Chapter Thirteen
"Here's your dinner, sir." Elizabeth placed the steaming plate on the table in front of Sean.
He replied without even glancing at her; his face an unreadable mask. "Thank ye, Eli.Miss Brady. That will be all." He dismissed her casually.
"Ah.yes sir." She said simply and then left the dining room.
The second she was gone from the room Sean's stoic mask fell away revealing the sad regret he felt inside. He hated treating Elizabeth in that manner, so cold and distant. {Ye know it's better this way. Ye could fall for the girl, if ye haven't already. Which would only make it worse when ye have to marry Miss Lockeheart. It's better for both of ye. A little hurt now to spare greater pain later.} But that didn't mean that it didn't kill him to see the look of pain and confusion in her large blue eyes. He hadn't even explained things to her, just gradually began distancing himself from her. For her part she immediately accepted it and changed her behavior accordingly. She began calling him sir instead of Sean and they no longer took their meals together.
Sean sighed deeply. {Just let it go. Ye haven't known her all that long for it to be serious. Forget about her and focus on Miss Lockeheart. Her father has expressed some interest in the match. Perhaps it would be good for her to spend the summer here.} He continued planning as he ate his dinner; all the while trying to forget about the lovely girl in the next room.
Elizabeth hummed a light happy tune as she cleaned the pots from dinner. Light and happy, the complete opposite of her heart's current state. She was still trying to figure out what had happened in her friendship with Sean. {Was it something I did? Or said?}
{Whatever it was, it happened during yesterday morning's church service.} One moment they were sharing one of their usual, wonderful conversations. Elizabeth smiled to remember the warm glow in Sean's brown eyes as he talked with her. She had loved their time together. He made her feel.alive, like waking after a long dark sleep to the sun shining and birds singing. She felt different around him, like an awakening occurring deep within her spirit.
But that was one moment. The next moment he had seemed to pull back from her. Their happy conversation slowly died, and he avoided looking at her. Instead he seemed to focus all his attention on the service and the people around him. After the service, he barely even greeted her. He had just nodded civilly towards her and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Brady." And then he was gone, lost in the crowd.
Elizabeth had hoped that it was just a temporary phase, that something had upset him during the service and that Monday things would be back to normal. But despite working all day with him in the same house things hadn't improved, but only gotten worse. Now she could almost see the walls he'd erected between them. {I wonder if I should say something about it, ask him what's wrong.} She thought on it momentarily, biting her bottom lip as she did so.
{No, he's just trying to set the boundaries of our working relationship. I've become too familiar with him, too friendly. He is my employer and of the noble class. This is his way of making sure our relationship is appropriate. He didn't say anything probably because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings.} She sighed deeply. {I have to stop thinking of him as Sean; he's Lord Cassidy.} She lectured herself firmly.
She blushed hotly, feeling foolish for letting her crush on her employer get out of hand. {I misread it; saw things that weren't there. Silly girl, of course he doesn't care for ye. Ye're a servant girl and he's a nobleman. Just let it go, Elizabeth. It wasn't anything serious.}
Sean was putting the finishing touches on his letter when he heard a knock on his study door.
"Come in." he called. He looked up to see Elizabeth nervously enter the room. She stood in front of the door with her hands clasped before her. He noticed the endearing way her fingers fidgeted restlessly and he felt another wrench of pain on his heart.
She stammered slightly before regaining her voice. Why did this have to be so difficult now? "Um.sir. I've finished cleaning the dishes and all the other rooms are cleaned and dusted. I was wondering if ye need anything else?"
Sean sighed inaudibly. This new relationship was going to be difficult for him. "No thank ye, Miss Brady." He looked down at his desk. "Wait, could ye drop this letter by the Postal Office on your way into town?" He stood up and handed her a folded letter of fine parchment paper. As she tucked the letter into her jacket, the neatly handwritten letters seemed to jump out at her. She smiled timidly back at Sean before exiting the room. She took the letter out of her pocket and read the address again to confirm her eyes. She felt her heart seize with sadness and loss. It was addressed to a Miss Miriam Lockeheart.
They walked in silence through the dark forest. Their crunching footsteps and crickets' mating call were the only noises to be heard. The full moon shone brightly down on them, illuminating Rhianna's hair and face with an ethereal glow.
But Sheamus's mind was not on the beauty of the present but rather on a memory of Sunday morning. He recalled the look of lustful desire in Mr. Dimera's eyes as he leered wantonly at Rhianna. His black eyes had glittered like onyx, sending shivers up Sheamus's spine. In that instant Dimera was openly revealed to Sheamus, he saw his plans and his desires, saw the darkness of his heart. {Somehow I've got to break her engagement. But how?}
{Don't worry about that now, Sheamus. Ye've got more pressing matters to worry about.} He thought of his mother, lying sick in her bed back home. His face twisted with worry. She had gotten much worse since the previous day. She had looked so lean and pale that morning, that Sheamus had been afraid to leave her for work. {Damn doctors!} He cursed silently. The doctors had been little help and had little answers to why his mum was still sick. 'It's just the flu.' They kept saying, telling her to get plenty of rest. {She's been doing nothing but rest for two months now!}
He remembered the look in her eyes that morning and his stomach twisted in grief. She had looked the same right after his da had died, lost and cold. Sheamus could feel it in his chilled soul. She wasn't going to get better.
Rhianna was barely aware of the silent, brooding man who walked beside her. She was still focused on all that she had learned that day. Brian's words replayed constantly in her head. She didn't want to believe that Sheamus had purposefully damaged all those parts. But if he didn't, then who did? {Enough thinking about this. Ye know what ye have to do.}
She inhaled deeply, searching her mind for the best way to begin. {This won't be easy, but I have to be able to trust all my workers.} She tried not to think about Sheamus's sister and ill mother. {He's smart, hard working. He'll find another job soon enough.}
"Sheamus, does anyone else ever operate your machine besides you? Sheamus?" she repeated, to get his attention.
"What? No, I'm the only one."
"I've been thinking about those faulty parts all weekend, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out why it happened. The end count was 107. 107. Doesn't that seem extremely high to ye?.Sheamus?"
"Huh, what? Oh yeah, I guess it does." He replied absentmindedly. {I wonder if there's a new medication we could put Mum on, or send her away to a good hospital, not that we could afford it.}
"Any thoughts on why that many parts were defective? How many would normally be in a shipment?" Rhianna questioned.
Sheamus sighed in frustration at again having his thoughts interrupted. "I haven't the foggiest idea. Shouldn't ye be talking to your foreman about this?" he asked, a slight edge to his voice.
That didn't go unnoticed by Rhianna. "I'm asking you." She replied icily. "Tell me again what made you decide to check the parts. Do you usually check them before they go out?"
He looked at her simply, annoyance written across his features. What was with all the questions? "I don't know. I told ye I just felt like I had to look at them one last time. And give the way things turned out, aren't ye glad I did?" He questioned hotly.
"Aye, ye really came to the rescue didn't ye?" she muttered angrily. So far he hadn't said anything to reassure her of his innocence.
Sheamus simply stared at her dumbfounded. What was wrong with her now? And why did he suddenly have to be reminded of how amazingly beautiful she was? Her emerald eyes flashed brilliantly and her cheeks were flushed with anger. His eyes landed on her full lips and he saw himself kissing them, tasting them. {I bet she tastes sweet.} he mused. {Like pure honey.} He shook his head to clear his thoughts. {Remember, ye're trying to think of a way to help your Mum.}
He inhaled deeply and slumped his shoulders. "Look, we've both had a long, tiring day. We're almost to your castle. Can we just resume our walk and save the talk for another time?" he asked as he kept his eyes downcast. {If I look at her again, I'll start thinking about kissing her.}
She studied him closely, noticing the way he avoided her eyes. He appeared to have something else on his mind. What was it he was keeping from her? "No, I'm afraid this can't wait." She sighed. She waited until he brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Sheamus, we need to talk."
He looked at her concernedly. What was going on?
"I learned something today. All of the faulty parts, all 107 of them, came off the same machine."
Brady snorted. "Someone asleep at their station?" he cracked.
Her face remained a stone cold mask. "Ye tell me. They came from your machine."
"Really? Hmm, there must be something wrong with it. We should take a look at it."
"It is operating perfectly." She stated coolly.
"That's not possible. I've been operating that machine for five years - there's no way I made those parts." He insisted hotly.
"Not accidentally, no."
A long pause followed. Only the night sounds of chirping insects could be heard as her words hung in the air.
"I don't believe this." He breathed, seeing with a cold realization where she was headed. "Ye think I did this on purpose?" Unbelievable! After everything they had been through in such a short period of time, she actually believed him capable of trying to destroy the factory he loved more than anything in the world.
"I'm the one who found the defective parts, and slaved all night to replace them." He defended, feeling hot blood rushing in his face.
"Aye, ye found them after ye decided to check on them - why? Because ye had a hunch." She shot back mockingly. She stared at him and her dreams flashed in her vision. She took note of his smoldering blue eyes that gleamed purple in the moonlight. Her eyes traveled down his sharp jaw line to his chest. She found herself wishing he would take her in his arms and.
He gripped her firmly by the shoulders, resisting the urge to crush her lips beneath his. "Look at me." He commanded softly. "I don't know how those parts came off my machine but I promise ye I did not make them. Why would I want to jeopardize the business - I love the factory more than my own life."
"Aye, I know ye do." She replied coldly. "Ye love it so much ye dream of running it, owning it. Don't ye, Mr. Brady?" She stared into his eyes. He couldn't keep the truth from shining in the blue depths.
"Did ye think that if ye 'rescued' me enough times that I would throw myself into your arms and agree to marry ye? That I would risk my standing in the church by breaking a sacred agreement? No. I am going to be married, Mr. Brady. And there is nothing ye can do to change that." She added, almost sadly.
Sheamus looked in her eyes then and knew he had lost. While he was innocent of the actual charges - the underlying motive was still there. He knew she would never trust him now. {Congratulations, Dimera. Looks like you've won.}
Rhianna spoke then. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brady, but under the circumstances I cannot allow ye to continue working at the factory. Ye will be given two weeks pay and I will gladly recommend ye to prospective employers. I am sorry, but this is for the best." She turned suddenly and quickly walked away.
Sheamus stood there, looking after her. He debated following after her, and thought about trying to convince her of his innocence.
"Sheamus!" he turned to see Elizabeth running up to him. "Thank the Lord I found ye."
"Elizabeth!" he cried with surprise. "What are ye doing here? Did ye just come through the forest by yourself?" he noticed then the panic on her pale face.
"Come on, we have to go home now. It's Mum!"
"Here's your dinner, sir." Elizabeth placed the steaming plate on the table in front of Sean.
He replied without even glancing at her; his face an unreadable mask. "Thank ye, Eli.Miss Brady. That will be all." He dismissed her casually.
"Ah.yes sir." She said simply and then left the dining room.
The second she was gone from the room Sean's stoic mask fell away revealing the sad regret he felt inside. He hated treating Elizabeth in that manner, so cold and distant. {Ye know it's better this way. Ye could fall for the girl, if ye haven't already. Which would only make it worse when ye have to marry Miss Lockeheart. It's better for both of ye. A little hurt now to spare greater pain later.} But that didn't mean that it didn't kill him to see the look of pain and confusion in her large blue eyes. He hadn't even explained things to her, just gradually began distancing himself from her. For her part she immediately accepted it and changed her behavior accordingly. She began calling him sir instead of Sean and they no longer took their meals together.
Sean sighed deeply. {Just let it go. Ye haven't known her all that long for it to be serious. Forget about her and focus on Miss Lockeheart. Her father has expressed some interest in the match. Perhaps it would be good for her to spend the summer here.} He continued planning as he ate his dinner; all the while trying to forget about the lovely girl in the next room.
Elizabeth hummed a light happy tune as she cleaned the pots from dinner. Light and happy, the complete opposite of her heart's current state. She was still trying to figure out what had happened in her friendship with Sean. {Was it something I did? Or said?}
{Whatever it was, it happened during yesterday morning's church service.} One moment they were sharing one of their usual, wonderful conversations. Elizabeth smiled to remember the warm glow in Sean's brown eyes as he talked with her. She had loved their time together. He made her feel.alive, like waking after a long dark sleep to the sun shining and birds singing. She felt different around him, like an awakening occurring deep within her spirit.
But that was one moment. The next moment he had seemed to pull back from her. Their happy conversation slowly died, and he avoided looking at her. Instead he seemed to focus all his attention on the service and the people around him. After the service, he barely even greeted her. He had just nodded civilly towards her and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Brady." And then he was gone, lost in the crowd.
Elizabeth had hoped that it was just a temporary phase, that something had upset him during the service and that Monday things would be back to normal. But despite working all day with him in the same house things hadn't improved, but only gotten worse. Now she could almost see the walls he'd erected between them. {I wonder if I should say something about it, ask him what's wrong.} She thought on it momentarily, biting her bottom lip as she did so.
{No, he's just trying to set the boundaries of our working relationship. I've become too familiar with him, too friendly. He is my employer and of the noble class. This is his way of making sure our relationship is appropriate. He didn't say anything probably because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings.} She sighed deeply. {I have to stop thinking of him as Sean; he's Lord Cassidy.} She lectured herself firmly.
She blushed hotly, feeling foolish for letting her crush on her employer get out of hand. {I misread it; saw things that weren't there. Silly girl, of course he doesn't care for ye. Ye're a servant girl and he's a nobleman. Just let it go, Elizabeth. It wasn't anything serious.}
Sean was putting the finishing touches on his letter when he heard a knock on his study door.
"Come in." he called. He looked up to see Elizabeth nervously enter the room. She stood in front of the door with her hands clasped before her. He noticed the endearing way her fingers fidgeted restlessly and he felt another wrench of pain on his heart.
She stammered slightly before regaining her voice. Why did this have to be so difficult now? "Um.sir. I've finished cleaning the dishes and all the other rooms are cleaned and dusted. I was wondering if ye need anything else?"
Sean sighed inaudibly. This new relationship was going to be difficult for him. "No thank ye, Miss Brady." He looked down at his desk. "Wait, could ye drop this letter by the Postal Office on your way into town?" He stood up and handed her a folded letter of fine parchment paper. As she tucked the letter into her jacket, the neatly handwritten letters seemed to jump out at her. She smiled timidly back at Sean before exiting the room. She took the letter out of her pocket and read the address again to confirm her eyes. She felt her heart seize with sadness and loss. It was addressed to a Miss Miriam Lockeheart.
They walked in silence through the dark forest. Their crunching footsteps and crickets' mating call were the only noises to be heard. The full moon shone brightly down on them, illuminating Rhianna's hair and face with an ethereal glow.
But Sheamus's mind was not on the beauty of the present but rather on a memory of Sunday morning. He recalled the look of lustful desire in Mr. Dimera's eyes as he leered wantonly at Rhianna. His black eyes had glittered like onyx, sending shivers up Sheamus's spine. In that instant Dimera was openly revealed to Sheamus, he saw his plans and his desires, saw the darkness of his heart. {Somehow I've got to break her engagement. But how?}
{Don't worry about that now, Sheamus. Ye've got more pressing matters to worry about.} He thought of his mother, lying sick in her bed back home. His face twisted with worry. She had gotten much worse since the previous day. She had looked so lean and pale that morning, that Sheamus had been afraid to leave her for work. {Damn doctors!} He cursed silently. The doctors had been little help and had little answers to why his mum was still sick. 'It's just the flu.' They kept saying, telling her to get plenty of rest. {She's been doing nothing but rest for two months now!}
He remembered the look in her eyes that morning and his stomach twisted in grief. She had looked the same right after his da had died, lost and cold. Sheamus could feel it in his chilled soul. She wasn't going to get better.
Rhianna was barely aware of the silent, brooding man who walked beside her. She was still focused on all that she had learned that day. Brian's words replayed constantly in her head. She didn't want to believe that Sheamus had purposefully damaged all those parts. But if he didn't, then who did? {Enough thinking about this. Ye know what ye have to do.}
She inhaled deeply, searching her mind for the best way to begin. {This won't be easy, but I have to be able to trust all my workers.} She tried not to think about Sheamus's sister and ill mother. {He's smart, hard working. He'll find another job soon enough.}
"Sheamus, does anyone else ever operate your machine besides you? Sheamus?" she repeated, to get his attention.
"What? No, I'm the only one."
"I've been thinking about those faulty parts all weekend, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out why it happened. The end count was 107. 107. Doesn't that seem extremely high to ye?.Sheamus?"
"Huh, what? Oh yeah, I guess it does." He replied absentmindedly. {I wonder if there's a new medication we could put Mum on, or send her away to a good hospital, not that we could afford it.}
"Any thoughts on why that many parts were defective? How many would normally be in a shipment?" Rhianna questioned.
Sheamus sighed in frustration at again having his thoughts interrupted. "I haven't the foggiest idea. Shouldn't ye be talking to your foreman about this?" he asked, a slight edge to his voice.
That didn't go unnoticed by Rhianna. "I'm asking you." She replied icily. "Tell me again what made you decide to check the parts. Do you usually check them before they go out?"
He looked at her simply, annoyance written across his features. What was with all the questions? "I don't know. I told ye I just felt like I had to look at them one last time. And give the way things turned out, aren't ye glad I did?" He questioned hotly.
"Aye, ye really came to the rescue didn't ye?" she muttered angrily. So far he hadn't said anything to reassure her of his innocence.
Sheamus simply stared at her dumbfounded. What was wrong with her now? And why did he suddenly have to be reminded of how amazingly beautiful she was? Her emerald eyes flashed brilliantly and her cheeks were flushed with anger. His eyes landed on her full lips and he saw himself kissing them, tasting them. {I bet she tastes sweet.} he mused. {Like pure honey.} He shook his head to clear his thoughts. {Remember, ye're trying to think of a way to help your Mum.}
He inhaled deeply and slumped his shoulders. "Look, we've both had a long, tiring day. We're almost to your castle. Can we just resume our walk and save the talk for another time?" he asked as he kept his eyes downcast. {If I look at her again, I'll start thinking about kissing her.}
She studied him closely, noticing the way he avoided her eyes. He appeared to have something else on his mind. What was it he was keeping from her? "No, I'm afraid this can't wait." She sighed. She waited until he brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Sheamus, we need to talk."
He looked at her concernedly. What was going on?
"I learned something today. All of the faulty parts, all 107 of them, came off the same machine."
Brady snorted. "Someone asleep at their station?" he cracked.
Her face remained a stone cold mask. "Ye tell me. They came from your machine."
"Really? Hmm, there must be something wrong with it. We should take a look at it."
"It is operating perfectly." She stated coolly.
"That's not possible. I've been operating that machine for five years - there's no way I made those parts." He insisted hotly.
"Not accidentally, no."
A long pause followed. Only the night sounds of chirping insects could be heard as her words hung in the air.
"I don't believe this." He breathed, seeing with a cold realization where she was headed. "Ye think I did this on purpose?" Unbelievable! After everything they had been through in such a short period of time, she actually believed him capable of trying to destroy the factory he loved more than anything in the world.
"I'm the one who found the defective parts, and slaved all night to replace them." He defended, feeling hot blood rushing in his face.
"Aye, ye found them after ye decided to check on them - why? Because ye had a hunch." She shot back mockingly. She stared at him and her dreams flashed in her vision. She took note of his smoldering blue eyes that gleamed purple in the moonlight. Her eyes traveled down his sharp jaw line to his chest. She found herself wishing he would take her in his arms and.
He gripped her firmly by the shoulders, resisting the urge to crush her lips beneath his. "Look at me." He commanded softly. "I don't know how those parts came off my machine but I promise ye I did not make them. Why would I want to jeopardize the business - I love the factory more than my own life."
"Aye, I know ye do." She replied coldly. "Ye love it so much ye dream of running it, owning it. Don't ye, Mr. Brady?" She stared into his eyes. He couldn't keep the truth from shining in the blue depths.
"Did ye think that if ye 'rescued' me enough times that I would throw myself into your arms and agree to marry ye? That I would risk my standing in the church by breaking a sacred agreement? No. I am going to be married, Mr. Brady. And there is nothing ye can do to change that." She added, almost sadly.
Sheamus looked in her eyes then and knew he had lost. While he was innocent of the actual charges - the underlying motive was still there. He knew she would never trust him now. {Congratulations, Dimera. Looks like you've won.}
Rhianna spoke then. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brady, but under the circumstances I cannot allow ye to continue working at the factory. Ye will be given two weeks pay and I will gladly recommend ye to prospective employers. I am sorry, but this is for the best." She turned suddenly and quickly walked away.
Sheamus stood there, looking after her. He debated following after her, and thought about trying to convince her of his innocence.
"Sheamus!" he turned to see Elizabeth running up to him. "Thank the Lord I found ye."
"Elizabeth!" he cried with surprise. "What are ye doing here? Did ye just come through the forest by yourself?" he noticed then the panic on her pale face.
"Come on, we have to go home now. It's Mum!"
