16

Tiv

Wednesday 31st January, Year 825

I returned home from college late, arriving just before sundown. I had stayed for football practice, hoping it would take my mind away from the notion Alayna had not returned to college since her outburst on Monday. Playing had been a waste of time; my mind was so preoccupied with Alayna that it could do nothing else, including control my limbs. Like a horrible itch over my skin, I could not shake her no matter how hard I tried.

As I entered the manor, a harsh atmosphere seemed to hang in the air, replacing the usual bustle of staff. They moved with whispered urgency, their eyes avoiding mine. I felt a knot forming in my stomach; they only acted like that when Father was home.

Meredith rushed to me at the entrance, her expression a mixture of sympathy and concern, "Darling, you need to brace yourself. Mother is... upset."

My heart sank. "Upset" from Meredith meant something serious. Though certainly not as serious as Father's "upset". Though she usually tried to hide me from him when that happened.

"What have I done?" I asked trepidatiously.

Her sympathetic expression hardened, "You allowed your brother to place a disgusting bet."

I swore. Meredith's chastisement of my language left her mouth before I got to the end of the word.

"I did nothing of the sort! He does what he wants without concern for my feelings on the matter. I'm not being punished for Marco's crimes," I said immediately.

She gave me a stern look yet did not speak, allowing her words to sink in. It took a moment before worry gripped me as I realised the only way for that information to have come to light was if we had been overheard when Alayna stormed down Main Street on Monday. Or perhaps her nasty scab of a guard friend had sold the story to the paper. Either way, Alayna would be mortified.

"How did it get out?"

Meredith cocked her head slightly, "I do not understand your meaning. Alayna told Mother as such?"

"Alayna told her?" I gawked incredulously.

"I am not sure whether she did it of her own volition. The silly girl vandalised Marco's car in retaliation and the Guard went to question her. They found her with her brother in The Grange. There was a brawl and they were both arrested-"

The thought of Alayna having a black bag shoved over her head momentarily constricted my breathing, stopping Meredith in her tracks.

I choked on the words as I stuttered them out, "Mother must help them."

"She already has, darling. They are both free and well to my knowledge," Meredith explained hurriedly in a quick attempt to lower my blood pressure.

Relief washed over me as I stood moronically, absorbing Meredith's words. Quickly, a mixture of anxiety and guilt churned in my chest, overpowering any relief. Alayna had been arrested. There had been a brawl in The Grange. Had she been hurt? Was she alright after her release? My mind struggled to process the sequence of events. I had witnessed Alayna's attempts to destroy Marco's car and yet I hadn't stopped her. The thought that my own inaction might have contributed to harm befalling her clawed at my conscience relentlessly. If I was one of them I probably would have faced the gallows myself. Yet it seemed Alayna had not mentioned my involvement. Worse still, I could not shake the worry that my Father might hear of the chaos and return home. His rage would be formidable, yet not as formidable as his consequences.

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Meredith and I walked to Mother's office. As we approached the study, the slightly ajar door allowed the sounds of a tense conversation to seep through. Mother's usually composed voice now carried an edge of sharp authority, intertwining with Marco's stoic replies.

"You absolutely disgust me and the more of your Father I see in you, the less I like you," she spat.

Marco remained silent as I took a deep breath, knocking on the door.

"I asked for peace!" Mother barked.

I looked to Meredith for any sort of reassurance to find she had disappeared into thin air, no doubt unable to bear Marco being chastised. I took another breath.

"It's me," I said in a voice so small I sounded like a little boy.

The door swung open, Mother's furious features burning into me like a searing brand. Marco, still silent, looked straight ahead to the wall of books, avoiding meeting my eyes.

"You!" she hissed, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. "You are supposed to be the responsible one! Yet, you stand idly by while your brother tarnishes the Hawes name!"

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. "Mother, I-"

Her raised hand silenced me and the room seemed to shrink as I did. Marco, in the periphery, shifted uncomfortably.

"I raised you both better than this," she continued furiously. "We are supposed to be a source of integrity for this city, not a source of scandal every bloody week."

I tried to muster an apology or explanation—any form of response—however each thought ricocheted back to Alayna; what was her fate?

"Will you call Father?" Marco muttered.

A derisive laugh escaped Mother's throat, "So he can give you a pat on the back for attempting to kill scabs? I think not. Sometimes I think he wants nothing but to ruin Harroworth. Is that what you want? Outer Harroworth to rise up and us to be destroyed?"

Marco shook his head but remained silent.

Mother continued, "The less time you spend with that disgusting excuse of a human, the better. Your father will no doubt hear of your moronic antics however, so thank you for the argument you have caused me."

I shook my head, "Marco, what did you do?"

"Reported my car as vandalised. I knew she'd done the deed so I gave her name," he replied stiffly.

I felt the colour drain from my face, "You could have killed her."

Mother gave me an odd expression, mingled with concern and anxiety that mirrored my own, before her face quickly reverted to hatred as Marco spoke.

"I did not think they'd hang her!" he snapped. "I thought she'd be locked up for a few days."

"You vindictive fool," Mother barked. "You have everything. Learn mercy for those who have nothing. If your car is more precious than human life, perhaps you should live a few months without it to gain a better perspective on priorities."

Marco's jaw tightened yet he remained silent. His biggest worry was no doubt how popular he would be at the end of the month without our parent's stipend and his car. This seemed particularly trivial compared to what Alayna and her brother had no doubt endured due to his reckless actions.

"Is Alayna alright?" I asked.

"The idiot girl needs to learn to master that temper, as does that toerag she calls brother. There will be no lasting damage, though to say the Day Guard were kind when they were attacked is a falsity," she sighed, exasperation lacing her cadence.

I felt sick at the notion. Despite my Mother's strict prohibition, an overwhelming desire gnawed at me to call Alayna. The gravity of the situation between our families, compounded by Marco's impulsive actions, should have been enough to heed Mother's instructions. Yet all I wanted was the familiarity of Alayna's voice. To know she was safe and well. The need to ensure she was unharmed was unbearable.

As if Mother could read my mind, she snapped, "You shall leave that girl alone. Despite her temper, she is her mother's daughter. I never wish to fear I heard in Julie's voice today as the woman quite literally begged me to help. Her poor daughter looked a wreck when I got to that prison. You and your brother did that to their family. Alayna deserves better than you both." A hint of wistful regret marred her furrowed eyebrows, sending a sharp, stinging pang through my chest.

Nodding solemnly, I knew I was lying; I needed to contact Alayna. Mother seemed appeased regardless. She went back to fixing Marco and I with a stern gaze, her eyes darting between us both. Silence stretched on as if it was consuming the air in the room.

"Your recklessness, Marco, has consequences," she began, her voice cutting through the silence. "You've endangered lives and brought shame to our family. From now on, you will face the repercussions of your actions. I have been too easy on you."

Marco stared defiantly at her yet didn't dare challenge Mother's authority.

"Perhaps you should try harder to be as your younger brother is. At least he feels regret enough to hang his head," she continued, responding to his obstinate gaze.

She turned away from me, her disappointment still palpable. With a decisive thud, she slammed the door in my face leaving me to stand like a fool in the hallway. The final thing I glanced was the look of resentment and hatred on my brother's face.