CHAPTER 2

It was around the time of noon when Claire was sent back to her room. She was tired so she asked the butler to send the food up to her room, in the attic. As soon as she reached in front of the ladder leading to the attic, she noticed something different. The air around the room felt different. It was cold and she could smell the metallic blood. Claire looked around to see if someone followed her and seeing no one she got in. She scanned the room thoroughly looking for any evidence of intrusion. 

A crumpled parchment paper on the window sill caught her attention. Claire never like to leave her things messy but occasionally it happened but she clearly remembers not writing anything last time she was in here or using a paper for any use. And nobody comes in here, they are not allowed too. Before she could pick up the paper, she heard a knock on her door and went to open it. Craige, the butler, was standing there with food that was neatly covered. Taking the dish from the butler and keeping it inside, Claire tuned to ask another question.

"Craige, did someone come inside my room?"

"None that I know of m'lady."

"Very well. Thanks for the help."

With a quick bow, the butler turned around and left. Claire closed the room and went to pick up the crumpled piece of paper. It was empty. There were no words written on it. Annoyed a simple piece of paper fooled her she threw it somewhere in the room and got out of the dress she wore. She ate the food served by the butler, cleaned her wounds and went to sleep.

By the time, Claire has woken up she felt refreshed enough to put back the last 2 days in the depths of her mind. The butler let her know that she still had around 3 hours till the dinner was going to start so she took her time moving around her room and getting herself ready to a satisfactory quality. 

As she finished getting ready her eyes fell on the crumpled piece of paper next to her bed post. She stood up and picked it up again. She knew there was no way possible for a paper to land here if there was no use to it. Suddenly a thought came up in her mind so she put the paper to the side and got out of her room, and started looking for a maid.

The servants were running around making sure nothing was out of place before Sylvie could scold them. The butler was running here and there and make sure no one made mistakes. Claire caught a maid who was setting up the table and pulled her aside.

"I need you to bring me candle and lemon."

The maid looked around and nodded before scurrying off to get what the lady had said. Within few minutes, the maid returned back with the items that was asked for. Claire had close to an hour to solve the unknown piece of paper. Without second thought she went to her set the things aside on her study and went to her washroom to fill a small bowl of water. 

The flame from the candle danced around in its yellowish orange teardrop shape. Holding the now uncrumpled piece of paper, Claire saw something written on the paper. Confirming her suspicion, she finds another paper to write. She writes the words that were written with the invisible ink. 

She took another new piece of paper and started writing her own new message. After finishing what she was writing she turned the paper into a paper plane. A knock sounded on her door.

"You are called downstairs for dinner, m'lady"

Claire hid the paper among her books and looked around the room to check if everything was okay. She walked out of her room and locked it behind her. As she walked to the dining hall, she could feel the pain from her wounds blanketing all over her body like fire but she had no choice other than continuing to her destination. 

As she reached the hall, she saw someone unexpected waiting - sitting at the head of the table. 

Raymond Stokenholme sat at the head of the table with a serious and stoic expression on his face. He was looking straight at someone. He was sent away by Sylvie few months after her entrance into the household. He was never allowed to come back except for the time his father died. To prove to everyone in the courts and society that they were innocent. His blonde hair was styled neatly and his honey-brown eyes were empty. 

"Brother..? You are here!" Claire whispered in an low voice, pulling her brother out of the glaring game with their step-mother

Claire, oh my god, look at you... you have grown so much. You look exactly like mother. God, she would have been proud of you, all of you." He said looking around at the rest of his siblings. Claire smiled looking at her brother. 

"You have also grown, Ray. Mama would have been proud of you as well." She hugged her brother tightly again. She missed his warmth, his safetiness.

And now he was back.