Chapter 273: Glaring predicaments
Silas had buried his head among ink and papers for hours without a break, but eventually decided to take his walk around the manor.
His journey ended on one of the balconies giving view towards the gardens.
The vampire stood watching as the tall trees swayed with the wind in the distance, the surface of the pond that saw ripples running through it from time to time as the breeze grew stronger.
But among the edges, it was a moving figure that caught his attention. Edgar did his job quietly as per his usual.
But that time around, Silas wanted more than to lurk and admire the work in silence. He decided to descend and approach the man.
The gardener went about his doings until the vampire’s presence became too potent to ignore.
He spun around and bowed respectfully, "Master," he greeted.
Silas said nothing for a moment and simply stared back at Edgar. His diamond eyes then travelled behind the man, at the white rose hedges.
"You’ve done a great job. She is very happy with the result," he commented.
"Thank you, Master. It is both an honor and a pleasure to work for the Eleazar household.
The gardener’s features had locked in place, earning him a serious air and a rigid outlook.
"Is it?"
The question caused one of Edgar’s eyebrows to twitch. The sharpened ice in Silas’ voice did not help his condition one bit.
"Is it, Master," he confirmed, eyes on the ground.
"What is it you love the most about working for my family?"
The question seemed to rattle Edgar as his eyes widened momentarily, "I... I am not sure how to answer the question, Master. I love many things about my work, namely the freedom I enjoy while performing my tasks,"
"What about Arabella? Do you love her?" there was no warmth in his tone or expression.
The man’s breath hitched in his throat and for once, he looked Silas in the eyes.
"I... Do care a lot for Miss Arabella if that is what you mean," he averted his gaze again.
"That is not what I asked," Silas insisted.
"If you mean romantically, then no," he met his eyes again, that time around with more confidence, "She is a wonderful person and a delight to be around. She deserves more than the world had given her, but for me it ends there,"
Unlike Arabella, Silas believed he could trust Edgar’s steady heartbeat to see if he spoke the truth.
"I see," the vampire nodded, "What about my mother?"
"The... Lady?" Edgar stuttered through those few syllables, "What about her?"
At those words, his heart rate was all over the place.
"The same question stands; do you love my mother?" Silas was firm and wanted his answer.
"I... Do care for the Lady... I...," Edgar could not align two words about the matter to save his life.
"What is it you love about her?" he pushed further.
For a moment, neither of them said a thing. Edgar merely stared unblinkingly at the ground.
For a moment, only nature sang its many daytime melodies.
But then, Edgar seemed to find the courage to voice his thoughts, "I do love how calm she is. Her demeanor is mostly still and her ability to solve almost every conflict with her words alone, even when she has all of the power in the world is simply fascinating to me,"
"Is that it?"
"No...," Edgar shook his head, "There is so much more but very little words to express all of it,"
Silas’ diamonds fell on one specific snow-white rose, "And what do you plan to do about it?"
"Nothing," Edgar looked away, "I’ll live the decades I have and leave this world knowing she’ll walk it very long after my departure,"
That answer bothered Silas more than he let on. To that conversation, the vampire came with precise qualms to tackle, but the result was never one of them to begin with.
It was as if those words took a fist full of his insides and twisted without a hint of mercy.
Perhaps it was the fact that Silas sought a future with Arabella and lived on pushing the glaring predicament for that time being.
He wished to enjoy every second with her and Edgar’s view on the matter served as a reminder of... Reality.
The man held an invisible mirror towards Silas and uttered his raw fears out loud.
"If you do choose to act upon your feelings," Silas looked away, "Know that I won’t object,"
And with that, he turned away and allowed the gardener to go back to work. Although the man took a few seconds to weigh the seriousness of things.
The vampire’s feet took him straight towards the great library from whence Ada’s and Arabella’s voices traveled.
He did his very best to enter discreetly so as not to interrupt them.
Arabella sat with stars in her eyes, explaining her findings on the writings with immense passion.
Ada made an effort as well, asking questions at times and commenting at others.
No matter how and which way he tried to spin it, time wasn’t on his side and as his mother said it best; there was no way to change the fact that Arabella was human.
Would he truly be able to withstand it? Watch her grow old? Grow sick and weaker with the years until she’d eventually take her last breath.
Silas wondered just how painful that would be and how he’d go about his days and years after her.
Seven or eight more decades was ultimately nothing for him, but it was all the time she had to live.
Not to mention her own thoughts and doubts on the matter... How was she taking it? How was she compartmentalizing it in order to smile and go about her days?
Silas turned around and exited the library, having had enough of his own voice which he couldn’t escape, but thought that at the very least, another change of scenery would do him some good.