Despite the numerous gossip mongers surrounding them, judging every move she makes, Seraphina still decided to attend today's mass, together with Aunt Veronica.
Wearing a baby blue morning gown her Aunt forced her to wear, Seraphina walked behind her Aunt whose chin is tipped upwards, her brow raising.
Today's mass is jam packed once again, perhaps, anticipating the arrival of the Hearts and even glimpse Zachary.
Unfortunately for them, Zachary hadn't attended church for multiple years now, ever since Mrs. Jane succumbed to a grave illness.
Before the mass began, Seraphina and Aunt Veronica seated in the front row kept their heads in front.
They could feel the soft murmurs behind them, definitely talking about them.
This is literally talking behind their backs. Besides, aren't they tired of this issue? This whole thing happened weeks ago already.
As far as Seraphina remembered, when continuous murders occurred in the town, they quickly dismissed it after a few days.
To stop herself from further annoyance, Seraphina forced her mind to shift into a different train of thoughts.
There, she found herself wondering what Zachary was doing , who watched her get dressed, even helped her a while ago.
Of course, Aunt Veronica thought Zachary was back in the Canning manor, perhaps engrossed in painting or whatever.
Little did she know, her favorite godson is right inside the Hearts manor, upstairs, in her niece's chamber which she noticed was always locked these past few weeks.
When Seraphina asks him what he'll do while they're gone, he simply shrugs, causing Seraphina to jokingly roll her eyes heavenwards.
Bidding him goodbye, Seraphina planted a peck on his now growing facial hair, tickling her. She was about to say that when she heard her aunt's footfalls downstairs, meaning, she's ready to go.
Before she could leave the room, Zachary stopped her from leaving by grabbing her hand, then he kissed her on the lips, Seraphina tiptoeing.
"I really am late, Zach," she chuckled at his cheek.
Seraphina was awoken from her memories when she felt someone familiar sat beside her, a warm arm encircling her shoulder.
When she looked at her side, her jaw dropped, her pupils dilated for there sat Zachary Canning beside her, looking handsome as ever.
His blond hair combed, his suit perfectly ironed, his shoes polished. Who is this guy?
No wonder the room grew quiet. She was about to ask him what he's doing here when Aunt Veronica raced her off.
Aunt Veronica instantly lightly slapped his arm which is still encircled around Seraphina. "Keep your hands off yourself, young man, many are watching," Aunt Veronica stressed.
After a second, it was Aunt Veronica who couldn't keep her hands off him, saying, "Oh Dear, oh dear, what an answered prayer, you've finally shown yourself up in the House of the Lord,", all while hugging her now suffocated godson.
"I figured I needed to hear Ms. Heart's gospel voice," he responded, earning a blush from Seraphina, a few gasps from behind, definitely eavesdropping.
Aunt Veronica pretended not to hear his statement, thus, changing the subject. How the newly appointed head priest of the Avebury Church originally came all the way from Texas and all.
Minutes after, the mass began. All throughout the mass, Zachary's fingers are intertwined with hers, tell you, he'll brush his thumb across her hand, sending chills down her spine.
If her aunt did notice her, again, she chose not to comment about it.
Right after the mass, the three of them were swarmed with curious church ladies, asking Zachary how he's been.
Zachary, still holding Seraphina's hand, merely smiled at the old woman whose brown eyes gaped down at their intertwined fingers.
Aunt Veronica, meanwhile, is busy talking with the priest regarding, judging from their serious facial expressions, about her. Perhaps, her aunt is confiding about her niece's scandal.
No wonder the priest is staring at Zachary and her, perhaps, just perhaps, he's thinking of the sin they committed.
The priest, an old man with thick brown hair, is not one to believe in such gossip but when he asked Mrs. Veronica Hearts regarding the issue, indeed, the smart young woman confessed about her sin in the trial.
Considering how the two young couples exchanged looks, their hands over each other, they looked very much in love. All-Father could ever do is nod, thinking, "Young Love,"
As the gossip mongers began to evaporate, Seraphina, together with Zachary left the church, strolling a few blocks to where the carriage was parked.
Still, Aunt Veronica is still completely engrossed with discussing whatever with Father.
"Did I tell you already how beautiful you are in blue?" exclaimed Zachary, his arm around her waist, their feet walking in sync.
Looking up at him due to their massive height difference, she responded, "I vividly remember hearing you say you prefer in black,"
"Let's just say you look great in every hue, love," reasoned-out Zachary.
Opening the brown carriage, Zachary swiftly wrapped his hands around her waist, mounting her inside, earning a soft sequel from here.
"A little warning next time, Mister," Seraphina scattered, Zachary merely shrugged, looking up at her.
She was about to scoot over, giving enough space for him when her eyes caught a black figure somewhere blended with the tall trees.
Blinking and squinting, she realized it's a tall hooded man.
Seraphina thought it was just a figment of her imagination when the hooded man began walking far from them, then, swiftly, he looked back, waving his hand off her.
Zachary must've noticed her stunned expression for his head immediately shot back, searching.
However, it's too late since the hooded man was already out of sight.
"Something's wrong?" Asked Zachary, both his brow raised.
She debated whether to tell him what she saw. You see, every time she saw a hooded figure, she knew something bad was bound to happen and that it had something to do with Zachary.
For starters, when she caught Zachary brutally murdering a hoard of poor animals, he was wearing the exact hood.
When Zachary was shot in front of the boarding school, the man was wearing a black hood.
Even when men who tried to bury her alive were all wearing black hoods.
In the end, Seraphina solely shook her head, saying, "Nah, I just saw a doe walk by,"
Zachary's not satisfied with her answer, clearly not buying her lie, still, he let her slide.
After a minute, Aunt Veronica returned with a frown in the carriage. When Seraphina asked her what's with the mood, her aunt merely shrugs saying she'll talk about it tomorrow.
As soon as they reached the Hearts manor, Aunt Veronica immediately excused herself, saying she needs an hour or two rest since she'll need to do gardening later.
That left Zachary and Seraphina in the sitting room all alone, her emerald eyes traveling around the room as if it's her first time here.
That's when she saw a painting hung over the wall beside the portraits of her late parents.
She looks just like her parents, that's for sure.
She stared at the next painting, Mrs. Jane was still alive and kicking, and so was Dorian. Mrs. Jane and Aunt Veronica sitting in the cream-colored coach, 13-year-old Seraphina sitting on the ground along with Dorian and Zachary standing behind the chair.
Before she knew it, she found herself staring at Zachary's face in the painting, smiling.
Zachary, without her notice, was already beside her, his arm draped across her shoulder, his brow raised, confused. She waved him off, "Oh, I just remembered something,"
Still staring at her, as if waiting for her to reveal what she was just thinking about, Seraphina let out a soft sigh.
"You see, when I was 10 years old, always playing around with Dorian in your manor's corridors, I would always stare at your portrait at that time. I confess, you're my first major crush, with all those serious faces and all,"
Zachary seems to not believe her judging fr his skeptical face but had the nerve to chuckle, shaking her head, she added, "Really, Zach, I really did have a crush on you, well, that was until I eventually met you in the library, remember that?"
Nodding, Zachary waited for her to continue her tale, a smile plastered in his face, absently brushing her knuckles.
"Let's just say, you seriously frightened me at that time, with all your intimidating looks and all, and your deep voice," she concluded, chuckling.
She also confessed that while her classmates back then kept asking her about Dorian, it didn't seem to bother her for some reason despite having feelings towards Dorian.
And that she felt thankful that no one is asking for the older brother.
Zachary asked her why. With that, she did not answer, blushing.
Later that day in the Hearts manor, Seraphina was busy stripping off her church gown, Zachary downstairs, helping the staff out up another painting when she noticed the door was ajar and that a note suddenly appeared in her bed.
With jelly feet, she walked towards her bed, tremblingly picked it up and read it.
"You should've stayed away, Sweetie," was written in the brown parchment.
Reading the note several times, Seraphina finally digested what it said. Before she knew it, a soft gasp escaped from her lips, still half-naked, wearing only her undergarments, she clenched the note hard.
Before she entered her chamber, no such note existed in her bed, meaning, the sender was still inside the Hearts manor.
With that, she abruptly fetched her robe, not caring if she looked utterly improper, and ran downstairs towards Zachary.
Not bothering to knock, she quickly opened the mahogany door, there she saw Zachary, a hammer and a nail in his hands. Dozens of paintings swarming on his feet.
As soon as Zachary saw her, with her wrecked state, he instantly knew something's amiss.
Without saying a word, he dropped the hammer and nail, running straight to her, his hands traveling around her body, checking for any bruises, eyes worried.
Seraphina handed him the note.
After reading it, Zachary was on the verge of opening his mouth when they heard a horrified scream of Aunt Veronica coming from the garden.
Quickly, both of them ran downstairs, hand-in-hand, both their hearts beating fast.
When they reached Aunt Veronica, her gardening apron was all bloody, what one's yellow was now unrecognizable.
There, they followed the direction of Aunt Veronica's eyes, and what lies in front of them caused Seraphina to gasp.
For all the tall gnomes they have been all shattered, their pointed hats missing, the mockingbird's Aunt Veronica bought back in America are all swimming in their own blood in the pool.
Obviously, the birds were murdered using the sharp hat.
Before Seraphina could stop Zachary, he already left them, running back inside the house, probably in search of the intruder.
After a minute, he came back, sweaty, gasping for air, this time, Seraphina ran with him, leaving Aunt Veronica completely in a state of shock at what transpired.
As soon as they saw the carriage parked outside, they knew something's amiss.
Hurriedly, Zachary strolled towards the carriage, with much force, he opened it and what lies inside completely turned their worlds upside down.
For inside the carriage was the coachman, his head chopped off and so are each his fingers, his eyeballs plucked out of its socket.
Everything inside the carriage body there, the floor, even in the ceiling.
What made things worse was how the gnomes' missing pointed hats all buried the coachman's head.
Gripping Zachary's shirt, Seraphina hid behind him, suppressing a gasp.
When Zachary leaped towards the corpse, that's when he realized the words, ''No way out," were scribed into its chest. Blood spilling.
With that, furiously, Zachary, dragging Seraphina with him, his arms around her shoulders, walked back inside the manor.
Fortunately, Aunt Veronica was already sprayed across the coach, the housemaids fanning her, providing her a glass of water, still, her eyes remained in complete shock.
Seraphina was forced to sit on the other chair when Zachary led her to it; she realized Zachary's going somewhere.
With desperation, she looked at him, her frail cold hands gripping his hands, "Stay please,"
Instead, Zachary angrily shook his head, saying, "I need to end all this,"
Seraphina swore she heard him murmuring the name 'Jack' under his breath.
Who is this Jack? Is he the one who sneaked inside the manor?
And where is Zachary going? Didn't he realize they might be in grave danger since the intruder might still be here?
Panicking, she remained his grip around him, "Please, just let the authorities handle this, Zach,"
Still, he remained hardheaded, furiously shaking his head, his lips into a thin line, brows meeting.
Seraphina, close to crying, still begged him to not go.
"Please don't go, Zach, please, I am begging you. I love you, please, I can't lose you," cried Seraphina, her lips quivering.
Zachary stopped in his tracks, looked her in the eyes, suddenly, the anger in his eyes vanished, love and surprise replacing it.
Still, the determination was planted in his eyes, it was perhaps he debating whether to go or not.
In the end, she lost.
Instead, his blazing blue eyes met her crying emerald eyes, as if speaking rather right through his eyes, he merely nodded, and kissed her forehead.
With that, he was gone.
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I accidentally reposted the previous chapter a while ago, I know, yikes. But, really, I thank you, for messaging me regarding it.
On the other hand, stay safe, fellas!