Deveraux, Jude - The Lost Woman

by Tere

  -- And Margo? I do not believe that it is put very contented when find out your marriage.

  -- I can order to me of her.

  Old memories, not absolutely cured, ensombre­cieron the eyes of Clay.

  -- Protege to your wife of her. A woman like Mar­go she has breakfast with sweet sandwiches like Regan. I know it -- she added in low voice.

  -- Margo cannot do nothing, and I will let it know.

  I will be there for protects!' to my wife, and Regan knows what I feel by her. I married with her, is not thus?

  Clay did not say more. In an occasion they had given him con­sejos and he had not listened to them, and knew with what facili­dad could be done married votes... and to break them.

  That night, when Regan lay down next to his espo­so in the bed with canopy, it told some him of his impre­siones of the day.

  --No knew that something existed thus. She is as if Clay and Nicole of a whole town was owners.

  Travis attracted it towards himself.

  -- Then you like our system of plantacio­nes?-- it murmured, somnoliento.

  -- Clear that yes, but it cheers to me that does not have many No I understand how Nicole can take care thus of a place. Thanks to the sky, you no you are more than a poor farmer.

  When not receiving answer, it watched Travis and it saw that esta­ba slept. It smiled, it was curled up against him and one fell asleep placidly.

  On the following day, the goodbye was surprising difficult. Nicole promised to visit Regan in a moment and to ayu­dar it in which it could. Clay and Travis commented cose­cha of that year, and raised the small one boat and went river above.

  Regan was excited to see where Tra­vis lived and it was asked if the place would be so great, rustic and robust like him. It hoped to be able to retinar its home, as it also hoped refined him.

  After sailing slowly and placidly by a time, they arrived at another clear one in the woods. Distan­cia an enormous wharf was seen with more boats.

  --No is another plantation, or yes? -- Regan asked, approaching Travis. That seemed much greater than the home of Clay, of way that it had of being a city.

  —¡Clear that loes!-- son­risa responded Travis with one.

  -- Conoces the owners of this site?

  When approaching, Regan saw that that plantation seemed a version increased of the one of Clay. Next to mue­lle there was a building so great like the house of Clay.

  -- What is that? -- it asked.

  --Es the deposit of the boat. There the captains pue­den to repair to candles and other things, and the artí­culos are stored to be transported.

  There were three moored small boats to the wharf, two hulls and four small canoes, according to indicated Travis. Regan saw with surprise that Travis directed the boat towards that wharf.

  -- Pense' that We went to house -- said, consternada --. You want to see some friend here?

  Travis jumped to earth and it helped it to do the same before the girl could say another word. It took it by the chin and it made watch it.

  -- This -- it said smoothly, watching it to the eyes --

  it is my plantation.

  For a moment, Regan was too overwhelmed

  in order to speak.

  -- Everything... all this? -- it murmured.

  -- Until the last string of grass. Now they see, you mos­traré your new home.

  Those were the last words that could com­partir solo, because immediately a multitude arrived until them. Of a building a another one resonated shouts of "Tra­vis!"and"Mr. Stanford!" At no Travis moment sol­tó the hand of Regan while it narrowed the hands of hundreds of people who arrived running from all the corners of plantation. And to all it presented/displayed it, expli­cando to him that this man was the head of carpenters, that one was attending of gardening, that woman was third servant of the high plant. The ready one was interminable, and the only thing that Regan could to make era greet them with the head while its mind did not let repeat: "All are used. All work for Travis... and for me."

  At some moment of the presentations, Travis declared that holiday, and shortly after they began to lle­gar the field laborers stops to greet it. Robus­tos, muscular men, arrived laughing and joked with Travis

  about which surely it had been enternecido during the trip. Regan noticed with pride that no of hom­bres was more muscular that its husband.

  While they moved away of the river, saluting to more per­sonas by the way, some of the employees comenza­ron to make questions. Apparently, half of the plan­tación was coming down.

  -- Where it is Wes? -- Travis asked; it walked with as much haste that Regan had to run to follow it.

  --Tu uncle Thomas it has died in Boston, and Wes had to go in order to take care of its subjects -- hom­bre responded that was supervisor.

  -- And Margo? -- frunci­do --. insisted Travis with the frown It could have taken care of some of those problems.

  -- Perdio' twenty cows by a species of disease -- the man responded.

  -- Travis -- it called a robust woman and pelirroja --. Three of the looms are disturbed, and whenever I request to which repairs them it says to me that it is not his work.

  -- Travis -- the --, Backe said to another woman have nue­vos chickens of the east. You could authorize the money to com­prar some?

  -- Travis -- a man said who smoked a pipe --. It has to do something with the smallest small canoe. It is necessary to repair it or to discard it.

  Suddenly, Travis stopped and raised the hands.

  -- All deteneos here. Tomorrow it will respond all yours questions. ¡No! -- Their eyes were illuminated and took the hand from Regan.-- Tengo one wife, and tomorrow she will be made position of the tasks of the women. Carolyn, you you will be able to ask to him for the looms, and you, Susan, will be able preguntar­le by chickens. I am sure that she knows more of that than I.

  Regan was glad of which Travis had it of the hand then of not to have been thus, it would have given to average return and echa­do to run. What knew she of looms and chickens?

  -- However -- Travis --, continued I want to show my house to my wife, and if you do one more a single question to me, I will cancel the break -- it threatened pretending ferocidad.

  If Regan been so had not gotten depressed, would be reí­do by the haste whereupon all they moved away, except for ancia­no that was standing in the bottom, very shut up.

  --El is Elias -- Travis with pride --. said He is the best one gardener of Virginia.

  -- Traje something for the new lady -- it said Elias, and him it offered a flower that Regan had never seen. It had a tonality purple that he was shining and smooth simultaneously. Cen­tro was a species of tube escarolada and, behind it had great acorazonados petals.

  Regan extended the hand, almost afraid to touch it.

  --Es a orquídea, lady -- Elias --. said The pri­mera Mrs. Stanford was made bring whenever the captains went to the seas of the south. Perhaps, when it has time, it would please to see the conservatories to him.

  -- Yes -- Regan responded, asking itself if that place him it would lack something.

  It thanked for the gardener and soon it followed Travis, that it continued walking in opposed direction of the river. By prime­ra time descried before they it enormous house. From that dis­tancia it even gave the impression that the house Weston and the one of Clay would fit in a single wing.

  With visible pride by the house that it loved, Travis him he told that his grandfathers had constructed it and who all Stanford loved it. But to each step the fear of Regan was increased. The responsibilities of Nicole ha­bían similarity to him overwhelming, but now it wished to live in a house like the one of her. How it would make to handle aque­lla monstrous house, in addition to the tasks that Travis espe­raba that assumed? When arriving at the house, it saw that it was greater of which it seemed. It had a central section of bricks, four floors and means of stop, and two wings in form of L to each side. They raised a wide one stairs of stone and, once inside, Tra
vis began to show to him

  house.

  It took it a fourth blue one, one green one, red one and one target, and showed to the classroom and the room to him of the master of keys. trasteros quarters were as great as the dormitory that had she in the house Weston.

  With each room -- each one with gorgeous mue­bles -- the fear of Regan increased more and more. How it could handle a place of that size?

  When it believed to have seen all the rooms that it could have in a house, Travis almost took it to the dray by the stairs of wing this. The rooms of that pri­mera plant, that was the main one, they surpassed by much to the previous ones. There was a dining room with a contiguous room for the tea of the ladies, another room for the family, a biblio­teca for men, two rooms more for any other activity, and an enormous dormitory with a fourth infantile contiguous one.

  --Es ours -- Travis said, and without pause it took it to dance hall.

  There, Regan was overwhelmed. It had said very little from that they entered the house, but now felt that pier­nas no longer maintained it. It was dropped on a sofa and con­templó the hall in a silence estupefacción.

  The single size already was overwhelming. The ceiling of five meters of height made feel small, insignificant. The walls had panels painted of celestial pale, and the oak floors were impeccably lustrados. It seemed to have many furniture: six sofas upholstered in flat rosa­do innumerable upholstered chairs of the same tone, an ARPA, a piano, and numerous tables placed near pare­des, with which it was cleared the center, place setting with an immense Eastern carpet.

  -- Clear that, when we have celebrations, we cleared al­fombra -- I inform Travis with pride --. Perhaps you want to offer a celebration. We could to invite to two hundred per­sonas to spend the night here, and you and Malvina, cook, could plan the menu. You would like, right?

  It was too much. With tears in the eyes and a pain in the belly, Regan threw to run by the dance hall in the direction of the door opposed. Not even it had idea of how leaving the house. It ran by a length corridor, opened a door and entered pretty a fourth blue and white one. Not recor­daba the names of all the rooms, much except its location.

  It was thrown to the ground, it supported the head and the arms in blue and white armchair and lay down to cry. How could Travis do that to him? By what had not said it?

  At a Travis moment it arrived at its side, took it in his arms and seated in the armchair.

  -- Why you cry?it asked to him with as much restlessness that Regan began to cry, with more intensity.

  —¡You are rich! -- it exclaimed, with a knot in the throat.

  -- Lloras because I am rich? -- it asked, incredulous.

  Although it tried to explain it, Regan to it knew that he it would never understand it. Travis always was safe of hacer­lo all good; never it was happened to him to doubt that it could obtain some thing. It did not know what was to be useless. Now espera­ba that it handled the house, the dependencies, the sir­vientes and, since it was, that offered a celebration for about two hundred friends.

  --No I can ayudarte if you do not say what to you ocu­rre to me -- Travis insisted; while it gave a handkerchief to him --. You cannot enfadarte because I am not a poor farmer.

  -- How...? -- it sobbed --. How I can...? ¡Not even I have seen a loom in all my life!

  Travis took a little while in understanding to what

  it referred.

  --No you will have to weave, to only order to whom do. The women will bring their problems to you and you will solve them -- she said --. It is very simple.

  ¡Would never be made it understand! Regan rose of jump and I throw to run again. It returned by the corridor, passed by the hall dance and of there another runner, until to the aim found its dormitory and it threw on the bed with a revoloteo of skirts of muselina and enaguas.

  In spite of its sobs it heard the slow cadences of Tra­vis that one approached. One stopped in the door, it observed it a little while and it decided that she needed to be single. To oír­lo to leave, Regan lay down to cry with more force.

  Hours later, a servant called smoothly to door and asked to him what wished to have supper. Regan was on the verge of responding "Yorkshire pudding", but soon included/understood that not even it knew what meals it had in

  America. Finally, it said to the girl whom it did not have ape­tito and requested Perhaps to him that it left could remain in that room for always, without having to face the outer world.

  In spite of the first impression of Regan about difficult that it was to direct a plantation, distaba much of the reality. Travis it raised before the dawn and, in few minutes, there were women in the room that they began to make questions to Regan. When seeing that it did not have idea of answers, began to watch themselves of I avoid. In momen­to, one of the servants something murmured about how hom­bre since Travis had been able to marry with somebody like her.

  And throughout oía the name of Margo.

  A weaver showed designs to him that she had given him Margo. A gardener planted bulbs of the Mar­go young lady. In the fourth blue one it found dresses that belonged to the Margo young lady, who often stayed itself there.

  During the supper, it asked Travis for that woman, but it limited itself to shrink of shoulders and explained that she was a neighbor. After as much time far from its planta­ción, was stuffed of work. Even during comi­das reviewed papers with its two assistants, numbers of bie­nes received and sold goods. Regan did not want to exhaust it more having to him of his problems.

  A day, the world of Regan stopped in dry. Tra­vis it had returned to have supper quickly and it spoke to him with

  the full mouth about the arrival of a new boat des­de England. Then it excelled the sound of the helmets of horse in the brick way. The chasquido one of a whip followed was heard by an acute whinny, and Travis went to the window, quickly.

  —¡Margo! -- rugió --. If you return to strike that horse, I will give you to you with that whip.

  A deep and seductive laughter seemed to fill runner.

  -- Better men than you have tried it, my love -- a feminine voice responded, and soon another chas­quido and another whinny was heard.

  The whole house shook when Travis lowered escale­ra. Regan, with the expanded eyes, left the napkin on the table and a went the window. Down pelirroja was one gorgeous that wore a suit to mount green emerald on its attractive figure. Its great and promi­nentes chests, its small waist and its cleared hips hicie­ron that Regan watched his own slight curves.

  But at a moment it returned to watch the woman who it mounted to its stallion black that corcoveaba, furious, in the patio. The woman it seemed to control with facility that immense animal. It watched towards the front from the house and, when seeing to appear to Travis, returned to laugh and raised the whip.

  In few second Travis it gave to a jump and him arreba­tó the raised whip, but the woman nailed her heels to the horse and she did it to back down. At no moment it lost the balance nor the confidence when animal raised the front legs, and when she returned to lower them it threatened to return to nail the heels to him.

  But Travis was faster than she. It took it from bra­zo with a hand and, with the other, the reins. By momen­to they struggled; the laughter of the woman it filled the air, as if outside the light of the moon in broad daylight. It was a high and strong woman, and with the force of the horse was an excellent rival for Travis.

  When to the aim Travis it obtained that it got off itself, did it embracing themselves to him and clearing with its chests the face and the chest of Travis. Soon it opened the mouth and it kissed it of

  way so that. from the position of Regan, it seemed to que­rer to devour it.

  Regan did not think that it could lower the stairs with tan­ta rapidity, but when arriving down, the kiss as soon as it finished.

  -- Still you think to give me with the whip? -- Margo asked, in a tone the sufficiently high thing so that Regan reached to oir it --. Or perhaps convencerte can use somethin
g a little smaller... very little smaller, if badly nonmemory -- it added, to the time that rubbed his significantly cade­ra against the one of him.

  Travis took it by the arms and it separated it.

  -- Margo, before you continue making the ridiculous situation, I create that you would have to know somebody. --Se returned, apa­rentemente conscious from where it was Regan.-- You pre­sento to my wife.

  Many expressions happened through the face of Mar­go. The bent eyebrows were joined and their green eyes ignited. The fins of their patricia nose became inflamed, and their sensual lips assumed rictus. It seemed to pun­to to say something, but it shut up. It watched Travis and it gave bofe­tada him that it resonated against the immense house. In few segun­dos it returned to mount, threw with force of the reins and directed the horse towards the east, striking it wildly with: whip.

  Travis observed it a little while, masculló something like "it does not have right to thus treat the animals", tightened the jaw hurt and one became towards his wife.

  -- Era Margo Jenkins, our next neighbor.

  With that calm declaration it seemed to put full stop to the episode.

  Regan, paralyzed and rigid, saw the lived impression on the hand of Margo in the cheek of Travis when he inclined to kiss it.

  --Te I will see tonight. Why you do not lie down awhile? You are something pale. We love a healthy baby, you do not forget it.

  Said this, it signaled to its assistant who was behind Regan, so that it followed it, and the west went towards the wing of house, to its office

  Regan took long short while in recovering the sufficient thing in order to return wing it marries. Throughout the day harassed recuer­do of the arrogant one and splendid Margo. On two ocassions one stopped before a mirror and I am observed: its great eyes, their thin face and its general air of dulzura. Margo Jenkins it did not have anything of dulzura. It sank the cheeks and it tried to imagine more sophisticated, with a superior beauty, but one occurred by won with a deep one sigh.