twice," she'd cackled.
The noon bell rang. Mercedes carefully returned the oil to its place on her dresser and moved to the bed. Madame promised to be up at the noon sounding. She pulled away the netting. Lifting a stray lock from the sleeping face, she wondered what color Jade's eyes were, wondered, too, if they showed her blindness. Surely, there must be a flaw to such beauty.
"Wake up," she called softly, gently shaking the bare shoulders. "Wake up."
The voice beckoned from the depth of her sleep. Jade turned into the pillow, trying to ignore it. Mercedes shook her more firmly. "Please, wake up."
Jade stirred, opened her eyes, but remained still as she took stock of her circumstances. She was in an overstuffed bed, covered with layers of quilts, and she was completely naked. A pleasant fragrance gathered in the air. Heaven? Did God take her to heaven?
"Green eyes!" Mercedes declared with delight. "You have beautiful green eyes!"
Jade reached a timid hand to the face, touching something too real to be an angel. Her wits returned all at once, and though still dazed from a long induced sleep, she became immediately aware of many things. She needed water, had to relieve herself, and she needed to know where she was, who sat with her and what happened to poor Monsieur Deubler!
Jade sat up, careful to bring the covers up with her. "I'm Mercedes," the voice said.
Jade imagined the voice smiled at her.
'This is Madame Charmane's house. How do you feel?"
It sounded all very well with Jade. "I feel thirsty and I must relieve myself."
Mercedes smiled as she held out a long orange silk robe, but remembering that Jade could not see, she placed it around Jade's shoulders and helped her from the bed to the chamber pot. She guided her back to a wicker chair, poured a tall glass of water and pressed it into her hand.
As soon as Jade drained the contents of the glass, the sleepy fog lifted and her thoughts traveled with abrupt panic. Color drained from her face as she remembered Monsieur Deubler's alarm, his caution as he went ahead to make sure the house was safe. Then Ham, poor Ham, and the brief fight, and the cloth coming over her mouth! Then... then nothing. She must have passed out. A man brought her to this house. "Monsieur Deubler?" she asked excitedly. "Did he bring him here, too?"
"I don't know about that—"
"We must alert the authorities!" Jade interrupted hastily, imagining Monsieur Deubler and perhaps even Maydrian lying unconscious in her house. "Something horrible has happened! A man abducted me! Kidnapped me! Oh, goodness, we must send for help!"
Mercedes did not know what to say, but when Jade rose to her feet and demanded her clothes, she knew something must be said. It would be worse than she had imagined, and God knew she did not want to be the one to tell her.
"Please, calm yourself," Mercedes begged, gently sitting her back in the chair. "You will fall faint getting so excited after sleeping so long."
"Oh, but you don't understand! I realize my circumstances must seem odd to you but my servant—"
She stopped at the sound of the door opening. It seemed three people entered and approached the sitting table.
Madame Charmane first greeted Mercedes, and then introduced herself to Jade as the mistress of the house. Two
huge Negro men accompanied the tall, angular woman. Short blond hair curled about her face, and the idea that she was attractive, even beautiful, always surprised Mercedes, as if her deeds would at any minute appear in heavy lines etched deeply into her pale complexion. Her manner and dress were elegant too, and tastefully so. Nothing indicated the beast that lurked beneath her skin.
Seeing only darkness, Jade remained ignorant of the calculated appraisal there or the blank, emotionless faces of the two Negro men, beaten into unnatural subservience. But oddly, she felt Mercedes's apprehension. Mercedes stood alongside the bed, squeezing Jade's hand in hers in a silent warning. Mercedes's
The noon bell rang. Mercedes carefully returned the oil to its place on her dresser and moved to the bed. Madame promised to be up at the noon sounding. She pulled away the netting. Lifting a stray lock from the sleeping face, she wondered what color Jade's eyes were, wondered, too, if they showed her blindness. Surely, there must be a flaw to such beauty.
"Wake up," she called softly, gently shaking the bare shoulders. "Wake up."
The voice beckoned from the depth of her sleep. Jade turned into the pillow, trying to ignore it. Mercedes shook her more firmly. "Please, wake up."
Jade stirred, opened her eyes, but remained still as she took stock of her circumstances. She was in an overstuffed bed, covered with layers of quilts, and she was completely naked. A pleasant fragrance gathered in the air. Heaven? Did God take her to heaven?
"Green eyes!" Mercedes declared with delight. "You have beautiful green eyes!"
Jade reached a timid hand to the face, touching something too real to be an angel. Her wits returned all at once, and though still dazed from a long induced sleep, she became immediately aware of many things. She needed water, had to relieve herself, and she needed to know where she was, who sat with her and what happened to poor Monsieur Deubler!
Jade sat up, careful to bring the covers up with her. "I'm Mercedes," the voice said.
Jade imagined the voice smiled at her.
'This is Madame Charmane's house. How do you feel?"
It sounded all very well with Jade. "I feel thirsty and I must relieve myself."
Mercedes smiled as she held out a long orange silk robe, but remembering that Jade could not see, she placed it around Jade's shoulders and helped her from the bed to the chamber pot. She guided her back to a wicker chair, poured a tall glass of water and pressed it into her hand.
As soon as Jade drained the contents of the glass, the sleepy fog lifted and her thoughts traveled with abrupt panic. Color drained from her face as she remembered Monsieur Deubler's alarm, his caution as he went ahead to make sure the house was safe. Then Ham, poor Ham, and the brief fight, and the cloth coming over her mouth! Then... then nothing. She must have passed out. A man brought her to this house. "Monsieur Deubler?" she asked excitedly. "Did he bring him here, too?"
"I don't know about that—"
"We must alert the authorities!" Jade interrupted hastily, imagining Monsieur Deubler and perhaps even Maydrian lying unconscious in her house. "Something horrible has happened! A man abducted me! Kidnapped me! Oh, goodness, we must send for help!"
Mercedes did not know what to say, but when Jade rose to her feet and demanded her clothes, she knew something must be said. It would be worse than she had imagined, and God knew she did not want to be the one to tell her.
"Please, calm yourself," Mercedes begged, gently sitting her back in the chair. "You will fall faint getting so excited after sleeping so long."
"Oh, but you don't understand! I realize my circumstances must seem odd to you but my servant—"
She stopped at the sound of the door opening. It seemed three people entered and approached the sitting table.
Madame Charmane first greeted Mercedes, and then introduced herself to Jade as the mistress of the house. Two
huge Negro men accompanied the tall, angular woman. Short blond hair curled about her face, and the idea that she was attractive, even beautiful, always surprised Mercedes, as if her deeds would at any minute appear in heavy lines etched deeply into her pale complexion. Her manner and dress were elegant too, and tastefully so. Nothing indicated the beast that lurked beneath her skin.
Seeing only darkness, Jade remained ignorant of the calculated appraisal there or the blank, emotionless faces of the two Negro men, beaten into unnatural subservience. But oddly, she felt Mercedes's apprehension. Mercedes stood alongside the bed, squeezing Jade's hand in hers in a silent warning. Mercedes's
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