Chapter 254: Morning talks
Morning air wasn’t hard to find. Silas knew the best routes to meet the fairest and most fulfilling of breezes.
As per usual, once his lungs had gotten satiated, the vampire marched back towards his room, but what he did not expect was the figure that stood awaiting him by the door.
It was a maid but for once, it wasn’t Edna as Ada twiddled her fingers and shifted in place as though debating whether to stay or run off.
Silas paused in his tracks, assessing the image before him. The sun had barely risen and the young woman’s heart battered its cage against all walls and corners.
"What is it you need?"
Startled, Ada leaped and spun around to face him with the straightest of stances, "I’ve come to speak with you if you have the time, Master," throughout that sentence, she stuttered so many times that he wished to utter the words for her and be done with it.
"And what is it you wish to speak to me about?" his voice and tone not as sharp as customary.
"Arabella, Master,"
No more words were exchanged as Silas walked by her, opened the door, went inside and then waited for her to follow.
Just like Arabella, the click of the door shutting behind her took the maid by surprise.
"Speak," he made his way towards the carving tools on the desk.
"You may think it isn’t my place to broach such matters, and I’d understand it if so, but...," she trailed off momentarily before continuing, "I feel as though I do need to interfere and... Help,"
Silas said nothing and merely waited for more to come, seemingly focused on the tools he organized into a small crate.
"Her greatest fear is that you’d leave her," she blurted after long seconds of struggle and consideration.
"Elaborate," his interest was piqued.
Ada cleared her throat but refused to meet his gaze, "She’s confessed that she carries feelings for you but... That she is also confused and scared of getting hurt in case you do not feel the same way or if you are not...," she stopped speaking, seemingly weary of her next words.
"If I am not what?" he pushed.
"If you are not serious about her,"
Those terms, laid in that order, stung more than he let on. On one hand, hearing that Arabella harbored feelings for him was quite exciting. On the other hand, however, Ada hadn’t been precise about the nature of these feelings and the implication of her latest words did not help either.
The twitch in his eyebrows seemed to clue her in as to his state of mind and so she cleared her throat again and did her very best to stifle the shivers that threatened to completely overtake her body.
Eventually, his fists unclenched and the sigh out of him disentangled his vocal cords, "Are these conclusions something you’ve reached on your own?"
"No," she immediately said, "None of what I’ve just said truly comes from me. I am merely repeating her words," Ada made another pause, "It became especially clear to her after the Mirari was cured that its influence wasn’t the only reason she wished to see you," her eyes fell to the floor, "In all honesty, I am ashamed of myself for coming to speak to you about it,"
"And why so?" his diamonds watched as her fidgetiness intensified.
"Because I told her the conversation would stay between us, but I couldn’t keep quiet when I know the truth,"
"And what might this truth be?"
"I know that you... Love her and that it isn’t just a phase like she seems to fear,"
"Is that so?" for some reason, he chose that moment to turn back to his carving tools, "And what brought you to that conclusion?"
Surprisingly, her voice grew steadier, "Actions speak louder than words, Master," that was all she said at first, but more came after a few seconds, "I know she isn’t just some phase you’ll move on from once you take what you want,"
"Which is?" he froze, awaiting the answer.
When she said nothing, he finally turned around just in time to notice how she bit down on her bottom lip.
"I see," the look on her face was enough as an answer, "What did you hope when you came here to speak of this?"
"I am not sure," she shook her head, "I just couldn’t watch her wallow in her own melancholy without doing anything. I thought you ought to know how she felt about you because I don’t think she’d ever gather the courage to be honest," Ada took a deep breath again, "Please forgive me for overstepping," her eyes rested on her twiddling fingers.
"You seem to always apologize only after overstepping and saying your peace," Silas walked past her frozen figure, towards the thick curtains segregating the two parts of his room, "You may take your leave,"
Ada took a sharp breath and looked like she’d been about to say something, but nothing came of it.
Instead, she curtsied, spun on her heels and hurried towards the door, but stopped right as she opened it, "If I may say one last thing, Master. Please be patient with her. It seems this is all new to her,"
Standing by the curtains, Silas did not go through. He held the small crate in hand and glared down at it.
It wasn’t until ten solid seconds went by after her exit that the vampire’s muscles finally relaxed.
He simply returned to the desk and placed the wooden box back down.
This is all new to her, she said. Just as new as it all felt to him...
A pair of feet clacked the hallway floors lightly, barely tapping, in fact. As though attempting to tip toe.
It wasn’t Ada that time around as the walker’s scent was familiar and most certainly welcomed.
The footsteps sound stopped right by his door before a shy knock landed on it.
Arabella’s apprehensive face peeked through the crack she made as soon as he’d given her permission to enter.