The statement shocked Salerius into acknowledgement of his new status. He just recalled that in the event that Marimbo couldn’t perform his duties as the lord of the Lovecraft Family, the onus would fall on him to lead the house till he was hale and hearty to resume his duties. Marimbo’s self-isolation wasn’t going to help anyone. At least, not at the moment anyway. Salerius exhaled deeply again. He didn’t even know how exactly he would start. Well, he would have the support of the whole family. That was what was special about them – they would always rally around themselves.

“There’s a lot we need to discuss. I need to see him,” Moriaty argued.

She began to bicker about a whole lot of work that had been left undone. She mentioned that there were still the remains of their crony to take care of now when it would matter to them. “What are we going to do about the funeral?” she groaned.

The best Salerius could do was to shelve the matter just so she could give him some room to think to himself. He exhaled again, softly. “Why don’t we deal with that later, Moriaty?” he suggested. His voice was soft and very convincing.

Moriaty wasn’t used to being so idle especially at times of despair. It was the time she preferred engaging herself even more, just so she could rid herself of the sorrow. She hated being depressed. She did not know what to do. The primary reason why she wanted to speak to her father so early in the morning was to have a heart-to-heart talk and let out all the anxiety from her system. The only problem this time was that she was short of ideas on what she could preoccupy herself with.

Agon slipped into the hall. The voices of the two Lovecraft members had seeped into her ears, truncating her sleep when she was just settling down to get some quality rest. She was still clad in her night robe, which she held tightly to her chest to conceal her swinging melons. She entered just in time to hear Moriaty grumbling about her dearth of tasks.

Poor thing, she thought to herself knowing how close Moriaty was to Brock as well. She paused a few feet from both of them and watched her intently. Moriaty was just like her father but she had more verve and fervour, the type who was ready to throw herself under the carriage for whatever she held dear to herself. Much more than she could say for anyone else in the Lovecraft family, not even Marimbo, their leader, her own father. Being the observant being she was, Agon saw the need for the fledgling to busy herself in productive endeavours.

“You need something to keep yourself occupied Mori,” Agon heard herself addressing Moriaty – a piece of advice she intended to keep to herself though. It was too late to take back her words.

Just then, both Salerius and Moriaty turned toward Agon concurrently, surprised someone had been there all along. “I didn’t mean to scare you both. I just didn’t know the best way to approach.” Agon began. She gave them both a quizzical look. “You didn’t allow me to rest; your voices woke me up.”

Should you even be in bed at this time? Salerius cast an askance look in her direction. She ignored it as she flashed Moriaty a reassuring smile.

“Why don’t you go and order some things for the ball – say some food and wine? Heavens know we need those, don’t we?” Agon suggested.

“The ball?!” shouted Moriaty, caught unaware. She was livid with anger now. She was seething. Really? Could this cretin be any colder? How dare she suggest such frivolities when Brock’s body hadn’t even gone cold yet?

Moriaty put her arms akimbo as she shook feverishly – although she wasn’t afflicted with any disease, she was shaking from the raw wrath that coursed through her system.

Agon didn’t have to be told she had let the wrong words slip. She quickly sought to defend her thoughtless suggestion. Seeming unflustered, she threw up her hands in deviance.

“What? We can’t have the other nobles disappointed, now can we?” she argued.

That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Moriaty threw caution into the wind.

“Are you mad? We’ve only just lost Brock and that’s what’s on your mind right now, huh?” Moriaty barked.

Even Salerius was caught off-guard by her doughty resolve. He turned to Agon who seemed too lost to utter any more words. She stammered as she tried to explain herself. “I…I just think it will take your…our mind off things” argued Agon.

“You really are colder than I’d always thought you’d be, you know. You couldn’t just wait another day could you to take his place or even inherit all that he’d left behind, huh?” Moriaty complained.

She wouldn’t temper her anger with calmness now. She was burning on the inside just as she was hurting. Both for Brock’s demise and her father’s continued absence.

Agon was penitent immediately. Her words touched her bone marrow, making her rethink all that she had said rashly. For a moment, she wondered where exactly she had gone wrong in suggesting that she got the wine and procured the food. She sighed, looking down at her feet in disgrace. “You’re right. That was an inappropriate recommendation to make. Pardon me,” she pleaded.

Moriaty was still contemplating how best to deal with the situation when the worst she could ever think of happened.

“I think you do have a point, Agon. I don’t really see any need for you to tender an apology. Besides we can’t afford to let the other nobles think we are weak now, can we?” Salerius stopped them briefly, staring from one lady to the other. “Just so you’d know, invitations have been distributed. I think it would be unwise for us to go back on our word, don’t you think?” Salerius tried to make Moriaty see reason.

However, she was flummoxed. She felt like a carriage had just run her brain over. Or like a lightning bolt had just hit her eardrums, deafening her instantly – she couldn’t believe her ears.

“What!?” Moriaty yelled. “If I heard you correctly, did you just side with her over this matter?” she asked, perplexed. Disgust couldn’t best describe what she thought of them. They repulsed her. And if she could have her way, she could just crush both of them to dust just so they would feel the exact smidgen of hatred she felt in that instant.

Moriaty closed her eyes as she sought to make meaning of the whole scenario. She started quietly. “Please tell me that I’m dreaming. Someone should just pinch me and wake me up from my slumber.” Her voice gained some needed momentum. “Is that all you care about right now – some social gratification, huh?” she yelled.

Salerius and Agon exchanged puzzled looks as they received a blank stare from her, a look demanding some defensible answers from them both. She got none from either of them.

“Sometimes I’m ashamed that I even know you- that I even refer to you as family!” she lambasted, turning tail and dashing down the hall, away from their presence. She wanted to be anywhere but near the two of them right then. So, she stormed downstairs and made her way out of the mansion altogether. She wasn’t thinking. She was just using her legs.

Both Agon and Salerius were too stunned to move a muscle. They watched her scurry off into the sunlight. By the time they pulled themselves together to go after her, it was too late; she was off the premises already.

Agon darted after her, screaming her name. “Mori? Moriaty! Wait! I’m sorry!”

Her apologies would have fallen on deaf ears had she been within hearing distance. But she was gone, just like that into the wind. Salerius shut his eyes. He expected Moriaty to behave like that. After all, she was just budding. It was at that stage of her life that many would have considered the most perilous.

“Let her have her moment of madness,” Salerius began, bereft of any form of emotion.

Agon stopped in her tracks. “What?”

“Yes. Let her throw her tantrum. She’ll soon get over it.” Salerius groaned.

“What would you have had her do? I don’t think she overreacted. She did just about right by Brock, you know.” Agon replied.

Salerius shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, unmoved by her plea.

“She’s still very young Salerius. Don’t be so hard on her,” Agon continued, trying to understand why she was unable to control herself from her volatile outburst.

*****