Hollow

something that looked like horror. He took a half-ste

, impatient gesture, and threw it over my shivering shoulders. "Let's go," he muttered, grabbin

rieved the first-aid kit. He knelt before me, his touch surprisingly ge

, but it was the warmth of his fin

n't stop bleeding, he instinctively brought it to his lips and blew on it softl

s shiver through me. A wave of confusion and a

ry sadness. "I know this is hard. Just... just give me one month. One month, and

scent of my home, my love, my life-filled my senses. He was going to kiss me. And t

riek echoed f

SPE

ber

was on his feet in an instant, the gentle caretaker replaced by the frantic savior.

, felt suddenly cold. The fragile hope

ss! A broken, dying thing! You should just let me die,

hing balm I hadn't heard directed at me in months.

her?" Kimberley dem

use. A heavy,

t and unconvincing. "I'm going to ma

nd petulant. Then, Jasper came back downsta

dn't lo

my head. "She wants you to be her personal maid for the remainder of her st

ess. The cruelty of the

ervant's quarters in the basement," he added, as

ad a single, tiny window that looked out onto a patch of dirt. The maids pitied me, leaving extra

eveled in h

ffee is cold. M

lders are sore. K

ty. I want you to scrub it

berley's anxiety, that her condition was visibly improving under this new regime

t on the floor of her room. "In case

ounced she wanted to go sh

she'd added, her eyes glittering wit

I said, my voic

" he said, his tone leaving no room fo

gowns that cost more than most people's cars. Jasper watched her, a faint, sad smile on his face. I saw

ss in the store, a behemoth of silk

voice sickly sweet. "Come fix

at me. "Go o

ade of fabric, I saw our reflection in the three-way mirror. Kimberley, radiant and trium

small, deliberate step back, her heel connecting with a g

a cry of pain as she fell, her leg la

all cut, barely a scratch, was w

her side, his fac

o?" he snarled,

nocent eyes. "She pushed me, Jasper," she whispered, a single

he bought it. I saw the belief dawn in

ter, Estella,"

r, I d

nd turned to the stunned salon manager. "Call the police," he

last thing I saw was her face over his sho

of another woman's wedding dress fitting. It was, I thought with

the door creaked open. Three large women with hard faces and mean eye

er knuckles. "Look what we have here. You

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