Affection

Pearl roused at the sound of footsteps. Quickly she awakened her bedmate. "Put on your clothes! Quickly now, I hear someone!" Her panicked tone forced the man to open his eyes. "Quick, quick!" Pearl whispered. "Leave through the window!"

"But-" the man began.

"No buts," Pearl responded. "Out now, before someone finds you." The man sighed and began to find his clothes which were strewn around the floor with Pearl's. As he dressed, he watched the young woman rush about the room, fixing things.

He finished dressing and made his way to the window. With his legs hanging out he kissed Pearl goodbye. "You are my beloved," he said softly.

"And my beloved is mine. Now go!" With one last kiss he left Pearl alone. She turned at the knock on her door. "Enter!"

Pearl's newest maid, Alice, swept into the room. "Begging your pardon Mistress Hayden, I wanted to inform you that your mother should be arriving within the hour."

"Alice, how many times have I told you not to call me Mistress Hayden?"

"Sorry, Mistress Pearl," Alice stuttered. "Master Hayden wanted me to remind you that he will not be home until late."

"Thank you Alice," Pearl replied, "You may go." Alice made a swift curtsy and left the room. "That was close," Pearl spoke to herself as the door shut. She made her way to the full length mirror across the room and peered inside. The years had been good to young Pearl Hayden nee Prynne. Her hair, so wild in her youth, was now tamed into shiny locks that flowed to her waist. Her dark eyes sparkled and her cheeks were rosy. However, at the thought of her husband, Pearl's light went out.

It wasn't as if he was mean or ugly. He just wasn't there. She had been madly in love with Todd Hayden. Tall, dark, and handsome, he swept her off her feet as soon as she landed in London. He was a great lawyer and went to Parliament almost daily. He loved work more than he loved her. That being said, Pearl was often left to amuse herself in the great house she had helped buy with the money left to her by Roger Chillingworth. She shivered at the thought. Her mother had never truly explained her relationship to Chillingworth, but Pearl could never think of him without bad omens.

Her marriage had resulted in Pearl's gift, their daughter Lyllabeth Rose. Pearl's mother, Hester, had made Lyllabeth several beautiful outfits to go along with the dresses Pearl had saved from her childhood. At three years old, her daughter's favorite outfit was the red dress that was so reminiscent of Hester's scarlet letter. Pearl sat at the vanity and thought of Lyllabeth. Her lessons were going quite well. She would be done with her tutor in time to spend some time with her grandmother. The last time Hester had visited was shortly after the child's birth.

Now to the young man that had escaped from her window… Markus Lowery. He was a simple gardener, but he was attentive, kind, and very very attractive. They had met scarcely a year before, when Todd had first introduced them. Bright blue eyes glistened under his black hair. He was tanned and muscled from working in the sun. Their affair had begun shortly thereafter. Several days a week, when Pearl was sure Todd would not come home for lunch, she and Markus would spend several lovely hours in each other's company. He bought her gifts with the little money he had. Last week, he had surprised her with an adorable puppy. It was a red setter and already knew how to 'sit and stay'. Pearl had simply told her husband she had found the pup on a walk and Todd said no more on the matter. She named the dog Elizabeth for the recently departed queen.

A knock on the door brought Pearl out of her reverie. Alice entered the room, bringing with her another woman- Hester. In her grey dress, the scarlet letter stood out as prominent as ever. When Pearl was ten, Hester had finally explained the true connotation of the red A. Pearl looked at her mother. Her dark hair was begging to grey. She had wrinkles across her forehead and by her eyes. She moved toward her daughter and brought her into a tight hug.

"Pearl," she said warmly.

"Mother," she responded. "How was your trip?"

"As good as can be expected," Hester replied. "I'll never like ships, but the weather wasn't too bad. Never stormed."

"Where are you staying?"

"Oh, at the cheap hotel down the road. It's not too far," Hester said.

"Oh, you can't stay there!" Pearl exclaimed. "No, no. Please, stay with us! Todd won't mind and there's more than enough room."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't want to be an inconvenience."

"You won't be. Plus, this way, you can spend more time with Lyllabeth. She'll be finished with her tutor soon. She's learning to dance. Oh, you should see her! She's just darling! Her quickstep is quite superb, if I do say so myself."

Hester smiled a small smile. "You used to dance," she said. "But you always made up the steps."

Pearl laughed. "Well, I was a bit of a wild child."

"Was?" Hester's voice had taken a different tone. Before, their conversation had been light and airy. Now Hester looked slightly scared if not a little angry. "What is that mark on your neck?"

"Where?" Pearl asked. She went over to the mirror and saw that there was indeed a mark on her neck. Markus had left a love bite. 'Shit,' she thought to herself. "Oh, that's Todd's doing," she said to her mother.

"Child," she said softly. "I am your mother. I know when you are lying. Has this letter taught you nothing! What are you thinking?"

"You jump to conclusions," Pearl said evasively.

"Correct ones," her mother responded. "I thought you were happy with Todd. You certainly appeared so in all of our letters. What has changed that you're resorting to this?

"Resorting!" Pearl grew angry. "How can you say resorting? You of any person should understand! Todd isn't here! You probably won't see him for all of your stay! He's always at work. I can't handle that. I need attention, I need affection, I need someone to talk to!"

"So get a dog."

"I have a dog!" Silence grew between them for a few minutes. Then Pearl said, "Mother, I understand your anger. I do, believe me, I do. But you must think back to when you first when to the Americas. Your husband wasn't there and you were young and beautiful. What did you do?"

"My situation was different," Hester said. "My husband was on another continent. Your husband comes home to you every night."

"No, it is not different," she replied. "I'm at the best I can ever be. I do not want to squander it."

Before Hester could respond, yet another knock sounded at the door. Before Pearl could say "enter" the doors flew open and a blur attacked her.

"Mommy!" Lyllabeth cried. "Mommy, Master Jameson says that I'm the best student he's ever had! Isn't that wonderful, Mommy?"

"It's wonderful darling," Pearl said as she hugged the girl to her chest. "Lyl, did you notice anyone?"

The girl turned her head towards Hester. She looked exactly like Pearl had at her age. The elf-like features shown clearly in her face too. Lyllabeth slowly made her way to her grandmother and graciously bestowed a kiss on her cheek. "Hello Grandmother. How do you do?"

"I'm fine. And how are you?" Hester smiled down at the child. She couldn't believe her eyes. This child, who looked so much like her mother, was nothing like her. Her movements were graceful, her speech was polite and thought out.

"I am delightful," she girl responded. "Would you like to see me dance?"

"Oh, very much," she proud grandmother said. Lyllabeth began to dance about the room. Though there was no music, she had memorized the beat so well it was unnecessary. She was indeed as fantastic as Pearl had said. Hester used the opportunity to talk to her daughter. "She is Todd's?"

Pearl gave her a look of outrage. "Of course! This thing began less than a year ago. Lyllabeth is Todd's true daughter. I won't get pregnant with another man's child."

Hester let the cruel comment pass over her. She deserved it. Speculating on her granddaughter's genes had been rude. Lyllabeth's dance ended and Hester clapped loudly. "Why, you are magnificent!"

"Thank you," she said.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Hester suggested. "Then when we get back, I'll show you the dresses I made for you." She laughed at Lyllabeth's squeal of delight and they made their way from the room, leaving Pearl to herself.

Pearl watched them leave, sadness closing in on her. "All I want is affection," she whispered, "Is that so bad?"