„There’s a solution for each problem, as the success lies in details”

Going down the stairs of the theater, after attending a play that night, Sophie looked around and saw Beatrice Evans in the lobby talking to Ms. Fitton and Ms. Amiral. She grimaced unsatisfied because seeing the three women together was something unpleasant to her, knowing all the gossip and all the bad things these three ladies did to her all these months since Brian visited Ms. Amiral and asked her to make hard life for Sophie. At least this is what Sophie thought because what Brian really asked Ms. Amiral was totally the opposite but his wife, being against him, believed that he wants her dead and because of this she was accusing him now of all the bad things that happened to her.

There were only a few stairs more of going down when Sophie finally saw Marianne talking to Luis, in a far corner of the lobby and from Marianne’s gestures she understood that the woman was really furious and because of this she was claiming something to her husband, even if their voices weren’t heard.

Sophie stared at the two spouses for a few moments, trying to figure out the reason for their argument, but she couldn’t find it so she finally decided to go out of the theater and wait for Marianne outside. But when she was at the bottom of the stairs her glance stopped on Anne and Sophie was so amazed to see the girl wearing an elegant dress, a beautiful hairstyle, and expensive jewelry on the neck and wrists.

The girl seemed to wait for somebody while standing next to the exiting door. Then, when Sophie looked at Marianne for a moment, she could see an uncontrolled gesture of her pointing toward the place where Anne was waiting as if Marianne was reproaching her husband about the girl. „It can’t be,” Sophie whispered. „Even if he’s a womanizer and a shameless person, Luis couldn't have brought her mistress to the theater, knowing that his wife can be here too and more than that - to show so openly the world that he has a new woman in his life.”

She had been awakened from her daydream when Ms. Fitton approached her and, stepping in front of her, she didn’t let Sophie pass when she decided to walk away without talking with her enemy.

„It seems that Christine Bircham is really a Cupid, especially when it’s related to other women’s husbands,” Ms. Fitton said, emphasizing the words and trying to show Sophie how much she hates her.

To Ms. Fitton’s surprise, who was expecting a backlash from Sophie, the woman smiled. „I don’t think that you can judge another woman for being someone’s mistress when you also use to spend some nights in the arms of others’husbands.”

Ms. Fitton disliked Sophie’s commentary and even if she wanted so badly to slap Sophie, she decided that it won’t be right to do this there. „At least I never forgot about my husband and, even if I prefer from time to time to bring new men in my bed, I still find time for my husband too, trying this way to remember him that he still has a wife home. What I can’t say about others.”

„Some wives respect themselves much more than the rest and they prefer not to share the same man with his mistress. It’s about ethics and education.”

„Then … I don’t understand why you later complain when your husbands show up in public with their mistresses who seem to have even more influence on them than you have,” and, with reproach in her glance, she first looked at Marianne and later at Anne, who looked at them too as if she felt that they were talking about her. „I won’t even be surprised if soon we find out that mister Chesterman will have soon an heir, of course, out of the marriage.”

„And … since when this would be a major social problem?”

„Of course, this will be, because we all know that Mister Chesterman’s firstborn and the daughter who could have inherited his fortune is missing for so many years already and this is only thanks to her mother’s madness. Some bad-mouthing people even say that Marianne did this to punish her womanizer husband,” and Ms. Fitton winked to Sophie, trying to make her lose control.

Sophie took a step toward Ms. Fitton, forcing her to move back till she touched her back by the wooden railing of stairs.

Feeling the nudge in her back, Ms. Fitton raised her glance and looked at Sophie, whose eyes seemed lit embers about to burn in flames, but even so, the woman decided not to show her fear in front of Sophie, afraid that if she does it, then she will always be the scorn of the other ladies who used to surround her.

However, none of the two women could say something bad to the other one when Ms. Amiral and Beatrice approached them, forcing them to move away from each other.

While moving back and putting on her gloves, Sophie caught Beatrice’s contemptuous look who knew something that Sophie wasn’t aware of and, looking at her this way, Beatrice was trying to knock her down, but even if she was so eager to know, Sophie decided not to ask, for being sure that if it is something bad for her then she’ll say or do something spontaneously and she’ll regret it later.

„I heard that you have some health problems, Ms. Anderson Bell. Are you all right now?”

Beatrice’s remark was something that Sophie disliked because calling her „Ms. Anderson Bell” was said with such mockery, emphasizing the fact that she was Brian’s wife only on paper and this hurt her a lot.

„Ms. Anderson Bell? From what I know my husband’s surname is Beneath. Thus, I consider properly to be called Ms. Beneath.”

„What I consider properly is that this surname isn’t proper for you and you should go somewhere till you won’t suffer the shame of being chased away from Brian Beneath’s house after the church will accept your divorce.”

„Divorce? I think you are wrong, Ms. Evans. I and Brian - we aren’t divorcing,” Sophie answered, being sure of what she was saying, even if inside she was shaking with all her being.

„I won’t be that sure,” Beatrice said, practically hissing the words through the teeth. „There’s a price to pay for everything in this world. What do you think, what is the price I and my husband paid to Brian Beneath for his help in the elections for the Prime Minister's chair?”

„It can’t be. Brian wouldn’t have done this. He … he wouldn’t have betrayed my father by allying with … you,” Sophie stuttered.

„But he did it. He’s tired of you and of all the hatred you sowed around you - a hatred that he never deserved it.”

Beatrice turned her back to Sophie to leave. Sophie hurried toward her and, grabbing her by the arm, she made Beatrice stop. Face to face, the two women threw fire arrows through their eyes as if they were rivals in love affairs and not politics or business.

„You know nothing from what happens in my house. That’s why you have no right to claim this to me as you can't decide to bring order in my own house,” Sophie practically yelled the words in front of Beatrice who instead looked at her calmly, piercing the madwoman from in front of her with her glacial glance.

„Order, you say? Well, I must agree with you here. Nobody in our society has peace and total calmness in their houses. And … do you know why?! Because of women and their greed,” and Beatrice looked at Anne this time who was leaving by the arm of Luis who left Marianne behind him and he decided to leave with the girl. „But … everything has an endpoint in this world because everybody has a limit and this limit Brian Beneath reached when you decided to hire a private detective to look for the woman he loves.”

Sophie winced. „It can’t be. How did Brian find out that I hired Victor Keen?! I don’t think that’s merely a coincidence. Wait, Keen was in the past closer to John Evan, and from what I see they still have a close relationship and Beatrice takes advantage of it, helping Brian to ask for the divorce.”

„What? It seems to me that you never expected such a confession, isn’t it? But it isn’t unpredictable because nothing can be hidden of a man’s ears and especially from a man like Brian Beneath who won’t ever let thing happen randomly.”

„And … what’s your personal win from all this circus, Ms. Evans? I don’t think that by attacking me you are trying to help your husband in politics because after my father’s death I have no power in this area. Or, maybe you are looking for my position. I mean, for my status as Brian’s wife.”

„You are going too far in arrogance, Sophie. Don’t forget who I am!” Beatrice growled at her.

„As it seems that you have forgotten who I am. Even if I have something to lose in this game that you, Brian, and the rest of the gossip women who surround you have planned I ensure you that I won’t give up that easily. Even if this doesn’t look like this, I still have some power in my hands.”

„A useless power because you won’t ever give Brian what he wants: a baby. But he will have that child soon, but he won’t be born from your womb.”

Beatrice’s words made Sophie stagger to her feet while her lips were trembling because of anger, resentment, and the rest of the negative feelings that were taking over her at that moment.

Beatrice instead wasn’t ready to give up. So, she took a step toward Sophie and, approaching her ear, she hissed through the teeth: „don’t be silly, Sophie. In your place, I would have given up a long time ago because you lost this battle before being started.”

Beatrice hurried away toward the exiting door, followed by Ms. Fitton and Ms. Amiral. Behind them Sophie was shuddering with all her body, fighting with the nervous breakdown that was killing her inside and with the heap of tears that was pressing the corner of her eyes.

Marianne approached her and touched her arm, and Sophie looked at her with a lost glance and empty eyes in which hatred and despair could be seen.

„What do I do now, Marianne?! It seems that Brian asked already for our divorce and that he’ll have it. If he chases me away from his life … then … my life it’s over.”

„Then … do so that before having that divorce, he regretted that he decided it because his betrayal isn’t something that you can forgive,” but Sophie understood that Marianne wasn’t talking about her problem now, but about hers and of Luis because Marianne was thinking at that moment how to do to knock down Anne Ross.

***

Holding Luis’arm, while both are slowly rocked on the slow trot of the horses, Anne was trying to be as loving as possible with the man that protected her today and who chose her and not his wife.

„Are you sure that your wife won’t do anything to hurt us after what happened today?” the girl said with a sweet voice, but Luis, who was completely immersed in his thoughts, didn’t answer, but only sketched a bitter smile and Anne understood that it would be better if to leave him alone. But even so, she laid her head on his shoulder, sticking her body of his, while on her lips the smile of victory was seen.

There had been months since she decided to be Chesterman’s mistress and even if he told her so many times that it would be better to find someone to accompany her while walking and this way to find out more about the life in High Society, Anne always denied it because on the one hand, she was still unsure with her position and on the other hand, she wanted to be sure that Luis won’t run away with the first occasion, leaving her alone in front of fate. So, she decided to wait and she did well.

So far two nights while she was walking alone on the main boulevard of London and Anne saw Marianne and Sophie entering a coffee shop, while the two of them were happily laughing.

„Of course, they smile, after all the evil they did and still do,” the girl hissed the words. And then she decided to enter the same coffee shop and to show Marianne that she had won in front of her. But one step from the entrance, when she was still grabbing the doorknob, Anne gave up on the idea. „It will be too easy for her,” she said. „It won’t bring me any pleasure and nor won’t chase away the pain I felt while they were kicking me till death without even being guilty of something.”

Leaving the coffee shop, Anne hurried home. Passing in front of the theater instead she heard how the future play was announced and that it would be a sensation, so, Anne decided to act because it was the perfect time to make her entrance in the High Society of those proud ladies who only think about themselves and never cared about others.

What Anne didn’t know was the fact that almost everybody in town knew about Luis’new love affair and that he was completely blinded with his young mistress whom he bought a house in the province and one in town, because he loved that much to have Anne near him, to enjoy her youth and beauty any time he wanted, so he didn’t care about others anymore.

The only one who didn’t know about Anne was Marianne, because being closer to nobody, except Sophie, and having no close friend, nobody dared to tell her about her husband’s new love.

Even if she suspected that something strange happens lately, she was sure that it isn't because of a new woman because Luis and Christine were lovers for so many years already and Chesterman used to don’t show up at night at home, but even so he never missed from home more than a week. In the last months instead, he started to show up less and less home while from him could be smelled a new woman’s scent. That’s why he was trying to avoid his wife as much as possible and if he was seeing Marianne in the house or somewhere in the city he right away was leaving in the opposite direction and the woman started to wonder what is the cause of all this.

Marianne Chesterman had been never a stupid or a naive woman, but still, like all the women, she preferred to be deaf and blind, only not to be involved in unnecessary fights and unpleasant events, but that night, at the theater, everything collapsed over her as if being an avalanche of killing stones.

When she arrived at the theater, in her sumptuous carriage, and she was waiting for the teamster to come to open the door, Marianne realized that he was late, so she looked through the window and saw him talking to Luis and she was so surprised to see her husband there because Chesterman never agreed to come to the theater.

Actually, he never agreed to accompany her to the theater even when they were recently married and they still were in a good relationship. She also never saw him at the theater even when he started his love affair with Christine and later with Emily Davis, even if both of them were frequently appearing to watch the play. However, he came that night.

Ms. Chesterman had decided not to wait for her servant anymore and to come out of her carriage. So, she opened the door and when she stepped onto the first stair of the carriage, she saw how Luis opened the door of his carriage and he stretched his hand to help a lady to come out.

Marianne freeze. „It can’t be! Does Christine really have so much power over him that she convinced him to accompany her to the theater? Or, maybe it was Emily?” but after coming out of her carriage and taking a few steps toward Luis, convinced to have an argument with the two lovers for the shame that they bring her tonight, she hardened when she saw a new woman next to her husband.

Because of the wide-brimmed hat and the veil on the woman's face, Marianne couldn’t understand at first who that woman was, but staring at her vestment and later hearing the laughter of the „new mistress” she understood that the rival was young enough, if not much younger than her.

As if waiting for Marianne’s reaction, after seeing the woman staring at them, the young woman took off her gloves, showing the expensive jewelry on her wrists and the shining rings on her fingers, and later took off the hat, revealing the extraordinary beauty of a young lady.

Marianne didn’t recognize Anne at first, but something was telling her that she saw this woman before. Her entire body was slowly trembling and her clenched fists were hurting the skin of her palms: the servant from Christine Bircham’s house, who she and Sophie had beaten a few months ago, was Luis’mistress now.

„Bitch!” Marianne hissed through the teeth and this „compliment” was for Christine because Marianne was convinced that she was the one who „pushed the innocent girl” in Luis’bed, hoping to get the advantage of all this.

At that moment, without knowing that Christine had something to do with the love affair of Chesterman, but she didn’t get any advantage of all this, Marianne started to hate her even more than before who she hopped to see dead soon because of her she suffered a lot during these years.

Marianne’s teamster hurried toward her to stop her when Luis noticed his wife coming toward them and he sent the servant to tell his master not to provoke an argument here.

„Mister Chesterman demands to…” the teamster stuttered, but he couldn’t stop her because Marianne pushed him away from her, hissing through the teeth. „I don’t pay a damn penny on what Mister Chesterman demands.”

However, she couldn’t approach Luis and the girl, for the two were approached by a group of men Chesterman knew and Marianne decided not to make herself even more pity than she was. So, she decided to wait.

But the surprises of that evening didn’t end outside. Coming to her lodge, Marianne wasn’t allowed to enter because „Mister Chesterman rented it for him and his order cannot be broken.”

Marianne was practically mad of anger. She was coming to this theater for almost ten years already and she had been always treated like a Goddess, but now, when Luis brought his mistress here, Marianne was chased away like a dog.

Even if she was boiling inside, eager to destroy the world, Marianne decided not to leave. So, she entered Sophie’s lodge, who looked at her in amazement: „you said that tonight you’ll be in your lodge.”

„Let’s say that I’ve changed my mind,” Marianne lied to, and, sitting down on the chair, she forced with herself to hide the slight tremble of her voice and of her palms, on which deep wounds painted in blood were seen.

After the play, she decided to approach Anne, who was waiting in the lobby for Luis who decided to say hello to a friend, but he couldn’t take the girl with him.

The girl didn’t scare at all seeing Marianne approaching, but when the woman wanted to slap her, Anne grabbed her hand and, squeezing it, she said: „that’s enough, Ms. Chesterman! You had only one chance to show your power in front of me. From now on I won’t allow anybody to trample me under feet.”

Marianne shuddered because Anne’s strong and sure voice was something she hadn't expected to hear. „How dares the mistress to watch me? Me, the legitime wife of …” Marianne hissed the words, but Anne just ironically smiled.

„Your status as Luis’legitime wife doesn’t give you rights over the other women with whom your husband spends his nights. Actually, someone’s woman is the one with whom he sleeps with and not the one whose name is on the marriage paper.”

Marianne understood that this young woman isn’t like the others with whom Luis had a love affair. From what she understood, from the sure voice and glance that was piercing hers, this girl will be even more dangerous than Christine. Namely because of this Marianne started to doubt that Christine was aware that she had been pushed aside by her own pupil.

Seeing Luis approaching, but who didn’t notice them together yet, Anne took a step toward Marianne, taking the woman by surprise, and she whispered into her ear: „for being now Luis’mistress I must say thank you to you, Ms. Chesterman because that night, when you’ve beaten me till death, I became what I’m today.”

„You don’t even know how many had been in your place,” Marianne said with reproach.

„I’m not even eager to know their number. Do you know why? Because I don’t live with the past. I prefer to trust my future and my own power.” These words made Marianne feel insulted and she squeezed the girl’s arm.

Anne took advantage of this and, as per order, she started to lament that Marianne is hurting her. Marianne at first didn’t understand what the girl is doing, but when Luis grabbed the woman’s hand and forced her to release the girl's, she understood Anne’s trick.

„Wait for me next to the door!” Luis demanded Anne and the girl, like a good and obedient puppy, wiped her mocked tears, and, smiling at Marianne, she walked away.

„I can’t believe that you have fallen that down that you started to accompany your mistress to the theater,” Marianne yelled at her husband, but he squeezed, even more, her arm, forcing her to keep silent.

„I’m the only one who can decide what to do and what I want. You lost this right many years ago, Marianne Chesterman. You can’t reproach me now the fact that I love.”

„That he loves?!” These words fell over Marianne like the sky over the earth. She was expecting everything from him, but not to hear such a confession.

The two spouses looked with hatred at each other, told many other words of insult and mutual accusation, had argued and tried to knock down the other one, a fight that Sophie and the rest of those present at the theater saw. But Marianne didn’t care about this then. For her was important that he trampled her under feet and that was something she couldn’t forgive.

***

Things fell noisily on the floor off the desk when Christine, in a nervous breakdown, swept the desk with such a force that she didn’t know that she was capable of till that moment.

She had also been that night at the theater, even if she assured Luis that she would be out of the town because she wanted to convince Emily and Eva to turn back to her house.

But it was just an excuse because she was suspecting that Luis is cheating on her, but she didn’t find out till then who the new mistress is.

At the theater instead, the sky fell not only over Marianne. Christine saw everything from her carriage, stopped not that far from the entrance in the theater, but in a place not to be noticed by Luis or by others. But even so, even if she suspected that Luis was now with another woman, she never suspected Anne as being the one who was standing now by his side.

What was hurting Christine was the fact that the girl who fell victim to the rape planned by her and by Luis, wasn’t dead as Christine had expected, but became even more important than she had been for Luis all those years.

„Another one in her place would have washed her shame in the river, drowning her body in cold waters, but this shameless woman … why does she still breathe??? How does she dare… an easy woman like her … the declare war on me?! On me, the one who helped her to avoid death, who fed her, who dressed her, who treated her like a human, but who is now bitting my hand like an unfaithful dog.”

Christine was seeing at that moment only the evil that others did to her, but she didn’t remember at all the evil she did to others and especially to Anne, when she sent her willingly to that stable, knowing very well what will happen there.

She thought that once Luis will have her, he will consider her „a stained body” as he considered many others before and he will get rid of her and Anne, shamed and stained, will die as the other „easy women” who dared to share the same dormitory with Luis.

Of course, not all the women who Luis had in his bed, willingly or by force, died because they wanted. The majority of them left this world due to Christine’s mercy when she noticed them again „approaching” Luis’property because she considered them being a danger and she decided that it would be perfect to get rid of them once and for all.

In Anne’s case, Christine didn’t bother at all because she was considering her being weak and stupid how Christine used to call her often. However, the „stupid one” had been enough smart and even kicked her away from Luis, who she was now manipulating as she wished, and even managed to convince him to go with her to the theater, something that Luis never did with Christine. With Emily, he also never showed up somewhere because Emily was a careful woman who disliked being the subject of gossip. So, she preferred to be his mistress, but from the shadow.

Eventually, Christine calmed down - after a long time of yelling and insulting all the women Chesterman had in his bed and also, she said something nice to Luis too. But when she recovered her calmness, Christine sat down on the sofa, looking in amazement at all the mess from around her.

„That’s all right,” she said in a half a voice, but sure of her words. „There’s a solution for each problem. This girl won’t be the exception. I’ll find how to make her regret that she took what was mine,” and, saying this, Christine smiled, lit a cigarette, and started to plan her fabulous plan, while deeply inhaling the cigarette smoke and puffing white circles in the air as if the smoke was dancing in the sweet embracing of the night.