Color Me Bruised

Chapter 21

Where could she possibly have gone? She's not the type to run away. Especially after we just got engaged. It's been 2 days, and she's still not back. I searched everywhere. Every nook and cranny of the house, the backyard and even in town. No one claimed seeing her, so where could she have gone? She loved me too much to have left and she must have known I loved her too much to drive her away. I missed her hair, her skin, her eyes and her lips. Maybe I shouldn't have been ignoring her.

I contacted my aunt to tell her the news, but it didn't get me anywhere. The woman just simpathized with my pain. I stood on point A. I headed to town again today, just for maybe someone new knew what happened to her. Town was as busy as it normally was, but it didn't feel the same. I walked carelessly within the middle of the crowd and out of nowhere, my shoulder made contact with a shorter man. He fell to the ground, and what he was holding in his hand, broke. Liquor. I realized quickly that it was Drunkard Taylor.

He was made a drunkard after his daughter of 18 died of the yellow fever and his candle business failed a few years ago. He became the town fool but before that point, he had been well respected, known and an upperclassman. To make things worse for the poor fellow, his wife left him for a richer man. I wished Mercy didn't do same.

He got up and tried to regain his balance.

"Why don't you look where you're going there?" He told me. "You wasted all me good wine." He continued, staring at the hard and dusty ground.

"I apologize, drunkard Taylor." I said, pinning my hat and starting to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going heh? You've got to replace me fine wine."

"I believe you have had enough wine for the day, Drunkard Taylor."

I started walking away.

"If you don't pay me, I won't tell you what happened to your nigger mistress." He responded.

I walked towards him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Threatning won't make me speak, Sir Williams." He said trying to focus his eyes.

I took out a lump sum of money out of my pocket and took my hand away from his pocket. He reached for it, but I closed my hand right before he could grabbed it.

"Tell me what happened to her." I demanded.

"She was taken." He said. "2 days ago, early in the morning, she came to buy fruits and whatnot, but I saw 2 men grab her and take her away."

"What?"

"But the most interesting thing is," He continuted slurring his words. "The younger Sir Williams was at the scene. If you ask me, seems like he orchastrated it."

I froze for a few seconds.

"Now, give me the money." He screamed while he opened the palm of his hand towards me.

I dropped the coins in his hand and left town in my carriage.

"Shall I bring you to your estate Sir?" My chauffeur asked me before I got in.

"No, to my brother's."

But then I remebered.

"Why were you not with Mercy, early in the morning 2 days ago?" I asked him.

"She asked me not to come with her, Sir."

I let him be and got inside.

How could my own brother sell her? He knew I loved her and wanted to make her mine legally. For the first time, I hated him. I wanted to see him suffer. She had gone through enough, but he only saw her color. I wanted him to feel the pain I felt and I was ready to make him feel it.

He lived within 15 to 20 minutes of me, but it felt longer. It felt like forever. Once my chauffeur reached his property, I flew the door open, and walked towards his house. His wife came to meet me, but I sprinted pass her. I opened their door, and saw him standing in his piano room, having a drink. He turned around and smiled at me. I loathed him for smiling at me.

I grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall, I could hear the impact of his head against the wall, but I didn't care. My brother was a strong man. He punched me in my abdomen while getting up, but that didn't stop me. I pushed him hard enough that he hit his back on his book case. I then banged his head on his piano, and heard the keys play an off key sound. He fell on the floor, with his back facing me. I turned him around, and threw a couple more punches.

"Why did you sell her?!" I screamed at him, while he was almost unconscious.

"Because she will ruin your life." He said faintly.

I got angrier.

"It's my own to ruin!" I yelled giving him a harder blow, making his face bloodier. "Where did you make them take her?!"

"I don't know. I gave them the freedom to choose."

I held my fist again to hit him but got interrupted.

"Stop!" I heard his wife scream out of horror. She bursted into tears and ran to his side.

I calmed down, put my fist down and left his house. I got in the carriage with a bruised abdomen and cut up knuckle and left his premises.

My brother knocked on my door a few days afterwards, but I planned never to see him again.

I started to realize that I would probably never get to see Mercy again.

Mr Williams/ Daniel's POV.