I went to my room with a broken heart. The next morning, I saw the very same maid who had been with Silas; she was crying her eyes out. She packed her things and left the manor for good. I asked Angelin what had happened, and she told me the maid had been fired without a single recommendation. She added grimly, "Her career is over, Carla," before leaving me to my thoughts.
John beckoned me aside to speak in private. He whispered that Mr. Silas was the reason; the Head Maid had reported the incident to the Master. "It is not the first time this has happened," John warned. "Do not ever utter a word about it, Carla."
After that, I refused to make eye contact with Silas. I avoided him in every possible way, and it began to show. Meanwhile, Lord Victor started growing closer to me; he even began to share small jokes to make me smile. We are now on much friendlier terms, but suddenly, Silas has started to appear everywhere. He is trying every possible way to contact me, but I am firmly putting up a wall between us.
One fine morning, I arrived at the office unusually early. I noticed a hole in the wall and went to inspect it, only to find Lord Victor already there. He approached me urgently and said, "Do not ever speak of this to anyone." He explained that it was a secret vault used to store valuables and that they were moving jewelry and ornaments, which was why it was open. He repeated that it must remain a secret.
He then took several books from the vault, handed them to me to work on, and closed the compartment. During lunch, Victor left for an occasion, and John went with him. Silas entered the study, and I greeted him with a polite "Good afternoon." He sat on the guest sofa, watching me in silence until I finished my work. Once I was done, he left.
The next day, he arrived even earlier. He began humming a song—the very one I often sing to myself when I am alone. He leaned over to check my work and remarked, "Phenomenal," before finally walking away.
Word has begun to spread through the servants' hall that Lord Silas has turnedover a new leaf. The rumors say he has stopped his wandering ways and no longer seeks the company of the other maids. I do not know if I can believe it, or if he is simply playing a much deeper game.
Silas began to involve himself in my life more and more. One night after dinner, as I walked back to my quarters, I saw him with another woman. As I tried to pass them, Silas came running after me. He urgently explained that the girl was merely his cousin and pleaded, "Please, do not misunderstand me."
Then, he looked into my eyes and said:
"I played the cad with a heart of stone,
But since you came, the old me is gone;
You are the light I have never known."
He ran back to his guest, leaving me standing there in a daze. I hurried to my room, my cheeks burning with a deep blush. The next day, I felt a shift within myself; though I stayed professional on the outside, something in my heart had changed forever.
Victor called for a maid to ask after Silas's whereabouts, requesting that his brother meet him in the study immediately. As soon as I heard Silas's name, my heart began to hammer against my ribs. My face flushed hot, and I felt a strange, fluttering sensation in my stomach that I couldn't quite describe.
With every stroke of the typewriter keys, my eyes drifted toward the entrance. It was as if I were under a spell, waiting only for him. When Silas finally entered, we stood to greet him. My voice was so low it was barely a whisper. He caught my eye and, to my surprise, he flushed red too. Seeing that look on his face made me lose all my strength; the room began to spin, and I fainted right there on the rug.