Just a random side note, it took a while for us to decide what the "Great Hall" was actually called, so I looked it up and it's The Saloon, in case you're wondering which room it is.
Elsie's face drained of colour, he could have sworn he heard a choked sob get stuck in her throat. A lump was forming in his throat also but his mind was simply swarming with information to process. This was impossible.
And they both knew it.
There was no one there, the family were in their bedrooms, the servants were upstairs, no one was downstairs - yet the bell had rung. They both knew there was no chance it could ring itself but yet no one was anywhere near the pulley.
He felt chills run through his spine; she gripped his hand tighter than before, nails digging into him. They were stuck. He couldn't leave her to check The Saloon but he couldn't take her with him for fear of what caused the bell to ring.
"What do we do?" she breathed, stepping closer to him, her other hand resting on his arm.
He speculated, he had to keep her safe and she wouldn't be when scared.
"We ignore it." He decided, "we go to bed, you need sleep."
"But the bell…?"
"Ignore it, darling, trust me."
She nodded silently hurrying up the stairs after him. He gripped her hand like a vice, never letting go. She almost ran to keep up with his long strides, forever glancing around her to check for, well anything. They made it around the corner to the servants stairs, he began to ascend but he met resistance as she did not follow him. He turned sharply and followed her distracted gaze to the open door behind them.
"Elsie! Leave it." He hissed.
"But what if it's…?"
"Elsie!" He gripped her hip forcing her to turn, her body pressed fully against his. "I will not let any harm come to you anymore, just come with me. Please." He spoke the last word with a pleading tone, whilst the words were sharp, the softness with which they reached her ears was touching.
The slamming of a door distracted her and she turned again, whimpering. Charles could almost scream in anger with whatever this was, and with such heartbreak that Elsie, his Elsie, was so upset by it.
The moonlight streamed through the windows at the top of the staircase, before the clouds covered it plunging them into near darkness, when in darkness they could never feel alone, though they wished terribly they were alone. They began a whispered argument.
"I need to see what this is!"
"No, you do not! We can face this tomorrow, not now."
"It may not be here tomorrow, we have an opportunity now!"
"If we do, you may not be here tomorrow!"
She gasped, shocked into silence.
"Elsie," he continued more softly, "I am not risking you. Please!" There were tears in his eyes, fear, anger, hurt, heartbreak, so many emotions.
"Charles, I know you're trying to protect me but we need to know what this is, please?"
She glanced up, gasping as she fixed her gaze on the hook hanging from the ceiling. She drew a shaky breath and turned towards the door, a draft of cool air rushing past them, her skirts rustling.
She whimpered slightly so he stepped forward, entwining his fingers with hers, cupping her cheek in his other hand.
"We go together. You stay right next to me, never let go of my hand." He spoke decisively but with such fear in his eyes, she squeezed his hand in reassurance.
"Never."
They left the stairwell entering the pitch black of The Saloon side by side. The house was silent, the only sound that pricked his ears were her deep unsteady breaths, her hand trembling in his.
The draft followed them into The Saloon, rustling the leaves of the various plants around.
He pulled her close to him, idling over to the side table to turn on a lamp, the click deafened the silence but the light remained off, he tried again but to no avail.
The shuffled over to another lamp, attempting to turn on that one – no luck.
Her breathing increased as it dawned on her that they were stuck in the dark, there were probably no more tears left for her to shed, but she was certainly crying.
They jumped as they heard a scraping noise across the floorboards – a chair being moved.
There was no light to see which, or where it was going, they judged distance by noise. Elsie held her breath as the scraping stopped.
There was silence again until the clinking of glasses was heard, something had jolted the table.
Elsie dug her nails further into Charles' hand, bound to have drawn blood but neither of them noticed as she moved to stand behind him.
They heard the moving of another chair – this time, closer.
His own heart rate increased intensively, he turned grabbing her hip, leaning in close, whispering hurriedly;
"Elsie, we need to go, now!"
She was about to protest when all the lights abruptly lit up and the room became a pinnacle of light.
They shielded their eyes against the harsh brightness but when Elsie's readjusted, the sight she was greeted with caused her to let out a scream and collapse into Charles' arms.
I do love to leave you on a cliff-hanger ;) Pleaseeeee review, I really benefit from hearing your feedback because I don't think this is that good anymore :(