Hopefully, his sister wouldn’t be terribly upset that he got married without her there to witness it. It was spur of the moment, and he hadn’t even been sure Madelene would say yes. Otherwise he would have taken Samantha with him. Surely, she would forgive him. It was hardly the worst of his transgressions against her.
Nighttime had fallen fully by the time they settled into the cab headed for Raven House, and Simon was grateful for it. He had a confession to make, which would be easier in darkness. Coward. He took a deep breath and summoned his courage. “There’s something I have to tell you about my sister.” Guilt made it difficult for him to continue, but Madelene needed to know. “I took her to Auburn Ridge.”
Madelene gasped quietly beside him, and his heart clenched.
“Why?” Her voice was soft and unsure.
Shame settled in his gut. “I was trying to keep her safe. I didn’t know—” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I didn’t know they would hurt her there.”
Madelene took his hand and pulled it onto her lap. “That’s why you came? Dr. Mickelson hurt your sister?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched tight.
“Did you kill him, after I was outside?”
“No. But I probably should have. I did let him know that he needs to change his ways.”
“Will you tell me what happened with your sister?”
She deserved the truth. He probably should have shared it all before they’d married, in fact. “I’ve told you a little about her past.”
Madelene nodded.
“Well, after I got her out of that situation, she came to live with me for a while. She was there for something like eight months, and I tried to cheer her up. I brought her flowers, I bought her dresses. Nothing ever helped for long, though. Then one night—” He struggled to say the words aloud. “One night, she tried to take her own life.”
“Oh, Simon.” He couldn’t see her face clearly in the dark, but there was sadness in her voice as she squeezed his hand.
“I tried to see if Ash would take her in. I thought he might be better equipped to deal with her emotional distress than I was. But I bungled that, too.”
She lifted his hand to her lips.
“Out of desperation, I took her to Auburn Ridge. Dr. Mickelson assured me she would be well cared for.” He sighed. He hated himself for that mistake. He, of all people, should have known better. He should have been able to read Mickelson and see he was lying, but perhaps his desperation had blinded him. “Ash was the one who rescued her from there. Quite by accident. He’d gone in for someone else and got Samantha out too.”
“Perhaps it was destined to be then? It would seem everyone has ended up exactly where they should.”
“Perhaps my sister was destined to suffer?”
“That’s not what I meant, Simon. But if she hadn’t, I’d still be there, and I wouldn’t have you.”
He pulled her into his embrace. “I’m so glad I have you.” He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I just wanted you to know the truth before you meet her.”
“Thank you.”
When they entered Raven House a few minutes later, McKinnon stood in the entrance hall.
“I’m glad to see you’re still here. I’d like you to meet my wife, Madelene.”
He smiled as he approached them.
“Madelene, this is McKinnon, the man who’s graciously taking time to teach me how to do my job.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Allister.”
She was nervous and as always, reverted to a simple nod, pressing herself closer to Simon. He squeezed her hand. “Everyone here is safe, Madelene. Use your voice freely.”
Tentatively, she looked up into McKinnon’s eyes. His smile was kind and patient as he waited for her. That would be another part of the job, presumably, understanding how to deal with these women, who often arrived damaged.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. McKinnon.”
