Eva's Sins.

XLIX

„Great fortunes are made by entering the bed of a beautiful woman"

  In the sweet-swinging of the horses'trotting, Eva seemed asleep, still resting her head on Brian's shoulder who preferred to keep silent because he felt that this way, they can approach more than if they would have tried this by talking.

  Only when it was already night and the noise of the streets increased, Eva rose her head. At first, she looked through the window at the crowded streets, seeing people walking all around, happily smiling or just walking over with no purpose and this made her sigh. Then she looked in front of her, at the wall of the carriage, padded with black velvet. „Something happens?" Brian asked her.

  „Mmm. It's too noisy outside there. I would have liked to take a walk on foot, but ... let's better go home."

  Her words amazed Brian a lot because he couldn't understand at what house Eva made reference: his, where they had spent most of their happy moments together, or at Ms. Huntington's pension where Eva was living at that moment. „Home?" he asked, eventually, barely heard.

  „Mmm. Home. To Image," Eva answered, without watching him. „Before this, let's tell Ms. Huntington and others that we'll be missing for a few days."

  „Alright, but ... why exactly Image?"

  Only at that moment, Eva dared to watch into Brian's eyes, which were looking baffled. „Because everything started there and there must be ended."

  Brian shivered. „To be ended," rang in his ears and it seemed to him so strange, so frightening because it was what he was afraid of the most since he saw her again: that she'll send him to hell and that he will not to have an earthly to take care of her and of their baby.

  „But, Eva... I think that it isn't the perfect time for traveling. More in your condition. For God's Sake: you are in the seventh month of your pregnancy. A long journey can harm you both: you and the baby."

  „But I feel worse being here, in this muggy place that I feel that asphyxiates me. And ... I don't know why, but I feel that seeing again my homeland I'll lift up my head for what's next because ... I don't know how to explain this, but I feel that isn't over yet, my sufferance, I mean," and she again looked down, feeling a great pressure in her heart.

  After seconds in a row to look like a struck pig at her, not knowing what to do, Brian finally made bold to take her hand, and, to his surprise, Eva didn't retract her hand. More, she slowly squeezed it, giving the man certain confidence that not everything is over between them. „Let's go, if you want!" he said and slowly knocked in the wall, announcing Bardain to stop the carriage.

  Bardain right away stopped the carriage, jumped off his place, and opened the door, bringing with him a small lantern. „We are going to Image," Brian told him, imperiously, but the teamster didn't look amazed as if he was expecting that order.

  „Of course, Mister Beneath!"

  „First, we'll run over to Ms. Huntington. It's necessary to tell her about our leaving, at dawn and also, it's necessary for Eva to have some rest. We'll go tomorrow, with the sun."

  „But, Brian..." Eva tried to stand against his idea but, seeing confidence in the man's eyes that he won't give up, she sighed again and kept silent. Then, she breathed in the fresh air of the night and slowly shuddered, shivering that didn't pass unnoticed by Brian, who made a sign to the teamster to close the door.

  Bardain listened to Brian's order right away and hurried up to climb on the coach box and to spur the horses: „Ha, boys! Ha!" and the carriage hit the road, giving a jerk to Brian and Eva, but the trotting of the horses made the carriage steady, bringing inside of the carriage that sweet-swinging that Eva loved so much.