“I’ll go and get her,” Thomas said. “I’ll go to her and tell her she must come back. It’s the only way. She’ll listen to me if I come to her uncle’s home and talk to her.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” his mother told him firmly. “You’re not meant to leave your bed until you’ve recovered, so you’re going to stay right where you are.”
“Mother, I have to go after her.” He started to struggle to his feet.
But he couldn’t do it. His legs buckled beneath him, and he fell back into bed, flat on his back.
“You can go to her when you’ve recovered,” his mother said briskly.
“I can’t leave her with her uncle if he’s the one who tried to poison her.”
“Send a footman if you must,” his mother said. “But you’re in no condition to go yourself, Thomas. I simply won’t hear of it.
“She won’t come back for a footman. I’m the only one she’ll listen to when she’s upset. And she’s not safe with Lord Keenward!”
“It wasn’t him,” Rachel said. “I’ve been thinking about that, and—it couldn’t have been him. He’s had dozens of chances to harm her if that was what he wanted to do, and he’s never done it, has he? And if it was you he wanted to harm, he could have let you die all those years ago when you were attacked.”
“But then who—”
“I don’t know,” Rachel admitted. “But she did notice that the notes weren’t in her uncle’s handwriting. I don’t think he had anything to do with any of this. I think it’s been someone else all along.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
In her rush to get home, Madeleine hadn’t packed many of her things. It wasn’t until the carriage was coming up the road of her uncle’s familiar old estate that she began to think about what a mistake that had been. She should have taken the time to pack thoroughly while everyone was preoccupied with Thomas. Now she would have to go back to his house later—at the very least, she would have to send someone to get the things she had left behind.
But that was a problem for later. What mattered now was that she had gotten away and was on her way home.
In a way, it made her feel devastated.
She had believed, just a few short hours ago, that her life was finally solved. That she was going to have everything she’d ever wanted, just when she’d believed it couldn’t happen for her. Her dreams were finally coming true.
And now it was over.
Countless times, she had warned herself that the curse wouldn’t allow this. She had told herself again and again that she would be slapped back into place if she dared to reach for more than the curse wanted her to have.
She had reached anyway, and her boldness had nearly cost Thomas his life.
Sitting in the carriage now, she doubled over in pain at the mere thought of it, wrapping her arms around her stomach to protect herself against the ache.
She loved him so much, and she had nearly gotten him killed.
What difference did it make if he believed in the curse or not? What did it matter whethershebelieved in it or not? Neither of them could deny anymore that her presence in his life had been harmful.
Would Uncle Joseph really have sent those herbs?
She knew Rachel had been worried about her going home, worried it might not be safe. Madeleine had to confess that she was a little concerned about that too. But Uncle Joseph had never been the sort of man to wish harm upon anyone. There had to be a mistake. He must not have known what he was sending. It was the only thing that made sense to her.
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the door. For a moment, Madeleine just sat inside, staring out. She couldn’t believe she was back here. It seemed as if no time at all had passed.
She had been thrown several steps backward in her life—but it was worse than that. What would she do now? She didn't want to return to Thomas, but her marriage had already been finalized. He would come for her eventually, most likely…
Unless he had finally realized that her curse was too dangerous for him.
Maybe this latest incident would be the thing that convinced him at last that he needed to stay away from her. Perhaps she would never hear from him again.
She knew that would be for the best, and yet the idea of it hurt her badly. She didn’t want to let go of him. She wanted him to come for her, to try to convince her as he had done so many times before.
She didn’t know if she would be able to say no if he asked, so it would be better if he didn’t. And she would have to let her uncle know, if Thomas showed his face, that she didn’t want to see him.
