The Fiery Mute

4. Incapacitated

Trigger Warning: This chapter involves severe violence (domestically so to speak) and traumatic injury; there will be mention of blood. Reader discretion is advised.

     The following morning, the woman woke. No servants came to her this morning, this made her curious. Dressed in a lacey embroidered nightgown, she walked down the stairs and found the women there, Anita and Sylvia, and Landra all sat in the large living room, Landra paced, anger rolled off of her.

     "Why am I getting in trouble? He started this affair! WHY?! How did he find out??" Landra screamed in fury.

     Anita turned her head and does a double-take. "Miss?"

     She peeled herself from the wall, her bare feet touching the cool wood.

     "Miss, I didn't realize you would be up this early..." Sylvia expressed, standing up and walking to her.

     Landra swished her head toward her, her eyes boiling with rage. "Morning." She said surly.

     Sylvia and Anita led her back up the stairs.

     "Oy vey! Can't believe she was having a secret affair with Master's brother!" Anita squeaked.

     "Me neither, though, I'm not all that surprised, she's been trying to woo Master ever since she began working here." Sylvia shook her head disapprovingly.

     "That's true..." Anita agreed quietly.

     She sat down listening to them converse, and when they began paying attention to her, they let her take a shower, this time giving her a long-sleeved long dress; it began to get colder this morning. She wondered to herself how Nicholas came to know she was with Jasper...Perhaps he had known, Jasper was a player, after all, she thought to herself.

     When she went downstairs, Landra was gone. Nicholas looked over to her, his hair shining golden in the sunlight.

     "Good morning..." he said to her.

     She gave a small smile.

     "Did you sleep fine last night?" He asked.

     She shrugged.

     "I see."

     She pointed to him, he raised a brow. She mouthed, "You?"

     He chuckled, even though it wasn't funny, "I slept fine."

     He came closer quite fast, and she gasped when his fingers touched her cheek, sending warm feelings through her body, sending jolts of electricity from head to toe.

     "Are you sure he did not harm you?" He asked sweetly, but with deep concern.

     She nodded, eyes downward.

     His hand lowered. "I will be going to a meeting today, I will be back later. If you need anything, just ask the servants."

     With that, he left, and consequently, her day went on.

******

She managed to go to the library, reading the book she had forgotten about the other day. Just through the middle of the story, she looked up to the sound of the door opening and closing. There, stood a loathsome and fire-breathily perturbed Landra.

     She sat there as Landra stormed over. When Landra's hands slam down on her book, she shivered away.

     "What did you tell him?" She growled.