𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞.

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 ℱ𝒾𝒻𝓉ℯℯ𝓃

DINING ROOM.

It was lunch time as the family sit round the table, all except Felix.

Farleigh stares down in disbelief, Venetia self-medicating into oblivion and Oliver takes a sip of his wine with shaking hands.

Elspeth and sir James sit in silence eating their meal shocked in total denial.

And Willow, she had her head in her hands on the table, refusing to eat any food and trying to still her cried but everyone around her heard them.

She hadn't made eye contact with anyone since she got out of the maze only squeezing them shut.

Willow felt like she couldn't breathe and her heart beating so fast like she couldn't believe something like that would have happened.

Duncan walked in and stared at Elspeth.

"What is it, Duncan." She said calmly putting her knife and fork down.

"It's the police, your ladyship. There are..um.. having trouble." He says to her.

"What kind of trouble?"

It was silent "they keep getting lost in the maze." He says.

"And?" Sir James buts into the conversation.

"May I send one of the gardeners to assist them..?" Duncan asked looking towards him now.

Sir James shook his head "Fine."

Duncan left as Elspeth turned to Oliver.

"Oliver, darling. Why don't you tell us about last night." She said, making it feel like a normal day.

"Last night?" Oliver said playing with his food.

"Mhm. Did you have a lovely time?"

Oliver tensed up but realized there was nothing else to do so he decided to talk.

"Yeah. It was wonderful, thank you." The boy replied nodding his head.

Farleigh turned towards Oliver horrified and astonished at the same time how he was having such a normal conversation.

Willow let out a faint sob as farleigh and Oliver looked over to the hunched over girl, going silent again.

"Oh good!" Elspeth exclaimed scrapping the cutlery on her plate.

She turned to her husband "I think it was a hit, don't you darling?"

"Oh yes. A triumph." He replied looking at his plate.

The two, Oliver and Elspeth, continued to chat until Duncan came back in again.

"What now?" Sir James sighed.

Duncan leaned down and whispered into sir James' ear.

"May I be permitted to close the curtains, sir. They may need to pass the window-."Duncan said low.

Sir James stopped him before he could continue "yes. Thank you, close them."

He goes to close them as Oliver continues the conversation with Elspeth "I normally don't like chocolate.." he said as the two talked about cake.

The room gets darker as he closes them all.

"Yes it can be quiet clogging, can't it?" Elspeth said back.

Venetia poured more wine in her glass, it filling right to the top straight away.

Oliver continued "But last night it was so light."