Chapter 12

Violet turned another page in the journal, her fingers trailing over the delicate page. She found herself completely absorbed in Eleanor's words. The woman had not seemed anything like the cold, distant ghost of a presence left behind in the manor. Here, in her own words, she was vibrant, full of life, and longing for something more than the austere walls of Halloway Manor.

A sudden knock on the door startled Violet from her thoughts. She quickly closed the journal, slipping it beneath the folds of her skirt before standing. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and opened it.

Felix stood on the other side, hands shoved into his pockets, rocking slightly on his heels. His usual energetic expression was dampened by something more serious.

"You've been cooped up in here all day," he observed. "That's not like you, Miss Rowe. Are you sick? Or are you secretly planning an escape from this wretched place?" He smirked, though there was genuine curiosity in his tone.

Violet forced a smile, shaking her head. "No escape plans just yet, Mr. Halloway. I've just been reading."

"Reading?" He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked to explore. Are the dusty old books more interesting than the mysteries of this house?"

At that, Violet stiffened slightly. Did he know? Had he seen her take the journal from the greenhouse? She tried to keep her face neutral. "Some books can hold just as many secrets as a house, Felix."

Felix laughed. "Well, I suppose that's true. But still, you should take a break. Everette, Clara, and I were about to have tea in the sitting room. You should come."

Violet hesitated. After all that has transpired, she wasn't sure how comfortable she felt around any of the Halloways. But she couldn't just refuse Felix's offer...

"Alright," she agreed. "Let me just put my things away."

Felix beamed. "Good! Maybe you can talk some sense into Everette. He's been brooding more than usual."

Violet chuckled, though she made a mental note of Felix's comment. Everette had always seemed aloof, but if Felix noticed a change in him, then perhaps there was something to consider.

She quickly turned to shove the book beneath the false bottom of her trunk, ensuring it was well-hidden before draping a few pieces of parchment over the top to make it seem undisturbed. She then placed a folded shawl over the trunk to make it look as though she had simply tossed it there absentmindedly. With one last glance to make sure it was concealed, she straightened her dress and followed Felix down the halls. As they entered the sitting room, Everette stood by the fireplace, slowly swirling a teaspoon in the teacup in his hand. Clara sat on the sofa, also quietly stirring her tea, her expression unreadable.

"Good evening, everyone," she greeted the room. Everette glanced up from his tea with a raised brow but offered nothing more than a slight nod. Felix, ever the cheerful one, grinned and lifted his cup in greeting. "Good evening, Miss Rowe! I hope you're ready to endure Everette's brooding and Clara's silence." Clara shot him a pointed look before giving Violet a small, polite nod. "Good evening," she said softly, stirring her tea with slow, deliberate movements.

Violet took a seat beside Clara, accepting a cup of tea from Felix, who busied himself adding more sugar than necessary to his own cup. The silence in the room was thick, but not unusual. This family seemed to be built on unspoken words.

As they sipped their tea, Violet decided to take a chance. She turned to Clara. "I heard that your mother used to spend a lot of time in the greenhouse."

Clara's fingers paused on the rim of her cup. She glanced up at Violet, her eyes wary. "Yes," she said softly. "She loved it there."

Everette let out a quiet scoff from where he stood. "She loved it more than she loved this family."

Clara shot him a warning look, but he only took another sip of his tea, eyes dark with something Violet couldn't quite place.

Felix, ever the peacemaker, cleared his throat and said, "That's not fair, Everette. She was just… different. She didn't fit in here."

Violet took in their words, wondering if Eleanor had ever written about feeling like an outsider. She did say that she felt this family strange, and that is something she and Violet could agree on.

As the conversation moved on, she watched the three siblings. The stolen jewellery had been taken from the greenhouse after she had found it. Felix, Clara, Everette, and Ophelia.

One of them had removed it.

But why? And wasn't it supposed to be stolen by a burglar? If the burglary had been a ruse, then someone in this family had orchestrated it, had wanted to cover something up. The thought sent a shiver down Violet's spine. It only made sense. Why else was the jewel hidden here in the very estate when a burglar stole it?

Just then, she remembered that Augustus had hired the officer to search for the jewel. Should I tell him? she wondered. But if she did, what then? Would he demand to know how she had discovered it in the first place? Would he suspect her of knowing more than she should? A chill crept up her spine at the thought. Someone in this house had hidden the jewel and taken it away again. If she revealed what she knew, would she be putting herself in danger?

Everette's voice pulled her back to the present. "You seem lost in thought, Miss Rowe." His sharp eyes studied her over the rim of his teacup.

Violet met his gaze and forced a small smile. "Just thinking about what Felix said. About Mrs Halloway."

Everette exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "That's a subject best left in the past."

Felix frowned. "You say that about everything."

Everette's tone darkened as he took another slow sip of his tea. "Her passing was tragic. What good is there in talking about depressing things?"

A quiet hush fell over the room. Violet tightened her grip on her teacup, the weight of Everette's words settling deep in her bones.

Maybe talking about the late Mrs Halloway was not a very good idea. 

"Why haven't Theodore and Ophelia joined us for tea?" she asked, reaching toward the table for a biscuit, glancing between the three.

Everette barely acknowledged the question, his fingers tapping idly against his teacup, while Clara hesitated, her lips pressing together as if weighing her words.

Felix, on the other hand, was quick to fill the silence. "Who knows? Maybe Theodore finally got lost in his books and forgot the rest of us exist. And Ophelia... well, she always has something better to do, doesn't she?" He smirked, stirring his tea with exaggerated enthusiasm. 

Clara shot him a disapproving look, but said nothing, instead turning her gaze toward the window as if searching for an answer in the grey afternoon light.