talk a few days ago from one of my friends about a situation that might help us—”
“What kind of situation?”
“Let me check on it and see. You wait here with Mary. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll explain once I know all the details.”
“But Mother, what should I do if someone comes here?” Mary asked, truly frightened by everything that was happening.
“Go back in my bedroom with Destiny and stay there. Don’t come out no matter what.”
“All right.”
Mary led Destiny back to the safety of her mother’s room.
Sylvia slipped out of the house, locking the door behind her, and hurried off down the alleyway. She had to move fast if she was going to be able to save Destiny. She couldn’t let anyone find the girl—not after what had just happened. Faithful servant that she’d been to Miss Annabelle, there was no way she was going to let Destiny come to any further harm. Somehow, someway, she was going to get her safely out of town that very night, and she had a pretty good idea of how she was going to do it.
Bryce stirred and slowly began to regain consciousness. He tried to sit up but groaned aloud as the movement sent violent pain shooting through his head and face. He collapsed back on the floor and lifted one hand to his throbbing forehead. He felt the wetness there and took his hand away to discover it was covered in blood. Rage filled him as he slowly began to recall what had happened.
“Destiny…” Bryce snarled her name as he finally managed to pull himself up to sit on the sofa. The pain was still savage, but his anger sustained him. He looked around, and when he saw the shattered remains of the vase on the floor, he realized what she’d done. “You little bitch—You’re not going to get away with this…”
He struggled to his feet and staggered toward the door. As soon as he got himself cleaned up, he was going after her. He paused as he passed by a small mirror on the wall and was horrified by his own reflection. He realized then that he was cut up so badly he was going to have to send a servant for the doctor. Throwing the door wide, he slammed out into the hall, shouting for one of the servants as he moved unsteadily toward the staircase.
The sleepy-looking doorman appeared a moment later and was shocked at the sight of Bryce leaning weakly against the wall, covered in blood.
“Mr. Parker! What happened?” He rushed to put an arm around his employer to help support him.
“To hell with what happened!” he snapped. “Get me upstairs and send someone for the doctor!”
The servant said no more as he helped Bryce up the steps to his bedroom and onto the bed. He dampened a towel from the pitcher of water on his dressing table and gave it to Bryce before hurrying from the room to find someone to go for the doctor.
It was almost an hour later when Dr. Murray finished tending to Bryce’s injuries. He’d had to wrap the injured man’s head in bandages to stop the bleeding.
“You were very lucky, Bryce,” the physician told him, his tone reflecting the seriousness of the injuries. “You will make a complete recovery, but you could have been killed. Who did this to you? You need to let the law know right away!”
Bryce glared up at the doctor from where he was sitting on the side of his bed. “You don’t have to worry about getting the law involved. I’ll handle this myself.”
“But—”
“You heard me!”
“All right.”
“And you don’t need to mention this to anyone. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Doctor Murray knew what a powerful, influential man Bryce Parker was. He also knew the man had made some enemies over the years with his cutthroat business dealings. He assumed that it was those business dealings that had caused the confrontation he’d been involved in. He said no more about going to the law, but he advised his patient, “As it is—you are going to have scars, but you will be all
“What kind of situation?”
“Let me check on it and see. You wait here with Mary. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll explain once I know all the details.”
“But Mother, what should I do if someone comes here?” Mary asked, truly frightened by everything that was happening.
“Go back in my bedroom with Destiny and stay there. Don’t come out no matter what.”
“All right.”
Mary led Destiny back to the safety of her mother’s room.
Sylvia slipped out of the house, locking the door behind her, and hurried off down the alleyway. She had to move fast if she was going to be able to save Destiny. She couldn’t let anyone find the girl—not after what had just happened. Faithful servant that she’d been to Miss Annabelle, there was no way she was going to let Destiny come to any further harm. Somehow, someway, she was going to get her safely out of town that very night, and she had a pretty good idea of how she was going to do it.
Bryce stirred and slowly began to regain consciousness. He tried to sit up but groaned aloud as the movement sent violent pain shooting through his head and face. He collapsed back on the floor and lifted one hand to his throbbing forehead. He felt the wetness there and took his hand away to discover it was covered in blood. Rage filled him as he slowly began to recall what had happened.
“Destiny…” Bryce snarled her name as he finally managed to pull himself up to sit on the sofa. The pain was still savage, but his anger sustained him. He looked around, and when he saw the shattered remains of the vase on the floor, he realized what she’d done. “You little bitch—You’re not going to get away with this…”
He struggled to his feet and staggered toward the door. As soon as he got himself cleaned up, he was going after her. He paused as he passed by a small mirror on the wall and was horrified by his own reflection. He realized then that he was cut up so badly he was going to have to send a servant for the doctor. Throwing the door wide, he slammed out into the hall, shouting for one of the servants as he moved unsteadily toward the staircase.
The sleepy-looking doorman appeared a moment later and was shocked at the sight of Bryce leaning weakly against the wall, covered in blood.
“Mr. Parker! What happened?” He rushed to put an arm around his employer to help support him.
“To hell with what happened!” he snapped. “Get me upstairs and send someone for the doctor!”
The servant said no more as he helped Bryce up the steps to his bedroom and onto the bed. He dampened a towel from the pitcher of water on his dressing table and gave it to Bryce before hurrying from the room to find someone to go for the doctor.
It was almost an hour later when Dr. Murray finished tending to Bryce’s injuries. He’d had to wrap the injured man’s head in bandages to stop the bleeding.
“You were very lucky, Bryce,” the physician told him, his tone reflecting the seriousness of the injuries. “You will make a complete recovery, but you could have been killed. Who did this to you? You need to let the law know right away!”
Bryce glared up at the doctor from where he was sitting on the side of his bed. “You don’t have to worry about getting the law involved. I’ll handle this myself.”
“But—”
“You heard me!”
“All right.”
“And you don’t need to mention this to anyone. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Doctor Murray knew what a powerful, influential man Bryce Parker was. He also knew the man had made some enemies over the years with his cutthroat business dealings. He assumed that it was those business dealings that had caused the confrontation he’d been involved in. He said no more about going to the law, but he advised his patient, “As it is—you are going to have scars, but you will be all
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