Dinner with Aunt Effie is … different. I can't remember the last time I laughed at this table or sat down to what resembles a family meal. Cato regales us with stories of his time in the city, of how it was a wonderful experience but he missed a lot, nothing more so than his dear mother. To which Aunt Effie gushes and admonishes him adoringly.
"How have you two kept yourselves entertained today?" Aunt Effie asks, dabbing at her pristine lips with a handkerchief. The answer sets my mind reeling. I haven't had a day like that in as long as I can remember. My father doesn't drink every day, some days he doesn't do anything but skulk around the house or board himself up in his office but I've never gone a full week without new bruises, that's the worst part, by the time a bruise is yellowing and beginning to fade another dark purple one replaces it.
Today I left the house, not necessarily without fear but I don't believe anyone would tell my father about me leaving. My father is not a well-liked man, most people avoid him.
"Madge showed me around town" Cato tells his mother
"Oh how lovely"
"We spent the morning in the bakery and then we went to see Darius, do you remember Darius mom?"
"Of course, such a mischievous little thing" she reminisces fondly "a handful I'm sure but very polite and how could anyone forget his lovely red hair. How is he?"
"He's well, his father is sheriff now"
"Yes I'd heard, a very good man for the job, don't you think Madge?" I startle a little at my name, I was more than happy to listen to the happy chatter, it's so much better than anything else said around this table
"Oh yes" I agree not one hundred percent sure if I answered correctly
"He's a very moral man, very fair" she says with an air of respect "you could do a lot worse than a Bogg's for a friend" I use this chance to bring up Darius' invite because I'm almost sure Cato won't go without being pushed
"Darius invited Cato out this evening, to catch up"
"Oh really? How lovely"
"I'm not sure I should go"
"Well of course you should"
"Madge will be alone"
"Nonsense I'm sure Madge would be grateful of some female company, isn't that right dear?" she says turning to me
"Y-yes"
"There, it's settled, where will you be going?" Cato smiles and shakes his head at his mother, murmuring something about being ganged up on
"Darius mentioned a drink at Abbernathy's" at that Effie pales, thinking about it a saloon is likely the last place she'd want her son
"Oh? Is that- is that so?" it's the first time I've seen her flustered "and will you be drinking?"
"I don't have to go-"
"Nonsense, of course you will. It's bad manners to cancel an arrangement and Darius really is such a nice boy"
"I won't be long, maybe an hour"
"Don't be silly darling, take as long as you need".
The second Cato leaves Aunt Effie becomes a roiling ball of anxiety, I think she actually chews a nail at one point but quickly pulls on a pair of white satin gloves when she realizes. I make lemon tea in the hopes it might calm her but she continues to fuss and fidget
"Aunt Effie?"
"Yes dear?" she answers too quickly, looking away from the grandfather clock in the parlor and at me for the first time
"I'm sure he's just fine"
"Why of course he is" yet she continues to watch the hands of the clock tick
"Aunt Effie, is something wrong?"
"No of course not" I was expecting a little trepidation, Abbernathy's saloon is everything a proper lady like Aunt Effie despises, drinking, gambling, saloon girls but this is more than that. I follow her gaze to the clock and I'm surprised by how late it is. A sense of guilt overcomes me and out of nowhere I realize I'm normally sat before my piano by now. It's the sense of someone waiting for me that makes me speak again
"Aunt Effie?"
"Yes dear?"
"Would you like to hear a piece of music I've been working on?"
"Madge dear that would be lovely" I dutifully lead Aunt Effie to my piano, I worry for her safety when she takes to the staircase in the heels she's wearing but she doesn't even blink. I pull the fancy stool out from beneath the vanity desk in my room and place it beside my piano stool "what a lovely instrument"
"It is beautiful isn't it?"
"How long is it that you've played?" she asks as we take our seats
"My mother used to play for me as a baby, I think I was three or four the first time I sat on this stool and she taught me a few notes"
"Oh your dear mother, she was a wonderful woman" she was from what I remember, I find it's less and less every day
"I didn't know you knew her that well"
"We were quite close before she ... fell ill. It was through your mother and Aunt Maysilee I met Cato's father"
"Oh?"
"Anyway" she continues quickly "let's hear that piece you told me about".
So I play her the piece, then another and another. When I finally realize how long I've been playing I open my eyes, out of habit they go to the window, they're there again, the dark figure and it almost makes me smile
"Well ..." I startle having forgotten I wasn't alone and turn to face my eccentric yet wonderful aunt "that was lovely, truly beautiful Madge"
"I'm sorry I just get a bit carried away sometimes"
"Don't apologize for loving something Madge, you're very talented"
"Thank you" I frown and feel my cheeks pink at the compliment, I only ever receive them about piano, off my father's out of town dinner guests and the bank manager .
Cato returns not long after I finish playing, he stumbles through the door a little unsure on his feet. His mother tuts and fusses until he's lying on a couch in the parlor and snoring lightly. I'm returning from the kitchen with a cup of strong coffee when I hear Effie muttering to herself
"Near him for five minutes and you're picking up bad habits. Drinking in a saloon. Mark my words Cato darling, if you start behaving like your father there'll be hell to pay" I don't know Cato's father but I do know he left town before Cato was born. My Aunt Effie was younger than Cato is now when she had him and apparently it all caused a bit of a stir. "I'll be off now dear" she says teetering past me on her heels to the front door
"Goodnight Aunt Effie" I say as she kisses each of my cheeks
"Goodnight dear".
The following morning is very eventful. Cato snores loudly and is drooling on the arm of the couch a little bit. He rouses when the smell of bacon and eggs wafts in to him and wanders into the kitchen a few moments later
"Good morning snoring beauty" I tease
"Good morning" he grumbles
"How are you feeling?"
"Just dandy"
"You seemed a little worse for wear last night"
"It was all Darius' fault"
"I'm sure"
"Really, I've never had a drink before and he just kept putting glasses in front of me"
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
"I did. It was a night of firsts for me, I've never been in a saloon before either"
"What was it like?"
"Very loud, everyone's very friendly" he chuckles
"Well I'm glad you had a good night, I thought your mother was going to wear a path in the carpet the amount she was pacing"
"She can't have been that bad"
"No but she was anxious enough"
"That's not like her but what can I say, I'm her only son" he shrugs and smirks
"Eat your breakfast" I laugh and join him at the dining table.
We spend that day much like we did the day before, we visit the bakery, then Darius, then I introduce Cato to Wiress and Beetee so he can send a telegram to a friend of his in the city. Aunt Effie comes to dinner again, Cato goes to Abbernathy's with Darius, and I play for hours.
Cato is snoring again the next morning and I have to cover my mouth so I don't laugh and wake him because the top half of his body isn't even on the couch anymore. We eat breakfast then head into town for supplies. Mr. Cartwright is wary of Cato until I introduce him as Effie Trinket's son and then he's helping us gather what we need from around the store. As he wraps the goods I eye the jars of confectionery behind him searching for the little red treats I've apparently acquired a taste for, when I spot them I can't help myself
"And a bag of the strawberry hard boiled candy please" Mr. Cartwright grins at me "would you like something Cato?"
"No thank you" I raise an eyebrow
"Maybe just a few sherbet lemons?".
As we're gathering our parcels to leave Mr. Cartwright opens and closes his mouth several times as if to say something, the tenth time I nod for him to go ahead
"I told Delly, that you ... asked for her"
"Oh thank you" I answer unsure of his demeanor
"She asked me ... to ask you if ... maybe you'd like to ... have tea? Now I told her that you're probably far too busy and she understands if you can't" I know when he says 'busy' he's referring to my father but I can't help myself. I'm going to make the most of this week, my father be damned
"I have time this week"
"I'll let her know" Mr. Cartwright nods, looking frightfully pale.