‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
68
When she returned to the study the following morning, she found him sitting on the floor with his back against the desk. His face had already bruised and his lip was an angry red.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” he said the moment he saw her, gingerly moving back to the rug and kneeling up.
“For what?” she still didn’t sound happy as she closed the door and made her way over.
“I bled on the floor,” Taylor looked ashamed, indicating where the spots were, “and… I displeased them in some way. I must have. I’m so sorry.”
“Carlos is displeased because you are white,” the woman said snidely, making her way to the desk and fetching some tissues.
She handed them to him and he used them to carefully clean the blood from the floor. Thankfully they hadn’t appeared to stain the wood through the lacquer.
“You’re going to have to stay away from the children again for a few days. I can’t have their tutor looking like this.”
Taylor sat back onto his legs again once he’d finished, handing her the tissues when she held out her hand. She binned them and then turned to him with a sigh.
“This is a problem,” she folded her arms, “we lost a good horse and a good slave in their attempt to kill you last night.”
Taylor looked up at the mention of the slave.
“What happened?” she demanded, eyes cold.
Taylor closed his eyes as he tried to remember.
“Someone whistled and woke me up in time,” he said softly, “I heard a gunshot. Ibby came to help me. He was bringing me to you when they jumped me.”
“The whistle is a sign of danger among the lower ranks,” she nodded, “the slave who sounded it was shot for doing so, because they’d set the stables alight for a reason.”
Taylor frowned worriedly as he started to feel sick. Someone had died trying to warn him last night.
She tapped her fingers against her arm as she watched him thoughtfully.
“How is the piano coming? You’ve been at it for days.”
“Well. I’ve almost finished, Miss,” Taylor glanced up, “it should only be another day.”
“Good. I’ll have you concentrate on that then. Your finger should be about healed in time for that.”
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded, absently touching the splint with his other hand.
The pain was nothing more than a dull ache anymore, especially in comparison to his other current injuries. He couldn’t honestly tell if it had healed properly or not.
“I’ll let you get cleaned up in the bathroom first,” she said before reaching down to grab his chain.
He quickly stood, pausing a moment when he did so as he adjusted from the dizzy spell it caused. She waited until their eyes met before leading him from the room. As mentioned she took him straight to the bathroom where he was able to have a shower and clean himself up. He knew he was going to be in pain for a good week or so until the welts went down and the ones on his side were surprisingly large.
He found another change of clothes – the same style jeans and shirt that he’d assumed was his uniform. By the time he was done the woman had opened the door again, thankfully after he’d dressed again.
“Come on,” she nodded.
Taylor handed her the chain which hadn’t been disconnected, and let her lead him back to the piano room.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” he said the moment he saw her, gingerly moving back to the rug and kneeling up.
“For what?” she still didn’t sound happy as she closed the door and made her way over.
“I bled on the floor,” Taylor looked ashamed, indicating where the spots were, “and… I displeased them in some way. I must have. I’m so sorry.”
“Carlos is displeased because you are white,” the woman said snidely, making her way to the desk and fetching some tissues.
She handed them to him and he used them to carefully clean the blood from the floor. Thankfully they hadn’t appeared to stain the wood through the lacquer.
“You’re going to have to stay away from the children again for a few days. I can’t have their tutor looking like this.”
Taylor sat back onto his legs again once he’d finished, handing her the tissues when she held out her hand. She binned them and then turned to him with a sigh.
“This is a problem,” she folded her arms, “we lost a good horse and a good slave in their attempt to kill you last night.”
Taylor looked up at the mention of the slave.
“What happened?” she demanded, eyes cold.
Taylor closed his eyes as he tried to remember.
“Someone whistled and woke me up in time,” he said softly, “I heard a gunshot. Ibby came to help me. He was bringing me to you when they jumped me.”
“The whistle is a sign of danger among the lower ranks,” she nodded, “the slave who sounded it was shot for doing so, because they’d set the stables alight for a reason.”
Taylor frowned worriedly as he started to feel sick. Someone had died trying to warn him last night.
She tapped her fingers against her arm as she watched him thoughtfully.
“How is the piano coming? You’ve been at it for days.”
“Well. I’ve almost finished, Miss,” Taylor glanced up, “it should only be another day.”
“Good. I’ll have you concentrate on that then. Your finger should be about healed in time for that.”
“Yes Miss,” Taylor nodded, absently touching the splint with his other hand.
The pain was nothing more than a dull ache anymore, especially in comparison to his other current injuries. He couldn’t honestly tell if it had healed properly or not.
“I’ll let you get cleaned up in the bathroom first,” she said before reaching down to grab his chain.
He quickly stood, pausing a moment when he did so as he adjusted from the dizzy spell it caused. She waited until their eyes met before leading him from the room. As mentioned she took him straight to the bathroom where he was able to have a shower and clean himself up. He knew he was going to be in pain for a good week or so until the welts went down and the ones on his side were surprisingly large.
He found another change of clothes – the same style jeans and shirt that he’d assumed was his uniform. By the time he was done the woman had opened the door again, thankfully after he’d dressed again.
“Come on,” she nodded.
Taylor handed her the chain which hadn’t been disconnected, and let her lead him back to the piano room.