🕸 XIII 🕸

I awoke and was no longer a black widow spider but a human girl again.

My head throbbed, my eyes were heavy, and my body ached all over. I blamed the wine and I thought it had to be a bad brew. My face was covered in drool and was pressed against something soft, smooth, and yielding. I then lifted my head up.

I looked down and found that I was on top of Maggy. The bedsheets were wrapped around her and she had a ridiculous smile across her face. Her chest was bare and she was fast asleep.

In my dazed and confused state, I fondled her exposed breasts. I would never dare touch Maggy in such a way while I was sober and she was awake. But the temptation to play with her bosom was far too great.

I had my fun and giggled until I brought my face close to her bosom to smother myself with them. But then something unexpected happened. I squeezed one too hard and it spat at me in the eye.

I was in shock and pulled away from Maggy. I then noticed that Maggy’s breasts seemed flat, almost deflated. I then saw something white appear on the nipple that attacked me.

I then recalled what Miss Easter told me when she found out her ex-partner was—

I untangled Maggy from the sheets. I pulled open her corset to expose her belly. I looked at her torso in abject horror. She was much plumper than I had realized.

Her belly showed clear signs that she was—

I cried out and my scream was enough to rouse Maggy awake. I then fled into the bathroom and locked the door. I hid away so no one could see me cry. I hated crying and I hated it more when others saw my tears.

My Maggy was pregnant. Some man out there had her. And planted his dreadful seed in her. And I did not have the faintest idea that it happened.

I then recalled my bizarre spider fantasy from last night. It was not her life essence I consumed as a spider. It was her milk that was brought on by her pregnancy. It was all so overwhelming and I wanted to embrace ignorance and denial.

But it was impossible for me to hide and ignore the reality that was my life now.

Maggy had an affair with a man. She had a night of passion and love, the kind I only dreamed of. I wallowed in my misery for a long time before a knock came at the bathroom door.

“Gothia? Are you in there?” asked Maggy but I kept quiet. “So, Kathryn came by and she said the Duke discovered that the case of wine we drank from was bad. That would explain your behavior last night and my dream—”

“Who was he?! Who did it to you?!” I demanded.

“. . . if you come out, I will tell you,” said Maggy calmly.

I was reluctant but I needed to know the truth. I stood up, bravely took a breath, and then threw the door open. Maggy stood at the doorway wearing her robe and it was opened. Her breasts hung before me and they looked so sad and lifeless.

“Put those away, I want nothing more to do with them,” I demanded.

“Good and I hope that means you are finally over that immature fixation,” said Maggy as she closed her robe. “Come, sit with me and I will explain everything.”

We sat together on the sofa and Maggy waited for me to speak first. I had so many questions but I was too overwhelmed for words. I just stared at the floor and quietly wept.

“I understand you are upset, Gothia,” said Maggy. “Trust me when I say that I wanted to tell you but I had no idea how.”

“How long?” I asked. “You are producing milk and are showing. You must be far into it.”

“About three months,” said Maggy.

“Are you certain?” I asked.

“Oh, I am very certain,” said Maggy.

“Does anyone else know?” I asked.

“I had confided in a doctor that is in a neighboring town by our estate,” said Maggy. “Obviously I did not inform any doctors we know. They are loyal to mother and father and would likely have told them.”

“Which begs the most important question I shall repeat,” I said as I stared right into Maggy’s calm and cool eyes. “Who?”

Maggy breathed in and sighed. “I told you already. I confess my feelings for him. And yes, he is the father.”

I had to think for a moment and then my eyes grew in horror. “No! Young Deacon Gloombright?” Maggy smirked and nodded. “You actually had sex with a boy several years younger than you?”

“He is a young man and very mature for his age,” said Maggy.

“Really, Maggy? You gave yourself to some fifteen year old brat?” I asked. “Just because he was decent at the viola?”

“It was not just his music that captivated me, Gothia,” said Maggy as a smile grew on her face. “It was his carefree charm, his sophisticated outlook on the world, his sheer confidence. I never had and possibly never will meet anyone like my dearest Deacon.”

The way she spoke of him with such passion and admiration and . . . love. My Maggy was in love with this Young Deacon Gloombright. And she was with his child.

“So, when would you have told our parents or me?” I asked. “You could not hide that growing belly forever.”

“You are right and I beg for your forgiveness for taking so long to tell you, Gothia,” said Maggy as she bowed her head to me. “I know how you feel for me and I was worried you were going to fall into a depression if you found out.”

“Wait . . . you knew it was real—?” I was too in shock to finish my words. Maggy had known my affection for her was real. And she continued to pretend that my admiration was only teasing. “So, you knew—”

“You are far too blunt and forward, Gothia, and I hoped you would grow out of it,” said Maggy. “But you are my sister and I could never feel for you in that way. And I am well aware that I have admirers amongst our staff. I know many long for me but Deacon has won me over and I desire no other but him.”

My curiosity had piqued and drowned out my jealousy. My Maggy had found true love, just like how I found true love with Lurkson. I had to know more about her secret romance.

“How did it happen, exactly?” I asked.

Maggy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Well, it happened when we stayed at the Gloombright estate. Deacon and I had only a few moments alone together and we flirted a bit in secret. And despite our few words together, I became so enraptured by him that when night came, and you and all others fell asleep, we met in the garden. And—”

Her smile grew and she was positively glowing as she blushed and giggled. She held her fiery red cheeks and I wanted to be jealous. I wanted her to be miserable like I was after she robbed me from Lurkson. But I still loved her and all my negativity had washed away.

I could never keep a grudge against my Maggy.

“Well, I will ease your worries,” continued Maggy. “He was gentle, attentive, and an honest gentleman to me the whole night. Even as we write to one another, he still wants me and has asked me to be his bride. I have his child growing in me as proof of our love. I have yet to tell him but I am certain things will work out.”

“But wait, Maggy. It was just one night? Just one moment of passion, yes?” I asked as all the color left my face. “And he impregnated you, just like that?”

“Just once is all it takes,” said Maggy as she patted her belly. “I am an unfortunate example of how one passionate night could change life forever.”

A thought then occurred to me and I sighed in awe. “That is why you stopped Lurkson and myself. You did not want the same fate to befall us?”

“Yes and I could not tell you the truth without revealing my own folly,” said Maggy.

“Folly? The Gloombrights are filthy rich! You have a golden ticket in your belly, dear Maggy,” I said with an avarice grin.

“Do not speak of my little one like that, Gothia,” said Maggy as she shielded her belly with her arms. “This is a child conceived by love and destiny.”

I let out a high pitched wail and asked, “Did you, Magnolia Staria Loretta Vineharth, just say something so cheesy and cliche?”

Maggy giggled and said, “I got that from you, you hopeless romantic.”

We had a good laughing fit before settling down. Dawn was on the horizon outside our window. I slid over to Maggy’s side and we hugged. I fondled her breasts as she held me.

“I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with those?” asked Maggy.

“Hush, let me enjoy them before you become a bride and a mother,” I said.

“Will I have to bribe you with them to keep your silence until I let my secret be known?” asked Maggy.

“As tempting as that proposal is, wine will do as my usual bribe,” I said.

“I think it is best that you lay off the wine for a while, dear Gothia,” said Maggy.

🕷

After we hugged for several minutes, Maggy and I then washed up for breakfast. I looked upon her body with a new found light. I still loved her, still found her desirable, but now her body was something to protect.

Maggy was living for two for the coming months ahead.

We wanted to forget the awkward event of last night and the serious discussion we had. So we did something that we had not done since we came to Longroper manor. We gossiped, just the two of us.

“Have you noticed the fire between the Earl and that maid, dear Maggy?” I asked as Maggy washed my hair.

“Yes, regretfully,” said Maggy. “Lydia, I believe her name is. She was giving me dirty looks all throughout that awful supper. And when the Earl sat next to me, that maid was shooting daggers at me.”

“I believe the Earl is faithful to that Lydia girl,” I said. “He must be in love because he turned you down at your best. Oh, which reminds me. Were you hoping to bed the Earl and claim the child in your belly was his?”

“That had been the goal but looking back on it now, Deacon and the Earl are nothing alike,” said Maggy. “It was a foolish quest out of desperation. But with your support, dear Gothia, I have no fear now.”

The air grew serious again and I continued to gossip. “Oh, so one of our maids has an admiration for you—”

“Just one? I could swear there are more,” said Maggy. “But go on.”

“Well, I was talking with Miss Easter, one of the maids here at Longroper manor, and she had been unlucky in love,” I said. “So, I directed her to our maid who admires you.”

“You did not,” Maggy scoffed. “Gothia, do not go around playing cupid. It will only lead to tragedy.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Well, the two maids you have set up are women, yes?” asked Maggy. I nodded slowly. “Well, same sex relationships are forbidden. What if their affair is found out?”

“But plenty of those same sex affairs happen amongst the nobility,” I said.

“Yes, in secret and that is all it can be for our maid and this Miss Easter,” said Maggy. “Which is why I always tried to mitigate your lesbian behavior. I worried about you but now that this Lurkson is in your life, perhaps there is hope for you yet.”

“You fret over me too much, Maggy,” I said.

“Well, you are my only sister,” said Maggy. “And my number one retainer and closest friend.”

I sensed another dreadfully serious discussion of love and future brewing.

“Do you think the Duke has affairs with his maids?” I said in hopes to continue our gossip.

“He is a man of high status, his wife is in a sanitarium, and he is not getting any younger,” said Maggy. “A man with that much power and stress will certainly be having his servant girls line up and push the boundaries of servitude to its limits.”

“Our parents have affairs too, yes?” I asked.

“I am certain they do and all other nobility,” said Maggy. “But like with same sex relationships, it is all done behind closed doors. The glue of civilization is discretion, dear Gothia.”

“More like deception,” I said. “Why must the world be so dreadfully complicated?”

Maggy then held my head and I found my face being pressed against her pregnant belly. She was going to balloon out in the coming months. I have heard that you could hear the heartbeat once the baby had grown enough.

I was to have a little niece or nephew in the future. The future was always filled with dark uncertainty and disappointment. But now there was a shimmer of light ahead. Maggy stroked my head and I knew what she was about to ask me.

“Gothia? I do not believe I need to ask but—”

“I swear on your child and your body that I will honor and protect both of you,” I swore. “I am your retainer, after all. What kind of right hand would I be if I did not stay at your side?”

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her belly to seal my pledge.

Her, my Maggy—no.

My dearest Lady Magnolia Staria Loretta Vineharth.

By all means, when I learned she was pregnant and loved another, I should have slain her. There are plenty of tales of betrayal and tragedy where love drives a person to do dark deeds. Maggy had been mine for as long as I could remember. And yet I could never have her for myself.

I had every right to claim her life as mine.

But I grew weak and dependent. And, like Aphrodite or Persephone, she was a goddess sent by the heavens. My love for her outweighed my own dark desires. The love I had for dear Magnolia was both my chains and also my lifeforce.

And I knew many others, men like Deacon Gloombright, and women like Kathryn, who loved her in many ways. Although, my love was stronger, grander, and more darkly complex than any in all the world. And I had the honor of being the closest to Magnolia.

My Magnolia would one day go down in history and take her place amongst all the great goddesses of Oylimpia. I loved her and I knew she loved me. We were not lovers and never could be. But we were family and that kind of love even romance cannot rival.

So if I could not give my heart to Magn—Maggy then I would give it to another. Lurkson was mine and he wanted me. I was blinded by carnal desire and my own sinful love for Maggy. My own fears of letting her go prevented me from seeing the future.

Lurkson wanted me to chase away the winter of his life.

And I wanted him to do the same for me.

I was to be his Persephone and he would be my Hades.

A most dreadful romance indeed.

🕷