With a last strangled cough, she composed herself. Certainly she couldn’t continue to feel so ill at ease every time Cutter was mentioned... or the word husband. There wasn’t a more certain way to lose Katie.
Still, she had to admit that Miss Mimi was right. Cutter was as handsome a devil as they came. He was certainly the most fascinating man she had ever met.
Recalling the way that he’d spoken to her only hours before, she couldn’t contain the breathy sigh that rushed past her lips. What was he doing just now? she wondered. And then she recalled the irate look he’d given her before leaving their room, and her brow furrowed. How long did he intend to stay angry with her this time?
“... Anyhow, I do hope you don’t make that same mistake in your marriage,” Miss Mimi was saying.
Realizing that her thoughts had drifted while Miss Mimi had chattered on, and that she’d missed the last of what had been said, Elizabeth nodded absently, trying to ascertain what it was that they were speaking of.
“No! Tell me you don’t!” Miss Mimi rebuked, seeing her nod. “Oh, Elizabeth! Forgive me for speaking so plainly, but it pains me to see such a lovely couple lose so much in their relationship for the sake of modesty!” She sighed portentously. “But... as I said, Katherine was that way, too.” Frowning, she came around the front of the tub, dragging a stool. She settled it before the tub. “You, at least, have an excuse—though not after today, you won’t!”
Her expression grave, Miss Mimi sat facing Elizabeth. “Now,” she began. “I realize that your father would never have said such things to you, but I do not have such a disinclination. Frank speech bothers me not at all.”
Elizabeth nodded dumbly, having absolutely no idea whatsoever what it was that had gotten Miss Mimi so riled. She stared blankly, trying not to look as confused as she felt.
“That poor sister of yours had the mistaken impression—and I won’t say who it was that gave it, though I’m certain you know... Anyway, it’s just not true that you should just lie back and simply do your duty.”
Elizabeth was more confused than ever; her brow furrowed more deeply, and then suddenly her eyes widened and she sank into the tub in humiliation. To her dismay, she was beginning to grasp the topic finally. Appalled, she averted her eyes.
Apparently seeing her guilty reaction, Miss Mimi sounded all the more riled. “Where such a ridiculous notion began, I’ll never know! But that, my dear—and you know what I mean by that, I’m certain—is just as special to a woman as it is to a man. And that’s God’s truth—I do swear!”
Too disconcerted to respond, Elizabeth simply stared at the dispersing soap bubbles, watching them burst, one by one, wishing she were anywhere at all but in this tub, in this kitchen—listening to Miss Mimi. Never had anyone spoken to her of such things, and she wasn’t certain how to respond. Obviously she’d mistaken Miss Mimi’s look of shock earlier. Nothing could shock the woman! Elizabeth was certain.
“Now take Miss Katherine,” Miss Mimi continued somberly, “I know she loved her John very much, but that poor child believed everything your mother told her—every last little bit of drivel! And I’ll tell you now precisely what I told her then. There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving your man. It’s the most natural thing in the world to want him back—and don’t think that carrying a baby changes any of that either. Don’t you dare be ashamed if you happen to want to lie with him even more during that time. That’s the way it’s supposed to be! You’ll see,” she promised, waving a finger in reproach. “I know what I see in that man of yours’ eyes—he’s a lusty one. Just don’t you fight it. Promise me that much.”
Her cheeks staining crimson, Elizabeth sank lower into the tub.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Forcing herself to look up into Miss Mimi’s knowing face, Elizabeth nodded quickly, her face flaming.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Elizabeth, you stop that blushing this minute!” Miss Mimi rebuked. “There’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. We’re both grown women, aren’t we?”
Elizabeth nodded again, the stain on her cheek darkening considerably, and Miss Mimi smiled down benignly at her. Then suddenly she slapped at her knees. “Well that’s all I have to say over the matter. Honestly, I just didn’t want you to feel guilty... and then make your man guilty over something God intended just as surely as He made rain!” To Elizabeth’s immense relief, Miss Mimi rose, lifting a towel from the table and handing it to her. “Now, come on out of there,” she asserted. “Elias is sure to have put your husband to work—he’s been so long without his son. There’s so much he can’t do on his own anymore,” she lamented with a sigh. “It really bothers him, you know? Anyhow, they’re sure to return famished—so out! Out!”
Throughout dinner, Elizabeth could hold no one’s gaze for very long. If Miss Mimi smiled at her, she’d recall their discussion of earlier in the day, and would die of humiliation. Even now, her face warmed as she poked at her stewed carrots.
When Cutter so much as glanced at her, she blushed all the way to her roots, mortified to look at Miss Mimi for fear that she might be watching them watch each other.
When Elias Bass looked her way a moment too long, she felt guilty to her toes over the lie. Thank goodness it appeared Cutter was right about the two of them, because for the most part, Elias and Miss Mimi seemed too preoccupied with each other to give her much notice.
The only safe haven seemed to be Katie. Katie had been out with Cutter and her grandfather during Elizabeth’s bath, watching them work, and seemed to have really taken to Cutter. Her eyes never strayed from him long.
When conversation shifted to talk of Petersburg, Katie suddenly scraped her chair backward, slipping off quickly to the floor.
“Katie?” Elias admonished.
She froze with only one foot on the floor. “Oh!” she replied with a frown. “I forgot. Can I may I please be ‘scused? I wanna go feed Shifless,” she explained, her eyes cheerless.
Elias settled his fork on the table, adjusting it as he cast a glance at Elizabeth. “All right,” he allowed finally, his gaze reverting to Katie. He coughed discreetly. “Go on.”
Katie immediately snatched her plate from the table and turned to flee.
“Katie.” She stopped abruptly, turning again to face her grandfather.
“Take this, too.”
Katie made her way around to where Elias sat, smiling when he placed a large pork bone in her plate.
