On the ensuing evening, Theseus, Lord Aurel of Blackmere, was seated in one of the splendid saloons of his palace, pondering the strange injunction his deceased father had left regarding the mysterious closet, when Elias was announced.
Theseus rose to receive him, saying in a cordial, though melancholy tone, "Sir, I expected you."
"And let me hasten to express the regret I felt for addressing your lordship coldly and haughtily last night," exclaimed Elias. "At the time, I could only see in you the son of the man who dishonored someone very dear to my heart."
"I can well understand your feelings on that occasion, Sir," replied Theseus. "Alas, the sins of the fathers are often visited upon their children. But, whatever the course of our conversation, I implore you to spare as much as possible the memory of my sire."
"Think not, my lord," said Elias, "that I would reproach you for a deed in which you had no part, nor control. Nor would I ever disrespect him who gave you life, though he is now no more."
"Your kind language has already made me your friend," exclaimed Theseus. "Now, tell me how I might repair—or at least mitigate—the wrong done to the fair creature in whom you express such interest."
"That young lady is my sister," Elias replied, his voice firm.
"Your sister, Sir? Yet, it seems she did not recognize you—"
"Many years have passed since we last met," Elias interrupted. "We were separated in childhood."
"Did you not speak of some relative—an old man who once lived near the Black Forest, but is now in Lumea?" asked Theseus.
"Alas, that old man is no more," returned Elias. "I used his name to gain Thalia's trust and remove her from a situation where her grief was so openly displayed. Had I revealed myself as her brother, she might have suspected treachery or deceit in such a corrupt city as Lumea. But subsequent explanations cleared any doubts between us."
"I am pleased to hear that she has found such a relative and friend," said Theseus. "Now, please tell me how I may atone for the injury done to your sister by my late father."
"I possess wealth beyond measure—far more than I could ever need," Elias said bitterly, "but gold cannot restore my sister's honor. Let us set that aside. I only ask whether there is any lady in your family who matches this description."
Elias then proceeded to describe the mysterious lady who had so terrified Thalia on three separate occasions, painting a vivid portrait.
"Sir, you describe the Lady Antheia, my sister!" exclaimed Theseus, struck by the accuracy of Elias's description.
"Your sister, my lord?" cried Elias. "Then Dame Drusilla must have deceived Thalia by saying that the Lady Antheia was a beauty from the cold north rather than the sunny south."
"Dame Drusilla?" asked Theseus. "Do you refer to the mother of Dorian, my father's trusted servant?"
"The same," replied Elias. "It was at Dame Drusilla's house that your father placed my sister, Thalia, where she has lived for nearly four years."
"Why, then, have you made inquiries about the Lady Antheia?" asked Theseus.
"I will explain, with all candor," said Elias. He then recounted all the details about the mysterious lady and Thalia.
"There must be some mistake, Sir," said Theseus, deeply perplexed. "My sister, as you know, is so deeply afflicted that she lacks the faculties to recognize any such affair. No hint ever reached me about it until the truth came to light at my father's funeral. Furthermore, if Antheia had discovered a connection between my father and your sister, she would have told me. We share a bond so deep that no secret could remain between us. Our skill in communicating with the language of the deaf and dumb is such that no barrier exists to our exchange of thoughts."
"And yet, if the Lady Antheia discovered such a connection, her hatred for Thalia would be understandable," Elias said. "For Antheia must see my sister as the partner of her father's disgrace, the dishonored victim of his passions."
"Antheia has no secret from me," Theseus stated firmly.
"But why did Dame Drusilla deceive my sister about the Lady Antheia's appearance?" Elias pressed.
"I know not. However...."
Before Francisco could continue, the door opened, and Antheia entered the room.
She was dressed in deep black, her raven hair, no longer flowing in curls, was gathered into massy bands at the sides, tied at the back in a knot, from which a rich veil cascaded down over her stunning figure. Her black velvet stomacher accentuated the flawless whiteness of her neck and the voluptuous form beneath.
The moment her dark eyes fell upon Elias, she started slightly, though the movement was imperceptible to both him and her brother.
Theseus quickly conveyed to her, through the swift language of the fingers, the name of their visitor and his relationship to Thalia—the young woman who had caused such confusion at the funeral.
Antheia's eyes gleamed with interest upon understanding Elias's relation to Thalia. She bowed to him, a courtesy rarely extended to strangers.
Theseus then used the sign language to explain the details about the "mysterious lady" who had so troubled Thalia.
A flush of indignation colored Antheia's cheeks, and her fingers moved with rapid precision as she signed her reply.
"My sister desires me to inform you, Sir," Theseus translated, "that she is not the person whom Lady Thalia has accused. She has never seen Thalia, nor entered her chamber, and vehemently denies the accusation regarding the jewels. She also wishes to clarify that after reading our father's will, she retired to her room and remained there until the morning. Therefore, it was not her face that Thalia saw at the window."
"I beg you, my lord," Elias said, his tone sincere, "to let this matter rest. There is some mystery in all this, which only time can resolve. Would you express to your sister how deeply I regret any suspicion cast upon her?"
Theseus signaled these remarks to Antheia. Rising from her seat, she approached Elias and offered her hand in token of goodwill.
Elias took the hand, pressing his lips to it respectfully. But as his lips met her skin, a strange sensation of heat surged through him. When he lifted his eyes, he found her gaze fixed on him—intense, passionate, and searing.
In that brief exchange of glances, something unspoken passed between them—a subtle understanding, an undeniable attraction. Antheia read in Elias' eyes the admiration he could not hide, while he sensed the magnetic pull she felt toward him.
Yet Theseus, innocent in his ignorance, noticed none of this. The quick and fleeting exchange was too subtle for him to discern.
When Elias prepared to leave, Antheia made the following gesture to her brother:
"Convey to Sir that he will always be welcome at Blackmere Palace, for we owe him our kindness and friendship as the brother of the woman our father dishonored."
To their astonishment, Elias raised his hands and signed as fluently as they did.
"I thank you, your ladyship, for your unexpected kindness," he signed. "I shall not forget your gracious invitation."
A glow of delight spread across Antheia's face as she saw that Elias was able to communicate with her through the language of the deaf and dumb. She smiled and signed, "We look forward to your next visit."
Elias bowed low and took his leave, his thoughts filled with the beautiful Antheia.