The Life Of Lizzy Red

Chapter 3:

The next morning I was woken by a chilly air that brushed over my exposed skin from the cracked open bedroom window. It seemed silent in the Bordello except for the sounds of birds chirping outside and people strolling on the dusty ground, kicking little rocks around as they walked.

These sounds were normal to me on a Monday morning. I breathed a heavy sigh as I pulled the white sheets up higher above my goose bumped skin without opening my eyes and resting my head deeper into the pillow. I was comfortable and warm there, and didn't feel like waking up just yet...

A sudden urge came over me then, however...I slowly slipped my hand from beneath the sheets exposing it to the cool air once again to the left of me to feel for Edward. Half expecting him to still be there.
Alas, he was not. It was a cold empty space that still held an indent from where he slept the night before.

I opened my eyes. Holding the sheet close to my chest I sat up and looked about the room. Edward was not there. But no worry had come over me, I knew he would be back.

I now peered over to the back of the room, on an old wooden chair laid Edwards white button up under shirt. I gasped excitedly, I had hoped there would be a trace of him left behind.

Fully exposed I hopped out of my bed, and swiped the article of clothing off of the chair, holding it to my face. His scent was still on it.
I slipped the shirt over me which had covered everything important and sat in my chair, rocking back and forth with my legs up against my chest. I felt that strange feeling again I had felt last night as I reminisced about Edward, I felt excited and upset. I wanted him back there now.

I wished he would come back soon and stay with me.

"Who would ever want to stay with a prostitute? How could anyone ever love a person like you?" I thought.

I closed my eyes and began to think of him, I wondered if he loved me. And I wondered if he would really come back. I soon found myself lost in my own thoughts until I felt a small like in the inside shirt pocket of his shirt.

I unbuttoned the first few buttons and reached inside the pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. Inside that paper were two one hundred dollar bills, and a note;

"My dearest Elizabeth,

I will be back in time. You shall never be alone again."

It read in the most beautiful cursive I had ever seen. I smiled brightly, a warm feeling coming over me as I held the note to my heart.

****

At noon I dressed myself into a beautiful red satin slip on dress with a cut open side meant for my bare leg. I did my hair up in curls and placed a short pearl necklace over my neck, I felt confident and beautiful. I always wore red of course, but not a dress as lovely as this one. I had been working on it for a while, adding little accents like lace to it and sewing on a little rose. It was my favorite dress, but I had never worn it until tonight.

I hoped that Edward would come back tonight and see me....

I smiled to myself as I spun around in the mirror, listening to beautiful sounds of a jazz band I heard heard in the ballroom of my old manor as a child long ago. I longed to listen to them in person again, and to dance to the sounds with my father once more.

Oh, how I missed him. And how he made me laugh, how he would pick me up and spin me around when I jumped into his arms. The conversation of the company we held in our ballroom when we hosted parties.
How the glasses would clink together and the silverware would scrape against the fine china.

When the chefs would come out with the delicious bread and olive oil, it was always such an amazing sight.
As I stood there in my baby blue dress and white socks, I remember my first dance with a boy named Andy from Poland who only visited our family with his mother and father once a year.
He was a few years older than me, but it only made me that much happier that he wanted to dance with me. He didn't speak much English, but he loved to hear me talk. I knew I'd never see Andy again...

The songs in my head slowly started to get quieter as I came back to reality. I sat down in my chair and crossed my legs, hoping for my expected guest to arrive.

*****

Hours passed and nobody had opened the door to either tell me Edward was there or have Edward just walk in. Nothing happened, I sat there rocking back and forth listening to the sound of the talking and laughing downstairs. I began to play with the wind chimes near my window and staring out the window. I found myself getting upset and tucked my knees under my chin.

I fell asleep not too long after, realizing the man I had waited for would not be coming back tonight.