The day was going lovely. Not too hot, not too cold. Arabella dug herself a hole among the inked lines that whisked her attention the most.
Ada who sat across from her did the sa and from ti to ti the young woman would raise her gaze towards her friend and just... Watch.
The maid seed enthralled by almost if not every word on those pages, barely lifting her eyes off of them for a breather.
As Silas’ recent utterances swirled her mind, an idea relating to them sprouted and after taking a mont to carefully consider, she finally decided to voice it.
"Master Silas wants to quit being an entertainer,"
Well, she did not exactly outright lay it out, but that was a start.
"Oh...," Ada looked up at her, eyes slightly wide, "Was it an order or more of a suggestion?"
"I am not really sure," Arabella slowly shook her head.
"What do you think about it?" the maid rested the book that had been between her hands back on the table.
"On one hand, I admit, I’d be relieved but on the other...," she trailed off, her eyes traveling to the side.
"Yes?"
"I just don’t understand why he wants to quit,"
"You do know why," Ada shut her eyes and nodded, "You simply refuse to face the facts," she pressed her lips and looked Arabella straight in the eyes.
"That’s a bit harsh," the young woman grimaced as though truly feeling physical pain as a result of those words.
"I don’t an to be, Miss," one of Ada’s hands reached over the table separating them and took Arabella’s, "But sotis, there’s just no other way to put things,"
In response, Arabella gave her hand a little squeeze and let out a small chuckle, "No, that is true," her smile, however, was short lived, "To be completely frank with you, there is a reason I brought this subject matter up in the first place,"
Ada settled both hands flat on the pages she’d been cruising, seemingly all ears for what was to co.
"I’d been wondering, if instead of simply quitting as an entertainer, I could introduce a replacent to Lady Persephone,"
"Who cos to mind for the role then?" Ada tilted her head.
Arabella remained silent, her wide doe eyes and pursed lips standing as an answer enough.
The maid gasped and coiled away, only stopping when the chair hit her back, "Are you saying...?" she never finished her question.
"I haven’t said or done anything yet! If you don’t want it, I will understand, I would never pressure you to do sothing you don’t wish to!" the young woman put her hands up and spoke fast after seeing the reaction.
"Oh Miss... How could you even think soone like could replace... Well," she looked up at her again, "You...,"
"And what’s so unbelievable about that?" Arabella crossed her arms over her chest, "You now read just as fast as , and I’ve noticed you’ve got an amazing mory. Not to ntion... You’ve got sothing that I don’t,"
"That is unfair, Miss," the frown on Ada was tragic, "I sang for you from the heart because I...,"
"Because you felt it was right, and most importantly because you wanted to," Arabella shook her head slowly, "As I already said before, I would never pressure you to do it against your will but I simply thought it was a sha to stifle such talent," she paused before adding, "Would you at least consider the thought?"
The pleading look on Arabella wrenched an imdiate nod out of Ada.
"It’s... Terrifying to think about, but I will. I promise," the maid had muttered.
To her relief, Ada was much easier to read than Silas. Showing fear or hesitation instead of flat out declining was a good sign.
It ant she did not fully reject the idea and was simply apprehensive, lacking confidence about filling Arabella’s shoes.
"Thank you," the young woman smiled.
The newly settled silence did not last however, as Ada had her own peace to share.
"I’ve had this question for the longest ti, but couldn’t bring myself to ask it when you’d just returned,"
"Ask away," Arabella nodded, eyes locked on Ada.
The maid shifted a little in her seat before coming out with it, "It is about Alpha Cynric," she paused to assess Arabella’s reaction. When all that was seen on her were the few twitches overcoming her features, she continued, "You told that Master Silas did not need to fight him in order to get you back,"
The half question was pending until the young woman answered, "Indeed. Although, I now suppose to know why he did,"
"He’d marked you through another an than a bite. What was it? Was it food or drinks?"
"Water, I believe," the pensive look on Arabella deepened when her eyes darted up to et Ada’s, "You knew," she half asked, "Why didn’t you say a thing to about it?"
"I’ve tried to, Miss. Don’t you rember? On the very night you returned to the manor," Ada gripped the hardcover of the book in front of her, "I’d imdiately noticed sothing was wrong in your behavior and flagged it, but Miss Katherine didn’t believe ,"
"And then I drank the tea with Master Silas’ blood," her voice turned small as her eyes traveled to the floor, "I only rember bits and pieces of that night, but yes Alpha Cynric did use the water he made drink. That was why he refused to fight... Because he knew he’d already broken his word,"
"In any case, you did well with the wolf boy," Ada’s words brought Arabella’s attention back onto her, "You cald him down with great ease and then managed to convince him you weren’t his mother. Believe when I say that’s a feat of its own," she nodded.
"Well, the rit isn’t entirely mine," she smiled, "Remus is a good kid at heart. His true nature did most of the work for so, it wasn’t all that hard to convince him,"
Reviews
All reviews (0)