Chapter 141: Choices Brings Consequences
"Orson?" Catherine blinked in disbelief at his availability, wondering how her brother had got into the room when she was sure she locked it to avoid any further disturbances from anyone. She thought staying alone would be able to help her gain the comfort she needed as she couldn’t speak to anyone about the strange man that had been tormenting her, but staying alone turned out to be the worst decision she could make as the idea proved to be more dangerous.
Looking at her front, she took notice of his absence, and the lamplight had magically been turned on again. Catherine didn’t need any mirror to know she was sweating, and her eyes must have swelled from all the crying and fear that the stranger had made her consume.
What if he comes back again??
"Orson!" Getting out of bed, she ran to hug her brother who was still in the middle of understanding the situation that was going on with his sister as she cried in his arms. "Please, please don’t leave me by myself, I’m scared, I’m scared, I don’t want to be left alone... please don’t leave me here, I’ll die."
"What is going on?" Orson tried to make her talk as he pushed her gently away from him so he could look at her face. It was the first time he’s seen his sister act like this, and he wasn’t oblivious to the urgency in her voice and the fear in her eyes. It worried him even more as he tried to calm her down, realizing the situation was more dire than he had expected it to be.
"Listen, I’ll send your maid to come here and help you freshen up cause you’re a total mess right now. You can join me downstairs and YOU have to tell me what’s going on, no more of this nonsense." From his expression and tone, Catherine knew he was going to force her to speak, but knowing her life would be at risk, how is she going to say it??
"Come." He held her hand and led her towards the maid quarters since she refused to be left alone.
~
In a cozy-looking cabin during the winter season, Madeline had helped her father gather the tiny woods her little hands could pick from the woods before handing it to him and watching him throw it in the fireplace.
The woods crackled with tiny sparks, and the lights intensified as her father threw his own woods into the fireplace. The cabin felt more warmer, and Madeline’s big dark orbs watched the woods burn, the light reflecting in her eyes.
"Maddie, what did I say about walking with your feet when it’s snowing?" She could hear her mother’s usual scolding as she brought their dinner to the dining room before moving over to the little girl who was trying to hide her fair feet that had turned slightly purple from having to stand on the snow for too long.
"You were with her weren’t you? And you let her leave the cabin with no shoes??" Her mother passed on the scolding to her father who exchanged glances with his daughter and wife.