Chapter Eight

A/N: My loyal readers. I do so adore you all. I'm almost sad to be near the end of my story but alas, I swore it would be finished, so then I could prove I actually finish what I start, and also so I can finish another fic I have dying to be written. So please, journey on and enjoy.

Amelia was cleaning her apartment when she heard a knock on the door. Silas had left earlier that morning he had told her he would return later in the evening, having disregarded many of his duties previously. Her apartment being only a short walk away from the church, he had reassured her he would return as soon as possible. Whoever it was at the door, it wasn't Silas. Amelia walked to the door looking through the peephole. She was more than surprised to find Father Aringarosa stood outside her door.

"What the he—" she looked heavenward realizing Silas' respect of the divine was contagious, "ck." She opened the door and smiled sunnily at Aringarosa. She was met with a less than gracious glare.

"Father Aringarosa… What a surprise, can I help you with something?" Aringarosa brushed his way in. Now Amelia knew something was wrong and she would soon find out what. She had barely even gotten the door shut when Aringarosa had turned on her.

"When I suggested that Silas befriend you, I never meant for you to seduce him." Amelia's mouth dropped open and her cheeks blazed fire.

"Pardon me?" Aringarosa's eyes narrowed.

"You understand very well what I mean." Amelia looked at Aringarosa in disbelief, this certainly wasn't the man she had met weeks ago when she and Silas had first come to know one another. That man had been kind, that man had cared for Silas and his happiness. This man was a fraud. Amelia was so taken aback by this sudden attack on her character that she could barely speak in her defense. Aringarosa took her silence as a confession of guilt.

"I see that I have allowed poor Silas to walk into the snare of a seductress." This time Amelia was ready for his attack.

"That is the second time you have said I coerced Silas into do anything he didn't want to do." Now it was Aringarosa's face that burned red. Amelia continued she wouldn't tolerate much more.

"Now, how dare you come into my home and accuse me of being, and I'm sure in your hypocritical eyes, a whore. I won't stand for it." At this point Aringarosa had to find a way to get her to leave Silas. Her reaction to his words told him that if anything she cared less for Aringarosa and grew more concerned for Silas.

"Silas was born for the church Miss Conway. He was born to commit too it ands serve God." Amelia shook her head.

"I believe what you're saying is that he was born to serve you." Aringrosa's teeth clenched. This slip of a woman was accusing him of using Silas to his own advantage. What frightened him was that she was right. Silas had become invaluable over the years he had stayed with the church. When he had met Amelia Conway, the angry woman before him, he had thought Silas' somewhat polar approach to life would turn her away. Silas' obsessive need of religion would have made any other woman leave in total aggravation. Amelia hadn't though and now Aringarosa felt the tug of war they were having.

"Have you not seen Silas' religious conviction?" Amelia gave Aringarosa a pitying smile. It seemed that if Silas left him, he would be the one alone.

"I have seen a man who had nothing in his life to hold onto. He can still have that faith Father, but he can have it with someone at his side." Aringarosa's eyes closed to slits. If Amelia could have described in one word what she saw when she looked upon his face:

Snake, would have come to mind.

"It is not my usual custom to turn people away from the church Miss Conway," Aringarosa hissed, "but I must do what I can to protect Silas from those who would damn his soul."

"Damn his soul?" Amelia nearly shouted, "When did this become a matter of Silas' soul being condemned?" Aringarosa interrupted her, moving to the door,

"You have heard what I have to say, in a matter of days Silas and I will be leaving this church anyway, my appointment as Bishop requires Silas become closer to the church." Amelia shook her head putting her hand up as if to stop him.

"Leaving?" Aringarosa turned in a blur of robes, it seemed he had won this round.

"Yes Miss Conway, I have been found worthy to be appointed as a Bishop. We will be leaving shortly." Amelia felt sick. The color must have drained from her face because Aringarosa left knowing he had done Silas a great wrong. He closed the door with a sickening thud leaving Amelia to her own devices.


Silas was sweeping up the aisles of the church, he imagined it was a bit like sweeping away his own past. Allowing him to see the clean slate of his life. Amelia had erased all of the things he hated; everything that held him back no longer did so with her. The conversation he had had with Aringarosa weighed heavily on his mind. He held the man in great respect and wanted nothing more than to please him, however, if he did, he would lose the very thing he had wanted. To be loved, in more than just friendship from a Clergyman, he wanted Amelia. Maybe that was a sin, but for some reason Silas felt that it was not. If anyone knew, it would be him.

Silas bent to sweep the dirt from the floor into the pan waiting at the end of an aisle. When he saw the hem of black robes come into his line of sight. He straightened to face his mentor. Aringarosa smiled at Silas, a far cry from the frustrated man of before.

"Father, I wanted to apologize for my words… I should not have been so harsh." Aringarosa brushed the apology away with a wave of his hand.

"No need to apologize Silas. I too was out of line. May we forgive these transgressions and speak of the future, over a simple dinner perhaps?" Silas was torn. He wished to make right a wrong between he and one of his oldest friends, but his desire to see Amelia again was strong. Aringarosa looked at him, waiting for an answer.

Reluctantly Silas agreed.

"Of course Father." Aringarosa bowed his head in appreciation and turned to leave,

"This evening then." Silas nodded. He would have to make it up to Amelia some other way.

When evening came, Silas entered Aringarosa's office, where a small table sat in the clear half of the room. Two elderly ladies that volunteered at church had prepared a small dinner; they cooked Aringarosa's meals, oftentimes with Silas' help. This evening Silas had finished his overlooked chores and made his way to Aringarosa's office.

"Silas, I am glad you've come." Aringarosa smiled at his charge, the pale man entering the room quietly, as was his way. He motioned for him to sit at the table and poured him a generous glass of wine.

"Have you thought any about our earlier conversation Silas?" Aringarosa queried as he put a chicken wing on his plate, passing the rest to Silas. Taking the plate Silas nodded tacitly. Aringarosa stopped spooning out the rest of his meal to look at Silas.

"Have you considered it at all?" Silas looked down at his food.

"I have Father."

"And?"

"I cannot leave what I have behind Father." Aringarosa sighed and set the spoon in his hand down, the metal clinking against the ceramic plate. To Silas that sound could have been a bullet heading for his heart. His head lifted quickly to meet Aringarosa's eyes.

"Silas, I truly do empathize with your predicament, but I must say that the connection you may feel for Miss Conway could be fleeting at best." Silas shook his head.

"I do not believe so Father." Silas' cheeks burned with shame for disagreeing but he wouldn't deem what he and Amelia had as a passing fancy. He didn't believe it was. Aringarosa rubbed his forehead,

"You have known Miss Conway for, what? A month?"

"A month and a half Father." Aringarosa shook his head. As if half a month truly made a difference.

"Silas, why put so much faith into such a short time, when your faith in God is so much stronger."

"Because I love her Father." Aringarosa wished he hadn't said that. The barrier he had tried build against Silas' feelings wasn't easy to keep strong. It was slowly crumbling against Silas' obvious love for this woman. Aringarosa attempted to reinforce it with the belief that even if Silas truly had fallen in love with Amelia Conway, she was simply using his Silas for whatever sordid reasons she had planned.

"The church's love is sure Silas, a woman's may not be." Silas couldn't meet his gaze any longer and looked around the office for something to focus on. He was afraid; terrified that Aringarosa's words were breaking through. His faith was strong and although he and Amelia were very much in love at the moment, who was to say everything he had felt in the last few weeks was meant to last.

Aringarosa saw Silas' faltering faith in his woman. He saw the familiar glint of religion in his eyes. He pulled apart the chicken wing on his plate, the bones breaking in ironic unison with Silas' heart.

As Silas once more became a pawn to the church and Aringarosa, Amelia opened an envelope that had been delivered by an elderly woman from Silas' church. Amelia opened it with shaking hands and was faced with three words in Silas' handwriting.

I am sorry.