.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
The next morning, Oliver awoke to the sound of some sort of full on argument which echoed throughout the estate. He was sure that the people who lived all the way back in Oxford could hear it themselves.
Oliver and Felix walk down the spiral staircase to find Venetia and Alexandra who were peeping to get a view of the scene happening in the hall below.
"Lexi, what the fuck is going on?" Felix asked before being immediately hushed by Venetia who pulled them down and out of sight of the people down below.
"It's Farleigh!" Alexandra whispered, glancing at Oliver as he hunched over the railing beside her.
"What happened?"
"He tried to nick something." Venetia said, eyes blazing with curiosity as she stared down the stairs with feverish interest. "Fucking idiot."
"What was it?" Felix asked, the lines on his face deepening with confusion as they all stared down through the bannisters to see Elspeth talking to as tearful Farleigh as Duncan waits nearby. Duncan then placed a firm hand on Farleigh's back to guide him down the stairs, Elspeth watching him go with a blank face.
Suddenly, her gaze shoots up and she sees them eavesdropping .
"Fuck." Felix whispered as they all ducked out of sight.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Alexandra had locked herself in her room, not even appearing at breakfast even after Felix had been sent up to fetch her. Elspbeth had merely muttered something about Lexi being in 'one of her moods' and had Duncan send up something or other for said 'mood' but that was not good enough for Oliver.
She was on the floor when he entered, whispering something or other in the silence of the room around her. He said nothing, kneeling down in front of her and taking her wrists in his hands to pause her movements and shaking his head.
"Who are you?" Alexandra asked, eyes wide and unfocused as she blinked hard at the blurred object in front of her that was Oliver.
"God." Oliver said simply, releasing one of her wrists as his large hand cupped her cheek and she continued to stare up at him.
"God?"
"Yes." He said. "Do you have anything you need to confess?"
"I'm afraid." She said immediately, her eyes frenzied as she heard someone whisper behind her, whipping her head around before Oliver moved her face gently to face him once more. "Something is lurking, there is something bad happening here. I am not religious but I need help, God."
Oliver was silent for a moment, fingers tracing her jawline until they reached her lips. He pulled at her lower lip until releasing it and allowing it to pop back into place.
"Fear not." He said softly. "I will keep you safe."
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Oliver, Felix, Alexandra and Venetia sunbathe around the square pond, Britpop blaring out from their portable speakers. But the absence of Farleigh was noticeable after many a day here with Farleigh.
