Nora's POV 
“I will be back soon.” He said as he stood in my room that fateful day, impulsively pulling me in for an embrace.
I was no longer shocked by his impulsive action. He acted strangely whenever he was going on trips; as if he was afraid that something was going to happen to me.
I doubted that anything was going to happen to me as I was always indoors. I was safe from Sasha and Mark.
I chose to think that he knew he would miss me greatly and didn't want to be apart from me.
“Go,” I said fondly though pretending to be exasperated by his unnecessary clinginess when he was traveling.
“What do you want me to buy for you this time?” He asked. “Please don't say nothing.”
I chuckled. “Get me anything.”
He groaned. “I was expecting something specific but I will take that as a response. It's better than getting nothing.”
“Bye,”
He waved and left, not before handing me over to Jane as he always did. I couldn't help not rolling my eyes anytime he did that. As if I was a child that couldn't take care of herself.
“What do you intend to do today, Madam Nora?” Jane asked when we were alone again, ten minutes after Damon's departure.
I shrugged. “Maybe sleep.”
She frowned. “You've been sleeping too much.”
“As I should.” I shrugged again.
“Hiding out in your room won't help you. You need to feel nature for your baby to develop properly.”
“I go to the garden.” 
She snorted. “In the evening or late at night. That doesn't count, Madam Nora. You need to feel the sunlight on your skin as much as you take in fresh air.” She ran her eyes over my frame. “It's not a surprise that you look pale. You are so pale you can pass for a mirror.”
I winced. “I always look pale.” I muttered my usual defense of my complexion.
“And that doesn't mean there is nothing you can do about it.”
“Okay,” I finally yielded. “Where do you want me?”
She grinned as if I had handed the universe to her. “How about taking a drive somewhere?”
Alarm skittered in my brain at first at the thought of being out there where Mark could find me. I finally relaxed when I remembered that he couldn't be in the neighborhood I lived in. After all, I had been going for my antenatal sessions and not once had I run into him.
I would be fine if I stuck close to home.
“Okay,” I agreed, excited about being outside as well.
Being cooped up indoors wasn't what I wanted either.
“You should get changed then.” Jane smiled, hopping to her feet. “Let me tell one of the drivers to get a car ready. I will be back for you.”
“Let me come to meet you. You don't have to stress yourself coming back to get me.” I said. “I will get dressed and join you at the garage. Just tell the driver to get ready.”
“I will. Don't stay up long.” She said and dashed out.
I wouldn't. I already knew what I was going to wear. I picked a flowing gown and donned it on, smiling at my reflection in the mirror. It looked good on me and made my baby bump look good as well.
I picked up a purse and stashed it with few notes in case I saw something that I wanted to get.
Feeling satisfied and declaring myself ready, I stepped out of my bedroom.
“Heading somewhere?” Sasha asked.
I ignored her, hating that I had run into her.
“Cat got your tongue?” She taunted, determined to be annoying.
“I don't see why that is your problem.” I hissed at her.
“She can talk after all.” She laughed, the sounds mocking. “I thought one of the side effects of being pregnant is getting deaf.”
“Just because you are dealing with side effects doesn't mean that the others are.” I snapped. “If only the side effect of you dying is you getting mute and not just going cranky and bitter.”
Her face heated up and she glared at me. “Be careful what you say.”
“You shouldn't have started what you couldn't finish.” I reminded her.
Just as I was about to head out through the door, I heard Jane's voice. It was a loud scream filled with pain. I frowned at the direction the sound was coming from. Jane should be outside and not inside. Deciding that I had heard wrong and my ears were playing tricks on me, I continued moving forward.
I imagined sharing a laugh with Jane when I got outside and told her that I heard her scream inside. She would laugh and remind me that staying indoors was driving me crazy.
I would laugh and once again agreed with her that going out was a medicine one couldn't afford to miss.
“Isn't that your maid screaming?” Sasha asked as I placed my hand on the door knob, a second away from stepping into the open. “Or are you a cold selfish mistress who doesn't care about her staff?”
I would have ignored her if she hadn't added the last sentence. She got me the way she had intended to.
It felt soothing to know though that the scream was real and I hadn't been going crazy.
I turned to her with a hiss. “It takes one to be a cold selfish mistress to know another, doesn't it? My maid is outside. Maybe you should check for the whereabouts of yours.”
She smirked. “I know where my maid is and you shouldn't be so sure about where yours is. Betsy is out on an errand and since I needed something from the staff's quarters, I sent Jane to get it for me when I saw her. That scream probably meant that she is trapped there as Betsy once told me that the door of the room I sent her to has issues.”
My heart ran wild and I felt sweats trailing down my back as I listened to her.
Jane was trapped?
I narrowed my eyes at Sasha, wondering if she was lying to me but nothing about her expression showed that she was.
“Why don't you save her since you know she is the one screaming?”
“Why should I save her when you are right here and just in time to save her?”
I kept my eyes narrowed on her, not believing her.
She snorted. “It's your choice to believe me or not. I hope your dear maid doesn't scream herself to death by the time you make a decision.” She said and walked away, laughing to herself.
Jane!
I breathed hard, worry and anxiety tumbling in my belly, as I turned and headed toward the staff's quarters. Just as I stood on the staircase leading down and prepared to take the first step, I felt a hard shove on my back and yelled as I tumbled down, rolling all the way the stairs to the ground.
As I laid sprawled on the ground with broken bones, blood seeping out of me, and tears leaking out of my eyes, I realized that Sasha had tricked me and I had been a fool to believe her.
With Jane outside waiting for me, and no one else certain to head to where I was, I knew it would be long before anyone found me.
Maybe I would be dead by then.