Chapter 8

He gestured for her to follow him.

As they stepped out of the greenhouse, the contrast between the sunlit gardens and the shadowed interior of the glasshouse struck Violet. The moment lingered in her mind, a strange mixture of curiosity and unease, but she forced herself to push it aside as she fell into step beside Felix.

For a few moments, they walked in silence, their shoes crunching over the pebbled pathway leading back to the mansion. Felix, ever the energetic one, finally broke the quiet with a light hearted chuckle.

"I can't say I expected to find you there, Miss Rowe. The greenhouse isn't exactly a place that sees much company."

Violet hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I was simply exploring. The estate is vast, and I wanted to see more of it while the sun was out."

Felix hummed in response, then cast her a sideways glance, his expression unreadable. "Still, that particular part of the greenhouse… It hasn't been touched in some time. It used to be Eleanor's place. A refuge, I suppose."

Violet recalled what he had said earlier about Theodore and Clara being unhappy if they knew she had been there. "Was it special to them?"

Felix nodded, his fingers drumming lightly against his side as he spoke. "More so to Clara, I think. She and Theo, they remember her well enough, it's been less than two years since she passed. Theodore pretends he doesn't care, but I know better. He puts on this whole 'nothing affects me' act, but I see right through it. Clara, on the other hand..." He trailed off before shaking his head. "She doesn't really talk about it much, but I can tell she still thinks about her every day. You can see it in the way she keeps to herself, how she avoids certain parts of the house. It's like she doesn't know how to be without her mother around."

Violet could tell there was more he wasn't saying. Before she could press further, the mansion came into view, its towering presence casting a shadow over them. That was when she saw her.

Ophelia stood near the front entrance, arms crossed over her chest, watching them with a look that sent a chill down Violet's spine. Her expression was unreadable, but there was no mistaking the disapproval in her stance, in the way her narrowed eyes lingered on Violet.

Just as quickly as she appeared, Ophelia turned on her heel and disappeared into the mansion without a word.

Violet felt a tightness in her chest. "I take it she doesn't approve of my little excursion."

Felix scoffed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Ophelia doesn't approve of much. Don't take it personally."

Still, the way Ophelia had looked at her made Violet feel as though she had done something terribly wrong.

As they stepped through the front doors, the air inside felt heavier, as if the very walls had absorbed the tension of its inhabitants. Felix stretched lazily and offered her a half-smile.

"Well, Miss Rowe, I suppose I'll leave you to your day. If you need a guide for future explorations, I'm always willing to assist. Just try not to wander into any more forbidden places." His tone was teasing, but there was something behind his words that made Violet wonder if he was, in some way, warning her.

She nodded, offering a polite smile, before making her way upstairs to her room.

Violet spent the next few hours going over her lesson plans for Clara and Theodore. After the morning's events, she needed something to ground herself, something that made sense in the midst of all the strange undercurrents of this house. But even as she wrote out her notes, she found her mind wandering—back to the greenhouse, to the glint of blue she had barely glimpsed before Felix interrupted her. What had it been?

She resolved to go back at some point. Perhaps not soon, but eventually. The curiosity gnawed at her, and Violet had always been the type who couldn't leave a mystery unsolved.

When dinnertime arrived, she found herself dreading the tense atmosphere of the dining hall. It was always the same—Ophelia's sharp comments, Augustus' cold presence, and the rest of the family trapped in a delicate balancing act. Yet, tonight, as she took her seat, she noticed something different.

Ophelia was quiet.

She didn't shoot Violet any glares or sneering remarks. Instead, she focused solely on her meal, her mind seemingly elsewhere. Felix, sitting across from her, was unusually subdued as well. The absence of his usual playful banter left an odd silence in the room.

Everette, however, didn't seem as affected. He leaned back in his chair, glancing toward Augustus. "Any progress with the investigation, Father?" he asked casually, though there was an edge to his voice.

Augustus set down his fork with deliberate slowness. "Not yet. The officer continues his inquiries."

Everette hummed, taking a sip of his water. "Seems rather pointless, doesn't it? Two years have passed. If they had found anything, it would have been long ago."

Across the table, Theodore's grip on his fork tightened, though he said nothing.

Violet watched the exchange carefully, taking in the subtle shifts in expression. The mention of the investigation had darkened the mood further, casting a heavy shadow over the already strained meal.

She decided it was best to remain silent. There were too many things she did not yet understand, and pressing now would do her no favors.

After dinner, as everyone was beginning to rise from their seats, Violet felt a gentle tug at her sleeve. She turned to find Clara standing beside her, hesitating as if unsure whether she should speak.

"Miss Rowe… Could we talk?" Clara's voice was soft, uncertain.

Violet nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "Of course. Let's go somewhere quieter."

She followed Clara down one of the mansion's quieter hallways, away from the prying eyes of her siblings. Once they were alone, Clara fidgeted with the hem of her dress before finally looking up at Violet.

"Did you really go to the greenhouse today?" she asked.

Violet hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I did."

Clara swallowed. "Did you… did you see anything?"

The question sent a shiver down Violet's spine. There was something in Clara's voice, a fragile thread of anxiety that made Violet choose her next words carefully.

"Just plants, mostly. And some old furniture."

Clara nodded slowly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "You shouldn't go there again."

The warning was quiet but firm.

Violet frowned. "Why not?"

Clara took a deep breath, as if choosing whether to explain, but then she simply shook her head. "Just don't. Please."

Then, without waiting for a response, Clara turned and hurried back toward the main hall, leaving Violet standing there with more questions than ever before.