By early afternoon the large house fell into a deep and heavy silence.
Ethan had left for an important corporate board meeting across the city center.
Maria folded clean laundry inside the utility room near the ground floor corridor.
She heard the soft sound of crying coming from the nursery upstairs.
She dropped her laundry basket immediately and moved toward the carpeted stairs.
As she reached the second landing she saw Victoria standing near the nursery door.
Victoria was holding a heavy hot iron used for pressing fine clothing fabrics.
Thick white steam hissed softly into the air from the heated metal plate.
Maria: Mrs. Victoria, what are you doing near the nursery with that iron?
Victoria: Mind your own business and go back to your cleaning duties downstairs.
Maria: Little Leo is crying and he needs his afternoon feeding right now.
Victoria: That baby screams all day long and annoys me to death.
Victoria pushed past Maria and entered the brightly lit infant nursery room.
On the changing table lay the late mother's handmade silk baby blanket.
It was the only physical memory the baby had left of his real mother.
Victoria raised the steaming hot iron directly over the precious family heirloom.
Victoria: Let's see how much your father loves this old rag once it burns.
Maria: Stop right there, you have no right to destroy his mother's keepsake!
Maria rushed forward into the nursery without worrying about her own job security.
She grabbed the edge of the wooden ironing board and pulled it back.
Victoria: How dare you lay a hand on my property you foolish servant!
Maria: I will protect this baby and his mother's memory no matter what!
Maria reached for the baby cradle and lifted little Leo into her arms.
The baby held onto Maria's maid uniform tightly while sobbing against her shoulder.
Victoria glared at Maria with total rage burning inside her eyes.
Victoria: You will be fired for insubordination before the sun goes down tonight.
Maria: Fire me if you want, but I will tell Mr. Ethan everything.
Victoria: He will never take the word of a maid over his legal wife.
Victoria slammed the heavy iron down onto the metal utility stand with force.
She stepped closer to Maria with her hand raised in a threatening gesture.
Victoria: Give me that baby right now or you will regret this day forever.
Maria: Stay away from us or I will call the police immediately.
Maria backed out of the nursery slowly while cradling the helpless infant tight.
She knew the situation inside the mansion was growing more dangerous every hour.