Chapter 20
By the time Briony finally made it back to the studio, dawn was already breaking. Utterly exhausted, she changed into pajamas and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
She had no idea how long she’d been out when a frantic knocking at the door jolted her awake.
Her eyes flew open and she stared at the familiar ceiling, breath coming quick and shallow. It took her a moment to gather her wits.
She’d been dreaming.
In the dream, she was standing above a river of blood, so vivid it made her shudder. Somewhere in the distance, an infant’s cries echoed in her ears…
From outside the room, Hannah’s voice rang out. “Briony? Are you awake?”
Her lashes fluttered. Briony pushed herself up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
The room spun as she stood, her body heavy and unsteady.
“Briony? Briony…” Hannah’s voice grew more anxious.
“I’m coming,” Briony croaked, forcing herself upright and shuffling to the door.
As soon as the door swung open, Hannah let out a sigh of relief.
“Briony, you scared me half to death. It’s ten o’clock and you still hadn’t come out–I thought something had happened to you.”
Briony was nothing if not a creature of habit; she never slept in.
Today, though, she clearly had.
“I’m fine,” she rasped, her voice rough.
Hannah frowned, giving her a once–over. “You don’t look fine. Are you sick?”
Briony lifted a hand to her forehead. It did feel a little warm.
“Guess I’ve just been overworked lately,” she said. “A few days of rest and I’ll be good as new.”
“That won’t do,” Hannah insisted, placing a hand on Briony’s forehead. “You’ve got a fever! You need to see a doctor.”
Briony grimaced. “It’s too much trouble. I’ll just take something for the fever and sleep it off.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
“I’m sure. I just need some more rest.”
But barely able to stand, Briony retreated to her bed and lay back down.
Hannah followed her in, clearly unconvinced. “There’s a nasty flu going around. You really should get checked out.”
“I’ll be alright,” Briony assured her. Then, shifting topics, she said, “We’re shutting the studio down for the year. Have finance pay everyone’s salary in advance–cover twelve months–and give each person a year–end bonus of, say, twenty thousand. We’ll start our holiday tomorrow, and won’t reopen until after the New Year.”
Hannah blinked in shock. “That’s a huge bonus!”
The studio had done well this year, but with those numbers, the total payout would be nearly a hundred thousand!
“Everyone’s worked so hard with me this year,” Briony said. “Especially Black and Lydia–they’ve put in years of experience and long hours. They’ve more than earned it.”
1/2
15:42
Chapter zu
Restoring antiques involved a lot of specialized work. While Briony was the only one who could handle the rare, high–value pieces, the bulk of the studio’s projects relied on the steady hands of the veteran craftsmen.
Hannah hesitated. “Maybe you should give me less. Black and Lydia are the real experts–they deserve every penny, but I’m just an assistant. I don’t think I should get that much.”
Briony shook her head, her tone firm. “You’re anything but dispensable. The studio runs smoothly because of you. I can focus on my work because I know you’re taking care of everything else.”
Hannah blushed at the praise, hugging her cheeks and grinning. “You’re the best, Briony! There’s no one else like you–brilliant, beautiful, and generous!”
Briony let out a soft laugh. “You’re laying it on thicker than Irwin ever does.”
At the mention of Irwin, Hannah perked up. “Speaking of, where is he? Wasn’t he here last night?”
“He spiked a high fever in the middle of the night. Turns out it’s a bad case of bronchitis–he’s in the hospital now. His dad and grandmother are with him.”
Hannah frowned. “Wait, you don’t think you caught something from Irwin, do you?”
Briony blinked, suddenly uncertain.
Hannah grabbed her hand. “Come on, Briony. This flu is no joke. I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
Briony was about to refuse, but then she remembered–she was pregnant…
She let out a weary sigh. “Alright. Give me a minute to get dressed, and I’ll be right out.”
