Sacrifices of the Soul, Chapter 41
 

Eve sat listening to the radio. She couldn’t sleep, because she was thinking about the conversation that Chad had with her. Could Simone really be in that much trouble? How could it have gotten to this point? She loved her daughters so much. Outside of hurting Chad, hurting Whitney and Simone was the last thing she wanted. Could she and TC work together to help their youngest child?

Eve laughed to herself. Work together? She and TC couldn’t even be in the same room. The level of his contempt towards her was obvious. She doubted that her months away had done anything to diminish that.

Eve thought about her past. How she had gotten here, to this point. The bad times were so overwhelming, it’s hard to believe that there were any good times, let alone the very special love that she and TC had shared. He was too angry to listen to her now, but, Eve didn’t think that she knew how to express to TC the depth of what he had meant to her. What he had shown her. The life she didn't even know she wanted until he presented it to her.

Eve had spent a lot of her life just keeping her head just above water. She didn't know that there was a way to LIVE.

Life had been practical for forever, until she met TC.

Sitting there, her mind took her back in time to another place:

[FLASHBACK]

Eve lay on her stomach. His kisses were going up her nude back.

" Oh Darling, you don't know how much I'm going to miss this when I'm on my trip.", Julian says, making the way up her back to her neck. Once there, Julian turns Eve over to enter her. He thrusts into her with the same vigor that he always does, but, as with many times over the past few months, he can 'sense' that Eve isn't there with him.

Julian and Eve climax, and as opposed to the past, where she used to want to linger in his arms, she turns to her side of the bed. Julian doesn't know what to do. He feels a wall being put up between them. He doesn't know how to ask her a question that he doesn't want the answer to:

Has she found someone else?

He's been so suspicious that he even hired a private detective to follow Eve, and the detective found nothing unusual.

Julian was both relieved and confused when  the detective gave his report. He expected to be informed of a rival. That there isn't one, makes Eve's change of heart even more confusing.

Julian came up with an idea:

" Eve Darling, why don't you accompany me on this trip to South America."

" Go with you?"

" Yes. There are so many wonderful places that we can go."

" When would I see you, Julian? You've been telling me about all the meetings and parties that you have planned. I doubt you could arrive at them with your mistress. So, what would I do, be stuck in a hotel, waiting for you to return? Even if I could  go, Julian, that doesn't sound like much fun to me."

" You could shop all day. My wife seems to enjoy it."

" I'm NOT your wife.", Eve says with more than a little bit of attitude, getting out of the bed, putting on a robe and walking into the living room.

Julian rushes after her, knowing that he had put his foot in his mouth.

Eve is standing at her window, fuming when Julian comes over.

" I know I said the wrong thing. Of course you're not my wife..you're more beautiful than she could ever hope to be. You're wonderful and sexy and.."

" Can it, Julian. I'm not your wife, and I'm not going on this trip with you. I have school, Julian. And responsibilities around here."

" I know that you have some free time coming up.", Julian says with almost an accusatory tone.

Eve didn't know how Julian knew about her free time, but, she wasn't going to lose her cool. " Julian, if I do have a little vacation coming to me, I'm going to spend it how 'I' see fit. It's not going to be hidden away like a dirty secret in hotel rooms in between shopping for clothes that I won't wear anywhere. "

" Eve.."

" Julian. I think you should go. As always, I hope you're kept safe on your trip, and, I'll miss you. But, we've had a long time together. You've used your time in Boston well this stint."

Julian knew better than to try and change Eve’s mind once she’s in this kind of mood. He goes into the bedroom, finishes dressing, and comes over to her once he’s finished. He kisses her on the cheek.

" I will miss you when I’m gone. There’s a present on the vanity for you. I guess I should get back to Harmony."

Eve said nothing as Julian left. She watched him climb into his Mercedes and drive away. Letting out a big sigh, Eve went back into her bedroom. There was an envelope. She opened it, and inside was a receipt from a rare book dealer in her name. She could pick up the items whenever she wanted.

The items in question?

First edition Robert Browning,.Elizabeth Barrett Browning – books of their poetry. And, because of the challenge of a ‘professor’, Eve had become interested in the history of Black Americans. Julian had found first editions of the publishings of Fredick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Dubois. He had commented to Eve that she was definitely getting into ‘her’ history.

Eve had to chuckle. The professor was none other than TC, who had inspired her through his letters. Upon thinking about TC, she went to her bedroom, to the back of her closet, and pulled out the strong box. Opening it, she took out the letters that TC had been writing her all this summer. Slowly, she began to live for the letters to arrive at her Post Office Box. She went their every afternoon after classes, hoping  that a letter would be there. Julian would never understand what those letters meant to her.

The balancing of her two ‘lives’ was beginning to get difficult. She had a close call about a month ago. Julian almost hadn’t decided to go out of town the weekend for his sister’s birthday, the weekend that TC had invited her to Charleston to come to a History Conference with him. She was apprehensive, but, she went anyway.

Eve had to sigh as she remembered the trip:

Stepping out into the concourse at the Charleston airport, there was TC there, waiting for her with flowers. She didn’t even realize how much she had missed him until she’d seen him.

TC had found an old Bed and Breakfast, where he had gotten her a room. It was so…romantic. There couldn’t be another word for it. The Conference was for the National Black Council of Historians. The panels that TC had chosen for them to attend were illuminating. Though this was TC’s field of study, Eve had never been a student of Black History and Culture. This was opening her eyes to so much.

It was wonderful, walking into the panels, cocktail parties, dinners on TC’s arm. Whenever they found out that she at Harvard Medical School, they seemed to warm to her even more.

At night, she and TC would take long carriage rides through the streets of Charleston, and she would feel safe and secure in TC’s arms. She’d wished the weekend would never end, but, of course it did, and she went back to Boston. TC had warned her that research and coursework would make his life impossible for the next month or so, and not to expect many letters, but, she hadn’t thought that they would all but dry up.

Eve got some clothes on, and decided to go check her Post Office Box. Getting there, she spied an envelope in her space. She was so excited. Opening it, she pulled out the envelope to see that it was a letter from TC. She found the nearest bench and tore it open:

My Darling Eve,

I know that I’ve been delinquent in writing you, but, I did warn you. I’ve had to get out three papers this month, and my life hasn’t been my own. The results, though, have been worth it. Not only did I get A’s in all three of my classes, but, two of the papers will be published WITH my byline. That was more than I could hope for, and if I do the corrections that Dr. Franklin has advised, he believes he can get the third one published also. This term has been fantastic. Beyond what I could have ever hoped for, and I hope the fall term is the same.

I’ll be in town on the 13th. I’m going to help Sam move to his new place, and then, I was going to take my annual summer vacation at the Vineyard. I wondered if you would spend those three weeks with me?

Sam has told me how helpful you’ve been to Grace and what a good friend you’ve been to both of them. I think we’ll be hearing a wedding announcement soon from them. So, Sam won’t have a phone, and I know how busy you are, so, if you’re able to come with me to the Vineyard, I’ll stop by at 2:00 p.m. on the 15th, on my way down to Woods Hole. If you can’t come, I won’t hold it against you. Maybe we can have a short lunch that day.

See you soon,

TC
 

Eve looked at the letter, and then took out her calendar. It was in between semesters, and she had done enough overtime at the Clinic so that she could take some time off. And, Julian was going to be away. She thought she would be spending time with TC in Boston. She had never thought about Martha’s Vineyard. She didn’t know what to wear. But, she knew who WOULD know what she should be wearing.

She saw Carol as she arrived at Jordan Marsh.

" Miss Wharton!"

" Carol, I need your help."

" I was about to go to lunch.." Carol looked at Eve’s worried face, " But, I’ll go later."

" Thank you."

They went back to Carol’s department, and she took a seat next to Eve.

" What’s wrong?"

" The gentleman that I’ve been sort of seeing? He invited me to Martha’s Vineyard….for three weeks."

" Three weeks? That’s quite a bill he’s going to build up at the Inn. I think it’s sweet, the two of you visiting the Vineyard for the first time."

" Oh no. It won’t be his first time. He says that he’s been going for years."

Carol looked at Eve as if she had spoken Japanese to her.

" Years?"

" Well, from what his best friend told me, all his life."

Carol rolled her eyes. " Ok, this means another plan. Totally different wardrobe. Eve…I need for you to trust me on this."

Eve saw how serious Carol was, and just nodded.

" Good. You stay here."

For the next hour or so, Carol brought out plenty of outfits. She had never really had Eve buy as much as this, but, this was a special case. Carol laid out the outfits in piles: sportswear, medium formal, and then formal.  Everything was far more conservative than Eve was used to.  Carol left no attention to detail. Even the four bathing suits that she had selected were conservative.

" When in Rome, my dear. ‘ Hip Fashion’ hasn’t arrived at the Vineyard. This is youthful enough for you to look your age, but, appropriate enough for you not to attract NEGATIVE attention…understand?"

Eve nodded.

Carol even went and selected new luggage for Eve. She packed the bags with Eve’s new wardrobe. Calling over some stockboys, they helped Eve go to the cab that Carol had ordered.

" Eve, remember this: watch your back. If you think that you’re being observed, you are. The Vineyard can be a real experience. Play it close to the vest. And, enjoy yourself.", Carol says with a laugh.

" Thank you, Carol. I appreciate all your help. "

Eve gets in the cab and drives away. " I hope it goes well, Eve. This IS going to be a test for you. I hope you pass."