Evelyn

“Thought you were very clever, didn’t you?” Mr. Bentham bends to scoop up the jewelry I’d hidden in the hollow of my cane. “Not everyone’s as deaf as you are, Evelyn Murdock. I heard those jewels rattle in your cane the moment you started walking.”

I stare in panicked silence as he counts the pieces in his palm to be sure they’re all accounted for. Then he looks up at me and his scarred lip twists with a mean smile.

“Your plan to murder Thedra failed, so you would pin her with grand theft? Just what do you have against that poor girl?”

I stammer, fumbling for any excuse at all. “Thedra— she must have hidden them in my cane. Yes, she accused me of stealing them and then she—”

“That’s enough!”

His shout echoes through the house. Nobody moves or makes a sound. It’s so quiet I can almost hear my own heart hammering fiercely in my breast.

Rounding on the others, he gives the short order. “All of you, go. Go to your families and have a pleasant holiday. My apologies for detaining you. There’ll be a bonus in next month’s salary for your trouble.”

Everyone shuffles out quickly, still silent, though doubtless tongues will be wagging the whole trip home. This time tomorrow the gossip will be all over town. My reputation will be ruined. 

Soon there is only Mr. Bentham left, Mrs. Agate and two other domestics. They all watch me now with cold eyes.

“Even if I were blind enough to fall for such an obvious trick, you chose the wrong person to frame, Evelyn,” says the master. “You think it would matter to me if that girl took all my jewels? As far as I’m concerned, all I own belongs to her already,” he declares boldly, while Mrs. Agate wears a smug expression and the other servants look on in shock and mild horror, doubtless recalling all the times they’ve treated Thedra badly in the past and wondering when the master will come exacting payment.

“Master, this is all some kind of misunderstanding, you know I’d never steal from you,” I plead with him, but he only looks down on me from his cold, lofty height. “Please, master, I could never do such a thing! I would never—”

“Go to your room, Evelyn. Tomorrow I will escort you to the police station. You can make your excuses there, after they’ve heard Thedra’s statement.”

I feel as though the world is spinning out from beneath my feet. I try to plead with him more but Mr. Bentham is deaf to me. He gives the order for the other three to escort me to my room, and I do not have the strength to fight them. 

Tomorrow, I consider as I sit on my bed, maddened with panic. Tomorrow, it will all be over. There’s too much evidence against me; they’ll never let me go. I’ll get five or ten, maybe even twenty years.

I’ll die in prison. 

“No,” I shake my head, staring wide-eyed at the floor. “I won’t let them lock me up. I won’t let them!”

I spring from my bed, determined. Mrs. Agate locked me in my room, but no one bothered to bar the windows. Why would they? No one in their right mind would try to escape on a night like this. But I think I haven’t been in my right mind for some time now…

Pushing my chair to the window I climb over and drop into the snow drift. I haven’t even begun my escape and I’m already heaving with the effort. I plod desperately through the snow, making for the road. It’s not yet over for me, I assure myself as I press on, wheezing heavily. I’ll get out of here. I’ll find a place where I can stay and lay low for a while. And then from there, I’ll plan my revenge.

“I’ll get even,” I gasp, feeling my chest growing tighter by the second. “They’ll pay. Thedra Clyde and Roderick Bentham…”

What is this burst of adrenaline rushing through my veins? My heart’s beating so fast it hurts. It’s squeezing with pain. My breath is coming in short gasps. More pain like lightning sears my chest. I stumble another few steps before I fall face first in the snow.

What’s happening to me? A heart attack?

No! Not now! No!

It’s no good. I’m fading in and out of consciousness. There’s snow all around me, freezing my limbs, freezing my face. It’s cold. So cold.

“Help me…” my voice is a whisper, muffled in the snow. I’m so alone.

If only that girl was here. If only I hadn’t been so wretched to her, she might have come looking for me. Even now, after all I’ve wronged her, I know she would still save me. That’s the kind of person she is. Meanwhile, I…

“Thedra…”

Help…

Roderick

I rise early after a restless night. Twice I went to look in on Thedra, who also seemed to sleep fitfully. I go to check in on her once again, and stoke her fire, but to my surprise as I enter my room, I find her up and stripping the bedding.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Oh!” she jumps in surprise and turns around. “You startled me.”

Her voice is deep and grainy, but it seems she can talk again. Another relief.

“You look tired,” I cross the room to her side, just wanting to be near her. “Didn’t you sleep well?”

“I did,” she answers, glancing up at me and then back down again, her gaze shifting all around, as though she’s not quite certain where to settle it. “I did, it’s just, it was a little uncomfortable…”

“My bed was uncomfortable?”

“No, I didn’t mean— there’s nothing wrong with the bed, just…”

“What? Did it smell funny?”

“No,” she blushes powerfully. “No, it… smelled nice.”

Warmth surges through my veins at her shy admission. I want so much to know more of her thoughts. But unless she meets my gaze…

“You’re doing it again,” I accuse lowly.

“What?” comes her soft, breathy response.

“Avoiding my eyes.”

She takes a nervous breath and goes very still, though her eyes remain cast low.

“What’s the matter, Thedra? Are you afraid of me?”

She shakes her head sharply.

“Then, why won’t you look at me?”

She starts to lift her eyes. Briefly our gazes lock. My heart warms to see her, and I smile a little. She follows the movement with her eyes, and her cheeks redden powerfully. Too soon she gives up, ducking away from me and scurrying for the door.

“S-sorry! Sorry, I’ll just go wash the bedding. Excuse me, Sir!” she says, then runs out, holding her flaming cheeks, completely forgetting the pile of bedding she left on the floor.

She’s so cute I want to laugh out loud, but I put my fist to my mouth and restrain myself. Then I bend to gather the bedding and go to the door. A second later it creaks open.

“Forget something?”

Thedra can’t look at me. She can’t even speak as she holds out her arms to collect the bundle. I’ve seen her red in the past, but I’ve never seen her face this bright with embarrassment. 

Ah, I think as I follow her scurried steps down the hall. When she runs away like that, it really makes me want to chase her…