Chapter 26

Agnes spent the whole night in Adela's chamber. She stayed sleepless by her side until the first light of day.

Last night, Emily expressed her desire to stay with Adela, but Agnes begged Margaret to claim her place next to Adela, and she succeeded. She looked at Margaret in such a pleading way that she finally succumbed and accepted Agnes' wish.

With the help of medication, Adela had slept peacefully, and the night had passed in calmness.

They still hadn't dared to tell Augustine anything about his daughter's condition. The night before, they had excused Adela by telling him that he had a headache and that she had gone to bed early.

Augustine respected her condition and didn't visit her in her room. He decided he would see her the following day before leaving for work.

Emily entered Adela's room. "How is she?" she asked Agnes with hope in his voice. He hoped that a miracle would happen during the night, and the Adela they loved would return to them healthy and happy as always.

"I don't know. She hasn't woken up yet," the girl replied.

"The mother is coming too," Emily spoke to her somewhat abruptly. Inwardly he considered her responsible for Adela's condition.

The door opened, and Margaret entered the room in agony for her daughter. She looked at her sleeping daughter for a moment and smiled bitterly.

"How beautifully she sleeps. As if nothing happened yesterday. Oh, Emily. I didn't become fully aware of the disaster that hit our home? I have to tell your father too. We can't hide it from him forever. "

Emily approached her and hugged her by the shoulders. "Calm down, mother. First wait for Adela to wake up and see how she is today. You may not need to tell him anything. "

"I wish, my dear, I wish."

The time passed, and Augustine woke up. He passed by Adela's room but hadn't yet woken up, so he left for work. He would see her when he returned home after work.

Unfortunately, when Adela woke up, they realized that her condition had not improved. The same empty look. The same lifeless eyes.

She made no move to get out of bed on her own, and they had to pick her up, wash her, dress her and make her sit in her favorite chair. They managed to feed her a little soup, which was all her food. They couldn't make her eat anything more during the day.

Her empty gaze tore them to pieces and brought tears to their eyes.

The day passed in a sad mood. The joy in this house was lost.

It was getting dark.

They were with Adela when a maid entered the room to inform Margaret that the master had returned and asked for her.

Margaret jumped out of her seat anxiously. "Okay. Tell him that I am coming immediately."

The maid left, and Margaret looked at Emily with a panicked look.

"How do I tell him Emily? I'm afraid something worse will happen to us."

"Do you want to come with you?"

"Okay, but not right now because he might suspect that something is wrong if he sees us both together. Come in a little while. "

"Okay, mother."

Margaret left with a heavy step. The load he was carrying was large.

Agnes then took the opportunity to speak to Emily. She touched her gently on the arm to make her look at her.

"What do you want?" she asked her firmly, releasing her arm with a sharp movement.

"Please don't mention to your father about the clothes that Adela wore. Your mother in her commotion obviously didn't realize that they were maid clothes, otherwise she would have asked something."

Emily looked at her with a look that froze her blood. "What are you hiding Agnes?"

"What I am hiding is Adela's secret. Please don't put me in a difficult position. Only Adela can reveal it to you."

"Very well, I will not say anything."

"Thank you, Emily."

"I'm not doing it for you but for Adela," she said sharply and looked at her with hostility.

"To me, counts the same." Agnes looked at her calmly. With kindness. She sensed the complex psychological state in which Emily was.

They said nothing until Emily had to leave as agreed with her mother. She climbed down the stairs and made her way to the main living room.

She walked inside and found her father sitting comfortably in a chair with a glass of wine in his hand. Her mother looked at her, scared, and Emily realized that she hadn't yet told him anything. But they couldn't postpone it anymore.

"Did Antony come back with you, father?"

"Yes. He has gone to his room. Didn't you see him?"

"No, I didn't meet him." She remained speechless for a while and then continued somewhat numb. "There is something you need to learn, father." She managed to say.

"I hear you. It is something of serious matter?"

"I'm afraid so," she stuttered, tangled and untangled her fingers uneasy.

Augustine watched her and noticed her agitation. He rested his glass on the small table and got up from his seat.

"Tell me Emily. Don't keep me in suspense ".

"You see, father, Adela had an accident."

He approached her with significant steps and grabbed her hard by the arms. Emily grimaced in pain.

"Is she alive?"

"Yes, father. Of course and she is alive. We found her down on the ground having a wound to the forehead. The doctor came and examined her." Augustine seemed relieved. "It is okay, it's not serious. You scared me."

"There is more. You see, father; she doesn't talk."

"What do you mean she doesn't talk? Did she lose her voice from the hit?" the commotion returned to his look.

"The doctor said it is temporary. She needs some time and she will come back." Emily skillfully avoided telling him about the violent upheaval that Adela suffered because then, reasonably, he would ask the reason for it. And what would she say to him? Emily had given her word to Agnes that she wouldn't betray anything for Adela's sake. She also dropped the information about when the accident happened. His reaction made her timid. Now she appreciated their big mistake of not informing him on time for something so significant and essential.

"Where is she? I want to see her."

"She is in her room. Calm down, Augustine, please. Adela should not see you in this situation. She needs peace." Margaret told him tenderly.

"You're right. Give me some more wine. I need it".

Margaret served him a little more, and he drank it in one gulp. Then he moved for Adela's room.

"Shall we come with you father?"

"If you want." Augustine replied, and they followed him.

They entered the chamber, and Agustin went straight to Adela's side.

He stroked her hair and told her tender words. Before leaving, he kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

When he came out of Adela's chamber, he leaned against the wall and put his head in his hands.

Margaret went to him and stroked his hair.

"Be strong, my love. Adela needs us. I am sure she will come back and everything will be as it used to be. She will become again the same person we know and love, full of life and energy."

"Are you sure, Margaret?" he looked depressed. "Didn't you notice that empty look? What may have caused this? I'm afraid of Margaret."

"No, my love. Don't say that. You will see. Our Adela will recover. She is a strong girl. Come. Let's lie down for a while."

She supported him by holding him by the waist, and they went to their chamber.

That night, the great and powerful lord wept for the first time in his life…

Emily undertook to tell Anthony, who immediately ran to his sister's side. Emily avoided revealing everything to him. She tries to soften the situation, but Antony is not a fool. He saw Adela. He saw her empty gaze… and realized that things were worse than he had been told.

That night no one ate from the delicious food that the cook had worked so hard to prepare.

Great misery had befallen Lord Augustine's mansion.