“Some people are born like that,” the Countess interfered, she herself obviously curious about the physical appearance of their uninvited guest. “Different than the rest of us.”
“That’s enough nonsense for one night, I should think,” Edmund grumbled loudly, signaling the end of tonight’s escapades and the final commencement of rest, which is after all, what night is about, and he had had none of it as of yet. “The girls are to be taken to bed at once and I won’t hear any protest.”
Miss Montgomery quickly nodded. “Yes, My Lord.”
The girls complained silently once more, but the huddled hands of their governess rushed them upstairs and toward their room. A few moments, and their little voices were heard no more.
“And take her to one of the spare guest rooms,” he urged Torrance, gesturing at the woman. “Find there whatever she needs. Mrs. Tilly can help you with that.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Torrance bowed quickly. They were joined by a kind-looking woman of about fifty, whose position was that of the housekeeper, and together, they disappeared from his sight.
Now, Edmund only had to endure the look that his mother was giving him. The look that always assured him that, despite all the effort he had taken, he missed doing something crucial.
“She can stay the night, and that is that.” He could see the puzzled expression on her face. “I shall not be responsible for strays in my home.”
She seemed to ponder something, before replying. Then, she voiced her stance.
“Do not doubt for a moment that you have just saved that strange woman’s life,” she told him.
He hadn’t really looked at it that way. “I do not think I did any such thing.”
“Nonsense!” she huffed. “What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t found that poor girl by the brook?”
“Well, I am not able to foresee the future, Mother, but I do know that I shall not be held responsible for her as of tomorrow. This is where my help ends.”
“Have you taken a closer look at that poor child, Edmund?” She pushed on, as she always did when she believed she was right. “I fear she has caught her death in that dreadful storm outside.”
“Then, she shouldn’t have been out there,” he snorted, still under the vague impression that her presence there was not a coincidence. Ever since the tragedy that had befallen his brother and his brother’s wife, Edmund didn’t believe in coincidences.
“But maybe she was forced outside,” his mother suggested. “You cannot be aware of other people’s circumstances.”
“And other people cannot suppose that I will help them just because I found them on my property,” he snapped. “Who helped me when I needed it?” He could once more feel the pain of his phantom hand, the one he now only had a vague memory of.
“You were fortunate enough to have us,” she reminded him. “And the girls were fortunate enough to have you.”
He sighed. She had a point, but he was in no mood to acquiesce. He simply wished for this conversation to be over, so he could sneak underneath his blanket, and close his eyes on this day, which seemed like it would never end.
“You know what the right thing to do is, Edmund,” she spoke, like the voice of conscience in his mind. “You know what your brother would have done. Honor his memory.”
“Isn’t that what I have been doing all this time?” he growled. Then, he realized that it wasn’t only him who was hurt. It wasn’t only he who had lost a member of his family. His mother was hurting as well. She only had a bad way of wording it.
Instead of saying anything, she approached him, and placed her withered hand on his cheek, as she used to do when he was but a little boy and needed to be consoled. She smiled at him.
“Do what you feel is right, Edmund,” she whispered softly. “Your heart knows what to do.”
With those words, she slowly turned away, and her slumped, weak body returned to its room. Edmund was finally left alone. The pain in his stump had slowly started to subside, as the temperature of his body commenced to return to normal. He took off his wet coat and entered his room. He got out of his wet clothes and huddled under the blankets.
When he closed his eyes, all he could see was the woman they had brought in. Her white hair, which trailed down her face and body in thin rivulets. Her long, branchy fingers which bore no mark of heavy labor. Her pale skin, paler than anything he had ever seen.
Who was she? What was she doing there, in the middle of the night? Was she part of the conspiracy which he was certain, was aimed at his entire family?
Tossing and turning, it took him a long time to fall asleep. The sound of the rain drumming against his windows was enough to keep his mind alert, frightening him with possibilities.
Chapter 5
When Rosalie woke up the following morning, her eyes frantically moved about the room which she didn’t recognize. Everything in it assured her that this was a noble house, but no matter how hard she tried to wrack her brain, Rosalie couldn’t remember how she ended up here.
She looked about the room, in an effort to find her clothes, but they were nowhere to be seen. She gasped in horror, removing her covers, half expecting to see herself indecent, but she then released a sigh of relief upon finding out that she was indeed dressed in a long, white cotton nightgown, which covered her entire body.
