Eva's Sins.

LXVII

„The illusion of a love is the death of a soul that turns into ashes after the breakup"

  „She's so small," Mrs. Huntington murmured, sitting on the bed and watching the little girl's asleep face. „And so unhappy. Just like her mother, for... Eva also remained without her mother at such a young age."

  „Orphan?" Brian asked in amazement after turning toward the old woman and staring at her when, till then, he had stood in front of the window, arm-crossed on his chest and looking at the heavy rain from outside that was running a rig with the autumn leaves, that were lacking bright color and were almost lifeless. Then, he took a few steps toward the bed, also sat down on it, and he also looked at the asleep face of his daughter, who was like an angel to him, sent from the sky. „I think you're wrong saying this, Mrs. Huntington, for Eva is with us now, alive, and healthy, thank God, despite the difficult labor."

  „She's here and she isn't, Mister Beneath. Let's not forget this," the old lady said kindly, without watching him. Then, Alice touched the little girl's cheeks, caressing them for a long time. „I still remember Eva, on her first days after her birth: she was so alike to this small creature - so tiny, so innocent, so undefended. Yet, even if they are so alike, physically, they have something different too, in their destiny."

  „Like?" asked Brian, touching the girl's little hand, who, in her sleep, squeezed his finger as if being afraid to lose him. Then, the girl gurgled, with her eyes closed, moved a little bit and, so soon, she fell again asleep, listening to the kind words spoken by Alice, that was whispering to her to calm down. Only when the girl fell again asleep, did Mrs. Huntington say, without watching Brian:

  „That she has a loving father while Eva didn't have one."

  „Yet, Alfred Stonebridge took Eva from your home and took care of her. And... even if he did this in his own way, she grew up next to him."

  Alice bitterly smiled: „rather, she took care of himself, not to be alone and... maybe to have part of Lyre Walker's fortune too."

  „Of Lyre Walker's fortune? Why do you say that? As far as I know, Lyre Walker has never been interested in his granddaughter and he never saw her."

  „And here you are wrong, my lord, for... Lyre Walker crossed the threshold of my house, after Helen's death," and Mrs. Huntington finally looked at Brian for the first time since she entered that room.

  Brian instead was so confused, for he didn't ever think that Lyre Walker could have forgiven his daughter.

  „And you are again wrong, Mister Beneath," said Alice as if reading his thoughts. „Lyre Walker never met Helen while she was still alive. He came only after finding out of her death."

  „After her death? Do you mean that he went to her grave and asked her for forgiveness?"

  „No. That man doesn't know what sorrow means or how to ask for someone's forgiveness. Per contra: he came to my house to make sure that he had a problem minus in his life, and he came there only after receiving the fourth letter that I've sent him: the first three informed him about the difficult situation in which Helen was, but he ignored them while the fourth told him about her death. Namely, the fourth letter was the one that turned his footsteps toward my house. And... I still remember the moment I opened the door then and, with cold eyes, as if he was the king of the cold realms, he asked me: „where is the dead one?" and Alice again bitterly smiled: „as if he had asked: where did you put the salt?"

  „What about Eva? Did he see the girl then?"

  „No, he didn't even inquire about her. He walked straight into the room where Helen was sleeping, forever. But... what he told then to the creature that had so much longed to see him once again before death and who was lifeless lying at that moment in front of him - I don't know, for... right after entering that room, he closed the door, asking not to be disturbed. And... to be honest, I didn't enter after him, for I thought that at least the fact that he'll see his girl lifeless, lying on that bed, will melt his heart with pity and he'll take care of his granddaughter. But... I've been so wrong thinking so, for... ten minutes later, he left my house without asking even about Eva, without even looking back. He only gave me a few golden coins then, to take care of Helen's funerals, only asking me to be something decent and then he left. After that, seeing that Eva wasn't a creature to be loved by Lyre Walker, I sent another letter, to Alfred Stonebridge this time, a few days after Helen's death, for... I really didn't know what to do with Eva. And... you don't even know how much I regret till nowadays that I've sent that letter."