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I told Bill that I received a letter from Marah. That she was at the lighthouse, and she sent her love to him and Michelle. Also adding, that she wished he would send some token of forgiveness through me.
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"Forgiveness!" Bill laughed. "I have nothing to forgive her. I only feel sorry for her, because she is married to that bastard. Go visit her if you like, but tell her not to expect me."
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"Won't you at least write her a note?" I asked. "She would be so happy to hear from you."
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"No! Why should I send her a note? I have nothing to say to her." Bill exclaimed.
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"Very well Mr. Lewis," I said as I gathered up the plate of cookies that I intended to take with me.
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"Maria wait--Look, just tell Marah that Michelle and I love her, and that I'm not angry, just sad."
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When I arrived at the lighthouse, I could see Marah watching for me from the upstairs window. I waved to her as I got out of my car, but she drew back as if afraid of being observed. I entered the lighthouse without knocking, and was shocked by the dismal mess I saw. Stacks of dishes were piled in the sink, and newspapers littered the floor. If I had been in Marah's place, I would have at least picked up the trash and swept the floor. But she had already taken on the spirit of her new home. Her face was listless, her hair hung in greasy strings around it, and her dress looked as if she had slept in it for several days.
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Danny sat at the table shuffling through some papers, but he rose when he saw me, greeting me cheerfully. He was the only thing there that looked decent; in fact, I had never seen him look better.
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Marah jumped out of the window seat, and ran to me holding out her hand. "Did you bring me a letter from Bill?" she asked.
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I shook my head and said, "No, but he sends his love, and his wishes for your happiness. However, he also said not to expect a note or a visit from him, at least not anytime soon."
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Tears welled up in Marah's eyes, and she returned to her seat at the window. Danny inquired about Michelle's illness, and I told him I wished he would take Bill's example, and avoid future interference, for good or evil. "Michelle is just starting to recover, I don't think she will ever be the same, but at least she has found a certain peace. It is difficult to see her like that, remembering the way she used to be." I said.
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"You must help me see her Maria," Danny pleaded. "Before you leave I want you to promise you will."
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"No! I am afraid seeing you would finish her off, and I will not be a party to that. She is in a very fragile state, with her depression and the pregn�," I said cutting myself off, as I revealed the secret Bill had begged me to keep from Danny. My heart pounded furiously as I waited for Danny's reation to my news.
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Danny stared at me with amusement, and said, "Calm down Maria. You look like you are going to have a heart attack. I already know that Michelle is pregnant with that idiot's baby. She must be almost seven months along by now."
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My eyes narrowed, and I felt a hot fury rising in me. I thought back to the conversation I overheard by the creek, and was disgusted that Danny had asked Michelle to leave Bill, knowing her condition. "You evil bastard," I hissed. "If it's the last thing I do, I will never allow you anywhere near Michelle again."
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"Danny's eyes matched mine in intensity, and he shouted, "You will help me, or I will lock you in my cellar while I visit her tonight, and maybe I won't remember to let you out again!"
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"Please Danny," I begged. "I know Bill would catch you there, and witnessing the battle between you two would kill her, I am certain!"
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"With your help all that could be avoided," Danny said with white knuckled fists. "And if he does catch us, and causes Michelle more pain with his jealousy, I feel I would be completely justified in going to extremes. I wish you would tell me if she would suffer greatly from his loss; the fear that she would restrains me. You see that is the difference between his feelings and mine. If I were in his place and he in mine, I never would have denied her the pleasure of his company, although I hated him with every fiber of my being. The moment her regard ceased, however, I would have ripped out his heart and drunk his blood. Until then--and if you don't believe me you don't know me--until then I would never touch a hair on his head."
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"And yet you would ruin all hopes of her complete recovery by seeing her now," I quipped. "Just as she has nearly forgotten you."
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"You think she has forgotten me?" Danny laughed. "You know as well as I do that for every thought she spends on Bill, she spends a thousand on me! If she did forget me, then two words would sum up my existence, death and hell; existence after losing her would be hell! Only a fool would think that she valued Bill Lewis's attachment more than mine. If he loved her with all the powers of his puny being, he could not love as much in a million years as I could in a day. He is scarcely dearer to her than her dog. It is not in him to be loved like me. How could she love in him what he does not have?"
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Suddenly Marah jumped up and shouted, "You have no right to talk about my cousin like that! Bill and Michelle are as fond of each other as two people can be"
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"Your cousin is wondrous fond of you too isn't he Marah?" Danny sneered. "And yet he won't even speak to you."
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"He is not aware of my pain," Marah replied. "I did not tell him that."
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"You have been telling him something though, I know you have written him."
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"To tell him of our honeymoon. You saw the note."
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"And nothing since?"
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"No."
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"Somebody's love has come short in Marah's case, obviously," I interrupted.
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"Whose I may guess, but I shouldn't say."
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"I should guess it was her own," Danny hissed. "She is nothing but a slut. I am amazed at how quickly she has tired of pleasing me. In fact, she was crying to go home the day after our wedding. However, she suits this house perfectly."
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"Whatever you think about her, I know she has the capacity for strong attachments. Or else, she would never have left her happy home to live in this hellhole with you." I observed.
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"She left with delusions that I was some romantic hero, just dying to shower her with my love. But at last, I think she is beginning to know me. It took a great effort to convince her that I did not love her. I believed at one time, that no lesson could teach her that. This morning she announced that I had actually succeed in making her hate me. If this is true then I have cause for celebration--Can I trust you assertion Marah? Are you sure you hate me? If I left you alone for a few hours would you come sighing and cooing to me again? I never told you I loved you. If I relented a little in torturing you, it is purely from lack of imagination, because my experiments in seeing what you will endure and still come crawling back to me, amuses me greatly. If you want to leave, I will not stop you. The nuisance of your presence far outweighs the pleasure I receive in tormenting you."
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"Danny! Your wife is obviously concerned for your sanity. That is why she put up with your abuse," I exclaimed. "Now you have given her permission to leave, and I have no doubt that she will accept your offer." I looked to Marah and was surprised at the fear in her eyes.
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"Don't listen to a single word he says Maria," Marah cried. "He is a liar--a monster, and not a human being! He has told me to leave before, and I've made the attempt, but he�no�I cannot tell you what he did. Please promise me that you will not mention a word of this to Bill. I know Danny is trying to provoke my cousin to desperation. He says he has married me to obtain power over Bill, and I won't allow that to happen. I'll die first, or see him dead!"
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"I think that's about enough from you Marah," Danny said and grabbed her arm. "Why don't you go play with Dietz? The two of you seem to have great fun plotting my demise." Danny roughly pushed her out of the room, and slammed the door.
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"Do you understand what the word pity means?" I said as I made a move to leave. "Did you ever feel a touch of it in your life?"
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"Not so fast Maria!" Danny shouted. "You are going to stay here while we plan how I am going to see Michelle."
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