Smoke And Mirrors ***completed***

Chapter 7.

Older and probably wiser but not definitely after all  experience had proved that time and again, Elizabeth still believed in sexual healing and the healing relaxing power of hot bubbly bath. The former  was proofing harder to come by, now erotica non grata with all the drama in the house  so she had settled for the frivolous pleasure of a scathing hot bath.
The whole experience was like a scene from crazy drama TV show she thought enjoying the fact she could submerge her whole body in the big tab. The last days had been exhausting for a lack of a better word, both physically and mentally even spiritually with Cora testing and stretching her will and tolerance to the limits. It was like she was pushing her to murder which she had considered a dozen times already or was it suicide. With Cora you never knew.
It was constant battle of wills with the Lady and  with all the wedding preparation Elizabeth would have been more than glad to soak up in tab forever. There was so many practical things to handle that the magnitude of her decision had barely registered.
Now, soaking up in the blue lagoon, she felt it all creeping up on her. Gradually stealing into her heart and paralysing her.
The doubts, the shock, the lies.
All seeping into her body through every pore in her body.
Determined to distract herself which was proofing harder and harder her mind drifted to earlier that evening.
Henry or the hunk had assured her the remedy of an hangover was a long shower and gentle sex. Infallible method as he had called it. Now if only she could find Jason.
The grandpa didn't conform to her usual stereotype patriarch like Richard or Rich. He was more laid back albeit with her crazy sense of humor. They were all black haired though the older men were greying which led her to wonder why Jason was the only blonde male.

She didn't know when Henry had gone from saying, "I have no monument in my name or a holiday in my honor but I can proudly say I have enjoyed the respect of intelligent men, the love of small children, the trust of pure women though I have doubts here and the passion of beautiful young women in my days ( he had winked naughtily at her) to
"You are a Virgin!"
He had shouted looking askance.
Technically, she wasn't a Virgin at least not in the conventional way. They were not talking about sex or anything sexual but chess. She had never played chess in her life and that at least to Henry meant she was a Virgin which made him all the more eager to break it. Chess wise. And so they had settled for a long night  in the spacious panelled  office with its gleaming mahogany table as the centre piece. Gilt wood pier glass reflected the spacious sitting area with its comfortable leather sofas resting on russet and cream Persian  carpet.
She had always been a fast learner so in no time she had already learnt the ropes of the game and proofing to henry she could hold her own even with the best as he had boosted before the game. With more luck than finesse or skill she had won close to a thousand dollar  making Henry grumpier.
Jason had walked in when she had been locked in a fierce battle with Rich who was proofing a formidable player though easily distracted one so it wasn't a surprise when she won relishing the moment she said checkmate. The little victory going a long way towards uplifting her spirit and feeding her ego. So she wasn't all for the idea that no sooner had they had finished that Jason had ushered her out.
"You are too charming to be my wife maybe I shouldn't have proposed."
Jason had joked but she caught the undercurrent of seriousness in his voice.
"But I was the one who proposed."
She pointed out but he didn't even crack a smile which meant  something was bothering him, " but either way you are stuck with me forever."
She had given him a quick kiss.

"Maybe I am reading to much into it but there was some kind of intimacy between you and my brother. But maybe I am just imagining things."
The words had come tumbling out as if if he didn't say them right there he wouldn't have ever said them.
Elizabeth had frozen.
Here was her cue to tell the truth. To come clean and hope for the best. She wasn't all too familiar with chess at least not until minutes ago but she knew when to lay all her cards on the table which would have been the reasonable thing to do.
But she hadn't.
"What? Did your grandma hit you in the head with her cane?"
She had joked and a poor effort at that, " no there is nothing between us."
At least not anymore she hadn't found the courage to add.
In a manner of speaking it wasn't exactly a lie. It wasn't even embroiding the truth but it was still a lie by omission but she swallowed it whole and prayed the lies wouldn't come to haunt her later.