A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth waited outside Edwin's chamber after Mrs Payne left. Ruth asked her what they talked about inside, but all she received in response was- Do not worry. Everything is fine.

Ruth contemplated going inside. But she had no idea of what was the situation with Edwin. What if he threw her out in anger?

"Miss Ruth"

"Huh?" She looked up at the burly man stationed outside the chamber.

"You must go inside. Master is asking for you."

Ruth blinked at him dumbfoundedly. Edwin was asking for her? But how did this man know that without moving from his place?

Ruth opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. She held on to the handle of the door after passing a small smile in that man's way.

With a long breath dragged in, she opened the door to see Edwin sitting in the same place as before. He seemed lost in his thoughts. He looked in Ruth's way after she closed the door behind her with a click.

She walked towards him but stopped at some distance from him.

"Will you put on the bandage on my back?" He asked her in a calm tone.

She was fidgeting with her fingers nervously. "B-but that medicine..."

"Keep it overnight." He said.

Ruth wordlessly took out the bandages from the drawer and began wrapping Edwin's back in that white cloth. After she was done with it, she began standing up. Before she did, Edwin pulled her by her hand.

Ruth crashed in his chest. As soon as she felt his protective hands around her, the bund of her patience broke in the form of tears. She hid her face in his chest and sobbed.

Edwin understood how overwhelmed she must be feeling after that dramatic day.

"Shhhh... it is okay, Ruth."

"I am so sorry Edwin. I do not know why those medicines affected you in that way. But if I had any idea that you would feel so much pain then I would not have applied it to your wound. I swear! Please believe me!!" She sobbed with guilt dripping from her voice.

"I know, love. I am fine now. Do not think about it now."

His words eased her a little, but it took some time for her tears to stop. By the time she calmed down, her eyes were already closed. Edwin kissed her head then put it on the pillow.

He got out of bed. Peeking out of the window, he saw the sky painted in the colour of the night. Edwin was tired of sitting idly in his chamber. Now that Ruth was asleep, he thought of going out to get some fresh air.

He opened the door slowly and stepped outside. He told the burly guard outside to look after Ruth as she was sleeping inside.

The entire manor was fast asleep except the guards on the duty. Edwin swept his eyes around to see that the lights were blown off in many rooms. And where the torches were still burning, the light was dim.

Edwin thought of going for a walk but then decided otherwise. If Ruth found out that he was wandering around in the night, she would not think twice before giving him an earful.

Edwin smiled at the thought. It was not long ago that he thought she was far away from his reach. And now she was sleeping peacefully in his chamber.

Time only knows its tricks!

Edwin paced up and down in the corridor of his floor. The night air was pleasant, and the walking helped him in lessening the heaviness in his feet.

Sleep was long gone from his eyes. As he had not taken his night medicines prescribed by the physician, he was actually feeling better.

With no one around him and with a better mind, his brain pulled out the string of thoughts. Edwin replayed his conversation with Mrs Payne in his head.

A swarm of confusion and suspicion gyred around him. Edwin considered speaking with Lester about it. He was good at handling such situations. He probably would find a way through it.

Edwin was anyway waiting for such face to face conversation with Mrs Payne for a long time. He still remembered the first time he saw Mr Payne's dead body in the woods.

He did not initially notice the missing nails on his feet. He was watching from a distance, hiding himself in the trees.

When Ruth came and fell on her knees due to shock, Mrs Payne was near her. Edwin's all focus was on Ruth, but when she fell on the ground, his eyes caught the red stains on Mrs Payne's feet.

He did not think it was blood at first. So he contacted Rees through the mind link as he was the one holding Ruth and was near Mrs Payne.

Rees confirmed that the stains were because of the blood and its scent was similar to that of Mr Payne's.

As Mr Payne's whole body was covered in bite marks and was horribly mutilated, they covered it without much observation. During the funeral, when they prepared the body to put in the casket, Rees noticed the missing nails on the feet.

Edwin was right there at the funeral. He took advantage of people distracted in the consolation of Mrs Payne and Ruth and tip-toed to the casket.

He checked Mr Payne's feet by himself to confirm the missing nails. He did not mention that fact in any paperwork. He also told Rees to keep it in between them until they find any clue.

Edwin ran his hand through his hair in distress. He did not realise that it had been more than two hours that he was pacing around, lost in his thoughts.

He yawned, opening his mouth wide. He should rest now. The guard outside wished him 'good night', which Edwin acknowledged with a nod of his head. He went inside the chamber after closing the door.

Thea was told to not disturb him since the evening, and the result was his chamber was engulfed in darkness except two candles that Ruth had lit before wrapping his bandages.

Edwin did not need the light anyways. He had spent many nights in pitch black. But he was concerned for Ruth.

He looked to his bed. His heart dropped instantly to find it empty. Edwin ran to the bed. He looked around frantically but paused when he heard sounds coming from the other side of the bed.

He rounded the large wooden bed to find Ruth sitting on the floor with her legs pulled to her chest and her face hidden by her arms, which were wrapped around her knees.

"Ruth... Ruth?"

Edwin immediately squatted down in front of her. He made her look up and what he saw broke his heart

Her face was drenched in sweat and tears. Her reddened eyes held fear in them.

"Ruth... it's me! Edwin! Look at me."

She blinked back her tears to see his face getting clearer under the dim light coming from the candles. As soon as she realised it was indeed Edwin, she hugged him tightly.

She shook in his arms in fear.

"What happened Ruth? Please tell me!" Edwin requested while calming her down.

Ruth pulled away from him but did not let go of his hands.

"I s-saw a d-dream."

"Dream? What was it about?" Edwin asked.

Ruth gulped her saliva down her dry throat. Pulling herself together, she told, "I... I saw fog... everywhere. Lush green grass. There were trees... so many trees. I liked that place. Then..." Her face paled as she continued.

"I heard cries. S-someone was crying, asking for help. I wanted to help. I ran around looking for that person but... I could not find anyone."

Edwin wiped her tears while giving her time to breathe in between her broken sentences.

"Then... then..." Her eyes went wide again as if she had seen a ghost.

"Then what Ruth?"

"I... s-saw someone... c-coming out of the fog. I felt c-cold... very cold. I... i...."

"Shh... its okay. No need to explain further. I am here now, okay?" Edwin did not want Ruth to continue as he felt how distressing it was for her.

After ten minutes, when he felt her loud sobs had died down, he helped her get up and made her sit on the bed. He gave her water which she drank greedily.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked while wiping the sweat on her forehead with the back of his fingers.

"Y-yes, thank you!" She replied.

"Forget about that dream Ruth. We get bad dreams like that when we face problems in life. It probably happened because of the attack on me. Do not think much about it." Edwin told her.

Ruth took his hand in hers. She did not look convinced.

"I am getting this dream frequently since the night of attack on you. It is very disturbing Edwin. I can not forget the cries of that child!" Her face contorted in helplessness.

"Child?"

"Yes. Those cries are of a child, a little girl!"

Edwin frowned hearing that.

"Okay, we will talk about it later. First, you need some rest. Come on."

Ruth was still shaken by her dream, but she agreed to him anyways.. And they both went to sleep together.