She would come back to him or she wouldn’t. He had no control. And only time would tell.
Gripping her hand, he settled in to wait.
CHAPTER 37
“What’s the matter with her?” Norman asked, his voice low. He felt as if he didn’t want to disturb Susan’s sleep, even though he also knew that he wanted more than anything to see her wake up.
“She’s going to be all right,” Leah said. She had joined the two of them in the room and was now perched on the window seat. “She hasn’t been eating or sleeping, and the exhaustion caught up with her at last. That’s why she fainted.”
“That doesn’t sound all right to me,” Norman objected. There was a low growl in his tone. “You haven’t been getting her to eat and sleep?”
“She isn’t a child, Your Grace,” Leah said easily. “We can’t force her to do those things.”
“But…” He was frustrated. “I know she isn’t a child, but she came here to be cared for. She came here because she was unhappyand wanted support. And now I come after her and learn that my wife hasn’t been eating?”
Leah regarded him. “We could say a lot to one another about who failed in taking care of Susan,” she said. “But I don’t think that’s the best way for us to proceed right now, do you?”
Shame overwhelmed Norman. Leah was right, of course. He could sit here and say that her sisters should have done more to prevent this, but it couldn’t be avoided that he had failed first.
“She has made her own choices every step of the way,” Leah murmured. “She chose to leave your house. She could have eaten, but she didn’t. The best thing we can do now is to be here for her. I am glad you came, Your Grace. I know it might not have seemed that way during our earlier conversation, but I am.”
He nodded. “You should call me Norman,” he said. “After all, we’re family.” But the word was hard to say. They were family today, yes, but if this marriage was annulled, they would be nothing to each other. It all seemed so temporary.
As long as she recovers. Everything else will be all right. I can manage everything else, as long as she recovers from this. The marriage ending… that would be all right. It wouldn’t be what he wanted. Not even close. But he would accept it.
“Let me get you something to eat,” Marina suggested.
Norman shook his head. “I’m not hungry.” How could he eat while Susan was lying here in this state?
“Now you sound just like her,” Leah chided. “You aren’t going to eat either? The two of you seem positively determined to sabotage yourselves, Norman. Let Marina bring you some food. It won’t hurt to have a meal while we wait for Susan to wake up. And you and I can take this time to get to know one another. I’m very interested to learn more about the man my sister married.”
He looked at her. She seemed sincere, and he wondered whether she believed the marriage was going to last after all.
It doesn’t matter what she believes, though. It doesn't make it true. She doesn’t know what it was like for the two of us—what we’ve been through over the past few weeks. She wasn’t there when Susan made the decision to leave. If she had been, she would have understood how final it all felt. She’d understand why I’m sure there’s no going back.
He nodded at Marina, and she disappeared, presumably to find a maid who would put a plate of food together for them.
He turned back to Susan. Her hand was still in his, cold and lifeless. He watched the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest, reassuring himself that she was still alive.
“Marina said in her letter that there had been a visit from a physician,” he said.
“That’s right,” Leah said. “We sent for him at once when she fainted. He told us that there was nothing he could do—since what ails her is exhaustion and malnourishment, the cure is simple enough. She must sleep, so we aren’t to wake her. And she has to eat something, so when she’s up, we will have to urge her to do that.”
“It feels wrong,” Norman admitted, his voice thick. “To just sit here and do nothing. To not even try to bring her out of this.”
“Her body needs the rest. That’s what the physician told us,” Leah said. “She wasn’t getting any rest on her own, so eventually her body insisted upon it. I know it’s alarming. Believe me. She’s my little sister. I care for her almost as if she was my own child. That’s how it was in our family, because our father was so distant and our mother was gone. We sisters looked out for one another.”
Norman nodded. “I do know that,” he said. “I’ve seen that in her. It’s the way she is with Marina.”
“Then you understand the strength of my concern for her,” Leah said. “You understand that I would do anything for her. I came all the way from Scotland when I heard that she was here.”
“Marina has been writing a lot of letters lately,” Norman surmised.
Leah smiled. “One of the best things about Marina, and something that is not true of me or of Susan, is that she knows how to reach out for help. She asks for the things she needs. Shedoesn’t hesitate to call out to the people who can help her, and yes, that is the reason both of us are here. I’m grateful for it. Aren’t you?”
“Very grateful,” Norman admitted. “It’s a very good quality to have.”
Leah nodded. “And now Susan has all the people who care for her by her side when she needs us most.”
