Chapter 323: Other talents
The very next morning started with negotiations and bargains as Silas refused to let Arabella out of his hold.
"No," he declared.
"What?" her eyes wide, refusing to blink as if that would have helped her digest the surprise.
"Just no," he dug his heels and looked ahead, above her head to avoid her gaze.
"I don’t understand. I need to stand up," her legs and feet moved, but her upper body was barely able to as Silas firmly held her against himself.
Miraculously, he held it together at her sight struggling to flee his hold which was very reminiscent of an inebriated squirrel fighting to stand on its feet.
"No, you do not need to do anything," his chin was slightly raised while his head shook, earning him that ridiculous childish air he so tried to conceal.
It was when she burst into a fit of giggles that he finally looked down at her.
"What’s the matter? What is so funny?" he enquired with a serious demeanor.
"You... Are," through sheer persistence and will, Arabella managed to articulate.
"Well, then," his grasp around her middle mellowed, "What do you feel the need to stand up and leave me so early in the morning for?"
There was a warm smile on him, conveying an expression unmistakable for any other emotion than peace.
"I promised Ada we’d embroider a bit more today," she inhaled deeply, "Her injury still hurts sometimes and she seems a bit... I don’t know how to put it. I just don’t want to leave her alone for longer than I should have to," her eyes darted up at him again, "What will you be doing?"
"Handle funeral arrangements," he said, his smile dimming.
"Have you given much thought to the Lady’s plan?" her hand went over his to caress its surface, "I still don’t feel easy about using her death like that,"
"Edna was ready to use anything in order to get her way," he remarked, his voice a tad more strained.
"Now, that isn’t fair," she shook her head, "Neither of us is Edna and... She is gone,"
After a few more minutes of back and forth, Silas finally agreed to set her free. He stood by the bathroom door, waiting for her to exit after changing.
He’d had a different dress from the one she wore the night before brought in while the young woman was asleep.
To his relief, Arabella looked very comfortable in it and even complemented his pick.
The two of them went their separate ways and Arabella made her way to Ada as promised.
They marched down to the lounge room in silence as there was nothing to be said.
It was the heavy and stifling kind since Arabella noticed the way Ada massaged her neck from time to time but found no words in order to bring the topic up without rattling her friend.
But before Arabella managed to align the question, Ada beat her to the mark, breaking the quietude that drowned their senses.
"I do hope you won’t mind it, but I invited Abigail to come by,"
"No, of course, I don’t mind it," she smiled sweetly.
"If you remember, a few nights ago when you were trying the dresses on, there was mention that Abigail had something she wished to discuss," Ada took her time and seemed unsure whether or not to speak up.
"Oh yes! I do remember that," she nodded.
Ada cleared her throat, "I thought we could use the distraction and talk to her today. Perhaps it’ll bring some joy or who knows, busy our minds with something new," her shoulders gave a hesitant shrug.
To Arabella, it was clear that Ada wished to broach many different topics, but much like her, found no courage to do so.
It wasn’t until an hour of embroidering was done that Abigail peeked her head, very sheepishly, from behind the door frame.
"Oh, Abigail! Please come!" Arabella stood to her feet, ushering at the maid to move closer.
Abigail practically leaped and floated forward. Red in the face she was as she curtsied before Arabella.
"Oh, please. No need for that," Arabella waved it off, her cheeks starting to flush pink.
"You will soon carry the title of Lady under this roof. The formalities are needed,"
"She is right, you know," Ada half asked around the end of her sentence.
In front of the two, Arabella gave up and tried to make Abigail comfortable in order to get her to speak up.
"Well, I... Don’t mean to be ungrateful or impertinent, but... I wished to share my talent," Abigail hastened to add after that, "I would have kept it to myself, but when you said Ada had a chance, I thought... I thought," her eyes darted between marble tiles under her as she squished herself to take the least space possible.
"You wish to rise to the title of entertainer," Arabella half asked.
"Oh!" Abigail covered her cheeks, "I would certainly love a chance, if... If that is possible,"
"The Lady will be thrilled to hear we’ve got more volunteers for the task," little stars were born in Arabella’s eyes, "May I ask what your talent is?"
"She can sing as well, but her voice is quite unique in its own way," it was Ada that answered her.
"You know, I wonder...," Arabella took a seat without looking back, "Maybe I should ask the Lady if I should hold trials for the existing maids that want to try their luck as entertainers," she suggested.
"Oh! That would be wonderful!" Ada’s smile still looked heavy somehow as though burdened by an invisible weight, but her beam was warm, nonetheless.
Abigail pretty much floated out of the room, the same way she’d come, leaving Arabella and Ada to their embroidery.
Although there were many topics to discuss, they ended up circling back to Edna and her doings.
That was the subject matter of their discussion until Arabella stood up, declaring that she’d had enough of the threads and fabric and that she wished to visit the map room.