She would have to refuse to ever see him again.
That was the most painful thought so far. Even if he came to her, even if he tried to see her and coax her back to him, she wouldn’t be able to go. She would have to keep her distance for the rest of her life. It was devastating.
But she’d allowed herself to take the risk, and that risk had almost gotten him killed.
Never again.
She looked out the carriage window and saw her uncle standing in the doorway, a look of confusion on his face. She took a deep breath. This conversation wasn’t going to be an easy one.
He met her at the carriage and helped her down. “This is a surprise,” he said, frowning. “I didn’t expect to see you today, Madeleine. Everything is all right, I trust?”
Things had never been further from all right. “Can we go into the house, Uncle Joseph? I need to speak with you.”
“Yes, of course.” Uncle Joseph frowned and followed Madeleine up the path to the front door.
Once they were in the foyer, she turned to face him. “I’ll need someone to go out and bring my luggage in. And I’ve only got one trunk—someone will have to go to Westcourt for the rest of my things.”
“I don’t understand,” Uncle Joseph admitted. “What’s made you come back, Madeleine? You can’t possibly mean to stay.”
“I have to,” Madeleine said. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“But what about your husband?”
Madeleine shook her head. “I can’t go back to him, Uncle Joseph. I just can’t.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Uncle Joseph said firmly. “This is what it is to be married, Madeleine! Unless he’s done something to harm you?”
“No, of course he hasn’t.” It was just the opposite.
“Then I’m afraid there’s no room for this sort of childish behavior. You must go back to him at once. I’ll take you if you need to be taken.”
“I’ll refuse to go,” Madeleine said firmly. She wasn’t going to be pushed around. “If you won’t have me here, Uncle Joseph, you have every right. But I won’t ever go back there.”
He looked at her for a long moment.
“Of course I’ll have you here,” he said. “You are my brother’s daughter and the only family I have left. Of course you’re always welcome here, Madeleine. There will never be a day when that isn’t true.”
Madeleine sighed, relieved. For a moment there, she had really been afraid of what he might say. Nothing would have compelled her to go back to Westcourt, but she didn’t know where she would have gone if he had told her she wasn’t welcome here.
He embraced her quickly. “I’ll have someone bring your trunk inside.”
“And the rest of my things?”
“Let’s not be hasty.”
“I can’t go back there, Uncle Joseph. I really can’t.” Suddenly remembering, she pulled away from him. She couldn’t believe it wasn’t the first thing she had said—but then, she had been so overwhelmed by everything that was going on that perhaps it was no surprise she couldn’t keep her thoughts straight right now. “The tea! It was you! But it couldn’t have been you, could it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The herbs you sent over. To help with my nightmares.”
“I sent you no herbs,” Uncle Joseph said, frowning. “You know I’m a believer in herbal remedies and concoctions to help with all manner of ailments, but if I knew of something that would help nightmares, I would have given it to you years ago, Madeleine. I have nothing that will do that. I don’t know what I would have sent you.”
“But itdidhelp.” She recalled the first night. “It had a minty taste…”
“Was it mint?”
“I don’t know.”
