Deveraux, Jude - The Lost Woman

by Tere

  Brandy agreed and left the room.

  During a little while, Regan left its mind returned to the time of the visits from Margo to the plantation. In that time, Margo not it got upset with her and ayu­daba with the personnel on watch, and it had not seen the insul­tos of that woman like which you would eran. ¡That Malvina!, pen­só. ¡How it would now like to put the hands above to him! ¡And Margo! The dear Margo, that it tyrannized to the poor woman and inse­gura wife of Travis, anointing to help it when, in rea­lidad, it destroyed the little security that it had left.

  With a smile. Regan left its office, happened through it cooks and it requested to Brandy that prepárala tea for two muje­res. It ignored commentaries of its friend about which esta­ba list for the battle and soon it sent an invitation to Mar­go to take the tea in the library.

  Margo appeared immediately, and Regan saw in her things that had before not seen: the face and the body of Mar­go began a to accuse signs of so many years of disi­pada life. Trasnochadas, good food, excesses of everything cla­se, were reflected in wrinkles and ojeras, and in engrasamiento of its waist that was noticed in spite of fitted corsé.

  -- Vaya, goes, if he is florecíta English -- Mar­go said when entering --. They have said to me that now you are owner of this place. Who you it bought?

  -- you do not want to take seat? -- Regan with cor­tesía --. said I have ordered refrigerio. In effect, I am due­ña of this hotel. -- With one innocent smile, prosi­guió.-- and of the press, the office of the lawyer, doctor's office of the doctor, the store,!to blacksmith shop, the school and the pharmacy, in addition of four farms outside the town and cien­to twenty hectares of earth.

  Margo blinked a single time, but it did not show another one change of expression.

  --- and with how many men you have slept to conse­guir all that? I am sure that to Travis it will interest to know it to him.

  —¡How amiable you are when thinking that I am worth so much! -- it exclaimed Regan con.estusiasmo --. But moan infor­marte that I do not have your ability in order to sell to me and with

  to follow what I want. I have had will resort intelligence and to the work to have everything what today I have. When it exceeded to me a little money, did not spend in a dress nue­vo but that used it in order to buy more earth more and construction equipments.

  One stopped and it went to open the door to Brandy, that, with great curiosity, brought an enormous tray.

  -- How they go cosas'1 -- Brandy whispered.

  Regan smiled with presumption, with which Brandy laughed and it gave the tray to him.

  When they returned to be solo, Regan placed tray on a low small table and served the tea.

  -- Quieres that we return to begin? -- Regan --. asked Of nothing serves to pretend that we are friends. Supon­go that you are here because you love my husband.

  Margo tried to calm itself. It did not want to lose that it battles.

  -- Veo that you have learned to serve the tea -- it observed.

  Learned --He many things in the last years. You will see that so I am not trusted as before. Now it tell me. what you want.

  -- Quiero to Travis. He was mine until you put in its bed, you became pregnant and you forced it to marry with you.

  -- That is a way to see the things. It tell me, aca­so Travis has said to you that it would marry with you if it got rid of me?

  --No makes lack that me says it -- Margo --. talked back Already we were almost it jeopardize when he knew you, and the only problem is that he is encaprichado with you. Nin­guna woman had left it before, and that he returns crazy.

  --Si that one is the case, if to Travis it likes the women that they leave it, why you have followed it up to here? It would not have been better quedarte and that it returned to you?

  —¡Damn you are! -- gruñó Margo --. ¡Travis Stanford is mine! He was already mine long before which you let use short dresses. ¡You it you left! You robbed jewels of its mother and you left it. If it did not have found that no­ta... --Se stopped steeply.

  Regan miró to the eyes a little while, concentrated. All those years it had been wondered why Travis nun­ca had found it. It had left a sign that has­ta a boy could follow, but Travis never she had moles­tado myself in doing it. But if Margo had found the note before he...

  -- it looked for long time to Me? -- I ask in low voice. Margo it was put of foot and it watched it, furious.

  --No you will hope that you it says it, right? You I notice it: Travis is mine. I do not believe that you are suficiente­mente the woman to fight with me. I always with himself what I want.

  -- Truely. Margo? -- Regan with cal­ma --. asked Perhaps you have a man who embraces you by the nights while you cry, or to who can trust your deeper secrets? You know what is to share, to love and to be loved by somebody? -- Volvio' the head and watched Mar­go.-- Or perhaps you see people as if they were cen­tavos dollars and? It tell me, if you were the owner of Scarlet Springs, you would follow interested in my husband so?.

  Margo was arranged to respond but, aparentemen­te, it changed to seem and, in silence, it left the room. When Regan took the tea cup to the lips, noticed with surprise that was shaking. questions that had done to Margo were the same ones that it had plan­teado itself without realizing. After all, what meant to be owner of a town? There it had friends, people to those who had taken affection, but could to replace a special person, somebody that lands on water it although nonestu­viera in the best one of the spirits, somebody that him sostuvie­ra the head when it disturbed, a espe­cial person who knew all her parts ugly and even thus it animated it?

  When remembering the plantation of Travis and the Stan­ford house it included/understood that Jennifer had to grow there. In pare­des they were the pictures of hundreds of ancestors of Tra­vis, who also were the ancestros of Jennifer. The girl deserved that class of continuity, a place that implied security and peace, not it life always money changer of a hotel.

  Smiling, recostó in the chair. Clear that it would not be easy to say to Travis that wasI add. Without it eludes, he regodearía and it would be responded that it had always known that it would win. But what concerned that? For her significa­ba to more pass the life with the man whom it loved that to resign to everything by its idiot pride. In addition, there would be ways to pay it to it. If, it thought. It would make him lament his boastfulness.

  --Te you see very pleased with same you -- obser­vó Brandy.

  Regan had not heard enter its friend.

  -- it was thinking about Travis.

  -- That would make me also smile to my. Then, when you go away with him?

  -- and what makes think you...? -- it began to ask Regan, but one stopped when Brandy lay down to laugh --. I already know what you are thinking, and is truth. You know? during years I was scared of Travis, fear of which its personality he devoured to me and I let exist.

  -- But now you know that you can defend yours -- it said Brandy.

  -- Yes, and I include/understand that it is right: that its planta­ción it is a better site for Jennifer. But what has of you? How it will affect to you that I it marches to me Scarlet Springs? You want that it looks for another person so that you help with the hotel?

  --No, you do not worry for that reason -- Brandy responded, raising a hand --. Travis and I have fixed everything to it. There will be no problem.

  -- Travis and you? You mean that... and my espo­so...? To my backs?

  -- At the latest that I knew, it no longer was your husband. And by if it knew that you would leave. Travis is not a man to whom a woman can resist much by tiem­po. You knew the hell through which it happened treating about en­contrarte when you left it? And that has stayed céli­be since then?

  -- What?-- Regan exclaimed, while it returned to inva­dir it love by Travis -- How you know it?

  -- While you worked, I spent a time with Tra­vis and Jennifer, and if you did not have curiosity, I yes. You want to know reason why it has passed that poor man in the últi­mos years?<
br />
  Without waiting for the answer of Regan, Brandy began a to relate the history long and detailed to him of the sufferings of Travis. majority of their friends thought that Regan had suffocated, but it followed looking for it although all they advised to him that one occurred by won. A preacher lle­gó to insist in which espo­sa made a funeral for its beloved disappear, thinking that perhaps that would free to Tra­vis of its obsession.

  One hour later, Regan left the library with the head in clouds. It ignored to Farrell, that saw and lla­mó it, and looked for a Travis, throughout anxious by decir­le that loved it, that it wanted to marry with him and who would return to house with him.

  At dusk, when seeing that Travis not yet appeared, co­menzó to lose part of its enthusiasm. Distracted, recha­zó the invitation of Farrell a to have supper and spent the night with its daughter. After the second night without the news of Travis, its euphoria was appeased. Jennifer was of the bad watched humor and diri­gía gotten upset its mother; Farrell insisted with its invitations, and Margo asked constantly where it was Travis.

  The third day, Regan began to wish not to have nun­ca known Travis Stanford. ¡It could not it have left after all what it had made to find it!: Or yes? Oh, God, please, said in silence that night, when throwing itself on the bed. Please, that has not left to me. By first time in years, lay down to cry. ¡Damn you are, Travis!, it thought. How many tears had made him spill that man?

  To five the in the morning following one, Regan woke up to to hear that they called to his door. Dozed, one rose and the dressing gown was put.

  In the corridor it was standing Timmie Watts, the son of one of its renters farmers.

  Before Regan could say a word, boy quickly gave to a red rose of long stem and mar­chó to him.

  Regan yawned and watched the exquisite and fragant flower. Su­jeto to the stem there was a paper, that it unrolled and it read: "Regan you want to marry with me? Travis."

  It spent everything a minute until its mind com­prendió that they saw its eyes, and then sent a exclamación of joy, narrowed rose against its chest and gave three jumps in the air. ¡It had not olvi­dado it!

  -- Mami -- it said to Jennifer, rubbing eyes --, has returned papi?

  -- Almost -- Regan responded, laughing. It took its daughter in arms and danced with her by the room. —. This rose, this beautiful one and perfect rose, is of your father. It wants that we are going to live with him.

  We will go - it said to jennifer. also laughing and abra­zando a its mother, because she began to get dizzy --. Podre­mos to mount my pony.

  —¡Every day, from now on and for always! Aho­ra vistámonos, because surely papa will arrive in a moment.

  Before putting a golden velvet dress, Regan threw all its properties on the bed. Esta­ba in the middle of that disorder when somebody returned to call to the door. It ran to open it, hoping to see Travis.

  Era Watts SARAH, the sister of Timmie, that it brought two pink roses. Confused, Regan took the roses and ob­servó to SARAH to leave running by the corridor.

  -- Lira papi? -- Jennifer asked.

  --No, but papi has sent us two roses more. Suje­to a each one was a coiled slip of paper, written with letter of Travis. that it said: "Regan, you want to marry with me? Travis."

  -- Pasa something, mami? Why papi does not come to ver­nos?

  Without paying attention to the clothes that were on Regan bed seated. It was as soon as a recondite suspicion, but the new roses they made it ask itself what would be plotting Travis. A look threw to the clock and it saw that they were as soon as five and the average one. They had given a rose to five, two to five and the average one. No, it thought. It could not be.

  --No passes nothing, my love -- Regan --. said Quie­res to take these roses to your room?

  -- They are of papi?

  -- Of course.

  Jenniter took the roses as if they were most valuable and it took them room to his.

  To six, when Jennifer and Regan were vesti­das and they down went to have breakfast, arrived three roses more.

  —¡How beautiful! -- Brandy exclaimed, that already esta­ba raised and cooking. Before Regan could protest, it took the flowers, it read subject notes to them and it placed them in a Horero. --No you seem very happy. By

  spirit that you have been in the last, penseque you ale­graría to receive a signal of him. To me they would animate to much three roses to me with those notes.

  -- Hay six roses -- Regan with serie­dad --. responded One it reached five, two to five and the average one, three to six.

  --No you will be thinking...

  --Lo had forgotten, but Travis and I discussed by the ways to court. I commentd out some des­pectivos about which the Americans do not know to court a woman.

  -- You have been very bad -- Brandy said very, feeling American --. Six roses before the breakfast demonstrate to you what we can do the Americans -- agre­gó, and resumed its work.

  Thinking that there was victim to his better friend, Regan it directed to the dining room to verify that everything estu­viese ready. While it left dining room, the son of the impre­sor gave four yellow roses to him, each one with its res­pectiva note.

  With a deep sigh, Regan smiled when seeing the roses and it wagged the head. Perhaps Travis never towards anything in small scale? It kept notes in their pocket and were in search of a florero.

  For the ten in the morning no longer it smiled. Each average hour more roses arrived, and until the moment sixty and six were a total of. The same amount was not intimidatory, but the interest that those flowers they were waking up in all the town. The druggist and his wife went to desa­yunar to the hotel, something that never had done before, and when mar­char itself stopped stops to ask Regan who was that Travis that it had contracted his three children so that you would entre­garan pink each half an hour. They did not reveal where they conse­guían children those flowers nor who had spoken with them, and were very discreet with respect to the notes that had read... but the curiosity it ate away.

  At noon a branch from fifteen roses, each one arrived with a subject note to the stem, and it was then when she began to deal with to hide. But all the town parecia

  to conspirar against her. Whenever they lacked five minu­tos for the hour or inedia hour, somebody had something impor­tante that to say, something to him that maintained it at sight of all when the following one arrived branch.

  To four, they gave twenty-three roses to him.

  ---Ya two hundred seventy and six are -- the owner said of warehouse, and wrote the amount with chalk in the wall of the bar.

  -- hoy9 does not have clients asked Regan to him, irri­tada.

  Single --Ni one -- man, smiling --. responded They are all here. -- Volvio' to watch towards the crowded hall. -- Who wants to bet when they are going to let arrive?

  Regan gave average return and left there, after to leave the branch of roses in Brandy arms.

  -- Pink?-- Brandy --. exclaimed ¡How wonderful surprise! Who will have sent them?

  Regan made a face and followed by the runner. Not him it would have been strange that Travis had instigado all that interest in the roses. Surely the people of the town had better things than to do instead of observing it to receive flo­res. Clear that the reason by which Travis was contrata­do a all the children of the town were to wake up the interest of the parents.

  To seven it received twenty-nine roses, and to eight, thirty and one. For the nine already sixty and one had received five hundred roses, of all the colors that could have the roses. The notes of Travis, that they said the same time and time again, they filled his pockets, the drawers of his escrito­rio, a box on its dressing table, a copper pot in coci­na. A to weigh of all its protests, could not reject a single one of notes.

  To the ten it began to ask itself if sometimes they would leave to arrive the flowers. Que­ría was tired and not more than to put in the bed and to be calm, jus­to when he arrived at the door of his dormitory, a boy him he put in
the arms a branch of thirty and five roses. Once inside, Regan them it cleared all notes carefully, read them and soon it kept them in a drawer, along with its underclothes. Travis, sighed; already

  it was not tired. At least single in its room it could to enjoy the roses.

  Somebody, without a doubt Brandy, had placed several vases with water in a corner, and Regan occupied one. When doing it the last time remembered that Travis was regala­do to him flowers, in its night of weddings.

  Still it was laughing when, to ten and the average one, they lle­garon thirty and six roses. They reached more at eleven and eleven and the average one. To midnight, Regan went to open puer­ta and saw that it was the Reverendo Wentworlh, of the church of Scarlet Springs.

  -- Phase, please -- Regan said, with courtesy.

  --No, I must go to house. It already is very late. Only there am veni­do to bring this to him.

  It gave a white, long and narrow case to him. Regan it opened it and it saw that a delicate rose of thin fine cris­tal contained and fragile, with a smooth pink dye. The stem and the leaves also were of crystal, of a smooth color ver­de. To its side there was a small plate of silver carved, that it said: "Regan, you want to marry with me? Travis."

  Regan was without speech, afraid to touch the beauty of the crystal rose.

  -- Travis was very eager of which it liked -- it said Reverendo Wentworth.

  -- Where it found it? And how it brought it to Scarlet Springs?

  -- That, my beloved, knows only the gentleman to it Stanford. Simply it requested to me that it gave to a gift this midnight to him. Sure when the case arrived and when seeing that he was open, my wife and I... good, we did not resist the temptation to spy what was. Now really I must go to me. Good night.

  Regan as soon as it heard it. It closed the door, distracted, and recostó against her a little while, with the elegant fixed glance in and the splendid one crystal rose. It contained the breath, afraid of which one became broken, and it placed it in the small flo­rero that was next to its bed, next to the first rose that Travis had sent him. When undressing, it did not separate the eyes from any of two roses, and when one lay down, the light of