An entire week had been consumed with the slowness of wax exposed to a weak flame.
That afternoon, while the sky remained calm and the sun was unable to illuminate much, trapped behind grayish clouds, Delilah's face drew Neil Bathory's gaze the very instant he saw her walking beside his younger brother on the other side of his main office window.
—A visible exhaustion has been marked upon her face since the start of the week… don't you think, Young Master Neil?
Wilhelm hated being ignored when he spoke. He loathed repeating himself. However, he was obliged to maintain a certain level of politeness with Liam Bathory's heir, even when the latter was distracted by matters he considered insignificant.
Neil did not look away from the window.
—What are you trying to say?
Wilhelm dropped the documents he held onto the desk, aware that the conversation regarding the approvals he hoped to send to the Duke had taken a backseat.
—These permits must be sealed by the Duke before tomorrow.
Neil did not respond to the warning. He remained in silence, as if waiting to hear something more from the man. Wilhelm narrowed his eyes slightly.
—She seems much more disoriented —he added calmly—. As if she had received some bad news… or perhaps had been the victim of a terrible disappointment.
For a moment, Neil considered the possibility that those words were a simple provocation. But Wilhelm possessed an enviable capacity for observation, something that made him particularly useful on many occasions.
—I will send Andrea to the Duke's house immediately.
The young master of House Bathory rose from his seat and walked toward the desk while ordering one of the servants to summon Andrea. Wilhelm had no chance to add anything else. A faint smile appeared on his face. He organized the documents inside an envelope and feigned his withdrawal without waiting for a formal order.
Andrea was summoned almost immediately. He was not far away, and his encounter with the shrewd butler was inevitable. They barely exchanged glances. The blonde youth simply waited to hear his older brother's voice.
Delilah, on the other hand, stayed a few paces back. Wilhelm's presence had something unsettling about it, something that forced one to maintain distance.
—You don't look well at all —the butler said softly—. Are you sleeping properly?
When Wilhelm spoke, both brothers turned at the same time, though it was evident he was addressing neither of them. His eyes were fixed on Delilah.
—I was wondering if you might be falling victim to some illness.
The young woman held his gaze for barely an instant before responding.
—I am not ill… please, do not worry.
Wilhelm smiled again with that expression that never revealed too much. Then he stepped aside with exaggerated courtesy.
—A stubborn girl.
The butler finally vanished from Neil's field of vision, leaving behind an uneasiness that was difficult to ignore. Observing Delilah's weakened appearance, Neil felt the impulse to ask the same question. But he was not an insistent person. Delilah looked fatigued. Her pale skin accentuated the dark contours beneath her eyes. Wilhelm's words might not be wrong.
Even so, Neil limited himself to observing.
—Delilah, I want you to accompany Andrea.
The blonde youth seemed more surprised than the girl herself when Neil fixed his gaze on her. Delilah lifted her face slightly. For an instant, a different emotion appeared in her expression… but it extinguished so quickly that it failed to break the shadow covering her countenance.
—The young lady will be visiting the house of a high noble —Neil explained calmly—. Ask one of the ladies to help her change.
A part of him felt dissatisfied with that decision. He raised his left hand and gave a brief order to one of the men guarding the entrance. Only when Delilah was led out of the office did he address his younger brother.
—Has she said anything?
Neil did not look away from the door through which Delilah had exited.
—She tries very hard to seem normal when I ask something —Andrea responded—. But the answer is always the same.
Neil remained silent for a moment.
—Though she is a terribly withdrawn girl… somehow, I cannot be at peace.
Finally, he looked away from the door.
—She has been like this since the week began. Should I be worried?
Andrea had no clear answer. The possible explanations were few.
—Tell me, Andrea… could she have been affected by what happened?
The youth hesitated before responding.
—She looks truly sad.
Neil sat on the edge of the desk and took the envelope Andrea was to carry with him. His expression became reflective. He found it difficult to accept that he might have been mistaken regarding that girl. He had even dared to believe he was capable of reading her thoughts most of the time.
But this time…
This time was different.
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