SILAS, saltburn

ix. THE FIELD

CHAPTER NINE
THE FIELD

     IT WAS PERHAPS mid-morning when Oliver came into the breakfast picture.

     Silas quietly ate his scrambled eggs with toast. He had woken up at maybe five in the morning to a nightmare of losing his teeth, and he knew a lot of things. He knew a lot of math and physics; he kinda sucked at chemistry though, but he really didn't know what dreams meant. To him, they were very exaggerated versions of his thoughts and experiences.

     After trying to sleep and rolling on the bed countless times, he went groggily to his bathroom to take a shower. He knew for a fact it was too early for the maids to intrude on his privacy, so he lay down naked on his bed, his hair still wet and sprawled.

     He was wearing his glasses and now saw the ceiling in HD. Yesterday he forgot to use them, and he knew their absence was the trigger for the migraine that he now had, along with downing the rest of the wine from the bottle Felix left in his room.

     And now he was at the dining room. He hadn't talked to Felix or even looked at him, but he did acknowledge Farleigh, who ruffled his hair, and Venetia, who offered him a cigarette already. Well, he did open his mouth, he just didn't talk to Felix.

     "Morning," Oliver strolled quietly into the dining room.

     "Morning," Sir James responds while flipping a page in his paper.

     "Morning," Venetia as well.

     "You sleep well, mate?" Felix asked Oliver, Silas just sipped from his pineapple juice.

     "Um, yeah," Oliver said glancing at the blonde boy, the Quick boy sat next to Pamela who looked exhausted.

     "Hey, Ollie, have some breakfast," Felix said and Oliver smiled at Duncan who placed a boiled egg next to Felix's full English breakfast.

     "Oh, could I have a full English breakfast too please?" everyone paused their actions and looked at Oliver, including Silas who enjoyed the boy's confusion. From now on, he'd enjoy every single time Oliver Quick did something wrong or proved he didn't belong in their lives.

     Silas could see Duncan looking quickly at Aunt Elspeth for help. "Breakfast is on the side, darling, just help yourself," she smiled and Duncan smiled tightly.

     "How would you like your eggs?" Duncan asked.

     "It's fine, I can get them," Oliver said confused, Silas rolled his eyes and saw Farleigh smile behind his paper.

     "Not the eggs, the eggs are made for you," Farleigh said matter-of-factly.

     "Exactly! And everything else is on the side," Elspeth said.

     Oliver thought for a second before talking in a small voice. "Fried, over easy, please."

     By that moment, Silas had finished his plate and juice, so he stood up excusing himself from the scene. "Silas, darling, is something wrong? You've been quite off lately, do you want me to call a doctor?" Elspeth asked before he left.

     Silas gripped the top of the backrest of the chair he previously sat on and shook his head, lying. "I'm fine, Aunt Els, just have a lot of things on my mind right now," he gave her a soft smile.