A MAZE OF GREED

A nurse was appointed to check up on Ruth at short intervals. She came every hour and, check if there was any improvement in Ruth's condition. Elsie and Ida had camped outside Ruth's room.

Elsie asked Lester if she could bring Mrs Payne into the old building, but he refused that idea. He was afraid that a human could get to know their identities.

Little did he and the others know that Mrs Payne knew more than they thought. Only Edwin had an idea of how much she might know. That was why he did not think twice before declaring his right over Ruth when Mrs Payne asked to see her.

Because he knew that she would understand him. And, she did!

She kept weeping in her home, praying to God for Ruth's wellbeing. She cursed herself for letting Ruth go alone.

The emotional turmoil she was going through was too much to bear for her fragile body. Ida kept checking on her frequently. No matter how much Mrs Payne tried to not think about those painful memories, her mind kept revisiting the day when she and Ruth had to face the humiliation not only once but twice at the hands of Eloise and Theodora.

Theodora... Mrs Payne never liked her in the first place. She was always apprehensive of her and avoided meeting her. But, she hoped that her opinion about Theodora to be turned out wrong. And at some point, she believed that it was happening.

And then... everything fell down like a house of cards. Yet she was hopeful. When she came into Vincardine with her husband, they searched about Theodora.

They were surprised that people loved and respected her. She might have changed a lot, they both thought. They kept believing in that illusion that the clever woman had created in front of the world.

But, the recent incident and her conversation with her father that Ruth told her about, pushed Mrs Payne into a pit of disappointment.

Somethings can never change, she realised.

In this situation, Mrs Payne had only one hope. She could trust only one person with Ruth's responsibility- Edwin.

The nurse came out, closing the door behind her. Like every time, Elsie and Ida were eagerly waiting for her outside the room.

"Is she awake?"

"Is there any betterment in her condition?"

They bombarded the woman with questions. But the way the woman's eyes held apology clarified the picture for them.

"Pardon Lady Elsie. But she is still unconscious. The wound on her hand is very deep and is healing slowly. It will need some more time to get better.

She is in mental trauma. She is scared and, because of that, her brain has found a refuge in silence. It is refusing to wake up. We can not say when she will open her eyes and what will be the aftereffects of this trauma on her." The nurse explained.

"There must be some way to help her, right?" Ida asked desperately.

The nurse put her hand on Ida's shoulder in sympathy. "Some battles need to be fought on our own and alone."

Ida looked down at her feet as her eyes stung with unshed tears.

"What can we do till then?" Elsie asked.

"My Lady All we can do is have faith in the Moon Goddess and hope that our Luna will win her battle against time."

The nurse left.

Ida and Elsie sat in silence, both lost in their own worlds. After some time, Elsie felt Ida's observing eyes on her.

"You can ask what you want." she said.

Ida was hesitant, but then Elsie was the only person in the family who was easy to approach. Even if she would find her question offensive, she would react in a polite way and would refuse to answer rather than lash out in anger.

"Have you... have you discussed this with Lady Eloise?" Ida asked.

Elsie's face changed, yet she answered nonetheless. "No. I have not."

Ida fell in silence.

"This is my fault, is not it Ida?"

"Lady Elsie! Why are you saying this?" Ida said in alarm.

"Brother Edwin entrusted Ruth's care with me. It is my fault that this all happened. Why do I have to choose the same day for the warfare practice when I did not consider it over months?!

If I was there, then it would not have happened." Elsie fought back her tears.

She had gone through this thought numerous times since they found Ruth. She had cried for hours. But, now she was frustrated with tears.

Elsie had lived all her life under the protective wings of her family. She did not need to face any situation alone in her life. Someone was always by her side, acting as her shield, guarding her against every blow.

But this time, there was no one to shield her. Her cousin, her mate and her father were not in the town. The woman she called her mother was not trusted by her cousin. And the only person left in the family, her own sister had scarred her trust so deep that she did not know if she would ever forgive her for that.

Elsie was all alone. And in addition, she also needed to take care of Ruth. She realised after initial hours that she could not wait for help or spend time crying in a corner of her chamber.

Ruth needed her. Her sister-in-law, the mate of her leader, Luna of her pack, needed her.

And that was the motivation that made her step out of the boundaries of her confined limits.

But the guilt was there- prominent and hurting.

Ida shook her head. "No, Lady Elsie. Even if you have not decided to go for the practice, if this was supposed to happen, then it would have happened anyway.

I beg your pardon to say this but... the only fault you have in this situation is that you trusted the wrong people. It is not only you... but is about all of us. We all failed to see the venom disguised as honey. Even Young Master did not see it coming aiming straight to his soft point."

The truth is always bitter. Even if you digest it somehow, it leaves that bitter taste in your mouth for hours after that.

And Elsie understood it well.

"You are right Ida! We failed to see the truth. But not anymore! If this was sister Eloise's conspiracy then she needs to take its responsibility and face the punishment that brother Edwin would decide." Elsie said in determination.

Ida nodded her head. "But there is more than we see, Lady Elsie."

"What are you saying?"

"I do not know about Master, but... I smelled a familiar scent there. We did not catch Ruth's or Lady Eloise's scent but I caught this scent where Ruth was hanged."

Ida wanted to tell this to Edwin. But with the state he was in, she decided to wait till he calmed down and returned Vincardine.

"Whose scent was that?" Elsie asked with a frown.

"It was Fannie, My Lady!"

"F-Fannie? You mean she planned all of this?" Elsie asked in shock. Out of all the names, she had not expected to hear this one.

"I do not know if she planned it or not. And if she did, then was she solo conspirer or was she only following orders? And what was the exact motto behind this?"

Elsie did not like the direction in which Ida's words pointed. But her likings could not affect the facts.

"What are you trying to say? Say it clearly."

"I do not have a permission to say that lady Elsie."

"Are you pointing at mother?" Elsie decided to not beat around the bush and get straight to the point.

Ida did not answer. She only stared back at Elsie as if she was trying to search for something. She might be satisfied with whatever she found because she asked, "Do you think that Fannie is capable of going to this extent on her own?"

No! How could Elsie deny that answer?

Putting a head maids life in danger like this was not some lame person's work. It was planned thoroughly and well-executed. Whoever that person was, they were well aware of the fact that the people who had saved Ruth were not around.

They knew the details of not only Ruth's daily routine but also of her personality traits.

"But why would a mother do that with Ruth? Do you think she is suspicious of Ruth being brother Edwin's mate?" Elsie asked in concern.

Elsie did not hate Theodora, nor she particularly loves her. Personally, she had no problem trusting her, but the way Lester and Edwin keep their guards up around her made Elsie think that there might be more than what she knew.

Ida thought about it for a minute, then sighed.

"I do not know Lady Elsie. But one thing I know is that Lady Theodora has had a special interest in Ruth since day one. And if Fannie is involved in this conspiracy, we have to be prepared to face any possibility."

Elsie knew that Ida was right.

Now the only thing they were left with, waiting for Edwin's reaction.