Garnet or Garnets Curse

but I would like to ask you a few more questions about that fire,” he said, moving closer to us.
    “The judge said the case was closed and there is nothing left to talk about. No use rekindling an old fire. Don’t you agree, Margo?” she said, looking at me.
    “Nothing can be gained,” I agreed. I could tell the lieutenant thought Maria knew more about the fire, but he was baffled.
    Lieutenant Raymond took his cap off and brushed back his hair. He placed it back on his head and started to speak again. Maria distracted him, “Oh officer, would you like a cookie? Here you go,” she said, reaching in her bag and presenting him with a large oatmeal cookie.
    She smiled sweetly and pulled her shawl up around her shoulders. “My, it is getting cold, we better get inside. Good day, sir.” With those words, she turned around quickly and started toward the house. “Come along Margo, you don’t want to catch cold,” she called out over her shoulder.
    Maria spent the balance of the afternoon helping Ox, or Martin, as she preferred to call him, bathe and groom himself. He complained for the whole of the ordeal, but she was committed to making him presentable. “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” she said sharply. A time or two she resorted to popping him on the head with a wooden spoon. If anyone could control Ox, it was Maria.
    With the focus off me, it gave me time to collect my thoughts. There were so many unanswered questions running through my mind. Given what facts I knew, it seemed that Arlene had assumed my identity. Was it a setup to divert the curse of Aurochs to her, thus sacrificing her life for mine? She was not much in the eyes of society, but she was the same as me in the eyes of God. Who could say that God did not even favor her over me? It was my lot in life to suffer the curse, not an innocent young girl.
    If my father and Charles had done such a thing, it was murder! If they were capable of murder, what else might they do? At the risk of exposing myself, I felt I should go to the authorities. However, first I would have to prove that I was Garnet Dragos. But how would I do that? To the world, I was no one now, not even Margo Dalancy.
    Even if I were able to convince them that I was Garnet Dragos, they would never believe a murder motive based on an ancient curse. They would have me committed next to Ox in one of those institutions.
    The wheels turned in my head all night and I was plagued by restless dreams. The recurring dream of my auntie caused me to sit up in bed in a cold sweat.
    When I awoke the next morning, I was freezing. I opened my eyes and found the covers at the foot of the bed and my nightgown pulled up over my breasts. Thinking it was my night struggles that had left me in disarray, I began tugging to pull down the nightgown.
    Suddenly, I heard a noise and turned quickly to see Ox on his knees beside the bed. I gasped and pulled the covers up quickly. “ Get out, ” I shouted.
    Ox stood to his feet. “ Get out of this room! ” I demanded again.
    He looked at me blankly as if he could not hear my words. His massive hand reached down and stroked my face. I jerked away quickly and sat up in bed.
    “ Ox like, ” he said, blocking the side of the bed. He was now towering over me and I could plainly see his bulging trousers. I felt a panic sweep over me.
    With one side of the bed blocked by the wall and the other by Ox, I began to scoot to the foot of the bed. Ox laughed and ran around to block my escape. I whirled around to the side and he caught me. “ Pretty Lady, lay down, ” he said, forcing me down on the bed again. “ Ox like, ” he said. I fought him as he tried to pull up my nightgown again.
    Each time I tried to rise, he would flat-hand me back down on the bed and laugh as my head bounced back on the pillow. “Pretty Lady, like rabbit. Ox good trapper,” he said, getting excited.
    It was then I realized this had become a game to him. I was afraid that in his frenzy he might kill me or worse. The thought ran through my head to call for Maria, until I remembered she had told me she would be leaving early. She had an appointment to sign the papers as the executor of Ox’s estate. We were alone.
    I stopped trying to resist. I studied his face and spoke softy like Maria, “Yes, Ox is very good trapper. Now be a good boy and go to your room.” He backed off and I slowly rose to my feet. I was hoping to ease by him and run out of the house.
    “Good boy,” I said, as