Chapter 7 - THE SEARCH
The missing item was a gold watch.
Giovanni’s watch.
Mrs. Gable stood in the hallway with two maids behind her.
“I noticed the drawer was open.”
Lorenzo ended his call.
“When?”
“Just now.”
Nora’s stomach tightened.
Mrs. Gable looked at her.
“The girl spends a great deal of time alone with him.”
“You sent me there.”
“And apparently I trusted you.”
Lorenzo raised one hand.
“Enough.”
But the accusation had already spread.
Nora saw it in the maids’ faces.
Pity from one.
Relief from the other.
Neither wanted to be the person standing in her place.
“Search my room,” Nora said.
Lorenzo studied her.
“You don’t have to volunteer.”
“I’m not going to let her leave it hanging.”
Mrs. Gable immediately turned toward the servants’ stairs.
Nora noticed how quickly she moved.
Too quickly.
They entered Nora’s small room above the laundry.
A folded baby blanket lay on the bed.
Three used baby outfits sat beside it.
Her shoes were lined against the wall because the closet barely held her coat.
Mrs. Gable went straight to the dresser.
She opened the top drawer.
“There.”
The gold watch rested beneath a stack of socks.
Nora stopped breathing.
“I’ve never seen that before.”
Mrs. Gable lifted it.
“Of course you haven’t.”
Lorenzo didn’t look at the watch.
He looked at Mrs. Gable.
“Why that drawer?”
She blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t check the bed.
The closet.
Her coat.
You opened that drawer.”
“A lucky guess.”
Nora’s hands were numb.
“She planted it.”
Mrs. Gable turned on her.
“You ungrateful little—”
“Put it down,” Lorenzo said.
The housekeeper obeyed.
One of the maids stepped backward.
Lorenzo saw.
“What?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“What did you see?”
The maid’s eyes filled.
Mrs. Gable stared at her.
Lorenzo moved between them.
“Look at me.”
The maid swallowed.
“She asked where Nora slept.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Why would she need to ask?” Nora whispered.
“She assigns the rooms.”
The maid began crying.
Mrs. Gable took a sharp breath.
“I manage an entire estate.
I cannot remember every—”
“Wait downstairs,” Lorenzo said.
“Surely you don’t believe—”
“Downstairs.”
His bodyguard appeared in the doorway.
Mrs. Gable walked past him with her chin lifted.
Only after she was gone did Nora bend forward.
May you like
A hard tightening had wrapped around her belly.
This time, it didn’t release right away.
