The Art of the Corset (2017)

Chapter Forty Six- The Keeper of Harlots

Placing her fingers upon the ribbon to finalize her bow, she then dusted off her skirt and took a final look in the mirror as Marth stood behind her with his hands wrapped around her waist.

"You look radiant my darling."

"As do you, my love." She spoke with a swift kiss upon his lips before he pulled her into a more passionate buss-only to be interrupted by a knock upon her door. Hearing giddy laughter on the other end, she brought herself to a chuckle before opening it to find a young set of girls-in the middle of their teens, bouncing up and down while they were escorting her down the steps and into the grand foyer where the other girls had been waiting.

"Madame...." The women spoke as Evelyn nodded for the girls' to take their seats as she stood in the far center of the room, making sure to be seen and heard by everyone.

"Things will not be as before with Lucille. You are not here as a single option, you are here if only you desire to be. If you desire to leave, you will not starve upon the street, or be forced to live your final days begging for shelter...for this is no longer a whorehouse, this is a house of pleasure. Upscale and classy, prestigious and filled with a proper and constant clientele. Each girl who chooses to stay will be given a room or her very own as well as a tutor to learn the things every respectable woman should know. You must also be of consenting age before laying with a client, and will know how to defend yourself in case the situation grows with force. For those who leave, know that I harbor nothing against you-I understand why the sight of this place, the smell of the rickety wood, and even the melody of a friend's voice may be too much, for you, you will also be given a tutor and married to a gentleman of your choosing-one who will treat you as a proper lady."

The girls looked to one another with complete shock. "How can you do all this?"

"Darling?" Evelyn asked as Marth entered the room, holding his arm around Evelyn's waist.

"There is a town that my beloved had saved during a fire, they are gifted with some of the most intelligent minds of today's accuracy. They will be the tutors as they wished to help Evelyn in any way they could. For those who leave, will be sent to live with them...they will groom you to be proper ladies. For those who stay, the tutors will come here, once a day, four days a week."

"And any money you obtain will be for yourself, I ask only that you remain a lady and to not tarnish the name of our business."

"So...what do we call you? Madame seems rather odd..."

"Evelyn is fine. I want you to all know that I am here to guide you in a life away from what is forced upon you. You may leave now if you wish to do so. Again, know that I do not harbor anything against you, if you decide to."

"We have been together for our entire lives." A younger girl spoke as she stood upon her feet. "But...why do this for us? We had shunned you?"

"Forgiveness, Magdalena. It is one of the most beautiful and difficult things to do. I never spoke to Lucille after she spoke of me being a disappointment. But I like to believe that with the help of my guidance over this pleasure house...she will now know that I never meant harm."

"Lucille knew it. She missed you terribly and loathed Terrah for everything she put on you. When she learned of it by us, she had thrown her on her knees into the street. We wrote to you...but...we believed that you desired to be away from us due to your new marriage."

"I had never received a letter. Forgive me for not coming sooner. I wish nothing more than to make things right. Which reminds me that...I have to be elsewhere. You may go pick your rooms and the tutors will be arriving within the hour."

The girls rushed off through the establishment that was now painted white instead of red and given a more angelic look than a more sinful one. Even the floors that were once creaking with antique charm were now sturdy as Evelyn made her way from one side of the house to the other. Pulling open the door, Evelyn saw how a carriage was already waiting for her.

"Do you wish for me to accompany you?" Marth asked as he called to her just before she stepped into the street.

"I will be alright my dear. Keep an eye on the girls."

He nodded before allowing her to be on her own as she moved into the carriage. With her gaze focusing on the passing scenery, her mind began to fade into everything she had been through in the past decade and how everything had changed. She was once an abused orphan with no hope for adolescence, now a keeper of young ladies that would become something of pride with her.

"We are here, miss." A voice spoke as she was brought back to reality and stepped from the carriage, out onto the cemetery ground while stones of unknown fatalities circled around her. For most cases the stones were cracked, chipped, or worn away-all except for one. She made her way up to it and knelt down, placing a few fresh picked flowers upon the grave in front of her.

"Your husband had asked me to place these for you, forgive me that it took so very long to do it." Bowing her head and placing her hand on the stone, she turned before finding a figure standing behind her.

"Marcus..."

"Evelyn..." Tears filled his eyes as he spoke her name. "I learned of you being here from Joseph...please do not grow angry with him...he was only doing what I asked...begged for."

"I am not angry, Marcus. I am allowing myself to a life without anything from the past. As far as I know it, you and I have never seen one another...your name is a new one to me and your memories are your own. It is the only way I can move forward."

"I understand that...I simply wanted to apologize for everything I had done. You are a woman of unique existence. Marth is a lucky man. I hope you can someday look to me fondly-if even for a second...so my life would not be that of a wasted one."

Moving closer towards him, Evelyn placed her hand upon his.

"I forgive you, Marcus. I forgive the pain you caused me, for the deceiving that you had done to me...and I wish you a bright future with a family of your own. You can be a good man when you desire it, but as I have learned with all men, you have an unquenchable thirst for what you can never have enough of..."

He nodded in shame.

"I wish you luck, Marcus, but I ask that you never speak to me again. My life is new with Marth, we have nothing but a clean path ahead. I beg that you allow me to keep it so..."

"It is the least I can do for all I placed upon you."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Marcus."

"Goodbye, Evelyn." He spoke with deep pain as he turned away from her and Evelyn then returned to the pleasure house.

"She's back!" A girl exclaimed as Marth pulled Evelyn into the foyer and had something hidden under a large sheet. "The name of our establishment..." Marth spoke as he swept the sheet to the floor and unveiled the wooden plaque that placed her immediately into tears. Tracing her fingers on the name, she looked to Marth with deep admiration.

"The Rose." She wrapped her arms around him and they basked in the embrace of one another.

For what the future brought? I suppose it depends on whose version you want to believe. The most common is that Evelyn and Marth spent the rest of their days brightening the lives of the young girls that became dependable to The Rose house. Others claim that they did not find peace in one another, remarried others, delivered offspring away from one another...but I believe that it was a little of both. No relationship is a million perfect perfect, and what example better than them? So I suppose it is up to you with what you wish to believe. For the romantics, I can suspect the ending you desire, and for those who are deep in emotion, I can also understand why you believe the latter. For argument's sake, let us just claim that they disappeared into history like the slow smoke of a burnt candle, present in the moment and then gone without any sign of them once being present.

THE END