Ellie entered the Glocheshire mansion after a morning walk around the estate and the plantation surrounding it.

She had basked under a large hole and was quite eager to tell Byron that they ought to have a picnic by the lake that afternoon. It was a rare sunny day!

But instead of the calm quiet that was inherent of Glocheshire, a commotion greeted Ellie.

"What's happening?" she demanded when she saw men in uniforms dragging Byron down the hall.

The leader of the men replied, "His lordship is under arrest."

"What?" Ellie exclaimed. "For what?"

"Treason."

-Above and Below

*****

"This will put us in a ton of trouble, Wynne!" Ezra shouted after Wynne.

Wynne looked over his shoulder, throwing his young uncle a murderous look.

"I am merely telling the truth! The moment we interfere and the very moment they learn about it, we are dead!"

Wynne stopped and grabbed Ezra by the collar and growled, "If you do not go with me, Ezra, their lives will be on you! And I will skin you myself before Noah and Amelia can get their hands on you." He pushed Ezra away and raced to his horse. There were very few guests outside the tent now as everyone else were inside, waiting for the play to start.

"Bloody tarnation!" he heard Ezra scream behind him before following his path.

"My lord! My lord! The play!" a man shouted after them as Wynne and Ezra jumped on their respective horses.

"Get on with it!" he shouted, kicking his horse to make it move.

Without another glance at the confused servant, Wynne urged his horse to gallop away from Ulric, intent to get to Wickhurst as fast as he could.

Ezra was not far behind him.

His jaw was tight as he bent lower, eyes stern on the road. His thoughts were no longer on anyone but the children in the Devitt household.

He honestly did not know what to expect when he got there or how he could even face it. All he knew was that there were children's lives at stake tonight and it was because of his bloody family.

The very moment they entered Wickhurst, Wynne realized he did not know which way to go.

"I have been following them since this morning," Ezra said, passing by Wynne.

Wynne followed the man, his heart already racing.

Bloody hell, he left his pistol in his office. Should a fight ensue, he only had his fists.

Wynne did not have to ask Ezra if the man knew where he was going because from where they were, they could already hear screaming. And the air was getting warmer—hotter even. The hint of smoke filled his nostrils.

He stiffened as he realized what was happening.

"Fire! Fire! Help!" someone was shouting from afar.

Wynne's horse was starting to show signs of distress so he opted to jump off. Ezra did the same and they both found a safe alley to tether the animals before running to where the fire was causing havoc. When they emerged out of alleyway, they ran against a number of people escaping the scene and both stood stunned at what they were seeing from across the street.

"Bloody tell me that is not the Devitt house," he said to Ezra as they looked up. The top landing, probably the attic, was almost engulfed by fire now. The glass window of the attic cracked and shattered, giving way to an angry fire which blasted hot light over the street below.

"Fire!"

Fire in the Town was considered crucial. It was amongst the feared tragedies for it could ruin an entire village in under a few hours. A large town such as Wickhurst was fully equipped to fight one, but it seemed that help would be delayed tonight. If his uncle was behind this, help would be timed perfectly to arrive to save the village, but not the house itself and everything in it.

Wynne's attention was pulled from the house to a hysterical woman crying in the middle of the cobbled street. In her arms she was carrying a crying girl. Beside her was a stunned boy looking up at the fire.

"Johnny, they are still there! Johnny!" the nurse was crying.

"It's impossible! They're on the second landing!" a man answered, shielding his face with his hand.

"We can't leave them! Please, Johnny!"

"I promise ye, they was behind me earlier. And they disappeared! I couldn't get back te get 'em!" the man replied, face filled with anguish.

"Jed is on his way to Ulric!" another crying woman said as she grabbed the young boy in her arms to shield him from the sight of fire. "Don't look, Master Harold. Your Mama and Papa will be here soon."

The servants were still in their nightgowns, two or three nursing an injured footman who was trying to explain how he tried to search for the two girls but could not get past the grand staircase.

"Oh, my lord! Call Lord Ralph! Quick! Anyone! Call anyone!" a crazed woman was shouting at no one in particular as she ran around in a trance. "Any Everard, please! Oh, my dear Fee and Faye! Oh, God, please! Please!"

Wynne looked up at the top landing of the Devitt home. The fire had not yet consumed the entire second landing, but it would be soon if they did not do anything.

"Do not even think—" Ezra started to say when Wynne took one step toward the house.

Wynne shook his uncle's hand away. "Either you go with me, or you stay out here and watch," he murmured before running toward the side of the house, away from the crowd of panicking servants and growing onlookers.

"Wynne! Are you bloody insane!" Ezra shouted after him but he had to act fast. He had no time to waste arguing over a matter that ought not to be subject to discussion. Two girls were trapped in that bloody house! "Bloody hell!" Ezra shouted when another windowpane burst from the top landing, raining down on them both.

The side of the house was dark, but it was not hard to not miss the small window that led to the basement kitchen. He kicked it open, brushing aside glass debris with his boot.

"Wynne, we can wait for—"

"Go home, Ezra, if you wish to have none of this. Have a sleep slumber if you can," he growled before he wormed himself through the small opening. He landed in a dark kitchen, but the evidence of the fire above was in the air. He pulled off his cravat, soaked it in water and tied it around his head to cover his nose and mouth.

As he excited the kitchen, he heard Ezra heavily coughing behind him. He gave his uncle one last glance before exiting the room to look for the two girls.

The man outside was not lying. Wynne found the grand staircase an impossible path to reach the second landing as the floor directly above it had fallen down.

Realizing the impact of the fire at such a short period of time, Wynne could start to taste the bitter taste of panic and defeat. Even he would not survive inside for long. If the fire would not eat him alive, the heat and smoke could very well do enough damage on their own.

"Fiona! Faye!" he shouted over the crackles of the fire.

He heard a weak voice coming from above them, a whimper of some sort.

Ezra, now beside him, nose and mouth covered by a kitchen towel, looked up. "Bloody hell," they both muttered when they saw the two girls in their dirtied white nightgowns standing at the edge of the balustrade.

The said balustrade which had been connected to the grand staircase was about to give in, along with the floor the two girls were standing on.

"Help us, please," one of the girls said, voice choking in tears and smoke. A glass shattered from somewhere and the two girls flinched in alarm as they held on to the balustrade with dear life.

"Slowly take a step back," Wynne ordered in panic as the floor shook. "Slowly away from the balustrade."

"We cannot!" The girl was Fiona. "The floor is shaking—ah!"

The floor dropped a few inches, taking the girls with it.

Wynne looked around in panic for something they could use to reach the girls.

"Fiona," Wynne started, concentrating on urging the girls to step back to safety. "It is Fiona, yes?"

The girls nodded in tears and coughed. "Faye is sick. Quite sick." The girl standing beside Fiona was swaying in her feet, still conscious.

But not for long, Wynne feared. The smoke was getting thicker. He pointed at the large cabinet standing against the wall and Ezra immediately understood.

"Fiona, I need you to take Faye a step back. Please, sweetheart," Wynne said as calmly as he could while Ezra pushed a cabinet across the room toward the floor directly under the more stable part of the balustrade. "Just one step, Fiona. That's it." Wynne helped his uncle push the cabinet as he urged Fiona further, saying, "Now, take another step."

"I did it," Fiona's shaking voice said from above them.

"Did you take Faye with you?"

"Yes. She's sick. Please, help."

"We are on our way, sweetheart. Be brave," Wynne said, pulling a chair beside the cabinet. He climbed on it and unto the cabinet with Ezra keeping the furniture sturdy. He was not on the level of the second landing, but he was close enough to reach the balustrade.

Pulling himself up, Wynne managed to climb over the railings and unto the second landing.

The girls were pressed against the wall, their eyes wide in horror. They were still standing over the weak floor that would soon join the broken staircase below. Wynne had to pull them back to the secure segment of the floor now.

With one hand on the railing, Wynne reached out to offer his other hand to Faye. "Faye, sweetheart, reach out for my hand."

But Faye refused to let go of Fiona.

"Please, Faye, reach for my hand."

"Go," Fiona weakly urged her sister. "Go, Faye."

Faye reluctantly reached for Wynne's hand and he immediately pulled the girl to safety. He did not waste more time turning for Fiona who was already reaching out her hand.

The ground underneath her trembled just as Wynne grabbed a hold of her hand.

The girls hugged each other the moment they thought they were safe.

But they were far from it.

The heat was nearly unbearable and Wynne could not find another way to get them back to the first landing other than the one he took.

He knelt down to face the girls, urgency in his voice as he said, "Now, we have to go back down but we cannot use the stairs. You have to trust me and my friend to help you. Can you do that?"

Fiona and Faye nodded. "Are you our guardian angels?"

Wynne bitterly smiled behind his cravat. "I am no angel, sweetheart." He stood up and looked over the balustrade and shouted for Ezra to keep the cabinet steady.

He turned back to Faye. "I will guide you over the balustrade. I will hold your hands until your feet land on the top of the cabinet. But you will have to be very still. Will you do that for me?"

Faye nodded weakly.

Wynne took a lungful of air before he hauled Faye over the balustrade. "Place your feet through the railings," he ordered and the child obliged. "Now, hold on to my shoulders. I will not let you fall, darling. Just hold on tight with every bit of strength you have left." Faye did as he asked, allowing Wynne a few seconds to transfer his hands to her arms. "Now, take one foot out and try to reach for the cabinet. No, do not be scared. I am holding you."

"You can do it, Faye," Fiona said, coughing as she spoke.

"Cover your nose and mouth, Fiona," Wynne ordered.

Faye moved her right leg and tried to reach out for the cabinet but she could not.

"It is okay, it is okay," Wynne said, sliding his hands down to wrists. "Let go of your other foot. I am holding you." He guided her lower until her foot touched the top of the cabinet, using all of his strength to keep them both from falling over. Wynne did not let go of Faye until the girl's feet were safely planted on the cabinet.

"That's it, sweetheart," Ezra said from below. "Find your balance. Now, slowly sit down. Dangle your legs to the side of the cabinet. Very good. Now, reach out your arms and come here. You're safe now."

Wynne looked down to find his uncle standing on the chair, gathering Faye into his arms.

He straightened and found Fiona looking quite determined. He smiled. "You are one brave girl, Fiona. I am certain you can do this, too."

Fiona blinked and coughed. "I fence. I have terrific balance."

Wynne reached down to lift her over the balustrade. "Of course you do," he said with a grunt.

Following the same approach as earlier, Wynne managed to successfully transfer Fiona unto the cabinet and into Ezra's arms.

He followed as quickly as he could, already feeling quite dizzy. Standing on top of the cabinet, he shook his head.

"Are you all right?" Ezra asked from below.

Wynne nodded and jumped the rest of the distance to the ground. He and Ezra looked at each other. They both knew they could not return outside together with the girls.

By now, there could be hundreds of people outside who might recognize them. He looked at the main doors. It was still passable.

He grabbed the two girls by the hand and guided them toward it.

Without thinking, he reached for the door handle and was immediately burned. He shouted, jumping back in pain. The door swung open and he turned to the two girls.

He looked at their scared faces one last time before he said, "Go. Go to safety, sweethearts."

Wynne's eyes lingered into Fiona's. "You will come with us?"

"We will be right behind you," Wynne lied. "Now, go."

The girl nodded bravely, taking her sister's hand and pulling her out of the house.

Wynne heard the cry of relief and panic from the servants outside as he ran back to Ezra who was already running back to the kitchen.

"You go ahead," Wynne ordered, already turning around to go back.

"Bloody hell, Wynne! Where the hell do you think—"

"Go! I will be right behind you!" he shouted over his shoulder.

He ran back to the cabinet and easily lifted himself back to the second landing.

He knew what he was doing was crazy, but something was telling him he had to. He searched the second landing for the study and found it almost entirely engulfed in flame. So the fire started in the attic, causing the third landing to fall down first. This room was far from the attic yet it was in so much flame compared to the other parts of the landing.

Another fire was started here.

The heat was suffocating, the crackling fire intense.

It was impossible. Nothing could be saved from the room. Changing his mind, he ran back down the corridor to look for another study.

Someone like Margaret Everard would surely keep another office.

A Leaguer with secrets would not simply hide everything in a bloody study.

He skidded to a stop when he passed by a room that looked like the nursery. Of course. How else could a Leaguer watch over her child while working on something?

Entering the room which was now filled with smoke, he remembered how the Theobalds hid Maxine's room by building a secret door on the wall. Wynne immediately started searching. He found it behind the crib. Pushing it open, he found himself inside a smaller version of the study down the hall.

*****

The fire destroyed everything inside the Devitt home.

The firemen came just in time to stop the fire from spreading throughout the neighborhood, but not in time to save anything from the place of origin.

Margaret and her entire family took refuge in the Everard manor, all safe and shaken.

News of the fire reached every member of the family and now almost everyone was coming home, including their eldest, Benedict. They were yet to receive word from Nicholas and Sophia.

Emma had no time to even feel anything after the fire. She could even barely remember how Margaret received a note at the play and how it caused blood to drain down Margaret's face. All she could recall was that they hurriedly made their way back to Wickhurst to find the firemen already fighting the fire.

Margaret and Cole were in panic until they were told that Ralph and Levi had already taken the children and the nannies home to the Everard estate.

With no time to waste mourning over the wrecked Devitt estate, they rushed home to be with the children.

Lady Alice had already called for the doctor to see to the children and everyone else talked in hurried whispers as they gathered information on how the fire started, forming theories as to why it happened if it was indeed intentional.

Emma had no time to join the discussion as she aided her mother, Ysabella and their sisters-in-law around the household, making certain that the children were comfortable.

Faye and Fiona would not leave each other's side. The doctor said the two girls were doing well and that they were still in a little shock.

Emma was unable to shed a single drop of tear because it was taken over by matters they ought to attend to right away.

Two days later, Emma found herself watching over the children in the playroom as they played with their cousins as though nothing had happened. Could they remember everything, or were they merely suppressing the horrific memories?

As she watched the two girls, Faye and Fiona, she could hardly keep herself from asking. She heard from the servants. The two girls were trapped inside the house and they miraculously survived.

All the servants knew about what happened were from the first words Fiona told them when she and Faye got out of the house. "Our guardian angels saved us!"

That was the last they heard from either Fiona or Faye about the incident.

Emma could not force them to talk now. It might trigger something and God knew what it could bring to their mental health. Perhaps when everything was back to normal, she could ask about what happened.

She let out a shaky sigh, both of relief and stress, as she watched the children play.

And then, as if with a snap of a finger, she felt tears streaming down her face. She hurriedly wiped them with her hands before any of the children saw.

Downstairs, her brothers and Margaret were talking. In the kitchen somewhere, her mother and sisters-in-law were with Ysabella, looking over dinner preparations.

Benedict and his family were due to arrive tonight.

Nearly everyone would be here, but it would not be for a happy Everard occasion.

It was for an urgent family meeting.