Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
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As I began lock the door again, I turned around to glare at Corrine.
"What do you think you're doing? Your boy didn't even believe you. So much for your plan."
"Yes, yes mother. Just leave me along I need to think." Corrine said walking ahead of me, trying to wave me off.
"Not so fast, Corrine. I wasn't lying before. Your husband is demanding to see you. I suggest you go see him, he's in your quarters."
"Fine."
I watched her stalk off to her room before I locked the main East wing door.
Curious as to why Bart was being so demanding all of sudden, I decided to follow her. I made it to her suite shortly after her and continued walking by to the direction of my rooms. However, I stopped short and stood next to their still open door, listening.
"Corrine, finally!" I heard Bart say loudly.
"Yes dear I'm sorry. What is it?" Corrine asked, adopting her loving wife demeanor quite easily.
"What is it? You want to know? Well, I find out today that you're planning on adopting a baby and then I come up here and now it's gone!"
"Gone...what's gone?" Corrine asked, starting to sound worried.
"Your wedding present to me, my pocket watch. I wanted to remember the good things about you. Especially since this latest development. But it's gone, Look."
I chanced looking back into the room. Bart and Corrine thankfully had their backs to me. They were both looking at one of their drawers which I knew to house their joint safe.
"Are you sure you left it here?" Corrine asked.
"Yes, I'm sure!"
I turned back to stand in the doorway unseen as Bart turned around.
"This day is not going as I had hoped." Bart said, sounding depressed.
Corrine went to him and embraced him a loving hug.
"Oh darling, I'm sorry this talk of a baby is draining you, if you really don't want to have the baby I'm sure I can persuade Miranda to give up the child to someone else."
As Corrine undoubtedly knew, Bart gave in.
"You really want this child, don't you Corrine."
"More than anything." Corrine answered in a breathy whisper.
"Well I can't deny you, my dear now can I?"
The matter of the pocket watch was evidently forgotten. The fool must have just misplaced it I supposed. I walked back down the hallway, leaving the sinners to themselves.
I went to the main parlor and had the fireplace lit. As I sat down to watch the flames, I picked up a bible and started reading.
Not long after, I heard Corrine enter. She took a seat in the corner. I took off my reading glasses and put the book down.
"You want to discuss something?" I asked, looking towards her shadow in the corner.
"How did they do it do?" She whispered.
"Do what, what do you mean?" I asked, getting annoyed with her constant interruptions.
"Cathy and Chris. They're the only ones who would have guessed the combination for our joint safe. And if Bart didn't take his pocket watch out, and I didn't...who else could have?"
I cocked my eyebrow, staring at her. I never understood why she always had to make situations so complicated. Bringing her and her brood into this house was a mistake, and now I was stuck with her presence if I wanted to continue living here. I sighed as I answered.
"How can you be so sure it was them? They have no way of getting out...the locks keep them there. Besides, why would they take the pocket watch and leave everything else?"
Corrine stood up and look of realization crossed her face as she started pacing.
"That wasn't the only thing they took, that's why Bart has been missing spare money. It's been them. They must have figured out a way to get past the door!"
"Corrine that still doesn't explain why they would take the pocket watch. That seems like something that a servant would take-"
"I know they took the pocket watch!" Corrine turned to me suddenly, her voice rising.
"That pocket watch once belong to their father and they figured out a way to get out and they'll run away before I get what I Want!"
It had been quite a while since she had thrown a tantrum and I wanted to get up and slap her for her insolence. It pained me to admit that I no longer held control of this house since Malcolm's passing. So instead I simply said
"Corrine, I tried to warn you that not everything works out the way you want it to. But you insisted on following through with this stupid plan of yours. And surprisingly it's falling apart. It's your responsibility to fix it, not Mine."
With that I turned on my heel and went back to my rooms, leaving Corrine in the middle of the parlor, the light of the fire dancing on her enraged face.
That next morning I got up as usual at an early hour to eat breakfast and gather the days food the boy and girl. As I was putting various items in the basket I turned and saw Corrine enter the kitchens. She was already dressed and seemed to have a package of her own. I admit I was surprised to see her there. Ever since she had decided to stop lacing their food with arsenic she had opted to sleep in most days.
"Bart left this morning for his cruise and I dismissed the servants for the next couple of days." She told me as a way of greeting.
I looked over at her again, almost finished filling the basket.
"Any particular reason why?"
"I need to change the locks and I need your help."
"When don't you need my help, Corrine?" I asked scathingly.
Apparently she decided it was better to refrain from saying anything. She only followed me up the staircase and to the East wing.
I walked into their bedroom, leaving Corrine standing at the end of the hall, unseen. As usual, only the boy was there, still looking suspicious as he once again asked about the twins.
"Your mother spoke to you of the matter yesterday, nothing has changed." I said as I left the room. After locking the door behind me I walked down the hallway to where Corrine still stood at the entrance to the corridor.
"How long until they usually leave for the attic?" Corrine asked.
"Why should I know that, Corrine. It has been months since I took to watching them, back when I actually still had hope for their souls."
Corrine only smirked and went over to the door to their room herself. She bent down and looked through the key hole. She walked back to me.
"O.k, they've gone up to the attic. We're going to quietly open the door and lock the hidden door to the attic."
She pulled out a thin but formidable looking chain and lock.
"This will keep the attic door locked for sure. I need you to make sure they don't get out while I am changing the locks."
I sighed, something I seemed to be doing a lot of lately and only stared at this woman. I used to be jealous of the attention Malcolm would give her. I even wished she was my child in the beginning. Now I was very happy that this obsessed thing was not my own.
"Well, lets get on with it then. My garden needs tending."
We walked to the door and after Corrine looked to make sure neither of them were in the room again, she quickly and silently unlocked the door.
We walked quickly through the room and Corrine shut and locked the attic door. Once again she got out the chain and wrapped them several times through the joining handles. She quickly took the lock and joined the chains together.
Once that was done she calmed slightly. She went to one of the beds and dropped her bag on it. After looking through it for a moment she found what she needed.
She walked back to the door with a screw driver and replacement locks. It was quite amusing actually to see this elegantly dressed woman with a screw driver.
I looked back to the attic door. Apparently they had yet to figure out that we were there. I thought she was done when she got up again. But she went back to the door this time with a hammer and small saw. I watched as Corrine kneeled down and placed the tip of the screw driver against the bottom of the door. She took the hammer with her other hand and drove the screw driver through the door after delivering several sharp punches.
It was after this that the boy must have noticed our presence. I saw the attic door shake for a moment or two.
Corrine looked back as she got out her small saw. I realized that she was sawing out a small square at the base of the door. It was taking her a while because the door was made out of a very thick oak wood. The door suddenly shuddered it seemed as if the boy was trying to kick it open now.
A couple more minutes passed as Corrine finished. It looked like a miniature doggy door to me. I realized she was making a way for the food to be passed back and forth, so the door never needed to be opened. The attic door shuddered again.
"Mother, What Are You Doing?!" The boy's voice sounded hysterical.
"It's ok baby, just one more second and mommy will let you out." Corrine said as she gathered up her tools. Her hair was slightly frizzy but other than that she looked the same. As I walked out of the room I noticed that the inside door didn't have any key hole, or doorknob for that matter.
Corrine walked over to the attic door and took off the lock. She left the chain around the handles so that they couldn't immediately get out. She hurried out behind me and shut the door behind her. Corrine then took out her key and turned the two dead-bolt locks. I heard two loud smashes and sound of splintering wood from inside. The boy was out, it seemed.
"What do you think you're doing?" The boy yelled.
"Now honey calm down, this is for your own good."
Apparently the boy didn't feel this way, he started pounding on the door.
"Chris, my darling. Don't start that, if I have to constantly watch over you I won't be able to help the twins, now can I?"
The pounding immediately stopped.
"The twins are here?" The boy asked quietly.
"Yes, they're well now. You don't want to go and ruin the happiness of their recovery by being naughty now do you?" Corrine admonished.
"Can you bring them back to us, please." It was very evident that it took the boy everything he had to make his voice stay level.
"Maybe, but I surely will not bring them back if you continue acting so meanly towards me. I'll see you soon my dear, when you are in a better mood."
Corrine picked up her bag and we started walking back down the hallway. As we were walking away I heard the boy pound on the door and yell angrily,
"Why?!"
Corrine didn't even bother to look back, but then again, neither did I.
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Any thoughts? I'm very eager to find out how you think the story is progressing. I think it'll end in the next couple of chapters. But I plan to write a sequel following up on the events of Petals on the Wind, if you guys are interested. As always comments or criticisms are always appreciated.
Special thanks to all of my previous reviewers!