A Drowned Maiden's Hair_ A Melodrama - Laura Amy Schlitz [53]
It was a drawing of Maud in her white dress. Then another figure emerged. It was a spider, and not a spider; it wore a stylish shirtwaist and had an elegant, pointed face. Maud emitted a cry of recognition and surprise. Somehow Muffet had drawn a spider that was also Hyacinth. And the spider was reaching out one of its legs, striking the little girl.
Maud looked to Muffet, perplexed. Then she understood. “No, Muffet!” She shook her head emphatically. “No. She didn’t hit me.”
Muffet pushed the pencil and writing pad toward Maud.
Maud sighed. Muffet knew she couldn’t draw. Still, she managed a stick figure with a wide skirt. She drew a rectangle and added a circle on one side for the doorknob. “I walked into the door, that’s all.” She pointed to the door and stood up, miming the collision. Then she remembered that door was one of Muffet’s words. She printed carefully, MAUD WALK INTO DOOR.
Muffet cupped her hands around Maud’s cheeks, forcing Maud to look her in the eye. Are you telling the truth?
Maud nodded. With the pencil, she underlined DOOR.
Muffet nodded in return. Then she went to the icebox. She poured a glass of milk and opened a tin of anise cookies. She put the glass and the cookies in front of Maud and tapped her left hand lightly, giving her permission to let go of her nose.
Early the next morning, Maud was awakened by a series of thuds.
It was not yet dawn. The light was dim. Maud sat up and ran her fingers over her hurt nose. It was sore, but the blood caked inside her nostrils was dry. It was not pain that had wakened her, but noise. Another thud sounded from the other side of the wall.
Someone was in the next room, where the boxes and trunks were kept. Lamplight flickered in the open doorway. Maud slid out of bed and peered inside. Victoria, fully dressed in hat, gloves, and traveling suit, stood between two suitcases. Muffet, clad in her nightgown and barefoot, faced her. At the spectacle of Muffet, Maud rubbed her eyes. The hired woman’s nightdress was elaborately pintucked and adorned with scarlet ribbons. At one end of this confection were Muffet’s feet — short, square, with thick ankles — and at the other was Muffet’s face, which was wearing an obstinate expression.
“What’s the matter?” demanded Maud.
Victoria looked over her shoulder. “Go back to bed.”
“You woke me up,” Maud said defensively. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re leaving,” Victoria said shortly. “We need to catch the early train.”
Maud’s eyes went to the suitcases on the floor. Victoria’s bags were already packed. The trunk that Maud shared with Muffet lay open and empty on the floor. Maud’s clothes had been taken out and set aside. “Am I going?”
“No. Only Muffet and I.” Victoria darted a frustrated glare toward the hired woman. “Only she won’t.”
Maud’s gaze shifted to Muffet. The hired woman’s hands were half clenched, and there was something about the way her feet were planted that proclaimed that she would not be moved. Maud’s attention was caught by Muffet’s toenails, which were barbaric enough to erase all other thoughts from her mind. They were dull yellow and curved like the claws of a bear. Maud resolved that no matter how long she lived, she would never have toenails like that.
Victoria seemed to come to a decision. She stalked past Muffet into the hired woman’s bedroom, opened the chest of drawers, and took out a selection of stockings. Muffet pursued her, reclaimed the stockings, and shut them back in the drawer. Maud was intrigued. She sidled away from the doorway and leaned against the wall, where she had an excellent view of the battle that followed.
It was a brief tussle, but vigorous. Once Muffet headed back to bed, Victoria yanked open a second drawer and removed two aprons, a corset, and an armful of petticoats. Briskly she headed for the box room, only to be waylaid by Muffet. Once again, Muffet snatched back her clothes and returned them to the chest. Victoria, changing tactics, went to the box room and brought