Page 73 of The Masked Baron
Andalin stood and followed after her.
She quietly shadowed Eliana down an out-of-use corridor and stopped at the doorway of a sitting room. Holland covers hid the furniture and wall hangings. The large bay window emitted the only light in the otherwise dark room. Eliana sank into a seat by the window, her blonde hair bathed in bright moonlight, and cried into her hands.
Unsure whether she should intrude or quietly retreat back to the others, Andalin hesitated. When the sobs escalated, Andalin made a quick decision and crossed to Eliana. She put her hand on her shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort her.
After a few moments Eliana wiped the last of her tears away and took a deep breath. Andalin waited, not knowing if she should say anything but hoping Eliana would be willing to confide in her if needed.
“I don’t remember the last time I cried so hard.” Eliana’s voice was barely audible.
Andalin gave her a small smile and risked taking a seat beside her.
“Thank you for following me. My life has provided ample opportunities to be alone, but doing so causes my feelings to prey on me.”
“I am glad you do not find my presence an imposition. I have sensed off and on since you arrived that something is upsetting you.”
“Yes,” Eliana said, staring at her clasped hands in her lap. “Ellis thinks he is the only one who learned from my father how to move and hide in the forest. Unfortunately, I have never been good at hiding my emotions.”
“You are wrong,” Andalin said. “When you left here, it was a great surprise to everyone. Your brother never knew you were unhappy here.”
“I was unhappy, but seeing the injustice of Miss Dubois’s life motivated me to act. And I, who had no purpose at Braitwood Hall, suddenly seemed to be needed. I wouldn’t have had the courage to leave otherwise.”
Andalin could relate, not knowing her own purpose while at Braitwood Hall. Being a lady provided certain privileges, but it also meant stifling parameters and tedious day-to-day living.
Andalin hoped to encourage Eliana and lift her spirits. “You have been fiercely loyal to your friend.”
“I believe I have been.”
“You and your brother are alike in that way.”
“Ellison?”
“Yes. He, too, has been fiercely loyal but toward a different cause. He has been loyal to the memory of your parents and to you.”
Eliana looked at her feet. “You think his cause is greater than mine? Because I don’t see it that way.”
Andalin could feel the tension from Eliana. She was ready for an argument, and Andalin did not want to rise to the occasion. “I am only saying the fervor of emotions is the same.”
“I do not want to be the same as my brother.”
Andalin blew her breath out in frustration. Speaking with Eliana was like trying to talk Ellis out of one of his midnight hunts. “You might share the same coloring as your brother and a few similar traits, but none of us is the same. And I think I speak for everyone when I say no one compares you to him. What I mean to say is your loyalty has great merit, but it has caused harm as well.”
Eliana met her eyes, but Andalin could see her guard was still up. She would have to tread lightly if she wanted to prevent an even greater rift. “Can I tell you something about myself?” Eliana shrugged, and Andalin took it as a yes. “I have always had a great fondness for stories. I came from a very small town, and for lack of better entertainment, we gossiped quite a bit. I cringe to admit how I regularly passed on tales of the Dark Rider. The children would beg to hear them, and I thoughtlessly provided them. I was wrong. Your brother is not a highwayman. He is a man who has dedicated his life to justice. He has sacrificed nearly everything, humbling himself to the dust, all while I smeared his reputation along with every other careless tongue.”
Finally, Andalin could see an emotion in Eliana’s eyes besides anger. “You couldn’t have known! Even I thought he possessed a wicked streak. Though, I can see now I wanted to believe him wicked. It somehow made me feel better.”
Andalin put her hand lightly on Eliana’s arm. “It is true I could not have known. But you see, I never sought the truth. I only sought to gratify myself and others at someone else’s expense. I was very wrong. My virtue of bringing happiness to others with my stories turned out to be a vice of spreading vicious rumors. It brought one person, whom I now love dearly, great pain.”
The two were quiet for a moment, digesting their own faults.
“I understand what you are trying to tell me.” Eliana cast her gaze down once more. “I gave up my family for friendship.” Andalin made a face to disagree, but Eliana interrupted. “No, it is true. With my parents’ death, I abandoned Ellison. I have been wrong, yet again. I will never be as good as my brother.”
“He is not immortal,” Andalin said with a smile. “He is every bit as human as you, which means he has plenty of frailties of his own. It took quite a bit of time for me to see past his faults.”
Eliana smiled then too. “You do love him, don’t you?”
Andalin nodded, though the admission came with a little pain of its own.
“I love him too,” Eliana said. “I know I shouldn’t compare myself to him. It was easier for me to feel of worth when I was not living here. Coming home has been like inviting all these horrible, jealous feelings back into my heart. It is nearly impossible for me to shut them out.”
