“Oh, we will be in the company of my governess, of course,” Amelia assured her with a grin. “It wouldn’t be proper for me to attend otherwise. But I’ll be able to see everything and send word to you about how things are going.”
Helena was taken aback by Amelia's foresight. “I suppose, if you’re sure it won’t cause problems…”
Amelia bounced in place, clearly delighted. “Oh, I cannot wait! We shall have such a merry time!”
Helena nodded, though reluctantly. The thought of stepping out of the castle walls was undeniably tempting.
Perhaps I can even find out what’s happening at Downfield Hall.
Suddenly, she was almost eager to see if Amelia’s plans would work.
“Lady Amelia and Lady Helena will be going to Kirk today, Your Grace. Will you be joining them?”
Silas frowned. This was the first that he was hearing of it. He knew that Amelia loved to attend Sunday services, mostly because she enjoyed the singing.
Silas’s frown deepened. “Where are they now?”
“In the carriage, Your Grace.”
Silas shot to his feet. “Fetch my horse,” he ordered as he marched quickly through the castle grabbing his coat and hat, and exchanging his house slippers for Hessians, all while muttering to himself. “I cannotbelievethose two. What could they possibly be thinking?”
By the time his horse had been fetched, the women were long gone. He followed at a fast clip.
The village of Kirk was not far, thankfully, and almost everyone who attended was a tenant. Even if they saw Helena, they would hopefully keep their mouths shut.
He arrived at the chapel just as the congregation stood to sing. He lingered at the back, eyes scanning the crowd for his sister and Helena. His gaze darted over the rows of heads until he finally spotted them at the far end of the first row.
Amelia, in her usual garb of bright, cheerful colors, stood out easily.
Helena was another matter entirely. She was cloaked in black from head to toe, her shapeless attire and the thick black veil obscuring her features. With the heaviness of her veil, she could have been anyone.
Silas let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Perhaps they’re not as reckless as I’d thought.
Nevertheless, he squeezed into the back row, wanting to keep an eye on them.
“So, how was your day?” Silas eyes swung from Amelia to her, an air of expectation shrouding him as they sat at the dinner table.
Helena smiled at Amelia. “It was fine,” she said.
“Oh? Is that how you found Kirk, then? Fine?” he asked.
Amelia had the grace to look sheepish. “We were careful,” she said softly.
Helena nodded in agreement, “I was dressed in a veil, Your Grace. Nobody recognized me.”
Silas glared at them both. “You took a completely unnecessary risk. What if your uncle had been watching our estate? What do you think he would make of two ladies traipsing off to the village on their own?”
Helena’s gaze flickered to the table before meeting his.
“If Uncle James’s men were around, they surely would have grabbed me,” she replied, then paused, her fingers absently tracing the rim of her glass. “But… I know you have people watching him,” she added, her voice quieter now. “That gave me the confidence to go out. If there was any sign that he was near, I trusted that your men would have warned me. I know it was risky. But I wanted to feel… normal, even for just a few hours.”
Silas leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Helena as he considered her words.
There was a momentary flicker of something, approval, perhaps, for her bravery, but it quickly masked itself under his usual stoic composure.
“Normalcy, hm?” His voice was low, smooth, with a hint of something dangerous beneath. “If you must risk yourself forsuch fleeting moments, then I suppose it’s as good an excuse as any. Next time, don’t tempt fate so carelessly. You might find it more dangerous than you expect, and even I can’t be everywhere at once.”
