CHAPTER 467: WHERE TO BEGIN

The sound of running, soft rustling water came from the room instead of the steady breathing Silas had expected.

From that alone, one of the two conclusions offered themselves; either Arabella was still not asleep or... Someone else was in the room with her.

Upon rushing to the door, the two guards he had entrusted with her safety greeted him.

"Did anything out of the ordinary occur?" he asked.

"No, my Lord," one of them replied.

"Did anyone visit in my absence?"

"No one has come since you left, my Lord," the second one spoke.

"The sun is soon to rise. Head back to your quarters,"

With those words, uttered in a tone as cold as ice, Silas dismissed them.

Perhaps it was time to work on that? The way people perceived him never bothered him before but... When standing next to Arabella, a certain distance carved itself a place between them just through the crater of a difference in their demeanors.

Perhaps it bothered her too. Perhaps she never made any mention of it simply out of fear or concern to offend.

Nevertheless, Silas made his way inside, through the curtains, the empty bedroom and then straight towards the bathroom from whence the voice of water traveled.

"Were you unable to sleep?"

Sitting in a full tub, Arabella had her back to the door, nearly fully cloaked by her long hair which she freed from the style it donned at the ball.

The young woman barely even reacted even when he had opened the door, her arms hugging her thighs up to her chest the whole time.

"I promise, I tried," she murmured.

Shoulders slumped, her mouth and chin rested upon her knees, rendering every syllable out her lips somewhat muffled.

"But I couldn’t," she added.

"That is more or less understandable," he walked over to the sink to lean back against it.

That was when she finally turned her head to face him, "How are Ada and Abigail?"

"I made sure they regained their quarters safely," he nodded, crossing his arms.

"Thank you," another murmur came from her before she plopped her mouth back against her knees.

"They matter to me as well,"

"I know...," both her smile and voice were so meek that it nearly shattered him.

"What about mother?"

Silas had to swallow the words that scratched at his lips when Arabella spoke again.

"She too found her chambers but with a heavy heart," he paused momentarily then added, "I am sure she would rather rush out there and join the search party for the remaining hour before sunrise,"

"Yes, I am sure she would," her head tilted and leaned further to the side as though her mind was drifting more and more from their reality, only coming close to sleeping without a chance at reaping its benefits.

That was it! The question scratched too hard towards the surface and found a path. Silas was no longer able to hold his words.

"What’s on your mind? What’s keeping you up?" he sighed.

That had the merit of getting her to lift her shoulders and straighten her posture. For a moment, nothing but the beating of hearts and breathing mingled with the gentle rustling of water reached his ears. That was until Arabella found her voice.

"Many things," she raised her hands above water and watched as the limpid streams trickled out of her hold, "So many I don’t even know where to begin," her timbre remained on the smaller side.

"Perhaps you can try and focus on one thing at a time," he suggested.

In the field of most generic suggestions, that one wasn’t the worst, but Silas’ insides still cringed at his proposition.

Try to focus on one thing... As if her inability to do so wasn’t the problem in the first place. There was no way he’d pat himself on the back for that.

Although in that instant he fell short of words and ideas.

Her eyes bore into him for a moment as though seeking a crack or a hint of... Something in his demeanor.

A few seconds after that, her lips finally moved, "Well, there is the fact that I cannot get those ears out of my head. The thought that they are kept in neat little boxes under this very roof right now makes me sick and seething with the desire to cleanse floor, walls and ceiling...,"

Silas had been about to comment but then she continued, "Then there is this... Constant reminder that had I just opened up or spoken a little louder, we may not be in this citation today, wondering whether a close friend, a sister, betrayed us or worse whether she is even alive. What else?" her shoulders went up all of the sudden then down again, "The face of that poor Irene which I could get rid of for all I’ve tried. Oh! And then there is this!"

Without a warning, Arabella stood to her feet, not minding the water cascading down her naked body for a second.

Most of it fell back into the tab, but a good portion followed her motion as she stepped out of the bath.

The fierce expression on her did not fade as her feet stomped towards a folded bath robe near Silas.

Stunned in place, the vampire did nothing but stare at her generous forms as they bounced with every step. Her nipples got most of his attention. Her hips, thighs and what lay between them shared the remainder of his focus.

He was so absorbed by the flesh art piece before his eyes, in fact, that the rest of her actions had been eclipsed.

Indeed, tucked between the folded layers of the bathrobe were a few sheets of papers she’d taken with her to the bathroom for some reason.

After not so gently straightening the pages, Arabella flaunted the inscribed sides of them in front of his face, effectively blocking her... Delicious body from view.

Silas immediately cleared his throat and took the papers out of her hands, "Property deeds," he half asked, making sure to keep his eyes on those lines.

The last thing his wife needed was to feel like she wasn’t being listened to.