A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth was crying all night, and by the time the day arrived, her tears had dried up, replaced by anger. She was very angry at Lester, for locking her in the room and away from Edwin.

She had not moved from her spot in hours. Her dress and hands were still matted with Edwin's dried blood. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the man she knew as unbeatable had passed out in her arms with blood oozing out of his injuries.

That triggered Ruth's suppressed fears. Her demons barred their teeth, their nails scratching the surfaces of her confidence.

Every person she loved was snatched away from her. Her father left her even before she could see him. Her mother passed away, taking her warmth along with her. Mr Payne was brutally murdered and was snatched away from her when she needed him the most.

And now that she had found the man she loved, he was lying unconscious and bloodied.

Was her fate cursed, or was she herself was a curse for others?

Ruth hugged herself tightly as fresh tears gathered in her eyes. Now she realised what Edwin might have been through when she was unconscious in the same room, not a long ago.

The fear he had in his eyes gripped her heart, squeezing it painfully. The worry he had then, she could feel it now. The unexplainable emotions his eyes showed then, now had a name in Ruth's mind.

It was love!

The same love that her heart harboured for Edwin now!

Ruth heard footsteps approaching the door. She immediately pulled herself together and stood up. Looking around, she found a vase on the nearby table.

There was no way she would sit here waiting for Lester to allow her to see him.

Ruth stood behind the door with the vase gripped tightly in her red hands. She gulped down when she heard the doorknob turning.

The door slowly opened with a cracking sound. As soon as Ruth saw someone stepping inside, she let out a cry of war and jumped from behind the door.

But to her shock, she screamed along with a woman and a man. Ruth stopped herself from hitting the woman with the vase at the last moment.

Elsie had her eyes popping out of their sockets, her mouth opened wide in a scream. And the man with olive-green eyes hides behind that woman, using her as a shield.

"Lady Elsie!" Ruth whispered, recovering from the shock.

"See! I told you she is planning my murder!!" Lester cried from behind Elsie in a squeaky voice.

"Ruth-"

But Ruth did not stop to hear Elsie. Throwing the vase on the floor, Ruth picked up her dress over her ankles and ran out of the door by pushing Lester out of her way, of course not before a scorching glare.

Ruth's legs took her down the stairs. She stumbled a couple of times, yet she balanced herself before she fell. She reached the ground floor and turned her head to both of her sides.

She saw Ida standing out of one of the doors. Her eyes widened when she saw Ruth running in her direction like a wrecking ball. She jumped out of her way and let her go inside the room.

As soon as Ruth took her first step inside the room, she slowed down her pace until she came to halt beside Edwin's bed.

Her eyes watered, chin and lower lip quivered at the sight in front of her. Edwin was laying on his stomach. The bandages covered his entire back and right hand. He looked paler than the last time she saw him.

His breaths were shallow, and his eyes closed. Ruth's hands shot up to cover her mouth as a loud sob escaped her throat.

Lester, Elsie and Ida stood out of the door, looking at her with saddened faces. Elsie let her tears flow down as Lester stood with his hands holding her shoulders.

Ruth took small steps ahead, slowly and carefully. She brought down her trembling hands. She stretched her right hand towards Edwin. She paused midair momentarily as if she was afraid that her single touch would hurt him.

Yet she could not hold back herself any longer from moving ahead. Her trembling hand finally touched his head. A teardrop fell on his shoulder as Ruth leaned over him.

She ran her hand gently through his hair. She loved the feel of his hair against her fingers. She ran her hand then on the side of his face and towards his shoulder. She stopped right where the bandage covered his wound.

The bloodstains around made the bile rise in her throat. She suppressed the feeling of throwing out everything she had consumed yesterday.

Her knees buckled under her, and she fell to the ground. She rested her forehead on the edge of the bed as she cried.

Lester was instantly by her side, holding her. Ruth had no energy left, so she leaned into his embrace.

"He is going to be alright Ruth. Please do not cry! He needs you more than anything right now. Shhh..." Lester kept whispering those words in Ruth's ear as he ran his hand on her head while holding her firmly.

Ruth had many queries. She wanted to know what happened to him. She wanted to see his wounds, although she was not sure if she could see them without fainting.

Lester gave Ruth her time to calm down. He then talked her into coming out of the room. Sitting here on the couch in the room beside her, he pulled a little away from her.

Ida quickly got a plate she had already kept prepared with pieces of freshly cut fruits and a glass of water.

Ruth's throat was sore after crying for so long. So she only shook her head in denial when Lester held the plate in front of her.

"Ruth please eat something. How are you going to take care of brother Edwin if you behave this way?" Elsie tried.

After ten minutes of convincing, Ruth took the glass of water and then a piece of an apple.

Lester stood up from beside her, and Ida took his place. After a glance at Ruth, Lester's face turned serious.

"Elsie, have you informed Mrs Payne about the situation? She must be worrying for Ruth." He asked.

"Yes. Ida has sent her a message." Elsie's eyes were swollen by crying. Yet Lester was glad that she was holding stronger than he expected from her.

"Lester what are we going to tell father and mother?" She then asked.

Lester sighed. "We first need to shift Edwin in his chamber. Lord Augustus will never step inside this building and we can not let Lady Theodora come here either."

Although Ruth was still in shock, she had her ears on alert. She wondered why Edwin's uncle and aunt could not come into this building?

"You are right. And why you told me to not inform Thea yet?"

"Elsie, I know that as Edwin's head maid, Thea needs to know about his condition. But think about Rees. He is far away from Vincardine. If he gets this news through her, he will not think twice before leaving everything in his hands and running back here.

I do not want anyone to panic. This is not the first time Edwin has taken injuries. He is a warrior. You know how many battles he has won."

Lester and Elsie did give much thought to Ruth's presence. They thought she was too shaken to pay attention to their conversation.

But Ruth was listening to every word keenly. As far as she knew, there were hardly any battles happening around. Then which battles Lester was referring to?

Elsie nodded her head in understanding.

"I... I informed sister Eloise about the attack on brother Edwin." She said in a low voice after a minute.

By the look on her face, Lester guessed what might have happened, yet he asked her, "then?"

Elsie stole her gaze away from him in disappointment. "She said she is busy to visit brother. She will meet him when he will wake up."

Of course, Eloise would say something like that!

"Do not think about her Elsie. She must be angry after Edwin confronted her about the attack on Ruth. She will come around. Do not worry!" Lester said although, he knew that was hardly going to happen.

Eloise did not forgive people easily. She waited patiently for the right time to retaliate.

"You take care of Ruth. I will speak with Thea and arrange shifting Edwin into his chamber. Other than that, I have some other things to take care." Lester said, taking her hand in his.

Elsie released a shaky breath then nodded.

"By the way I still do not know what exactly happened with brother Edwin." She pointed out with a frown.

Ruth's ears perked up at that. She pretended to drink water when all her attention was focused on Lesters next words.

Lester smiled fondly.. "I will give you details later. For now just know that your dear brother has just changed a course of all of our fates!"