Page 32 of Hidden Raphael
Chapter 9
Kimberly threw water on her face and stared at her brown eyes in the mirror. Her bruise was faded and her Easter egg almost gone. Raphael was amazing. She winced, remembering how she hadn't said one word of thanks last night. A shiver ran down her spine. Why had she cried on him?
Where was Raphael?
She clutched her medallion, reminding herself that she was safe. Fine. Everything was okay. Then her gaze went up to the clock. She’d slept half the day away. She needed to find Raphael and hug him.
She ought to forget about that kiss in her room last night. Her lips tingled, but it had been a huge mistake. They'd be friends, nothing more. The heat she felt in her entire body was best forgotten.
No more tears wasted on bad guys out to get her. At least her life stuck in a castle with a killer out to get her was over. She sighed. She was still here until spring, unless she found another way out. Raphael had saved her life.
She slipped into her sandals. Her heart wondered if he'd notice her in the dress she’d picked out at a shop in Miami and think her pretty.
No. Kimberly rubbed her temples. This was not the thought to cure her crush. She marched out of the room and walked down the hall. She should find him and thank him.
As she rounded the corner near the stairwell, ice inched up her spine. She took the last step and then Meg called out, "Evening, miss. Off to make lunch?"
"Not yet. Are you hungry?" Kimberly glanced at the woman on her hands and knees, shivering with cold. She tried to stop her teeth from chattering and then asked, "Were you okay during all the commotion?"
"I cleaned everything up." Meg shook her head and kept her constant grim expression. "Now I'm behind on my house chores."
Had Raphael buried Roger? The morbid question surfaced in her brain, and she couldn't shake it out. "If I can help you with anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"What would I trade for a good, hearty meal, miss." Meg turned back to polishing the floor. Kimberly tensed her shoulders as Meg said, "We should all do the jobs we're hired to do and nothing more."
Kimberly nodded to herself then stopped. Was that a dig? "Okay. Did you not eat last night?"
"That's not important." Meg stood up with the sponges in her hand. Her green eyes felt like they penetrated right through Kimberly as Meg said, "Master Raphael has been too kind to you, and you've brought this house nothing but danger."
Kimberly held her head a little higher. "It's over now. The danger."
"We'll see." Meg picked up her bucket and the air around her fingers cracked like ice pellets. "Good day to you, miss."
"Wait." Kimberly dropped her hands to her side. "I'd like to help you with cleaning this place. It must be a lot to do, and you're so amazing at it. What can I do?"
"Master Raphael said you're a guest, and it's not proper. If it kept you away from kissing him, though, then I'd consider…"
Kimberly crossed her arms. "There is nothing going on between Raphael and me."
Meg shook her head as she headed down the hall. "Then I prefer to do my chores without you near, miss. Good day."
Kimberly tapped her feet long after Meg walked off. Had Meg seen that kiss last night? She hadn't done that on purpose. Besides, what she and Raphael did wasn’t really Meg's business. Kimberly swallowed. The most relevant news was that Raphael survived out there against her would-be assassin.
Swoosh.
Those sounds again. There was no such thing as a ghost. Now that Roger was dead, it would be safe for her to go over the island. Maybe find Harry, or Harry’s body. She’d ask Raphael.
Where did he live, anyway? Not in the same wing as she did, she was pretty sure, though he’d been in the library the first few times they met. Maybe he was reading now.
Was he hungry? She could go start dinner instead of lunch, if he wanted.
She turned and headed down the opposite hall. Her steps were lighter now. She walked on free air toward the door. Raphael might need alone time and she should go to the beach. She checked the window and didn’t see a cloud in the sky. Perhaps she'd go outside and see the beach and what happened today.
She bypassed the library and headed to the front door. Until today, she'd shied away from the door. She shook her head. How silly was she? She swallowed then stopped about a foot from it.
The heavy front door had a million locks on it. She gritted her teeth, and reached up to unlock them all.
She'd have her one minute of freedom outside, in the fresh, clean air. She hadn't heard a thunderstorm all day. She undid the second lock.
