Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

“Leilah!” a voice wailed from the outside. “Leilaahhhh!”

Marina feared it to be Griffin on his search for Leilah, but the voice didn’t quite match. Other than Griffin, there could only be one other man in search for her.

“Marina opened a slit of Nancy’s curtains, peeking out the window. Near the front door she noticed three figures, one large figure and two smaller one.

“Oh, no. No,” Marina mumbled as she watched the scene play out in front of her.

“What is it?” Nancy asked from behind Marina, too fearful to approach any closer. “Who is it?” she corrected

Outside stood Philip, his arms bear in the cold. He had to be shivering, but he had draped his jacket over a small body he held in his arms. It had to be Leilah’s youngest daughter. Beside Philip, a slightly older girl stood holding his hand. She was rubbing her eyes with her tiny hand, likely exhausted at this late hour.

Marina stared at the pair, looking at near perfect copies of Leilah, the older girl’s hair just slightly holding a ginger tint like her father.

“Who’s that?” Nancy asked Marina as she peeked out the window from beside Marina, but Marina didn’t answer. Instead, she opened the window slightly, a sharp breeze hitting her face. She persisted.

“Philip!” she whispered, trying to grab his attention before it’s too late. He looked around as he had heard something, but was unable to spot Marina. The older daughter pointed ahead of her, finally leading Philip’s gaze over to Marina.

“You can’t be here!” Marina continued to shout in a whisper, but Philip decided to range closer.

“I’m looking for m-my wife, my Lady,” Philip said as he approached the window. Nancy took a few steps back, but Marina opened the window slightly more. “My d-daughters and I can’t s-sleep without her; we need to k-know where she is. I’ve come to l-look for her again, b-but I can’t leave my d-daughters at home.”

“Oh dear, you’re completely shivering!” Nancy exclaimed in a hushed tone.

“No, Papa just has a stutter,” the youngest girl muttered, lifting her head from her father’s shoulder. “He saids he was too hot for his jacket, so I gots it.”

“Y-yes, dear,” Philip said, gesturing for the little girl to lie back down on his shoulder. Marina watched the father gently hold onto both his girls, but how should the poor girls feel without their Mama?

“Have you n-not seen Leilah anywhere?” Philip asked, his eyes wide, practically begging Marina for a positive response. As much as Marina yearned to give him the conformation he longed for- she couldn’t.

Marina shook her head, a heartfelt expression on her face. She was unsure to tell Philip that it had been his wife who had stood up for her, possibly bringing herself a mount of trouble. Leilah’s maternal instincts were high, very high. So high that they even stretched to Marina.

“No,” Marina replied, her voice soft as she attempted to sound comforting. “But I have a friend who is also on the lookout for her.”

“The d-duke?” Philip asked, as if he had already known this information. Marina looked at him surprised.

“Yes, indeed,” Marina followed. Before Philip could explain, Marina noticed Nancy to have ventured off further into her bedroom. Marina thought that perhaps she had been afraid of the strangers, but then she reemerged.

“Ah, little ladies,” Nancy said in a cooing voice, speaking to Philips daughters. “I found some candied apple and thought that you might like it, would you?”

The two girls nodded, and Philip allowed the girl in his arms to reach out for the sweets Nancy was holding out. The older girl gave a large smile as well as a small thanks to Nancy. Philip nodded to Nancy in appreciation.

“You girls are little adventurers tonight, aren’t you?” Nancy continued in a cheerful voice. Marina caught up on Nancy’s intentions- speaking hope into the little ones during the tough night they had to endure. Nancy then turned to face Philip, starting to speak to him. “I so wish we could watch them for you, but if my Papa notices…”

“No, thank you m-my Lady. I-I don’t have a g-great liking to the earl. B-but I appreciate your kindness,” Philip smiled, tucking his two girls closer toward him.

Philip turned to walk, but Marina called him once more. “How do you know of the duke?” she asked.

“Ah, my Lady. H-he is wandering through t-the same streets as I, with another g-girl. She has h-half an arm gone, I b-believe,” Philip answered, but kept walking away from the window. Marina knew Griffin to be with Beth.

“Leilah!” Griffin started again, now nearing the front area of the Cromwell. Nancy tried to silently gesture for him to get away, fearing her father to be awakened, but he continued.

From inside the house, Marina heard a doorknob jiggle. Uncle Josiah was awake. Swiftly, Nancy gave Marina a small push that led her to fall next to Nancy’s bed. Nancy continued to close the windows, but peeked her head out of the curtains slightly.

Marina lied still, knowing Nancy was trying to conceal her for if some reason her uncle entered the room. Yet, she lifted her head slightly to hear what was going on.

“What are you doing here on my property?!” Uncle Josiah yelled. “Who are you and what brings you here?!”

“I-I am looking for my w-wife, my L-Lord,” Philip shouted back to uncle Josiah, trying to sound confident despite his stutter.

“Speak clearly!” Uncle Josiah spat at him. Marina felt her heart crush for poor Philip, especially his daughters.

“He has a stutter, Sir!” the older girl interjected. A small silence followed.

“You don’t teach your children manners, I see,” Josiah scoffed. “Get off the property!”

“I-I am looking for m-my wife Leilah!” Philip yelled. Marina watched as Nancy held a hand over her mouth in tension.

“Not here, so get yourself and those things off my property, you dirty no-good!”

Marina heard the front door shut with a large clap, causing Marina to jump slightly as she was lied on the floor. Nancy shut the curtains, turning to sit on her bed with a book. Marina peeped her head over the edge of the bed, which Nancy pressed back downward with her hand.

They listened as the footsteps ventured in strange patterns through the corridor. The sound made Marina’s muscles tense, expecting him to barge into the room at any second. But instead, it grew distant and quiet. A door slammed down the hallway.

“Alright, I think you may come out now,” Nancy said. Marina lifted herself from the ground, gently dusting her night gown. “I’m sorry for pushing you down, Marina.”

“Ah, Nancy, at the moment that’s the least of my worries,” Marina commented. She meant this in a way to lighten the atmosphere, but it had the opposite effect. It reminded Marina of her sad fate, as well as upsetting Nancy.

Marina took a peek outside of her window, spotting Griffin talking to Philip. Philip looked resistant, not wanting to move in his tracks, but Beth was outside explaining something to him. Her expression looked urgent, pointing toward the house and then toward the street.

For a second, Marina caught hold of Griffin’s eyes, he nodded at her in such a way as to say “I’m working on finding her.”

Marina waved at him, wanting to call him over and tell him about bedlam, but he had already turned back to Philip, picking up the older daughter so that the group could move at a quicker pace. Marina watched as they faded from view.

“I better get back to my room,” Marina said, grabbing the lamp as she moved past the desk. “If your Papa finds me conversing with you, you might face my same fate.”

Nancy nodded at Marina, her face almost wishing her a form of good luck. Marina turned to grab the doorknob, but was interrupted by Nancy.

“I’ll try to get the teabag tomorrow morning when my father runs his errands, I’ll come to you as soon as I finish,” Nancy said with a slight smile.

“Thank you, Nancy,” Marina said as she was about to open the door. “I truly appreciate your help.”

With those words, Marina opened the door, venturing back to where she was supposed to be locked up in. The bedroom looked gloomy as she entered, an atmosphere she could only describe as similar to the morning she found her father’s body. Dark, sad and uncertain.