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She wished to tell him that she went to see Lady Susan, but this did not seem to be the right time for it. This was the moment for the two of them to come together again. The last person she wished to mention now was that dreadful woman who was responsible for almost everything bad that happened in Arthur’s life.
“I should have told you the truth from the beginning, Amelia,” he added before she could say anything, “but I was afraid.”
“Are you afraid now?” she asked with a trembling voice.
Softly, he took her hand into his, laying a tender kiss on it. “More afraid that I’ve ever been in my entire life,” he admitted. That took guts, she had to give him that. “I am afraid of losing you now that you encompass my entire heart. It belongs fully and wholly to you. I wouldn’t know what to do if I lost you.”
She caressed his cheek with her hand. “You will never have to find out,” she assured him, “because I will never leave you. I know why you tried to hide it from me. No one has ever been able to understand you, but I do. Please, know that I do.”
“And you do not think me a monster?” he asked through the silence that reigned around them.
“A long time ago, before I even knew you, I allowed silly rumors and gossip to form my opinions,” she admitted. “That was reckless of me. That isn’t what my dear, late mother taught me to do, for anything can look damning and anyone can look damned, provided enough bad words are said. But the truth always finds its path. It always rises to the surface, no matter how many lies have been woven into the story.”
He gazed into her eyes. They were so close that their noses were gently brushing against each other. She could feel his hot breath on her cheeks.
“Do you see me now?” he asked. “Do youtrulysee me?”
“I see all of you,” she whispered back. “I don’t claim to know when it happened, when this balance shifted somehow. But I do know that I see all of you. I see you, and I love you for the man that you are, Arthur Pike.”
“My duchess,” he said with a smile. “It is your love that kept me from drowning in sorrow.”
She felt like he was drinking in the sight of her. She knew it because she was doing the same. She felt as if she were truly seeing him now in all his glory, his true inner self. She was desperate to touch him, to have her hands on him, but there was something unearthly, something special about this moment, and she never wanted it to end. All she wanted was to get lost in his eyes and remain there forever.
Suddenly, she pulled away. A dreadful thought occurred to her.
“How did the fire start?” she asked.
From the look in his eyes, she could recognize instantly that he was thinking about that same thing before. Now that their argument was behind them, they could focus on solving a much bigger problem.
“There is nothing that could have been set ablaze there accidentally,” he said pensively. “We haven’t used the music room in a long time. I doubt any of the servants were cleaning the chamber in the dark with a candle then left it there unattended.”
“Indeed,” Amelia nodded, “that seems rather farfetched. Then… what happened?”
He didn’t say anything at first. He seemed lost in thought, so she allowed him a few moments. Then, he continued, “We should speak with all the servants first thing tomorrow morning. I shall let them know that if someone did leave a candle unattended in the music room, there shall be no repercussions. Hopefully, that will encourage them to tell the truth.”
“Yes, I think that is probably our best option,” Amelia nodded, with a heavy sigh.
Up until this point, she didn’t feel sleepy or tired, but now, exhaustion hit her unexpectedly. She felt she could fall asleep standing up if only she kept her eyes closed for longer than two seconds.
“Come,” Arthur said, reading her mind and taking her by the hand. “You are sleeping with me tonight. And every other night after this one.”
She had no objections to that. She smiled as he led her through the dark corridors, but she was unafraid. She had him by her side, and that was all she ever needed.
CHAPTER25
The following morning, Arthur gathered everyone in the parlor. All the servants were standing in one endless row, huddled together, awaiting their next instructions. Every once in a while, they would turn to the person standing next to them and whisper something in their ear.
Arthur was standing in front of them with Amelia by his side. The point of this meeting was to discuss what everyone knew about the fire that broke out the previous night. No matter how hard he thought about it, nothing seemed to make much sense. He had been extremely cautious with fire inside the house ever since the tragedy that marred his life, and he ordered his servants to do the same. No candles were left unattended at any point even for a single second. Where one could go without light, one went without it. They treated fire not only as an enemy but as an expensive commodity as well. Now, it seemed that someone had turned a deaf ear to his orders.
Amelia tried to remind him that there was yet another possibility, one he did not even consider before she mentioned it. Her suggestion was that it was no one from the house, no one from their servants, but rather someone who managed to sneak into the house and start the fire. It was an incredible idea, one that needed careful planning on the part of the perpetrators, but it was not altogether impossible.
“Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice,” Arthur addressed everyone, and instantly, all eyes were on him. He hated being the center of attention, especially in cases such as this one, but the desire to get to the bottom of this almost tragic mystery was stronger than any discomfort or fear. “You all know what happened last night, and you all know that we were extremely fortunate. The night could have ended on a tragic note.” A few gasps were heard upon these words. He allowed them several moments to gather their composure then he continued. “Now, mistakes happen. Terrible, horrible mistakes. Lord knows, I have made such mistakes in my life. That is how I know that they are unintentional. The person who made them meant no harm. Therefore, I would like to ask if there is anyone who… perhaps, forgot their candle in the music room? Or who somehow otherwise forgot themselves and the rules regarding fire?”
He paused again. He could see a few faces, with something akin to guilt etched on them, but it wasn’t necessarily guilt over what happened the previous night.
Perhaps, he had accused them too harshly? He couldn’t tell. He never had great social skills. At least, they were never developed well enough for him to be able to get his point across sounding exactly as it was in his mind. People had a tendency to misunderstand him, especially if it was regarding something negative. Perhaps, there was someone here who had information regarding the event, but they were too frightened to speak because of potential repercussions.
Suddenly, Amelia took him by the hand. They rarely displayed affection in such a public manner. It took him by surprise, but at the same time, he welcomed it. She was showing him that she was by his side, no matter what. She squeezed his hand then she took over.
