Chapter Forty Nine: Heat Wave

Leah

The heat was unbearable.

There was little movement, and even less sound in the tiny, humid room, for the oppressive heat and humidity seemed to suck energy from our bodies as it extracted perspiration from our pores. The bright summer sun beat down on the six of us with a ferocious intensity and set the dustmotes in the stale air to sparkling as if they were diamonds.

Beth, plump and uncomfortable in her last few months of 'being indisposed' (as any proper Frenchwoman would refer to pregnancy), sat knitting on the bed beside me. My friend had taken her old hobby to new heights of obsession during her 'indoor months', knitting through nearly every waking moment. She made no exception during the abominable heat, and kept time to her clicking needles with a tapping toe as usual.

Of all of us, she appeared to remain the least affected by the weather, and incidentally, the most clothed. Though it might have also been due to the fact that it was now a feat of Olympic proportions to remove anything more that her stockings, for her fondly named 'melon' strained the buttons at the back of her frock nearly to their breaking point.

Meg, Amanda, and Hortense had taken to cards to avoid the sizzling summer day, and Alana was lost in her needlework. Then again, with the far off look that constantly graced her ruddy face, Alana always tended to appear rather lost, except on the dance floor. When concentrating on their art, both sisters wore expressions of either intense concentration or smiling grace.

Today, however, not a single inhabitant of the dormitory wore anything that even came close to resembling a smile. We were far too hot to smile, and the various stages of our improper undress attested to the fact. Little Meg wore nearly nothing, clothed almost solely in her shift!

I, myself, was only narrowly diverted from the torturous atmosphere by the small pile of battered volumes that lay at my scandalously bare feet. A book of Greek and Roman mythology was on the top. I knew without looking that the most dog-eared chapters were labeled 'Pandora's Box' and 'Psyche and Eros'.

Though I hated to admit it, memories of Señor, and all of the joys and regrets that were attached to them, continued to pluck mournful melodies upon the strings of my lonely heart.

In my hands lay tattered copy of Grimm's Fairytales, it's once gold lettering long ago faded from the red cloth cover. The story of Ariel, the little mermaid, had always been my most beloved story, and it only grew dearer with each new re-reading. She reminded me a bit of myself, willing to pay the ultimate price to attain her dream.

Despite the fact that my dream had been dead for so long, the story still evoked mixed emotions of fond remembrance and cold loss within.

"Now if only I could have managed to find a prince charming!" I thought sourly. Even if he left poor Ariel in the end for the princess, I still would not have minded having him for a little while.

But unlike the mermaid, I might just have done in the princess where she slept and married the prince to live happily ever after, instead of throwing away the dagger and dying to see him happy.

As my mind wandered from the well loved book, I decided that the current weather was awful in more ways than one. Nothing could have been a worse reflection of the attitude of my heart. Henry's absence was like a cold wind deep within my tired soul, a chilling gale from the center of the distant land that he would soon depart for.

The last of my family had left me for bigger and brighter horizons.

After he returned from Italy with the new Dona Castillo, he would board the Pourquois-pas and set out for Antarctica. He would be first mate to Jean-Baptiste Charcot, the famous explorer.

My hermano had risen like a shooting star in his naval career, and was a valued strategist, no doubt due in part to the love of chess that our grandfather had instilled in him. I had never been very good at the game, and could no longer even remember how it was played.

Still, this expedition was hardly a game. Many crews had been lost forever in that terrible, icy wilderness. Though I did not say it aloud, I worried for him and his life, despite the fact that anger also warred in my heart against him. He had left me, as others had before him!

Or perhaps I was truly angry with myself for getting my hopes up again.

I had been a fool to believe in the idiotic ideals of love and devotion, a gullible child to be seduced in to believing that anyone would ever care for me enough to stay in my life.

Even the other girls had left me, though their desertions were of a much less painful sort. Their only ships were those of marriage, and their only duties those of silver wedding bands, yet the distance that had formed between us was still palpable, even if insubstantial.

Tina and Beth, I mused, were the only sure things in my tired, desolate existence.

Beth's needles abruptly ceased their chatter as she spoke up unexpectedly, setting her knitting on the floor.

"This heat is insufferable! I, for one, am going to cool off. We should have gone back years ago." The other's reactions varied from Meg's dumbstruck stare to Amanda's quizzically raised eyebrows to Hortense's stale amusement.

"You wouldn't! You must be joking, dear." Alana puttered.

"I am not joking, you ninnies." She drew herself up with an air of pride. "I am not afraid of a little adventure, and I did not think that the rest of you had lost your backbones so easily!"

They simply continued to stare, refusing to budge, but my curiosity had come into full bloom. Though I longed to inquire about her mysterious, scandalous methods of relief, I did not want to appear cowardly myself. Ignorant of the truths that lay ahead, I piped up without another thought as she made to waddle out the door with a lantern in her chubby, pregnant fingers.

"I will go with you, Beth."

"Then come!" She cried gaily from a little way down the hall. I hurried after her too quickly to hear the calls from the rest of the girls, too quickly to wonder why she might need a lantern when the sun was shinning hot as Hades.

Perhaps, in hindsight, I ought to have paid more attention.

The journey to our unknown destination was a quiet one at first, for I had grown more and more quiet over the years, according to Beth. She tried to joke that I was training for a career as a pantomime.

Though she found the concept hilarious, I never understood it. The truth of the matter was that there were simply far fewer happy things to discuss, and 'no polite woman airs her dirty laundry in the street', as Abuela had once said.

Abuela…

The fact that my thoughts were often turned to my lost family did little to improve my mood as of late. Their attendance of Henry's wedding had been a burden almost too great to bear. Indeed, had it not been for my dear brother (who I could not entirely blame for leaving) and his sweet bride, I would have fled the scene on sight.

But what a sight it had been!

The happy pair had been married in the great cathedral, Notre Dame herself! The pews had overflowed with dignitaries, wealthy titles, noble families, and decorated naval officers while the altars had overflowed with a profusion of flowers, namely roses and poppies.

Henry had been dashing and suave in his crisp tuxedo. His coal black hair matched the suit, and was slicked back. His dark brown eyes had shone out from his light olive skin as he watched his bride walk towards him. The bride had been stunning by herself, decked in a sumptuous, ridiculously expensive frock that her mother had insisted upon.

The elder Madame Pirrata, poor Leotyne's mother, was an overbearing woman who had ruled over the entire wedding with an iron fist that was hidden under white lace. My new sister had barely managed to wiggle her own tastes into the design of her dress and a few of the flowers. I did not envy Henry his new parents-in-law, not one bit.

I had to admit I did envy the gown, if only just a little. The bustle was lavishly rouched and the bodice hung gently off of her pale shoulders. The elegant frock was a delicate confection of satin and tulle and utterly a la mode, just off of the fashion plates and the modiste's machines.

Despite my stubborn hatred of Mme. Bygler and my duties under her, I had learned a little about current fashion while confined to the prison cell that was better know as the costume department.

I had followed Beth's rolling gait with out thinking while wandering deep inside my mind, and had not noticed that we were descending down one of the main stairwells until Beth lit her lantern.

"Beth," I asked quietly as the darkness of the third basement enveloped us and began to frighten me silly, "where are we going, precisely …"

"Oh, I suppose you don't know, do you Leah?" She giggled slightly as her inconsistent mood changed once again. "We are going to cool off in the lake."

"What lake?"

Authoress's Notes: Beth and her pregnant hormones, huh? Oh, and did I mention the foreshadowing? Yeah, lots of that here… find it if you dare!

Any predictions about what they find on the shores of the lake? (And here's a hint, it's not a tan.)

Oh, and maybe you will find happiness in knowing this: Eric/Leah interaction ahead! (hint, take a look at the title)

Sorry about the long wait for the update. Collage is awesome! My arms hurt from moving all my heavy boxes up those nasty stairs. Blech! But other than that, much fun has been had. I shall try to keep updating more often.

Kipper- I shall be the court bagpiper, your emperessness! Woot. I couldn't hold my breath, unfortunately. I needed it all to scream with whenever there were spiders in there. And not just any spiders mind you, spiders the size of my palm! Yech! Any who, the rest was wonderful. And since you adored the chapter, I adore you. Cheesecake for all!

Fish- Oh my, lumberjack? I only wish! Alas, the kissing shall remain, but worry not (or at least a little less) for the kissing shall be mitigated soon… dun, dun, dun… Yes, pencil and paper are generally my friends, but for some reason, I only seem to be inspired to write this when at my computer. Who knows why? The tiny scrap of brain matter that I still posses is rather odd from time to time.

Homeless- I hope you enjoyed the wedding! Sorry, I didn't get your e-mail at first. And I hope you REALLY enjoy you honeymoon in Italy. Have fun in all those little chateaus… giggle. Yes, Eric is a lot of fun to write too, but a bit of a challenge at times. While I am a bit crazy, I'm not that crazy…

JPT- WILD PARTY BEING THROWN! The bad guesser finally got one right! Yay! (She thonks a party hat on your head and dances about merrily in celebration.)

Avid- Satan's tabernacle? That is awesome, I laughed so hard. No, I have faith in your reviewing faithfulness. So review!