A single tear fell from Belle’s eye. “Indeed. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the stress wasn’t what had been making me ill. I simply thought myself overworked and overtaxed as I sat there, day after day, watchingma petite fillegrow weaker with every rattling breath she struggled to take, ne’er really knowing what was wrong with us both, while he knew what that bitch was doing, and said nothing to me about it. How could any man ever do such a thing to the family he’d sworn before God to love and protect? How?”
The agony in her eyes flooded Valynda’s with tears for the pain it wrought through her soul.
Her mind reeled at the horror of it all. Belle’s husband was worse than the very demons they fought against. What father, or husband, could do something so monstrous? So cruel? How could anyone betray another human in such a cold, brutal fashion? She couldn’t understand it any more than Belle did.
There were some lines no one should ever cross. And this level of insidious cruelty was definitely one of them.
Belle shook her head. “Shara was in so much pain, every day, and I was so concerned for her that it didn’t even dawn on me that we shared the same symptoms. I actually thought my maternal instincts caused me to feel her ailments in sympathy becausema petitecried all the time from it. Poor babe could barely walk. If she managed to eat, she threw it all up. Her body was failing and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I tried every potion I could think of to make her better. Prayed to every spirit I knew. Lit every candle. Nothing worked. Not even Nibo could help her. ’Twas as if all had abandoned me with feckless disregard.”
Curling her lip, Belle laughed bitterly. “And would you believe that slag bitchling had the audacity to come intomy room”—she slapped herself on her chest to emphasize those words—“every day and ask me howma petite fillewas feeling? How Shara was doing! Knowing that bitchtress was killing her and that the sole reason my baby suffered? That both me and me daughter were dying from what she was serving us! And all the while me husband would come to check on us and saynothing! Just come and look at us with a stoic expression on his vile face.”
Sick to her stomach, Valynda couldn’t wrap her mind around the harsh cruelty of what Belle described. This was madness on a true sadistic level. Nay, she couldn’t imagine a greater betrayal than to know the man she thought she loved was standing there, watching her die. No wonder Belle was barely sane most days. It all made sense now. All the woman’s weird idiosyncrasies.
Why she couldn’t trust anyone. Who could blame her?
How could anyone be so cold to his own family? His own child?
And for what?
Money? Ego? What in the world could get into anyone’s head to make them turn against their family for a stranger and to cause them harm? It just didn’t make sense. Why throw so much away?
Another tear fell quietly down Belle’s cheek. “To this day, I can still feel the last wisp of her breath on me skin as it left Shara’s frail body and she went limp in me arms.” Belle broke off into wrenching sobs.
Pulling her against her chest, Valynda wished she could join her tears as she felt Belle’s pain deep in her heart and soul. Dear God, no one should bear witness to such a thing. She could imagine no greater horror than holding her daughter as she died. To be betrayed so badly by the man she loved.
It made what Nibo had done to her pale in comparison, because the truth was, she’d rather die a thousand times than see her own child perish before her.
That had to be the cruelest blow life had to give to anyone. Pressing her hand to her stomach, Belle gave her an agonized stare that pierced her like a hot needle. She pulled away from Valynda to wipe at her eyes. “You cannot imagine the scream I let out when Shara left this mortal coil. And the rage that came upon me then. With it was born me clairvoyance and cunning. In that one fatal moment of losingma belleShara, I heard her whispering to me what had been done to her and by whom. The why of it all—that the slag had come in and wanted what I had for her own and wanted us gone and me Robbie was too stupid to see it for what it was. Then I saw the brightest light shine down upon us. It damn near blinded me. So, I layma fille’s body back on her bed, and seized me herb knife, then went to find the ones what had harmedma petite fille de cœur.”
Her breathing turned ragged as if she were reliving that moment. As if the rage had come back just as fresh now as it’d been the day her daughter had died. “As calm and cool as you please, I found them in the crowded tavern we owned. And the minute I saw that whore slag there, me mind took on the visions of her druggingma petite filleand me, of her actually humming, singing, and smiling as she tainted our food and drink, and of her laughing while she fed her concoctions to us that had killed me daughter. To actually think in her twisted, sick mind that she deserved what I’d worked so hard for! Next thing I knew, I was on them, stabbing and slashing with everything I had and more.”
Belle looked up as tears streamed down her beautiful face, leaving streaks behind to mark the pain that was seared into her soul, and now Valynda’s in indignation for her. “When all was said and done, I’d ripped them to shreds and cut the throats of two innocent watchmen who’d tried to stop me from gutting them.” She met Valynda’s gaze without flinching. “Sadly, I wasn’t sorry then and I’m not sorry now. Not one little bit. My only regret was not protecting me girl from that bitchling who preyed on her and turned me husband from the loving father he’d been into the beast I no longer recognized. I only wish I’d caught on to them sooner so that I could have savedma petite fille’s life.”
“So, you were hanged?”
“Eventually.”
Valynda cocked her head. “Pardon?”
Belle’s laughter was cold and sinister. “Oh, I ran for it, I did. Like the devil and all his servants. As I said, I wasn’t a bit sorry for what I took from the trollop or the rank bastard betrayer. I grabbed a sword, hit the door, and lived for a couple of years on me root work before the law caught up to me.”
Sniffing, she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I told you, Lady Doll, I earned my damnation. Every what day of it. While I’m not proud of what I did to them and I am sorry for the deaths of the watchmen, I don’t deny it. I was about as worthless a person as whatever was born, and I shouldn’t have taken the innocent lives that I did. But to get the guilty and to make them pay, I’d do it all again, without hesitation. To pay that debt, it was worth it.” She shrugged. “I still don’t know why Thorn and the captain agreed to bring me back to serve on this crew and give me a shot to win back me blackened soul. I’m just glad they did, for there’s nothing more I want than to see me girl again. To hold her wee little hand one more time and tell her that I’m sorry I failed to keep her safe. Even from her own father.”
Her eyes still shining from her tears, Belle turned to leave.
Valynda caught her hand as she started away, and pulled her back to her side. “I know why they chose you, Belle. You’ve a good heart. The best I’ve seen. Don’t ever let anyone else tell you differently. Not even you.”
Smiling, Belle kissed her cheek. “And Nibo loves you, miss. Never doubt that. I don’t know the how of what brought you into your death, but I know the mountains he moved to bring you back from the other side and to get you on this ship. That was no easy feat, there.”
“How do you mean?”
Belle arched her brow. “Don’t you know?”
“Thorn and the captain bargained.” That was how everyone had been chosen for the crew.
Belle shook her head. “Valynda, they didn’t choose you. Didn’t you ever wonder why you’re the only one on board who wasn’t a trained fighter or brawler?”
“Sancha—”
