Cake?
Copyright @ calibeachgirl
All rights reserved, 2011
Sunday, February 14th, 1932
Valentine's Day
The sound of laughter filled James' library as he read the Sunday paper. Al Capone was now serving time at the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta. Should have sent him to Alcatraz, see how he'd like that.
A knock on the doorjamb caught his attention. He saw her standing in the doorway... the sight of her was enough and he put his hand down trying to keep his arousal down. She walked in and sat on his lap, bringing his erection to full attention.
With one arm around his neck, she kissed and teased him, moving against him until he started to moan. "Time for lunch, baby."
"You damn tease." He put the paper down and followed Bethany Rose back to the kitchen. Eliza had already set the table and seeing him, began to bring out the food. Egg salad sandwiches, his favorite... he knew Eliza found Catherine's notes when she had read his wife's cookbook.
He hesitated to ask how the sisters felt about living with the ghosts of his family. They eventually were comfortable wearing her clothes and every now and then, he thought he had seen them walking through the house. It was just his imagination, he was sure.
He had given both girls a pearl necklace for Valentine's Day and the creamy white spheres glowed around their dark chocolate necks.
While dinner was always an 'adult' affair, lunch usually included the children. He knew it was necessary for them to consider him as a 'parent'. More importantly, e didn't want to lose touch with them.
The children would become more interesting as they grew older and James was thinking of things he could do with them. Having a boy in the house was a new experience for him... he didn't think his daughters would resent his interest in the boy.
He expected John to arrive sometime around three. After he and John had come to terms that day at the beach, their common interests, mainly the sisters and the War, far outweighed any differences that still remained.
Over the last five weeks, John had come for dinner each night. His interest in Eliza had grown slowly, carefully since that morning coffee she had offered. He still couldn't believe how stupid he had been, joining the Klan when he did.
James made John promise to respect Eliza and never go beyond anything she was comfortable with. They usually sat in the kitchen or the living room. Thankfully, James and Bethany retreating to the library each night gave them the needed privacy to continue what became a serious two-sided courtship.
At least twice a week, he brought Eliza or 'Liza' as he was calling her now, a box of See's chocolates. The other days, he surprised her with flowers or books or small jewelry and sometimes sea shells.
James treated her quite well but she knew he would always be Bethany's lover. Even though she had flirted with the idea of sleeping with him when she first moved in, John's interest put a stop to those ideas.
'Liza', she liked that. Such an intimate changing of her name... she started cooking the foods he liked for dinner.
Whether James was acutely aware of this shift in the menu or not, he made no mention of it. Bethany, however, quickly noticed and protective of her own lover's needs, reminded her sister that James' favorite foods should be served at least every other day.
Yesterday, Eliza gave John a hand-knit scarf she had tirelessly worked on for three days, the soft blue color matching his eyes. Tonight, she had another type of gift in mind.
She knew she was falling love with him, the same entrapment that had captured Bethany Rose. It would only add a new layer of complexity to their lives but she didn't care anymore. Love is blind, they say and for once, she understood what that really meant.
"Eliza?" said Bethany, "what are you doing?"
Eliza stood next to the kitchen table, her dark hands covered in flour, her face white-streaked where she had touched herself.
"What does it look like? I'm baking bread." She pounded the dough one more time, put it into the bowl and covered it with the waiting cloth.
"I mean, about John. Where's this all going?" Bethany pulled a chair from the table and took it to the corner so she could sit out of the way.
"You! You are asking me? Jesus Christ, Bethany, how can you do that?" Bethany was uncomfortable. Eliza was right.
"You saw what happened with us. I don't want that to happen to you."
"It happens, it happens. I'm tired of being alone every day, every night. Anything else you'd like to know, little sister?"
"No. I... just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."
Eliza pulled out the turkey from the refrigerator and started washing it. "Tonight's going to be special, I hope. He's been such a gentleman, sometimes I think he's afraid of me. I don't know; maybe he's just wanting take it slow, like a real romance."
After putting some carrots and celery inside the bird, she sewed it closed, put the turkey upside down into a roasting pan and covered it with another cloth. Washing her hands at the sink, she set the oven to 400 degrees and started making the dressing. Thanksgiving in February... why not? Time to be thankful for something.
"A real romance? What do you mean? What's going on?"
"I'm not stupid, Bethany. I know we'll never be able to be a couple outside of this house, just like you must have realized that with James, why else would you have done what you did."
Bethany was silent. Only James' deep love for her had kept them together after she had broken his heart and thrown the ring away. She looked at her finger and guiltily touched the gold band shining on her dark finger.
Eliza took the turkey and put it into the oven. Setting the timer for thirty minutes, she started making the stuffing.
"Why don't you take the rolling pin and crush this toast?" she asked, taking some butter from the refrigerator.
Bethany got the pin and started smashing the bread.
"Look, Bethany, I think I'm in love with him. He must feel something for me; why else would he keep coming here each night? It couldn't just be for the free meals, could it?"
