Eva's Sins.

LIV

„Kindness is only a mask that we use to obtain favors"

  „I feel so bad," Eva whispered, still being next to the field of jasmine flowers that was looking so lifeless at that moment, completely lacking its summer beauty. „I'm really sorry that I fell so down."

  „What do you mean?" Brian asked, who approached her while she was immersed in thoughts, thinking about the incident with Charlotte when they turned back to Image. Now, they were staying, one next to the other, watching the deserted jasmine flower's field.

  „That I slapped Charlotte Wilson. Regardless of my fury with her and no matter how much I wanted to do that, seeing that she was trampling under feet my father's honor, I shouldn't have lost my inner calmness."

  „Sometimes is normal to lose our control, Eva. It's normal to lose our head when we see that someone is trying to devastate our home."

  Eva smiled, but there wasn't any trace of happiness or innocence in that smile. Rather, it was sad, with traces of bitterness because Eva was really feeling that she was also deserted, like that empty jasmine flower field, and this was due to the fact that she didn't find home what she was looking for: inner peace. „Do you think he'll turn back?"

  „Who?"

  „The old Soreman. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that we'll see him again here. Especially knowing that he bore a grudge against my father for what happened with Beth."

  „For what happened with Beth?" Brian asked in amazement. „What exactly happened to her?"

  Eva watched him, this time cunningly smiling because even if her behavior from the past when she attacked Gilbert Soreman with the fire iron wasn't a worthy action for a young well-bred lady, she was still feeling a certain satisfaction, more after understanding that those had been the first signs that she was capable to defend herself, if necessary, even if she thought she was weak. „I just mistook him for the hot bread that is necessary to bake," Eva said, in slight laughter, passing by Brian and heading in the opposite direction of the road that was leading home.

  Eva's answer amazed Brian so much, who finally happily smiled and followed her, slowly walking behind her. Only when the man caught up with her and they walked side by side for a while, did Eva continue the story. „Many know about Alfred Stonebridge's shameful fall, but so few know what was hidden behind that mask he was often wearing."

  „A mask? What kind of mask?"

  „A mask representing kindness because dad always preferred to be good with others, less with his people. And ... Charlotte Wilson was right... till a point, because even if I don't know everything that happened 20 years ago, at least I'm sure that my father was guilty of those events."

  Brian swallowed hard and he again felt the sense of guilt in his chest. To chase it away, Brian slowly hit his chest with his fist as if trying to defeat slight indigestion and not to calm down his heart that was about to „gallop away" from his chest. „Why do you think so?" Brian eventually „dared" to ask.

  „Because it's obvious... he sold me to pay his debts. Better to say... he exchanged me for not paying his debts with Christine Bircham."

  Brian stopped, staring thunderstruck at Eva because even if he suspected that Eva had been sold for paying gambling debts... or at least that gambling had been the reason for all this... he never even suspected that Christine was behind all this and she also never mentioned this: that she knew Alfred Stonebridge so well to give him such big loan that he eventually couldn't pay back and for this, he sent Eva into her house. „How did you...?"