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"We shouldn't be babying her now, Mother She's done a terrible thing to all of us," I said, feeling abused too Mother just held her gaze, pleading with her eyes I turned and hurried out of the room and down the stairs

Carmelita had finally been roused by the sound of the footsteps on the stairway and the activity above She was a tall, very dark skinned, half-Portuguese, half-Negro woman, e called a Brava on the Cape, and she had been working for our family for the last ten years She was in her mid-forties, lean, with a narrow face and eyes the color of obsidian Carmelita was the perfect , efficient and discreet She seemed to have no opinions about any of us and kept to herself when she wasn't working

Her licorice-black hair was down to her shoulders when she eown and robe

"Is someone sick?" she asked

"Belinda," I said

"Oh Is there anything I can do?"

"No thank you, Carmelita," I said "I can take care of it," I said firmly She f

ixed those dark eyes on my face for a moment and, expressionless, nodded and returned to her maid's quarters at the rear of the house I knew she didn't believe-irl, Car I told her

When I was in the kitchen getting Belinda's drink, Daddy cah the rear door off the pantry He stood there a moment, his face streaked with sweat, his hands caked with dirt

"It's done," he said "How is it up there?" he asked, his eyes shifting toward the ceiling

"Mother's with her I' her a cold drink" Daddy nodded and looked at his s back at me

"You understand why I' it this way, don't you, Olivia? The bottom line is it's the best way to protect the family"

"I understand, Daddy"

"She told you no one else knows about this?"

"That's what she said," I replied, not without a snore