Instead of entering through the main entrance of the tavern, Evaline chose to go to the backside where the tavern maids' rooms was located. She found Theresa dragging in a pail of water through the door but seeing her, she came immediately towards her, almost dropping the bucket.
She engulfed her in a tight embrace, holding her close, "Evaline, you scared me so much... I was terrified that you would never come back."
She pulled apart but still held onto her hands as she examined her carefully, searching whether she was hurt or not. Her gaze fell on her scratched hands and split lip as well as her dress that was ripped from the edges but she said nothing as she led her inside.
After she had made sure that Evaline was feeling much better, she asked, "what had happened last night?"
Lestat's words of warning echoed in her head as she replied reluctantly, "I do not know..."
Theresa's brow furrowed but she chose not to probe further, "you are not hurt, are you?"
She shook her head but her friend still seemed uncertain of her state. She had brought the bucket of water inside and drenching a piece of cloth in it, she gently cleansed the scratches on her skin.
"And that French gentleman, did he find you?"
"You told him even though I had forbade you to?" Evaline asked, looking at her closely, "so it was you who told him."
"Did he rescue you from that wild animal?"
"Wild animal... Yes. But please do not tell that to anyone else. I do not want to trouble him any more than I have already done so."
Eva hated lying to her friend but knew there was no other option. Still she was skeptical that after knowing her for so long, Theresa would have noticed that she was lying.
But before she could ask further, the door to their room opened and their third room mate entered. Seeing Evaline sitting there, she rushed out to alert Rob, despite Theresa's attempts to stop her.
Shorty afterwards, the room was crowded by the likes of Rob, Malcolm as well as the other tavern maids, all curious to find out the sinister happenings of the previous night.
"Tell us truthfully, what had happened last night?" Rob demanded soon as his eyes landed on her.
Her voice stuttered as she spoke up, "he took me to the forest and... And an animal attacked but what happened afterwards, I do not know."
"An animal?"
"Yes."
"And where had you been this entire time? Gordon returned by midnight but he had said you were not in the forest."
She looked at Theresa pleading her not to contradict her, "I woke up in the forest and came back soon afterwards. I do not know anything else."
"Are you certain?"
"Why would I lie to you? I have told you all that I remember. What happened afterwards was not in my consciousness."
Rob's brow furrowed in suspicion as he shook his head dismissively, "you nearly cost us a customer, Eva, and you shall not be forgiven for that."
Surprise crossed her features, "I cost you a customer? What are you talking about?"
"What if Gordon had died last night? Do you know who would have been blamed for it? You!"
Theresa held her close though her eyes flashed angrily at Rob, "it is not Eva's fault. Let her be."
"Let her be?" His voice rose to an alarming pitch and Eva's grip on her friend's arm tightened in fear, "your dear friend has become much more taxing for us. She causes more trouble than she earns and that is unacceptable."
"You sent her out last night, she did not ask to go to the forest herself. If anyone should be blamed for all this, it should be you, Rob. Or that Gordon who you sent her with."
"Enough, Theresa! One more word and I shall cut your tongue off."
The room was gripped in an uncomfortable silence at that threat and though Theresa's eyes burned in anger, she refrained from speaking up.
"I am warning you, Evaline, if you dare step out of your limits I will make sure you rue your existence," he threatened, "first that merchant vanished who you were sent out with and he has not been found to this day, there has been no sign of where he went. Then that strange French imbecile came to drop you off and started threatening me on your account and now this whole incident with Gordon... You are cursed, Eva, and if your curse affects my tavern and business in any way, you will pay for it."
He stormed out of the room, the others leaving after him as well until there were only Theresa and Eva in that room.
"If he thinks I am a curse to his business, then why does he keep using me for it? Why does he not let me be?"
"Do not worry, Eva, I will handle everything," Theresa rubbed her back gently in order to calm her down, "Rob is being a selfish hypocrite as usual. Pay no heed to his words."
She had closed her eyes for the whole encounter had worn her out, "Theresa, I am starving. Can you fetch me something to eat?"
"Wait here, I will find something," she got up and left for the kitchen in order to sneak some food out without Rob noticing.
Shortly afterwards she returned with a dry loaf of bread and half a glass of milk. Eva gratefully accepted the food and it seemed as if she had not eaten anything since long as she devoured the bread.
Theresa felt extremely sorry for her poor friend's state though she understood why she hadn't told the truth to Rob and the others. "Eva, I would normally not say this but... It seems as if that French gentleman... Monsieur Lestat... Really cares for you."
"I do not know. But I do not wish to trouble him."
"Has he ever told you how he feels towards you?"
"No," she recalled the night he had shown her his house and played the piano which had ended up terribly after the unexpected kiss, "but he thinks... He fears I will get hurt due to him."
Surprise flickered in her eyes, "is that so?"
"Perhaps," she lowered her gaze, cheeks coloring deeply as her fingers instinctively reached up to her bottom lip where his fang had pierced in slightly that night, his features clouded by fear flashed vividly in her memory.
"And what about you? How do you feel towards him?"
She thought for a while before replying, "I admire him; he has told me such a lot about the Old World, about the historical events that happened in the past, the beautiful pieces of poetry composed in those days... His tales are like magic, Theresa, I can not help but feel attracted to all the stories he relates. I can not help but want to know more and the way he relates each event, each play, each sonnet... It is enchanting."
Her friend seemed to be deep in thought as she assessed her words, "so is it just his tales that attract you? I mean... He has a very fine appearance as well."
"Back when I had first seen him, he was in a much worse state," Eva thoughtfully replied, "and though his appearance is much more pleasant now, to me it does not make much of a difference. I admired him even before and I still do so now. He is most probably the finest gentleman I have ever met. Eloquent, graceful and ever so respecting... Never once has he even clasped my hand without my consent. He treats even a lowly woman as I with such respect that at times I feel mortified that a noble as him would pay such attention to a whore."
"So you mean to say you are attracted to his personality as well and not just his appearance...?"
"I suppose so," she mumbled, "but why are you asking me as such?"
Theresa sighed, "it hurts me to see you in pain, Eva. And I know you do not deserve such a terrible fate. Last night when I had approached him and told him of you he had been extremely concerned. I thought maybe... Maybe he could get you out of this confinement forever."
Eva looked up with sad eyes, "you are saying this, Theresa? Were you not the one who told me that in the end no one accepts us and we are stuck here with our terrible fates unable to do anything about it?"
She tenderly cupped her face in between her palms, "but I do not want that to happen to you, my dear."
Evaline lowered her gaze, "no one can do anything for me, not even Monsieur Lestat. Rob is right in saying that I am cursed and there is no release from my torture."
***