The gray afternoon sky turned dark as heavy summer rain began to pour over the grand roof.
Thunder rumbled softly in the distance while Clara folded clean baby blankets inside the quiet lower nursery.
She carefully measured out the tiny drops of medicine into the small clear plastic feeding cup.
Suddenly, she heard heavy high heels clicking sharply across the glossy floorboards upstairs in the master hallway.
Vivian was walking toward the cabinet where the main glass supply of heart medicine was always kept.
Clara stepped out into the hallway and looked up toward the grand curved second floor balcony railing.
Vivian: Why leave so much control in the hands of a small helpless child?
Clara: Mrs. Sterling, please step away from that lockbox.
Vivian held the precious glass container right in her hand and smirked down at the young maid.
The dark purple velvet of her gown rustled softly against the white painted iron balustrade of balcony.
She held the delicate glass vial out over empty air above the forty foot drop to foyer.
Vivian: Look at you, crying for mercy!
Vivian: Let's see if this worthless baby can fly!
Clara felt her blood run freezing cold as she realized what Vivian was about to do next.
If that glass container shattered on the hard marble below, the baby would suffer without his doses.
The local pharmacy was locked for the holiday weekend and could not replace the rare formula today.
Clara: Please do not drop that bottle, Mrs. Sterling!
Vivian: Accidents happen in big homes every day, Clara.
With a cruel burst of malicious laughter, Vivian let go of the glass bottle over the railing.
The small vial plunged downward through the open air toward the cold white marble floor below fast.
Clara dropped her cotton towel and sprinted across the expansive floor with all of her strength left.
She leaped forward and slid across the slippery stone on her bare knees with outstretched hands wide.
Clara: NOOO! I'VE GOT YOU!
The tiny glass bottle landed softly inside Clara's open cupped hands just inches above the hard stone.
She skidded to a stop against the base of the wall while gasping for cold breath desperately.
Up on the balcony, Vivian froze in total shock as her dark plan fell apart entirely now.