by Jillian Kent
“I am your duty, Daisy. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on around here while you wash my hair? You haven’t looked me in the eye once since you entered my chambers, and you’ve never been shy about gossiping in my presence.”
Daisy lathered Madeline’s hair and rinsed it out. Madeline enjoyed this ritual so much that she nearly fell asleep as Daisy repeated the process. “You are not talking. That in itself tells me something is amiss. Out with it.”
“Now don’t go gettin’ yerself all ruffled. I’m sure it’s nothin’ too serious. Your mother is a bit ill, but I’m sure she’ll be up and about in no time at all.”
“What kind of illness? Nothing serious I hope.”
“She’s overly tired. My mother has been takin’ good care of her. You can go see her after yer bath.”
“I believe my bath is finished. Grab my dressing gown and slippers, Daisy. Where is Lord Vale?”
“I’m not sure where he is, my lady.” She held the rose-colored dressing gown out for Madeline, who slipped into it after drying off. “I’m going to see my mother right now. Pick out a suitable gown, Daisy, and I’ll be back shortly.”
Daisy nodded.
Madeline padded through two hallways that opened into an expansive atrium that led to her mother’s suite of rooms. She knocked and, hearing no response, walked in. Taking in the scene, she tried to control the panic that threatened to overtake her. “Mother?”
“Oh, Maddie dear. I’m so glad you are home.” She ran to Madeline and flung her arms around Madeline’s neck and cried.
“Mother? What’s wrong? Let me look at you.” Madeline immediately noticed dark circles under her mother’s eyes and a look of one lost. Not her mother at all. The drapes were drawn in this room as well. “Let’s get some light in here.” Madeline reached to draw back the drapes.
“No. Please don’t, darling. The sun hurts my eyes, and I have an awful headache. I think I’ll lie down for a while.” She crawled into her bed and reached for a bottle at the bedside. “My medicine will help.” She picked up a spoon.
“What medicine? What are you taking?” Madeline rushed to the bedside and grabbed the bottle from her hand. “What is this?”
“Laudanum. Now let me take my medicine so I can sleep for a while, Maddie.”
Not knowing whether she should or shouldn’t allow this, she slipped the bottle into the pocket of her robe. “I must speak to Vale first.”
Madeline raced back to her room where Daisy waited. “Help me dress quickly, Daisy. How long has Mother been like this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Daisy looked at the ground. “Lord Vale told me not to. He’s been different since ye left.”
“I’ll take care of Lord Vale,” Madeline said, anger burning up her spine. “And where is Agnes? Where is your mother?”
“Fixin’ some food for the countess. She won’t even let Cook do it.”
Madeline didn’t bother putting her shoes on or asking Daisy to fix her hair. As soon as the last button popped into place she grabbed the bottle and went looking for Vale, finally finding him in the library.
“What have you done to Mother?” Madeline demanded.
Vale leaned back in the leather chair that her father used to occupy. “Welcome home, Lady Madeline. I see that your journey did nothing to improve your temperament.”
“Mother is not herself. She’s unsettled and restless. There are dark circles under her eyes, and she wanted to take this.” She held out the bottle of laudanum.
“Yes. Grace has been having headaches, so I obtained the laudanum from the apothecary. She has improved only slightly and has been talking out of her head. I’m making temporary arrangements for her to stay at Ashcroft until she gets better.” Vale closed the book that lay open before him.
“Ashcroft? Whatever for? It’s a lunatic asylum! She’s not insane. She suffers from laudanum poisoning, I suspect. If you believe I will let her go, you are mad and can take yourself off to Ashcroft.”
“Be reasonable, Lady Madeline. I’ve done nothing to your mother.” Vale placed his hands on her shoulders.
She shrugged him off and stepped back.
“We cannot care for her here. She needs the kind of treatment that Ashcroft offers. Perhaps they can bring her out of this stupor. Don’t you see, you would be helping her to get well, not remain like she is.”
Madeline pushed away from him when he dared step closer. “I don’t care what you say; I will take care of my mother. I will make certain she gets well. If you love her, you will not speak of Ashcroft.” Angry tears threatened. She wished that her mother had never married this dreadful man.
“I do love her. That is why I must insist that you do what is right.” He poured a glass of port.
Madeline studied him. “You insist? Has a physician seen her?”
“I know what she needs. I spoke to the apothecary in York. I have everything under control.”
Searching his expression, she found what she was looking for. Arrogance. “How dare you.” Losing control, she slapped him. “You’re a monster! Leave this house at once!”
Vale remained amazingly calm and sipped his port. “You don’t know me very well, Lady Madeline, if you think I would leave Richfield.”
Unperturbed, he continued. “You have a lesson to learn, and I am just the man to teach you. Richfield is my home now.”
Madeline stormed from the room. I must be careful. I must use my common sense, or he will take it out on Mother. He is so devious no one would ever know what a fiend lurks behind his handsome face. Please, God, protect us from this evil.
Agnes wiped the tears from her eyes when Madeline entered her mother’s rooms.
“She sleeps again. She remains the same,” Agnes said, bitterly.
“The same as what? What happened while I was in Scarborough?”
“I’m not sure. I thought it a fever at first or the beginnin’ of a serious illness. She became weaker and weaker with each passin’ day. Talkin’ out of her head and then not talkin’ at all. Sleepin’ and then restlessly pacin’.”
Madeline sat down on the side of the bed and tenderly laced her fingers through those of her mother—a morning ritual they’d shared many years ago when her mother would wake her. “Mama, can you hear me?”
No response.
“No matter what happens, I will not leave you.” She squeezed her mother’s limp hand, then raised it to gently touch her cheek. “I will not let you go.”
No response.
Her mind searched wildly for answers. What to do? Ravensmoore. No. Perhaps. He offered the obvious advantage. His medical expertise, plus the added benefit of being on her side and willing to do anything to help her. The trip to Gretna Green had told her that much. She’d lost her father, and Ravensmoore had been unable to save him, but did she have any choice but to trust him now that Mother’s life was at risk? He knew her mother, he understood her situation, and he might be able to help her.
“Agnes, send word to Ravensmoore that he is needed immediately.”
“An excellent plan, Lady Madeline.”
“Be careful that Vale does not know. Send Donavan.”
Madeline climbed into bed with her mother and cuddled close. She began singing a lullaby, one her mother used to sing to her and her siblings at night. Only it wasn’t meant to rock her mother to sleep. It was meant to reach that place deep inside of her, where she would hear, hold on, and know she wasn’t alone.
“Don’t be afraid, Mama. Don’t be afraid. I’ve sent for Ravensmoore.”
She fell asleep praying, Lord, save my mother. Vale must not succeed.
Madeline woke with a start as the door banged open and Vale entered his wife’s room. Upon seeing Madeline, he stopped short.
Agnes edged her way into the room. Vale turned to her. “Agnes, I want you to prepare a trunk for Lady Madeline and then ready her for a short trip.” He touched his wife’s forehead.
Madeline slapped his hand away. “What are you talking about?
”
“I plan to escort you to Ashcroft Asylum, where you will get the treatment you deserve. It is quite evident that the seashore was not enough to cure your melancholia.”
Madeline wanted to scream her outrage, but she forced herself to maintain control. “Lord Vale, what do you think you are doing? You cannot send me to Ashcroft. You have no reason to have me committed, and you have no authority.”
“Ah, but you’re wrong. You’re my stepdaughter, and I do so hate to see that you’ve diminished mentally since the death of your father.” He flicked a fly off his cravat. “I’ve decided you are right. I am going to keep a very close eye on my wife. But you are dangerous, Lady Madeline. You are dangerous to others, and that cannot be tolerated. You attacked me upon your return yesterday and slapped me, to say nothing of pulling a pistol on me when Grace and I eloped. I think that should keep you in Ashcroft long enough. Others have been committed for lesser offenses.”
A knot tightened in Madeline’s stomach. She thought of Amanda and how abused she’d been at the hands of the keepers, and perhaps even by Vale. “You are mad. I’ve done nothing to deserve admittance to Ashcroft. I’ve sent for Lord Ravensmoore. He will help us. You cannot deny Mother a physician.”
Ignoring Madeline, Vale turned on Agnes. “What are you waiting for, woman? Did I not tell you to get her packed? She’s lucky I’m being so generous. I should just take her as is, and she can be admitted as a pauper.”
Agnes took a step back and looked to Madeline for direction.
Vale’s hand clamped over Agnes’s upper arm. “I give the orders around here. Now do it,” he hissed.
Agnes winced, and Madeline capitulated. “Go, Agnes. Do as he says.”
Agnes sent her a look of warning to be careful and left the room.
“Don’t take all day about it,” he growled. “I’ve things to do. And Ravensmoore will not be coming to your aid. I intercepted the message.” He held the letter out for her to see, then ripped it to pieces.
“Where is Donavan? He carried the letter.”
“I interrupted Donavan’s delivery. He’s in the stables where he belongs. No one is going to help you.”
Madeline seethed and pointed a finger at him. “You will not interfere with the care Mother needs, and you are not to hurt or abuse anyone in this household.”
Vale looked at her nonplussed. “What do I care? You mean nothing to me. I will go where I want, do as I please, and use or misuse as much of Richfield’s money and her people as I wish. As long as Grace is under my care, I will have complete control over you.”
“You will never have control over me, you evil snake.”
“Ah, but I already do. You see, my dear, I will tell Mr. Sullivan to take great care of you. However, if you cause trouble, your mother will suffer for your misdeeds. Am I clear?”
Madeline looked from her unconscious mother to Vale. Fear invaded every pore and paralyzed her ability to pray. “You cannot do this.”
“Now you will cooperate and get yourself to the waiting coach or”—his hand reached out and touched her mother’s index finger, bending it backward just enough that Grace flinched—“I will break her finger.”
Madeline gasped. “Don’t! I’ll go with you.”
“I thought you might be persuaded. Now say your good-byes.”
Madeline kissed her mother on the forehead and whispered in her ear, “I’ll find a way, Mother. Somehow I will find a way.” She hadn’t felt so helpless and angry since her father had died, but that had been different. That was an accident, and for the first time a door of understanding opened in her heart for Ravensmoore. He had tried to save her father. Vale was intent on controlling Mother to get what he wanted. Would he go so far as to kill?
She left the room and took one backward look to see Mother in the deep sleep of laudanum. Lord, surround this house with Your mercy and protection. Don’t let Vale hurt anyone. She wished she still possessed the pistol that Ravensmoore claimed when she’d pointed it at Vale.
Vale took her by the arm and walked her downstairs where Agnes, Daisy, and Phineas waited in the foyer. “Now tell them to behave themselves, or you and your mother will suffer the consequences.”
Madeline hugged Agnes and then Daisy. With tears in their eyes she stepped back and looked at the three of them. “I must ask you all to keep this in confidence. Not for my safety but for Mother. I know that you will listen to what Lord Vale says no matter how much you may want to do otherwise. We must all keep my mother, your countess, safe. Is that understood?”
They nodded. “God speed, Lady Madeline,” Phineas said. “We will pray for you.”
“The coach awaits.” Vale guided Madeline outside.
The footman opened the door and Madeline climbed inside to come face-to-face with Mr. Sullivan. Taking a chance, she pleaded, “You cannot condone this act! It is criminal!”
“I take my orders from Lord Vale, my lady.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a flask. “Drink up. A special brew for the occasion. We find it easier to transition patients into the asylum with a little help.”
Vale entered the coach and sat next to her with Sullivan opposite. He took the flask from Sullivan and tipped it to Madeline’s lips. “Cheers, my dear.”
CHAPTER 16
’Tisn’t life that matters!
’Tis the courage you bring to it.
—SIR HUGH WALPOLE,
FORTITUDE
DEVLIN SAT IN the massive library at Ravensmoore contemplating, for the thousandth time, his decision to leave medicine. Only weeks away from completing his education and he’d quit. That’s what it came down to. He missed medicine. Misery had befriended him.
“You have visitors, sir,” announced Hummel, the butler. “A Dr. Melton and Countess Gilling. They appear most anxious to see you.”
“Most anxious, indeed.” Melton stood in the doorway. “We must talk with you at once, Ravensmoore.” Melton gently pulled Hally in after him as Hummel quietly withdrew.
Devlin rose to his feet, bowing graciously to his guests. “This is an unexpected surprise. I’m happy to see you, but from the stricken look on your faces I know this is not a social visit. Come, sit down and tell me what is wrong.”
Devlin showed them to a cozy arrangement of chairs. “Now, what is it?”
Melton looked at Hally. “I think Lady Gilling should explain. Tell him all of it.”
“Madeline told you that she and I were going on holiday in Scarborough,” Hally began, nervously fidgeting with her reticule.
“Yes, she mentioned it the last time I saw her. Has something happened to her?” He leaned forward in his chair.
“Yes, I’m afraid so.” Hally went on to explain the devastating outcome of their trip, the evening Lady Darby told Madeline about the Ravensmoore legacy of madness.
“That’s what you’ve come to tell me?” His heart raced. “And now you know as well.” Devlin stood and walked to his desk. “I suppose she was quite horrified. However, I don’t understand why you felt compelled to come in person. Why not simply send a messenger?”
“There’s more,” Melton said ominously. He nodded at Hally. The look that passed between them increased Devlin’s anxiety tenfold.
Hally drew a deep breath. “Yesterday Vale committed Madeline to Ashcroft Asylum. Last night Agnes sent word to me through Donavan, and I immediately contacted Charles.” She sent a grateful gaze his way. “By then it was too late to see you, so we rode out first thing this morning to tell you ourselves.”
His heart squeezed in agony. “Vale—that devil!” Devlin stood raking both hands through his hair. “I must go to her.”
“I am so afraid for her.” Hally wiped at tears slipping down her cheeks. “Agnes is desperate and reports that Countess Vale is ill as well. Something must be done. We will do anything to help.”
“The first thing to be done is to get her out of the asylum.” Devlin hit the desk with his fist. “Then I’ll deal with Vale.”
Hummel
entered the room with a pot of tea, an assortment of breads and cheeses, and a pitcher of lemonade balanced on a silver tray. He placed the tray on the table between them. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
“It appears I will be leaving, Hummel. Please pack.”
“Yes, sir.” Hummel’s expression was one of surprise, but he said nothing and left the room after serving them.
“So you’re leaving me again.” A young woman in a wheelchair entered the room, pushed by another close to her age. “Forgive me for interrupting. I could not help but overhear.”
Melton was instantly on his feet.
“You mean you couldn’t help eavesdropping, don’t you, Snoop?” Devlin said.
“I never eavesdrop,” she said, smiling charmingly.
“We’ll discuss that later, dear sister.” He stood and placed a quick kiss on the forehead of each girl. “I’ve no time for pleasantries, I’m afraid.”
“She’s bored again,” the younger girl said, smiling.
“So it would seem.”
“Snoop.” Devlin cleared his throat. “I mean, Victoria. I would like you to meet my friends, the Countess Gilling and Dr. Melton.” He turned to his guests. “My sister, the Lady Victoria, and our youngest sister, Lady Mercy.”
Melton bowed. “Ravensmoore, you said you had sisters, but you never mentioned how charming they are.”
“I’m surprised he mentioned us at all. We are well-kept secrets,” Victoria said. “And is this your lady, Dr. Melton?”
“Indeed,” Melton said, and gently reached for Hally’s hand.
Victoria studied Hally carefully. “My, you certainly are beautiful. Do sit down, Dr. Melton. We didn’t mean to cause a stir. It’s just when I heard that our brother is leaving… well, I couldn’t help myself.”
Devlin quickly informed his sisters about what had happened and why he must leave. “Victoria and Mercy, please show the countess where she may freshen up while I discuss this situation with Dr. Melton.”
“Getting rid of us, are you, brother?” Victoria patted Devlin’s cheek. “Perhaps we can all visit longer at another time. Come with us, Countess; we will leave the men to discuss their plans.” The three exited the room as the men regained their seats.