she managed to find her way