Saraphine

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Saraphine raced out of the room with Ellen on her heels.

Shot?

That had clearly been a foreman named Billy announcing that someone had been shot...

"Daniel!" Saraphine screamed when she saw him in the doorway soaked in blood.

"It's not mine," he was quick to assure her.

Saraphine realized that Billy, Daniel and Samuel were working together to carry a body into the home. "Daddy!" Ellen cried out, her voice echoing against wood, stone and plaster.

Mr. Levenworth had been shot in the middle of his stomach. Blood poured from him and his clothes were soaked in it. His face was colorless and his breathing was shallow.

The man was dying. Saraphine did not need to be a doctor to know that was fact. How had he been shot? Had Samuel.........?

"Save him! Oh please!" Ellen's desperate pleas shook Saraphine from her shock.

"Get him to a bed," she said to Daniel. He simply nodded and led the men upstairs.

"Miss Ellen, let's go sit down. We can go to the kitchen and have tea....."

"My father needs a doctor," Ellen argued.

Saraphine drew in a deep breath. "The doctor could never get here in time.. and even if he could, there's not much to be done."

Ellen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're probably happy he's dying!"

"Of course I'm not," Saraphine countered honestly.

Mr. Levenworth dying right now was a curse—certainly not the blessing Saraphine had hoped it would be. Ellen's body sagged suddenly and Saraphine was quick to each out and grab her, steadying the woman on her feet.

"I need to sit down, Saraphine. I can't...."

Without a word, Saraphine led Ellen to the kitchen and put water on to boil. The kitchen was silent. Ellen's face was colorless and her expression void of all emotion.

Saraphine tried desperately to shove down her own fears and worried. Had Samuel murdered Mr. Levenworth to claim quick control of the plantation? She had been so hopeful that life had been looking up just a short time ago. But now?

Now Saraphine feared it would be worse than ever before.

Saraphine and Ellen sat at the small table in the kitchen—each of them staring into steaming, untouched cups of tea, too lost in their own thoughts to attempt conversation.

Ellen's weak voice was the first to break the silence. "Saraphine, please... Please check on my father. I can't...."

With a slow nod, Saraphine pushed herself to her feet and headed toward the main hall. It wasn't hard to find the room Mr. Levenworth was in. Saraphine merely had to follow the trail of blood along the polished floor and plush rugs.

She took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the room. Saraphine had seen enough death in her life to recognize it upon the bed.