Cousin Madison Ch. 01

At the house Jeffrey put an arm around Abby's shoulders. "Oh, that was evil. I'm glad you thought about it."

When they stopped laughing, Abby put her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm going to miss you when you have to leave. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Hey, I'll be here for awhile. And we'll always be friends."

She looked at him seriously. "As your friend I'm going to help you get Madison. Really. I mean it."

An opportunity presented itself the following Saturday. Abby saw Carl pass a note to Toni. Toni wagged a finger at him, but stuck the note in her pocket. As she went down the hall to change for dinner the note fluttered to the floor. Abby saw it and picked it up before Toni missed it. In her room she unfolded it and read:

'Meet me behind the house at 8 tonight'

She sat on the side of her bed and thought. Surely such information could prove useful.

"I've got it!" she almost shouted, and gleefully clapped her hands.

She knocked on Jeffrey's door and he answered, his shirt untucked, not quite finished changing for dinner.

"I said I was going to get Madison for you and I've got a plan. After tonight she's yours"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you. That way you won't tell a lie."

"Why would I tell a lie?"

She laughed, blew him a kiss and closed the door, on a mission.

She watched for her chance, and found it after the meal. With Meghan and Toni on duty to clear the table and do the dishes, Madison started for her room and Abby pulled her aside.

To Madison's quizzical look she slipped the folded note into her hand. "This is from Carl."

"What's up?"

Abby shrugged. "All I know is the note."

Madison opened it and almost gasped. "Is this real?"

"It's really from Carl, I know that much. I think he mumbled something about maybe being a few minutes late or something. I don't know if he was talking to himself or if it relates to the note."

Madison's hand almost shook as she stared at the note. All this time, he had been noticing after all.

"Is it good news?"

"It is very good news. It is the best news. Thank you, Abby."

Madison clutched the note to her chest and hurried to her room. She had to fix her hair. She had to change to a nicer dress.

Abby considered that she hadn't actually lied too much. She just left out some important information.

She ran into Jeffrey on his way to the front porch for one of his evening talks with Uncle Preston, and winked at Jeffrey.

"What's that for?"

"You'll see."

Aunt Olivia had confided in Jeffrey that since he had arrived Uncle Preston's spirits had lifted some, and she attributed it to their nightly chats on the porch. Jeffrey enjoyed the stillness on the porch, the chatter of the women inside muted.

He struck a match and lit a cigarette for each of them. He listened to tales of the family, how great grandfather had built the house and added on as his family grew, and his memories of growing up on the thriving farm. At one point it was the largest farm in the county and was very profitable. The depression caused prices to fall and they had to sell off some land, but even land prices were low. Everything that could be sold was sold, keeping a bare minimum needed to run the farm. The horses had been sold and most of the cattle. The wheat and corn prices were down and too many years had late season storms wrecking what crops there were. Now the farm was being held together with tenants who helped out by working for their shelter and a portion of the proceeds of the farm, when there were any.

Family was important to the survival of the farm. One advantage was that family like Jeffrey- family who hadn't had the chance to visit frequently - had offered to pitch in. Uncle Preston was pleased with Jeffrey.

Meanwhile, Madison went down a rear stairway so she wouldn't be seen as she slipped outside at a few minutes after eight. She heard Carl's voice coming from somewhere behind the daily laundry that remained hanging on the line. With a toss of her head and a smile she started toward the voice.

She pulled up short when she heard a giggling female voice as well. Silently she skirted the laundry and peered around from behind a line of towels. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes as she saw Carl and Toni locked in a kiss. His hands groped in her dress and she fumbled with his pants. In horror Madison watched as Toni lifted her dress and Carl entered her. Toni jumped up and wrapped her legs around him and he supported her bottom. With her dress open Carl kissed a breast and Toni threw her head back and moaned. Their hips began to thrust against each other until Carl grunted and kissed her hard. She smoothed his hair with her hands and murmured "That was good."

Madison couldn't move as she watched Toni stand up again to straighten her dress and Carl fasten his pants. Toni turned to go back inside and Carl turned to light a cigarette. In a fury Madison launched herself at him.

"How could you? It was supposed to be me!"

He grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides. "No, babe. It was never going to be you. You're just a kid."

"I am not!" she shouted as she struggled away from him. She slapped his face and stormed off. In her room she threw herself on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

The next day, Sunday, Courtney announced at breakfast that she was leaving with Carl. There was much consternation but she held fast that her mind was made up. In the afternoon she loaded her suitcases into the car and the pair drove off. Courtney waved a hand in the air as they made their way down the tree-lined lane. Madison watched glumly from the window of her room.

She was devastated. Not only had she lost Carl, but she had been humiliated in the process. With a deep sigh she gathered up a towel and headed down the hall to soak in the bathtub. Maybe a nice hot bath would wash away her misery.

Abby saw what had happened to Madison and felt guilty for her part in it. If not for what she had done, Madison would have just been lovesick and probably would have moped around for a few days. Abby decided to talk to Madison, maybe even apologize.

When Madison wasn't in her room Abby thought she knew where Madison had gone. She knocked at the closed bathroom door. It seemed she heard Madison sobbing, but Madison eventually asked who was there.

"It's Abby."

"Leave me alone. You've done enough already."

"Please, Madison? I...I really want to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you, you little twit."

"I deserve that. Please, Madison?"

There was a long pause. "Okay."

Abby closed the door behind her and looked at Madison's eyes red from the tears.

"I'm sorry, Madison. I had no idea it would turn out like that."

"Next time you make up a note think about what might happen."

"But I didn't make it up. It was real."

"Couldn't tell from where I stood. I watched Carl and that...hussy...Toni while they made love. Right in front of me. I saw it all."

"The note was real. It really was from Carl. It's just that he...he gave it to Toni. It sort of fell out of her pocket. Madison, I thought if you saw Carl meet Toni you'd see what a cad he was. I didn't think about what they'd do when they met. I thought they'd just talk or maybe kiss a little."

"Oh, I saw all right. I bet he's been fooling around with her all summer." Madison's voice began to rise.

"Actually...I...um... sort of know he met Meghan, too."

"Oh, and you thought I should be part of his parade of women?"

"No, no! I thought you'd see him for what he is and realize there's someone who really is interested on you."

"Don't give me that crap! You don't like me and you tried to ruin my life!" Madison began to become hysterical and screamed. "You little creep! Get away from me! Get out of my life!"

Jeffrey came out of his room at the sound of raised voices and followed the voices to the source.

He was about to knock on the door when Abby shrieked and something thudded against the door. Instead of knocking he barged in.

"What's going on in here?"

Abby picked up the bar of soap Madison had thrown at her.

"What are you screaming at, Madison?"

"Oh, you just happen to show up while I'm in the bathtub. Is that another part of the plan you two have hatched?"

"There's no plan, Madison. But you're better off without Carl. He's a skirt chaser. Courtney will find out soon enough. Maybe she already knows but is ignoring it."

"I'm better off without him? You decided that? Don't I get a say in who I like?" Madison slapped her hands on the water, splashing soap suds out of the tub. "I know what you're up to, Jeffrey. You're trying to move in in place of Carl, aren't you?"

"No, Madison. It's not like that at all."

Madison became hysterical again. "All right. I'll give you what you want. You want me the way Carl wanted Toni and...and...whoever. Well, here it is, take a good look."

Madison stood up in the tub and faced Jeffrey. Abby was aghast.

"Here it is, Jeffrey," she repeated. "You can hand me my towel."

Jeffrey turned away. "That's not what I want, Madison, so you can just sit down. I don't want you for your body."

"Oh, sure. Like I believe that."

"I want you to want me. I want you to love me. I want to love you."

"I bet you do."

Madison sat down, crossed her arms on the side of the tub and buried her face. "Just go away. Both of you."

Jeffrey and Abby left. In the hall Abby began to cry. "I'm sorry, Jeffrey. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way. Now everything is ruined. I wouldn't blame you if you hate me and never wanted to speak to me again."

Jeffrey embraced the girl. "Shh. Don't talk like that. I'll never hate you. You thought you were being a friend. It's just that sometimes it doesn't work to try and force relationships. But your heart was in the right place. You're still my best friend."

"I'm so, so sorry."

Jeffrey smoothed her hair and kissed her on the forehead. "No apology is needed. Madison is just...I don't know...out of her mind somehow. She can't see anything but Carl. Eventually she'll get over him. Come on; let's see if your ma made any cookies. I thought I smelled something good a while ago."

Abby's plan has gone horribly wrong, seemingly wrecking Jeffrey's chance at Madison. Can he undo the damage?