And Yet, You're Here (Arthur Havisham)

Chapter 5

"It's about time for the dancing," Arthur uttered, giving Amelia a weak smile. "You should go."

Amelia shook her head, taking a deep breath, standing in this thick silence for a moment, before finally breaking it.

"Arthur, this argument of ours-"

Arthur quickly stepped forward to fill the gap between them quickly, outstretching his arms to take her hands.

"Is," he began to finish for her, "At an end." He looked down at their hands, and back up at her, offering a nervous grin. I could hear the groaning of the band's strings tuning up into a cheery jig. Amelia beamed, her eyes sparkling, her demeanor suddenly switching from anxiety to relief at these words. "Come, we should begin the dancing together." He said, motioning for her to take her lead.

Amelia, letting out a quiet giggle, took Arthur's hand and in one bound, almost leaped back toward the main hall in her excitement. I stood there, in the dark, still stewing in the emotions I had already experienced in the moments before. Now this confusion was heavier- was that why Arthur was living above the pub? An Argument? I slipped out of the room into the main hall, keen on slipping away from Satis House and back to my room before I questioned much further when I was suddenly swept up by a young woman. She held my hands and pulled me merrily into the sea of people dancing. Rich men and women with extravagant gowns and suits excitedly bounced along to the song, expertly moving as if this dance had been done hundreds of times before. I, however, having spent most of my life- as Arthur put it- wiping the grime from tankards hadn't the slightest clue of the steps. I let her lead. Bouncing, bouncing, pulling back, linking arms, and skipping round, and round, and round. She spun around and quickly, another woman became swept in my arms- Amelia. She laughed, delighted, most likely, at my incompetence. She bounced with me, speaking as she did.

"My, you're doing wonderful!"

"Am I?" I questioned, a grin beginning to creep along my face. Although I was in no way used to this, I couldn't deny that the liquor bouncing through my system accompanied by Amelias contagious excitement was quite exhilarating.

"Yes! Don't worry about being perfect, darling, just have fun! Annnddd-" She bounced with me, forward, then backward, the linked arms with me, spinning round, and round, before she spun around once more and became swept up in the arms of a tall man. I, however, did not sweep up the next young woman excited to dance, instead, I collided with a figure. I looked up, seeing Arthur's surprised face. A flash of annoyance, until he suddenly grinned, grabbing my hands and pulling me in.

There we were. Bouncing, bouncing, forward, then backward, then linking arms and spinning round and round again. I scanned his expression, desperate for some sort of answer, but all I could see in his eyes was joy. Those dark eyes that once shot sour looks my way were now glimmering in the light of the dance floor. And it was as if I were looking at the night sky. He spun with me once more, before spinning me, and pulling me back with him with the rest of the men and women gathered to watch the dancing and laughed. He truly laughed. Clapping along with the others, he searched for Amelia among the crowd.

"What w-"

"You danced with her last, yes, did you see who swept her up?" he asked, a type of excitement I had never heard before evident in his voice. "I want to catch her again when she comes round-"

"Arthur, I have to ask-"

"Perhaps she was taken by Mr. Trousel?" He said, his eyes scanning the crowd before suddenly, his clapping stopped. For within the sea of gowns and suits spinning in a blur, he spotted the blue gown of his sister's approaching within the dance. Hand-in-hand with a familiar face.

It was Mr. Compeyson. Amelia looked a bit perplexed as he took her hand. Over the music, I could hear.

"I don't remember inviting you, sir." She said, taking his hand and spinning once with him.

"A friend informed me. I have a small legacy and he suggested that I may want to make an investment here." Compeyson replied. Bouncing forward and back with Amelia.

"Well," she began "Perhaps, then, I'll have to give you more information about the Brewery!" They linked arms, spinning once, twice, skipping round and round.

"I wasn't aware you were the director!" Compeyson said, a wicked grin beginning to form across his face. I looked to Arthur, his face contorted back into what I was most used to seeing him with- a sneer. I let the pieces fall together.

Amelia was the director. Amelia was now running the brewery. Not Arthur, his father's only son. That must have been why Arthur stayed now atop the Pub. That must have been why Amelia mentioned an argument. But where did Compeyson fit into all of this?

"I didn't know Mr. Compeyson accompanied you-"

"He didn't." Arthur replied, anger saturating his voice.

I missed whatever Amelia and Compeyson discussed. All I could see was Amelia standing where she was, Compeyson exiting the dance floor. The glimpse of a joyful Arthur was suddenly gone.

The party went on, but I found myself exhausted before midnight. Walking back in the cold gave me a bit of a start, but even still, I found myself desperate enough to make a space in an alley just to get a few moments of rest. I pushed forward, walking, walking still, before I came across a figure in the road.

Standing tall, this shadow approached slowly, and when he finally came into the light, I stood face-to-face with Mr. Compeyson. The initial fear washed away, and I took a breath of relief.

"My, Mr. Compeyson, you frightened me." He didn't respond. He simply stepped forward. I took a step back, shaken a bit by his ghostly silence.

"Mr. Compeyson?" I said, my voice wavering a bit. "If you'll excuse me I'd really like to-"

In one swift moment, he grabbed my arms, the grip tight and firm. I gasped, feeling my back collide with the stone wall of the building beside me.

"What are you planning." he said, face inches before mine. "What have you heard."