Simon shook his head. “For now, it’s best if you stay here.”
Sadness furrowed her brow as she nodded. He just couldn’t seem to be enough to take care of her the way she deserved.
“Did they hurt you at Auburn Ridge, Samantha?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Are you taking me back there?”
Anger boiled within him at the confirmation. “No,” he said, wrapping his arms around her again. “You’ll never go back there.” The tension in her body eased with relief.
Dr. Mickelson had just landed himself right at the top of Simon’s list. The man was going to pay for what he’d done to Samantha.
Ash reappeared after Samantha returned to her room.
“Thank you for taking her in and keeping her safe. If I’d known they were going to mistreat her, I never would have left her there.”
“She’s in good hands here.”
Simon nodded, but cursed himself for his failure. He’d known she would be, which was why he’d tried to bring her here first. If only he’d spoken up and not been such a coward. There was no undoing it now, but he was going to pay a visit to Dr. Mickelson.
“I can’t hire a cab to take me all the way to Auburn Ridge, so where's a good place for me to get a horse around here?”
“You can take one of mine, but let me send some backup with you.”
Simon usually liked to work alone, but perhaps having some extra support might be a good thing this time. Getting in and out of an asylum had to be a bit more difficult than slipping into a man’s home to slit his throat.
“Why are you so willing to help me with this? Auburn Ridge isn’t your problem.”
“I got Samantha out when I went in for one of my own, so if you’re going to take care of that man, I am happy to help in any way I can. Just make sure you don’t leave an asylum full of women with no one to care for them. I can’t take them all, unfortunately.”
Simon nodded. “If you have someone you can spare who will stay out of my way, I’d appreciate the help.”
“I have just the man.”
Madelene steeled herself before entering the dining room where she had breakfast every morning with her father. Today was her thirtieth birthday, which was also the thirtieth anniversary of her mother’s death. She was unlikely to make it through the meal without her father reminding her that she was the reason her mother was dead.
He didn’t acknowledge her as she sat down, which was how it usually went. No one in the house ever did. She kept her head down as a bowl of porridge was placed in front of her. On this day, she wouldn’t even be offered honey. Extravagances like that weren’t often permitted. They might weaken her resolve, making it easier for the evil inside her to take control. Even after all these years, she didn’t know what that meant. She didn’t feel evil. But apparently, she was.
She sighed and took a bite of the bland mush. Perhaps that was a whisper of it, now. She should be grateful for the meal in whatever form it came. She was, but it was so much tastier with a bit of honey. Occasionally, she was even allowed strawberry jam if she behaved well for long enough. Another wistful sigh passed through her lips.
“Have you forgotten what day it is today, Madelene?”
She shook her head but didn’t look up.
“Ingratitude is unbecoming, and you would do well to remember that.”
She nodded.
He left before she finished eating, and she was grateful he hadn’t said anything more. Didn’t he know that she’d spent a lifetime desperately wanting a mother? It wasn’t as if she’d chosen to have this evil in her.
She took a breath. Ingratitude was unbecoming, and she needed to do better.
Perhaps some fresh air would help her. She left the dining room and retrieved her shawl before heading outside. The morning breeze was chilly, and the skies overcast. Not even Mother Nature could offer her something nice today?
Sometimes she wished she could live a life like the ones she read about in books. One filled with adventure or romance. She smiled thinking about how wonderful it would be. She wasn’t deserving of a life like that, but it couldn’t hurt to imagine it, could it? What would it feel like to fall in love? She’d never know. Those things weren’t for her.
With yet another sigh, she made her way back into the house. It would be time for her piano lesson soon. She sat on the bench and played a few scales to warm up her fingers while she waited for her teacher to arrive.
“Keep those fingers curled,” he said, as he approached the instrument. Madelene nodded and pulled her fingertips in a bit more. Even with her tutors, she wasn’t allowed to speak unless it was necessary.
