When Ethana disappeared, Sophie cast her sad brown eyes upon her sister.  This was the first time they had been alone since early that morning, and she was going to make the best of it.  “Laveda, please don’t leave me.”

“Sophie, ya know this is what’s right.  Ya’ll be fine here.  These are good people, and they’ll take good care of ya…better than I can do.”  Seeing the tears welling in Sophie’s eyes was almost more than she could bear.  “Please don’t, Sophie.  I’ll visit ya as much as I can,” she went to hug the younger girl.

“Ya promise,” Sophie asked as she held onto her elder sister.

“I promise,” Laveda stated as if it had been an oath to the Lord himself.

Just then, Ethana reentered with an attractive red-haired boy in tow and holding a bag of food, which she handed to Laveda.  “Laveda, Sophie, this is Henry.  He does a few odd jobs around the manor but can usually be found with the gardener.  He is going to carry Sophie up to her new room.”

Giving Sophie one last hug, Laveda again promised to visit as soon as possible.  Then the young girl was whisked from the room.  Laveda hadn’t expected to feel as miserable as she did to see Sophie go but brushed the feeling aside as if it were something quite minor.

“Well, Laveda, we should head to the foyer,” Ethana took the other girl’s hand in hers as she ushered her out of the room.

Thaniel had already brought the carriage about, to the front of the manor and was placing the wheelbarrow in the back when the front door opened.  Thinking it was Laveda, he didn’t bother turning around.

“Thaniel,” Verna began tentatively.  “I need te ‘ave a wurd wid ye.”

Thaniel turned to see the cook was standing in the doorway, still wearing her apron and wringing her hands.  He hadn’t spoken to Verna since the morning they realized Anne was missing and even then it had been she who had done most of the talking…or tongue lashing he thought.  “Yes, Verna,” he asked as he turned back to the carriage.

“I hate te disturb ya right nah, but Reyna needs ya.”  Seeing Thaniel scoff, Verna decided to put forth her best argument.  “Nah, listen te me.  She’s just as upset ‘bout all dis as y’are.  Nah dat ya’d notice much, but she has takin’ te starvin’ herself.  I’ve tried everythin’ in my pow’r te git her te eat, drink, ar even get out of bed.  She won’t listen te me.”

“Verna, I understand your concern, but Reyna is the last person on my mind right now,” he jumped into the driver’s seat of the carriage just behind the horses.  “Now, if you would, tell Ethana I am ready to take Laveda back to town.”

Verna couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  Surely, he didn’t mean what he was saying.  Moving toward the carriage, rage growing within, she addressed Thaniel again.  “Ye’d rather lose two dan jist one wud ya,” she yelled.

“Verna, I’m not in the mood…”

She interrupted knowing what he had to say wasn’t nearly as important as what she had to say.  “Ye listen te me, boy.  Yer family’s fallin’ apart.  Yah, Anne’s missin’, bah everyone’s doin’ da best dey can ‘bout dat.  Nah, yer wife’s wastin’ away because grief’s feastin’ on her like maggots on a purly cover’d roast.  Du ye tink dat Ethana can carry on if she lost her mum too?  Du ye?  Nah, if ya don’t get in dare an’ talk te dat woman of yer’s I’ll drag ye up dare meself!”

“Verna, I’ll see her when I get back from the market,” he sighed.

That reply wasn’t good enough for her, “No!  Ye’ll go nah.  I’ll ‘ave Henry take dat gerl te town.”  With that she went back into the manor.  

When she got inside, she was met by Ethana, Laveda, and Henry.  Supposedly, Henry was telling Ethana the girl, Sophie, was sitting at the dressing table waiting for someone to help her get ready for bed.

  “Thank you, Henry.  You may return to your other duties,” Ethana smiled at him.  But before he had gone too far, Verna was barking orders.

“Henry, grab yer coat.  Yer takin’ da young lady home.”

Confused Ethana just looked to the older woman, then to Laveda, and finally Henry.  It took her a few moments to realize what had just happened, and by then, Henry was off.  “Verna, what are you doing?”

“I told dat father of yer’s ta spend sum time wid yer mum.”  Then wagging her finger in Ethana’s face, “Nah, I’m off ta da kitchen.  If he dunna do as I told ‘im, ye let me know.”

“Father or Henry,” Ethana asked.

“Either!” Verna yelled over her shoulder as she continued to storm off to the kitchen.

Ethana had never, in her entire life, seen Verna so angry, and now that she had, all she could do was to look after her as she disappeared around the corner.  Then, before her shock had completely disappeared, Henry was back and was ushering Laveda out the door.  In a kind of daze, Ethana followed, but only to the doorway, where she watched her father give Henry instructions and say goodbye to Laveda as he helped her into the seat next to Henry’s.

When Laveda looked back toward the manor, Ethana waved her goodbye before turning to her father as he approached.  “What happened?”

“Verna says your mother has begun to starve herself,” he ran a weary hand through his dark hair.  “Personally, I think she just wants a bit of attention.”

 Ethana had been to see her mother earlier that morning and didn’t believe her father was right.  Mother looked terrible, her eyes red from all the crying she had done, her hair was a mess, and she looked as though she never got up.  When Ethana had asked her mother why she had not been up and about in the past few days, she had dodged the question and asked about Anne.  Then, when Ethana informed her there was no new information concerning Anne’s whereabouts, she turned toward the window and began another round weeping.  “Father, I do not believe she is begging for attention.  I went to see her this morning, and she looks… empty.  There truly is no happiness in her.  Perhaps, Verna is right.  Perhaps if you go to her, she will at least begin to eat again.”

Continuing into the manor, Thaniel gave Ethana a sidelong glance but bit back what he wanted to say.  He didn’t want to see Reyna, nor did he care she was upset.  In fact, he felt she deserved it.  If she felt half the pain he carried in his heart, he was happy.

He and Ethana ambled up the staircase to the second floor where the family rooms could be found.  Once there, they started down the hall; Ethana stopping at the room across from her own, and her father, continuing to the end, seeking the suite.

Taking a deep breath before walking inside, Thaniel wondered at what he might find.  Then, with almost a bit of pleasure, he reached for the knob to see just how much pain Reyna could possibly be in.

The room was quiet and dark except for the nightstand on Reyna’s side of the bed.  Candles, dimly illuminating the edge of the king-sized four-poster, Thaniel could see Reyna was facing the other direction.  As quietly as he could, he closed the door behind him before venturing deeper into the room.  “Reyna,” he questioned softly.  When there was no reply, he settled himself at the foot of the bed, only an inch or two from her feet.  Being this close; though she was quite still, he didn’t believe her to be asleep.  So, he eased himself further up the bed and gently turned her toward him and what he saw seized his heart.

Ethana had not exaggerated the emptiness she saw in her mother.  Looking at her now, Thaniel realized she looked as though there were no life in her at all.  The candlelight cast eerie shadows across her features, making her look possibly grimmer and definitely thinner.  Her eyes were blood red, and seemed smaller than usual, nearly swollen shut.  All the hateful words Thaniel had desired to send her way, vanished as he took in her appearance, and he struggled to hold back tears.

“I’m so sorry,” her small voice startled Thaniel.  The way she looked, he wouldn’t have believed her capable of speech.  She resembled an empty shell, as if her soul had left her to find a happier home.

Thaniel, himself, found he couldn’t respond.  His throat, now like old bark, dry…scratchy, his voice hoarse, so when she began to cry, all he could do was pull her into his arms as she wept.