Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 595: Perhaps

Arthur sat in his usual spot, facing that same window and blinking just as rhythmically as before.

That time around, Arabella had a few things that had remained bottled up inside of her to share and so, she dragged a chair near his only to settle, twiddling her fingers on her lap.

By then, the moon already shone bright upon their side of the world, bathing everything and everyone in the power it so graciously agreed to bestow.

The young man, of course, just sat there, unresponsive as though no one had addressed him at all.

"Yet another beautiful night has come upon us, don’t you think, Arthur?" she simpered.

Not a peep from him. Not even a nod of acknowledgement.

Pleasantries weren’t a must but a good softener to the actual words that pushed for their freedom.

"Grandfather has sent us an invitation to our father’s funeral," Arabella pulled the letter out of her sleeve, "It’s quite odd, isn’t it? I mean since it should be the other way around. After all, our ways say that it is the children’s duty to arrange for their parents’ funerals and then send out word about the gathering," a bitter chuckle escaped her, "It’ll take place in a week from now and I suppose, I’ll be able to add that day to the list of my failures which keeps on growing by the second,"

Her lungs needed a break after uttering those words. Not that the air was scarce but... The will to breathe between syllables had failed her.

And so, for a moment, nothing was said as she kept her peace and Arthur was certainly not going to voluntarily shatter that stifling silence.

Once again, it all fell upon her shoulders, "I’d love to just ask you whether you’d like to return with me after the funeral or stay with grandfather. So, Arthur, which would you prefer out of the two options? Or perhaps there is another place that I have not thought about," she half asked, "Perhaps there is somewhere else you wish to be. Although, unfortunately, I cannot read your mind to uncover it,"

Her hand gravitated towards her own wedding brooch, fondling it for comfort. Once upon a time, she used to do the same with her mother’s pendant, but that one was gone too...

Wonder where. Probably dumped or cast into a dark corner to gather dust. There was also a chance that it had fallen through some cracks into a pit or a crevice that was out of reach.

That thought pinched at her frail heart. It brought back images of the somber day her mother’s body was put to rest underground.

In short, coming to terms with the loss of her pendant felt like burying Eleanor all over again.

Shutting her somewhere dark and dirty where no one could see her.

After a long sigh out of Arabella, she finally spoke again, "I feel as though I keep failing everyone around me and people keep telling me not to think that way, but... You know... Words are something and feelings are another,"

She gulped down her own saliva while getting ready to share the news with him, "I’ve lost it," her eyes drifted from the window down to the furthest corner in the room, "I’ve lost the last thing my mother ever entrusted me with," seconds went by and brought the courage to say more with them, "Do you remember that emerald pendant she wore everywhere with her? She told me it was the first and best gift father gave her during their courting period. Well," she took another deep breath, "I am sure you will be disappointed to know that I gave it away as a token of love on my wedding day only for it to be taken as a trophy by my enemies...,"

Her second hand instinctively traveled towards her stomach as it appeared, things in her brain had started to mingle and twine, giving her not a single chance to think things through.

"I don’t know to whom I should apologize next nor do I know what to apologize for, but I know that had I been a little more agreeable, we would not have been here today. I don’t know how that would have affected you, but perhaps mother would have stayed if I did not complain to her so much about father and my feelings...,"

A sneeze, coming from behind the door to the room, made Arabella stand to her feet at once.

"Who is there?" she called.

Very sheepishly, the door creaked open for Grace’s beet red face to pop through, "I... I assure you, I was not eavesdropping!" she immediately went into frantic justifications, "I had come by to see if Lord Arthur wished to go on another walk around the manor but then I heard your voice and thought I should turn back and not disturb, but then I sneezed and disturbed you anyways," she cleared her throat after vomiting all of those words at once, "My apologies, my Lady. I will now go and find some hole to stick my head in,"

"No, wait! Grace, don’t go, please," the young woman stopped her.

"Yes?" the vampiress turned back, eyes round and twinkling.

"We...," she looked at her brother before correcting herself, "I was done talking anyways and I think it will do him some good to get some fresh air," after a short pause, she added, "I believe your company does benefit him as well,"

Grace’s face burned hotter at those words, "Oh, well! I...," she just trailed off in the end.

"Would you please take him with you on that walk?"

"Yes, of course, my Lady!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Arabella marched towards the door as the vampiress moved deeper inside, straight towards Arthur.

After one last glance their way, she picked the hallway that would lead her towards her own bedroom.

Oddly, her dominant hand went back to cajoling her wedding brooch whereas the other traveled to her lower stomach again.