The Abyss by Lara Blunte

Author:Lara Blunte [Blunte, Lara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-04-21T22:00:00+00:00

Nineteen. All That Was For Her

After dinner Gabriel lit her way to the door of her room with courtesy so unassailable that it seemed like a wall. He then bowed and walked to the other end of the long corridor, where she supposed he would sleep from now on.

Bad thoughts only increased as the night advanced without sleep, and Clara lay thinking how simple it would have been for Gabriel to believe her, and not someone else, and be next to her now. The chill of the evening would not have made her shiver if they had slept in each other’s arms, as they had for almost a month.

Instead, she was alone and saw a loveless life stretching out ahead of her with a stranger for a husband, without children, and without tenderness or companionship.

The day was already dawning when she fell asleep, vowing that she would not cower before that unknown husband, that she would act as his wife and as the mistress of the house, which she was. She had no reason to feel ashamed or guilty.

So when Teté walked in with her breakfast tray, chattering and opening the windows, she found a very determined mistress sitting up in bed.

"Sinhô already left for the field," Teté said. "He goes before dawn every day. He said today he wants his luncheon sent there."

Clara shrugged, thinking, I don't care! She then almost faltered when she looked down at her breakfast tray, remembering how in the weeks of their marriage he had liked to feed her, peeling her fruit and giving her spoonfuls of things to taste.

I don't care, she thought again. I can feed myself.

There was a beautiful plate of fresh fruit and she attacked that first, with appetite. Then she ate the warm corn bread and jam with her coffee. "What is this jam? It's delicious"

Teté, who had sat at the end of the bed, pointed, "This one is guava and this one jabuticaba. Maninha makes them very well."

"The butter is so creamy!"

"It's made here."

The girl fell sideways on the bed at her feet, propping her head on one elbow. Clara couldn't mind, as Teté was clearly not doing it out of insolence. She saw what Gabriel had meant, it was difficult not to like Teté and her ways.

"Sinhô tried to plant wheat here, but it didn't take,” she was saying. “Too much rain. He says he will try again because you will miss wheat bread otherwise."

After Clara was done, Teté got up to take her tray and put it to one side.

"What would you like to do?" she asked Clara. "Where would you like to go?"

"I would like to see as much of the house and grounds as possible. Will you take me?"

Teté stood on tiptoes and gave a wide smile, "Yes!"

Half an hour later Clara was ready, having put on a cotton dress chosen by Teté, who had also gathered her hair in a low chignon.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” the girl cried, fishing in her pocket. She held up the bracelet.

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