False Southern Gentility

Christine stood by her husband's graveside, bored out of her mind, she hadn't really cared that James had died, yes, she had been fond of him, perhaps like a distant fourth cousin, or even a neighbor, but not anything more.

"I am very sorry for your loss." one of her neighbors said as she touched Christine's small hand that was now and would probably forever be draped in this black fabric for the rest of her life.

"Thank you, very much." Christine said as she adjusted her black crepe veil over her face, her dark hair pulled into it's tight netting under the heavy fabric that held her bonnet.

A pang of sickness overcame Christine, her stomach turning God-awful flips. She rushed to the other side of the graveyard, pulled the front of the crepe back and vomited on the ground; everyone stood, stunned.

She grasped onto the side of a small tree, the world spinning as she dabbed the sides of her mouth with the black lace handkerchief, she thrust the handkerchief to the ground, angry with the fact that now EVERYTHING she owned was black.

"The service is over, come along, we'll send for the doctor once we're home." her aunt Meredith said as she took hold of Christine's arm and propelled her away from the graveyard, the crowd stared in disbelief.

"What's wrong with me?" Christine asked as she leaned back in her large bed, her black nightgown falling over her; she let out a groan as the doctor pressed on her stomach.

"How long have you been getting pangs like that?" the doctor asked as he continued to press along her stomach, not looking up as he questioned.

"Probably a few weeks, maybe two." she said as she shooed his hands away from her tender stomach.

"You'll have something to help with your grief soon...you're pregnant, probably only a month, two at the latest, but nothing more than that." the doctor said as he pulled up her blankets back over her.

Christine swallowed, "I'm what?" she asked in horror. She didn't want a baby, especially not James' little brat, she couldn't stand him, let-alone his child.

Oh why did God keep playing these games? Hadn't she suffered enough for whatever it was that she had done.

"You're pregnant, I'll be back in a week or so to check on you." and with that, he left the room, leaving Christine alone with her thoughts.

Christine threw off her blankets, angry at the world, and then a sharp rap came at the door, thick and burly. Christine dropped back onto her bed in a pout.

"Come in." Christine said as she rolled her eyes, she really had a feeling that it was her aunt, or perhaps someone had brought her father up, as if that would make any difference if he were here or not, he wouldn't know how to handle this anyways; he didn't know how to handle anything anymore...he wasn't there.

"Ah, don't you make the pretty picture." Christopher said as he stepped into her room; his cigar clenched between his teeth; a smile sat deeply on his face.

"Oh, what do you want?" Christine exclaimed as she slammed her hands back down on the bed in irritation, "Don't I have enough to worry about without you showing up?" she asked as she looked to the other side of the room.

"Now, you mustn't be angry with me, I'd think you'd be happy that James is gone." Christopher said as he sat down on the bottom of the bed, playing with the part of her blanket where her foot sat.

"Will you stop that!" she yelled as she yanked her foot away, looking up at the top of her bed. "And why should I be happy, now I've got some--" she stopped, remembering quickly who she was talking with.

"Some what?" Christopher asked, intrigued by the fact that she seemed distressed, he wanted to help, wanted to at least know.

"Nothing, I was going to say some business to handle."

She was lying through her teeth.

"And what business is that?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, just James' stupid law firm, I've been reading a few books about it, and I'm going to sell it. Use the money from it to pay for a sawmill and maybe a store or something, things that I could really get some money out of." her eyes shined brightly as she thought of the profit that she would make.

Christopher laughed, "Ah, I see, you're going to sell your husband's hard earned business to make a lovely little profit for yourself; what makes you think that anyone will buy it?" Christopher asked her.

"Well, I don't know anything about practicing Law, but I know at least how to handle a sawmill or a saloon or..." she looked to make sure that her aunt wasn't standing around the door, "or maybe one of those...'gentleman's clubs'...I could make some very good money off of cheating husbands." she said with a smile.

"Ah, the wonders of a woman's mind. You know, that pretty face of yours does make for a very nice camouflage for your thoughts, though I have seen you a few times when your mind has wondered to places that you weren't intending on thinking of, and then that pretty camouflage falls, and very quickly I might add." he smirked.

"Will you leave me alone? I asked you once before to stay away from me, but you couldn't do that, you come back and just keep coming back, you're like a rat that finds it's way in. You can't simply catch it and put it outside, no, of course not, once it's found it's way in, it will come back in, you've got to kill it." she said as she licked the top of her teeth inside of her mouth.

He laughed, a deep rumble of a laugh; Christine scowled, and then her scowl gradually faded and she realized that she was laughing to; then she was crying.
A sob born from a laugh is a terrible thing to hear, and an even more terrible thing the do, to experience.

"Come here," he said as he walked up to where she sat, sliding off of the bottom of the bed; he took her to his chest, "it'll be alright, life isn't that hard, it isn't that bad, it never is." he ran a hand over her ruffled hair and pulled her, sobbing, close to his chest.

"It is, you don't understand, it is. I'm going to have a baby, a blessed baby!" she cried against his face; his arms tightened around her, clenching her close to him, as if he wished to block out the world for her.

"I know, I understand how hard it will be, but you'll love the baby, not because it was James's, but because it will be yours, someone that will love you, and need you. That's what you need, Christine. You need someone that will love you, that loves you for what you are, and not for this ignorant play you put on." Christopher breathed in the scent that was her, and wished he could stay there forever.

Christine raised herself up from his chest and wiped her face clear; removing all tears and emotion. "I shouldn't have told you, besides, I'll be just fine on my own, I don't need anyone's help, I never have and never will, and as for this baby, I don't want it, and never will." she cleared her throat as Christopher stood up, his body rigid.

"Well, I'll buy the Law firm from you, I'm sure I'll find someone to take it off of my hands, I wouldn't use it, who knows, maybe I'll hire a few men to work it. How much do you want for it?" his question startled Christine.

"What?" she asked as she drew her right hand to her forehead in thought. If she was to sell to Christopher Rudd, wouldn't she owe him something, some kind of severance or a kindness to repay?

"How much are you willing to sell for?" Christopher asked again.

"Um, I don't really know how much I should ask for. I know that James put an awful lot of work into that blasted firm, I would ask..." she thought about how much she could actually ask for it, "I would say sixty thousand for it." Christopher gave her a sly look.

"Sixty thousand, ay? I should think that a fair price." Christine's eyes grew wide.

"You mean you'll actually pay that much for that tiny little law firm of his?" she exclaimed, trying to control the excitement in her voice.

"Yes, you wouldn't think of swindling me, would you? If you say sixty thousand is what your lawyers say it's worth, then I'll pay it."

Christine looked down, a swarm of guilt panning out in her stomach.

"What, isn't it worth that much?" he asked, a deep smile furrowing his face.

"Yes," Christine said as she looked back up, "I should think that it's worth that much." her eyes showed none of the guilt she felt inside.

"Well then, I'll write you a draft, right here and now." he said as he withdrew a large stack and pulled out his new fountain ink pen.

"Wait," she said as she reached out and steadied his hand. Now was not the time to be chivalrous. "Don't make it out under my maiden name. Christine Threlkeld Henry, not under Mrs. Henry, or James's widow." she released his hand and Christopher continued to write.

"There, sixty thousand dollars to Christine Threlkeld Henry." he held out the bank draft to Christine; she snatched at it greedily. "Are you sure it's worth sixty thousand?" he asked again; Christine scowled and snatched it from her hand.

"Thank you very much." and with that she folded the draft in two, feeling along the tight crease with her fingernail.

He sighed, "Lovely doing business with you, now, I've another matter to attend to." he stood and smoothed out the front of his well tailored suit.

"Why are you going now? I'm just ready to talk again." she whined.

"Because, my infamous little ignorant, I have other things besides you." he smirked as he walked out of the room, his large strides strangely small for him.

"Fine then," she muttered as the door closed, "and I'm a whinny baby, I didn't do anything, I didn't ask for his money, he gave it to me." she groaned aloud.

We're all men like this? All of them, like a bunch of babies whining in the middle of the night, and if they didn't get their way, or didn't get their way in the amount of time they wanted, then they would just scream louder.

Men were children, and she had enough thoughts in her head to deal with than worrying about children, especially with this baby coming herself.

How nice was life right now? A damned baby and another man acting like one, stupidity, that was what the world was.

Sheer stupidity.