She sighed. “I worry for him,” she said. “His eyesight must have declined badly since I left home, given that he has to have a servant write these notes for him.”
They made their way into the dining room, where Henrietta and Rachel were already waiting.
“We ought to go and visit him,” Thomas said. “Would that make you feel better?”
“It really would,” Madeleine said. “Thank you, Thomas.”
“Who are we visiting?” Rachel asked.
“You’re not,” Thomas said, smiling at her. “Madeleine and I might pay a visit to her uncle, though. It’s been a little while since she’s seen him. And he sent another packet of herbs today.”
“Are you going to try them?” Rachel asked Madeleine.
“Yes,” Madeleine said. She stirred a bit of the herb into her tea. “And I have enough now that others may try some if they’d like.”
“None for me,” Henrietta said. “I prefer coffee in the mornings.”
Thomas and Rachel passed the herbs back and forth, each adding a pinch to their tea. They stirred and inhaled the fumes.
“This doesn’t smell as nice as the last one,” Rachel commented, pushing it away. “Perhaps I won’t have any after all.”
“You would waste Madeleine’s herbs after she offered to share them with you?” Thomas asked her.
“Don’t, Thomas,” Madeleine said. “It’s all right. She doesn’t have to drink it if she doesn’t want to.”
“Well, I’m going to,” Thomas said, and he picked up his cup and drank a huge swallow.
For a moment, it wasn’t clear that anything had happened.
And then, suddenly and without warning, Thomas slipped out of his chair and collapsed to the floor.
Henrietta screamed. Rachel jumped to her feet. Madeleine fell to her knees beside him. “Thomas! Thomas, are you all right?”
“Do something!” Rachel cried.
It wasn’t clear at first to whom she was speaking. Then a footman appeared beside Madeleine. “Your Grace, if you please—”
“Get her lady’s maid.”
But Horatia was already there. How could she have appeared so fast? She was helping Madeleine to her feet, her arms around her. “It’s all right, Madeleine,” she said quietly as several footmen lifted Thomas and carried him out. “The physician has been sent for. They’re just taking him up to his room. He’s going to be all right.”
You don’t know that.
She allowed herself to be helped up the stairs after Thomas and into his bedroom. She had never been here before.
“What’s wrong with him?” Rachel asked frantically, running in after them.
“Someone take her out,” Henrietta said. “She shouldn’t see this.”
“Mother!”
But Rachel was already being removed from the room. Madeleine was glad, though she could hardly feel that through her shock and horror. She knew all too well what it was like to witness the deaths of your family.
No. He isn’t dying! Why would I think such a thing?
But she knew why. She knew exactly what had made her think it. It was as clear as day.
This was the curse.
