Page 101 of A Stolen Heart

“I’m sorry.” Alexandra felt faintly foolish for her fears, given the peaceful scene she had come in on. “Thank you for sitting with her. I take it she’s been quiet.”

“Yes, miss, not a sound.” The girl looked at Mrs. Ward and sighed. “Poor thing. Seems ‘orrible, don’t it, to come out of it like that and get knocked right back in?”

“Yes. We can only hope that her unconsciousness will be briefer this time.”

The maid bobbed a curtsey and went out, and Alexandra pulled the chair closer to the bed, where she could sit and look at her mother’s face. She touched her mother’s bandaged arm lightly, tears welling in her eyes as she thought of Rhea batting at the sparks on her bed. Rhea loved her and had done her utmost to save her. However much Alexandra might resent the fact that Rhea had kept the secrets of her past from her all these years, she knew that Rhea loved her.

The morning crept by slowly, and Alexandra picked up a piece of mending from her aunt’s sewing bag and began to work on it, to give herself something to do. Suddenly Rhea moaned, startling Alexandra into jabbing her finger with the needle.

She looked at her mother. Rhea’s eyes were still closed, but she was turning her head restlessly against the pillow. She raised one of her hands and moaned at the pain the movement caused.

“Mother?” Alexandra said, leaning forward and laying her hand lightly on Rhea’s shoulder. “Mother? It is I, Alexandra. Can you hear me?”

“Allie,” her mother breathed, using the name she had called Alexandra when she was a child.

Hope stirred in Alexandra’s chest. “Yes. It’s Allie. Can you wake up, Mother? Can you talk to me?”

Rhea let out another soft moan. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Alexandra. “Simone?”

Alexandra slumped, disappointment slicing through her.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Tears pooled in Rhea’s eyes and spilled over. “I tried. It was so hard. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Mother.” Alexandra felt her eyes well with tears. “Why don’t you know me?”

She leaned against the bed, laying her head on the mattress, discouraged. “Won’t you ever recognize me again?”

Something touched her hair, and she realized, surprised, that it was her mother’s bandaged hand, clumsily stroking her.

“Of course I recognize you, Alexandra.” Her mother’s voice was hoarse from disuse.

Alexandra’s head snapped up. Rhea was looking at her, her expression infinitely sad.

“Why wouldn’t I know you?” she asked. “You are my daughter.”

“Mother!” Alexandra beamed, taking her mother’s bandaged hand gently in hers. “You’ve come back. I’m so happy to see you!”

“I’m happy to see you, too,” Rhea responded, smiling weakly. “Oh, Alexandra, I’ve been such a terrible mother to you.”

“Don’t say things like that. You haven’t.”

“I have.” Rhea shook her head, tears spilling out of her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. “I have been a terrible person.”

“No.”

“You just don’t know,” Rhea wailed softly. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I really didn’t. But I know you would hate me if you knew the truth!”

Alexandra’s heart began to pound. She swallowed, trying to remain calm. “I wouldn’t. I swear. I could never hate you.’

“You don’t know what I did.” Rhea wiped at her tears with her other hand.

“It doesn’t matter. I couldn’t hate you. You are my mother. You raised me. You loved me all those years and took care of me.”

“But I’m not!” Rhea broke into sobs. “I’m not really your mother! Oh, God! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone! I was just so lonely.”

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Alexandra said soothingly, leaning closer to Rhea. “And I swear I won’t hate you. Please, just tell me. Tell me what happened in Paris.”

Rhea sighed. “All right,” she said. “I will.”