The Nutcracker Bleeds by Lani Lenore Read Free Book Online

mad!”
    Anne
walked to Olivia, touching the girl’s arm as she stooped over one of her toys.
Anne could see that it was the nutcracker. She just received, his leg snapped
off.
    “It’s
alright,” Anne promised the trembling girl, but without a hint of sympathy. “It
will all be alright now.”
    “He’s
bleeding,” Olivia uttered, not seeming to hear Anne at all, directing her words
at Todd. “He’s bleeding ! Look what you’ve done!”
    The
young man did not answer, merely shaking his head as he watched her. She
quickly lost interest in him.
    “He’s
a wounded solider,” she mourned quietly.
    “What
the devil is she talking about?” asked Arthur. Anne would guess that they had
been smoking in the study when they’d heard the screams.
    William,
more than a little embarrassed, gave a look of disapproval.
    “I’m
sorry she acted this way, Todd,” he said. “Anne will calm her down. No need to
worry ourselves about it.”
    He
ushered the others out of the room, turning back to Anne with a stern look that
she had never seen in his eyes before. She wanted to apologize to him, but she
didn’t get the chance.
    “Take
care of this,” he commanded, and she knew he was serious. He wanted no more
outbursts.
    Anne
looked at him a moment in surprise, blankly. How many times had he ever spoken
to her that way? His severity startled her, and she was suddenly reminded of
her place in this house. Their affair aside, she was merely here to work.
    “Yes,
sir,” she relented, lowering her eyes as he left the room.
    The
nurse looked at Olivia, who still watched the nutcracker doll sorrowfully,
clearly having forgotten about all the other broken toys.
    “We
don’t like disruptions, Olivia,” Anne told her lowly. “Everyone is disappointed
in you.”
    Though
it had been her sole intention to hurt Olivia’s feelings, the girl said
nothing.
    “I’m
going to lock you in for a while now, and I don’t want to hear another word.”
    Anne
moved towards the door, but suddenly Olivia jerked back to her, staring at Anne
with her watery eyes.
    “Please
take him to be fixed,” she begged, handing up the nutcracker and his leg to
Anne. “Take him to uncle. He’ll fix him.”
    Anne
sighed, wondering why she should even be bothered to do this. The girl’s
outburst had gotten her into trouble, but, if getting the toy fixed would keep
the girl quiet for the rest of the night and assure that William– No, Mr.
Ellington –was not upset, then it would be done.
    The
nanny nodded, though still keeping her disapproving stare, and turned to go,
locking Olivia away in the silence with one final sentiment.
    “Don’t
cut yourself,” she warned. “I’ll be back soon to clean up your mess.”
     
    5
     
    Anne
was flustered and dismayed as she left the attic room. Her mind was full of
reflections on William’s harsh looks and the disappointment in his voice. She
had one responsibility in this house, and that was keeping Olivia in line. If
she allowed the girl to act out like that, the Ellingtons would lose faith in
the idea that she could do the job they’d entrusted her with, and it would be
back to the gutter with her. She had to keep that control established, and this
was not the way to do it.
    But
it’s odd. The whole thing is.
    Olivia
was not usually violent like that, though she’d occasionally have a tantrum or
crying fit. This outburst didn’t seem right. Anne wondered, secretly, if Todd
had done more than what he’d said in wishing Olivia goodnight, but she decided
that this aspect was out of her hands. This didn’t affect her own situation, or
how William must have been thinking of her now.
    I
just need to be sure that it doesn’t happen again.
    As she
walked slowly down the creaking stairs, Anne observed the broken nutcracker in
her grasp, his body in one hand and his broken leg in the other. She had never
cared too much for toys herself. To her, they were what separated her from
Olivia. Anne lived in an adult