The Hourglass

Chapter V.

What the hell happened. As Augustus left, I quickly recomposed myself- everything happened so fast. My heart drummed with panic as I knew I had to tell someone. I stared out the window next to my bed and the sky was already dark, I couldn't manage to fall back asleep. I took a deep breath and headed out of the room, trying to navigate where Lucien's room may be.  Perhaps I could tell him? Will he believe in me? As I was on my way, I noticed that the door to Lydia Worthing's bedroom had been left opened. I tiptoed towards where the room was and spied through the gap of the wooden door where I saw Lucien was sitting on the bed with Lydia. She was holding a pocket watch in her hand- looking at the picture inside which I assumed it was her mother. Hmm, I wonder who may have returned it since the day I found it in the woods. Perhaps it was the maids that have seen it laying somewhere and returned? Or did Amelie sense that It was with me and returned to them through magic? Whatever, at least they had it now.

Lydia: Lucien, how well did you know my mother?

Lucien: I..I knew her to be a good woman.

Lydia: My father would disagree with you there. He believes we are all better off without her.

Lucien: I am well aware of my brother's explanation of her death. What can you tell me of it?

Lydia: You should not have kept her picture, Lucien. I..I am trying to forget. And now you would have me scratch at that old wound?

Lucien: It's not so old, Lydia. It was only last year when she passed away. You may find it comforting to discuss it with someone. No man's an island, as they say.

Lydia: Do I look like a man to you, Lucien?

Lucien: Well, no but still..

Lydia: Very well. My father..Alphonse..is a man of peculiar tastes. Tastes he has wealth to afford.

Lucien: That drove her to suicide?

Lydia: No, Lucien. She did not kill herself. That was one of my father's lies; he tells them so well.

Lucien: Then you tell me, what really happened?

Lydia: We came home early one weekend. My mother had thought it would be a pleasant surprise for my father. Only..only she was the one surprised, and it was not so pleasant.

Lucien: Lydia- you do not have to talk about it if its too painful.

Lydia: No, I want to talk about this. We then heard the sound of father groaning as if in pain, and another man yelling. The servants, maids were all conspicuously absent. Mother feared the worst- that we were being burgled, and father was being attacked.

Lucien: That was not the case?

Lydia laughed miserably.

Lydia: I suppose one could consider it an attack of sorts. My mother took a knife from the kitchen and told me to stay downstairs.

Lucien: Knowing you, you did not.

Lydia: No, I did not. I followed behind her. She opened the bedroom door and saw father making love to someone who was wearing her wedding dress.

Lucien: Another woman?

Lydia: No..a man. She screamed and tried to stab him, but the man was too strong. He overpowered her..plunged the dagger into her stomach. There was so much blood.

Lucien: It is so hard to believe that of my brother.

Lydia: His lover had his back to me, started to panic- asking how they will dispose of  the..the body. Before he turned and face me, I pulled the knife from my mother's stomach and stabbed him again and again which turned that white dress he wore into red.