Coral

--Cousins--


Agnes Rookwood was what she termed ' late thirtiesh' ( which meant, early fortiesh), and she carefully used glamour charms to disguise the grey hairs that began to show occasionally in her dull blond hair.

She might have been pretty, for her wide smooth face, with it's square forehead and wide-spaced eyes was not unpleasant to look at. However she wore at all times either an expression of bored disdain, or narrow-eyed anger, and this, which twisted her fragile, curved mouth in a wicked fashion, made her generally repellant.

Her mother, Wilemina Rookwood, had been Eloise's youngest sister, and it was simply very bad luck that had placed the woman in the path of an errant Deatheater's curse, many years ago.

She had been merely in the act of stepping across the street, but had happened to step between the masked assassin and his intended target. Agnes, and her sister Demogene, had been behind her, and had witnessed the whole event with the horrified curiosity that only children can summon. Their infant brother, Aristotle, had unfortunately, been in Wilemina's arms at the time.

Agnes father, a man that Eloise referred to only as 'Willa's husband', had promptly evaporated, so to speak, going a little crazy every day, until it became obvious to everyone that he had gone all the way towards insanity. Then, he simply disappeared. Never to be seen again.

Eloise had taken both girl's into her home, and raised them as well as she could. She always suspected that the violent death of their mother, and the subsequent loss of their father had scarred them both deeply, but in ways so different from each other, that at times, the contrast was startling.

Agnes had taken on a very coarse exterior. She became a bully. A physical bully at first, until her brains caught up with her temper. Then she became the sly agitator that coached the other bullies from the sidelines. Her methods were erratic, her victims chosen at random; and like most bullies, the instant she was defeated, she fell in love.

Earnest Williworth had appeared at first sight to be an easy mark. He was tall, wiry, and bespectacled. He read poetry, had a distinct, soft stammer, and usually preferred to be alone.

He had been cornered a few times by Agnes and her pet bullies, and allowed himself to be tripped up and pushed around. However the day came when her favorite protege, Grinks, staged a battle with little Earnest, who, though he was outweighed, and under-tall, agreed to fight it out like a man.

Grinks had lasted only a few minutes, for Earnest was a first rate boxer-- light on his toes, and quick with his fists. Grinks' friend, Bull had stepped in, only to fall even faster and harder. No one else would challenge Earnest, so Agnes had flown at him in a rage, and he had not restrained himself from giving her a few taps to cool her spirits. Nothing hard enough to hurt more than her pride.

Agnes could have turned him in to one of the professors; a boy striking a girl, no matter her fault in the matter, was worhty of severe punishement. She could have frightened any number of her peers into agreeing with her. But instead, she began to follow Earnest about, cow-eyed, and worshipping, becoming the laughing stock of the school she had once kept in fear. It was shocking.

Even more shocking was the day before graduation, when Earnest had stood up at dinner, set a small box down in front of her and said;

" You're marrying me tomorrow after the ceremony. I expect you to be at the door and packed at exactly five."

Then sat back down to finish his meal.

Earnest wasn't even a cruel person. He had just learned that to have power over Agnes, a person had to be more confidant than she felt herself.

It was a puzzling union.

They seemed always to be quarreling, yet they were also inseparable, clinging to each other with an almost morbid fascination, and their marriage might have been eternal, had it not been for Demogene's misfortune.

Demogene was timid. She had been timid all her life, and the timidity only increased with the death of her mother. She had turned to Agnes as her support, because Agnes was strong.

Agnes welcomed this, and soon dictated over Demogene's life with tyrannical strictness. She told her what to wear, what to eat, and what to do. Demogene had to choose the classes Agnes insisted on, the friends Agnes recommended, and the words Agnes told her to say.

Agnes had complete control over her meek and subservient sibling.

Or so she thought.

After Agnes had married Earnest, she still kept a strict and watchful eye on Demogene, forcing her by threat of pain, ( which Demogene feared beyond reason) to spend all of her time either at Agnes's side, or at Eloise's house where Agnes could still know her every move.
But Agnes wasn't all-seeing, and while forced into bed rest during her first pregnancy, she was unaware that Demogene had met a lover.

The man was one of Eloise's friends, a polite young architect named Miles Bangle. Their courtship proceeded in secret, and by the time Agnes was delivered of her child, her sister had 'eloped' with young Bangle.

To say that Agnes was furious was an understatement. She became so jealously raving mad...so violent, that Earnest had seen fit to have her 'rest ' awhile in the hospital, afraid she might injure herself or the baby. ( Or, truth be told, Demogene and Miles.)

Agnes returned months later, subdued, but cold. She refused to speak to Demogene, until the guilt and anxiety began to eat away at Demogene's already somewhat weaker health. Demogene learned at that time that she herself was physically incapable of having babies, which she saw as punishment for having deceived her sister.

Then, one day, Agnes had just changed. She visited Demogene for the first time, all cheerful and forgiving, and began to invite her and Miles over. Most people assumed that Earnest had finally ' had a word' with Agnes. Whatever the reason for her miraculous change-of-heart, it brought great joy and relief to Demogene, whose pointy, pale face began to glow again with health and contentment.

It was short-lived.

Five months after Agnes' contrition, Miles was crushed to death when a building he had been constructing collapsed on himself and his assistants. It was said that the stasis charms on the pillars had been tampered with...but everyone just allowed that such things happened, and when it was time for you to go, Death would find a door to lead you through.

Demogene had moved quickly back to the safety and comfort of Eloise's house, which was expected. What was strange, was that Agnes divorced Earnest that same month, and also returned, without so much as saying goodbye to her children. As though she had never let them go, she took up Demogene's reins again and began exercising extreme control.

Eloise stood by helplessly, and watched Demogene slowly deteriorate. Anytime she attempted to intervene, and coax Agnes into being less overbearing, Agnes would explode in a violent fit, claiming she was innocent and swearing she was doomed to be persecuted her entire life. Demogene would always weakly defend her sister.

Over the years, Demogene took up a slightly hunched posture, always walking with her arms folded protectively over her breasts, her feet sliding heavily on the floor. Her hair, even paler and finer than Agnes', began to thin, and recede from her high forehead, so that from a distance she looked bald, and up close, she had only a tiny braid down the back of her neck, the thickness of a woman's thumb, and not ten inches long.

It was while watching this living death, that Eloise began contemplating her own mortality. She had no children of her own, because in her long ago youth, she had thought herself too important for such trivialities.

Much more concerned with how to save and manage her money, she had forgotten that in due time, it would all have to go somewhere else. When that realization had struck her, she had cried. Not because she might die, but because she hadn't anyone of her own to leave behind.

That, she knew, was why she kept her nieces close, even though they were soft and useless.

Which one of them deserved her money?

Agnes?

She would have it spent in two years. In pubs, on gambling; supporting the miserable, worthless people she liked to 'adopt'.

Demogene?

She would give it to Agnes as soon as the coffin was closed.

Agnes' children were out of the question for the same reason. Agnes would simply orce it away from them eventually.

Winter was too old...almost as old as her self. Winter's son, Rogero...ah, poor Rogero. Well, he was in no condition to be considered was he? But he was one of her concerns. She had been paying steadily for his upkeep since the day he had been committed to St. Mungo's. He was a responsibility that went with the money. Would Agnes or Demogene continue to support him? Likely they would not.

A small sliver of Eloise's mind knew from the beginning that she would eventually call for Stella to send Amanda to her. She hoped to find in the girl, the same qualities that she most admired in Winter, and in Stella. She also had hoped that the arrival of a new person, or persons, would disrupt the downward spiral Agnes and Demogene were experiencing. Perhaps there was the possibility of friendship, of mentoring, of...anything.

But from the moment that Winter led Amanda into the parlor, Eloise knew that there would be no love between Amanda and Agnes. There was an air about Amanda which suggested too much leniency, her southern manners were no less than exquisitely honed.

She would try, at great cost to herself, to please her older cousin, like any good hostess. Only she had no house to invite Agnes into, only her companionship, and at the very tentative first she offered her friendship, her kindness, and a portion of her large heart, generously and selflessly. This was a form of weakness, in Agnes' opinion, and was as heady to her senses as blood before sharks.

Eloise saw in Agnes' eyes, only the desire to crush whatever bloomed in Amanda that was different from herself. Without cause, she would dislike her absolutely. Amanda sensed this, and was ashamed. She lowered her eyes.

When introduced to Demogene however, there was only a faint ripple passing between the two. Demogene was a tired person, and it was such a bone wearying tired that it made the room heavy and sleepy,

When Amanda felt this weariness come to rest upon her, it made her shoulders bow slightly,and she sighed warmly. No, Demogene would not like her either, but only because she had ceased to like or dislike anything beyond the objects and people she was already familiar with. To step outside that comforting ring of familiarity would take more life than she was willing to spare.

Eloise left the door open, and had Polly draw back the drapes, as if hoping the light would somehow brighten them all, and chase away Demogene's sadness. It helped slightly, and in the sunlight, Amanda could breathe easier.

She found herself sleepily admiring the what-nots and tidies and furnishings of this magical household, while the older women began gossiping; Stella taking up the thread of a conversation lost over twenty-years ago. Her mother's voice called off names, and Eloise, Winter, or occasionally Agnes would provide the history of that person.

" Millicent Harple? Oh, but didn't you know? She married Greeter Fullworthy!"

" She didn't!"

Once, Demogene leaned close to her and said in a voice low enough to be considered a whisper;

" Is it very different, in America?"

" I think so." Amanda answered, and smiled, hoping that it would put her cousin at ease. It didn't. Instead, she drew back, startled, somewhat.

" Oh. " was all she spoke, which Amanda might have pondered on, or in turn asked her a question, since the invitation had been opened.But Eloise noticed the short exchange, and addressed Agnes and Demogene, saying that she hoped they would be kind enough to help Amanda find her way around, and learn ' their ways'.

They had both been non-committal in answering, both resenting this request.

Amanda blanched-- understanding that without meaning to, Eloise had made her their enemy. The half-blood imposter. Again, she felt a nervous chill under Agnes' gaze, and lowered her eyes to the floor.