Ever Increasing Steele Part 33
Mildred looked up and smiled as Laura walked in the relief on her face clearly evident. The trouble was the smile slipped as quickly as it appeared as she looked past Laura and realised no-one was behind her.
"Surely I'm not that much of a disappointment, Mildred." Laura said with a small smile and a slight hint of teasing in her voice.
"Oh honey, you never are, I just hoped Mr Steele was with you, that's all."
"Mr Steele?"
"Yeah, you know, the guy from that office", Mildred said gesturing in the direction of Steele's office door, "the one you're married to."
"Mildred, that was a nice try and a brave attempt to lighten the mood but I can tell you're worried, isn't he in his office?"
Mildred paused unsure of how much to reveal, it felt like a lose-lose situation. She not only had to tell Laura that it was possible that Harry was in danger but there was also the small matter of him rushing off alone because he'd thought she had.
Laura was beginning to get very nervous and glanced towards the door to Steele's office,"I just went out to get a few small things to surprise him." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He thought..."
"What did he think?" Laura said her heart sinking as she tried to ignore the little voice in her head that was giving her all sorts of possibilities.
"He thought you'd gone to see Conner."
"Alone? But I said I wouldn't even be involved, I said I'd never..."
"I know honey, I know and I'm sure if he'd stopped to think with his br....he just panicked that's all."
"That's all? That's all... he could be in real danger Mildred, these aren't exactly nice people we're dealing with.
Mildred felt a wave of relief that Laura didn't seem to be as concerned at his lack of trust, perhaps she understood the motivation for his decision had overridden rational thinking.
"Okay Mildred I need a plan." Laura said causing Mildred to marvel at the way cool, calm and rational Laura took over, pushing scared, fragile Laura to the background.
"You're not going to..."
"I have to Mildred, besides..he's already there so how dangerous can it be?"
Mildred shook her head, surely there was some logic in what Laura said but there was also a lot that didn't make sense about it, she just wasn't quite sure which was which. All she knew was they'd both be at risk, in fact all of them, the babies had to go along for the ride too.
"Do you know where he went?" Laura said, 'I mean an address or anything?"
"I'm sorry honey, he shot out of here pretty darn fast."
"Call Fred, Mildred... I'm sure we can work it out."
"Oh honey Fred took him."
Laura's face lit up, "Well that makes it easier!"
"It does? Oh it does! We'll just call Fred."
"Bingo Mildred! You call Fred, find out where they are."
"Oh honey you're not going to..."
"I have to Mildred, I have to", for a brief moment fragile Laura was back but determined Laura blinked back her tears, "I can't just leave him there. He's had that in his life far too often, and I couldn't anyway."
"I know honey, but please be careful."
"I promise you Mildred, I will..for all of us."
Mildred picked up the phone to call Fred and as she did so she watched Laura go to put her packages in her own office. "That's what he said." She whispered to herself and closing her eyes prayed it would be true... of both of them.
"Surely I'm not that much of a disappointment, Mildred." Laura said with a small smile and a slight hint of teasing in her voice.
"Oh honey, you never are, I just hoped Mr Steele was with you, that's all."
"Mr Steele?"
"Yeah, you know, the guy from that office", Mildred said gesturing in the direction of Steele's office door, "the one you're married to."
"Mildred, that was a nice try and a brave attempt to lighten the mood but I can tell you're worried, isn't he in his office?"
Mildred paused unsure of how much to reveal, it felt like a lose-lose situation. She not only had to tell Laura that it was possible that Harry was in danger but there was also the small matter of him rushing off alone because he'd thought she had.
Laura was beginning to get very nervous and glanced towards the door to Steele's office,"I just went out to get a few small things to surprise him." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He thought..."
"What did he think?" Laura said her heart sinking as she tried to ignore the little voice in her head that was giving her all sorts of possibilities.
"He thought you'd gone to see Conner."
"Alone? But I said I wouldn't even be involved, I said I'd never..."
"I know honey, I know and I'm sure if he'd stopped to think with his br....he just panicked that's all."
"That's all? That's all... he could be in real danger Mildred, these aren't exactly nice people we're dealing with.
Mildred felt a wave of relief that Laura didn't seem to be as concerned at his lack of trust, perhaps she understood the motivation for his decision had overridden rational thinking.
"Okay Mildred I need a plan." Laura said causing Mildred to marvel at the way cool, calm and rational Laura took over, pushing scared, fragile Laura to the background.
"You're not going to..."
"I have to Mildred, besides..he's already there so how dangerous can it be?"
Mildred shook her head, surely there was some logic in what Laura said but there was also a lot that didn't make sense about it, she just wasn't quite sure which was which. All she knew was they'd both be at risk, in fact all of them, the babies had to go along for the ride too.
"Do you know where he went?" Laura said, 'I mean an address or anything?"
"I'm sorry honey, he shot out of here pretty darn fast."
"Call Fred, Mildred... I'm sure we can work it out."
"Oh honey Fred took him."
Laura's face lit up, "Well that makes it easier!"
"It does? Oh it does! We'll just call Fred."
"Bingo Mildred! You call Fred, find out where they are."
"Oh honey you're not going to..."
"I have to Mildred, I have to", for a brief moment fragile Laura was back but determined Laura blinked back her tears, "I can't just leave him there. He's had that in his life far too often, and I couldn't anyway."
"I know honey, but please be careful."
"I promise you Mildred, I will..for all of us."
Mildred picked up the phone to call Fred and as she did so she watched Laura go to put her packages in her own office. "That's what he said." She whispered to herself and closing her eyes prayed it would be true... of both of them.