Page 109 of The Heir
“Oh, this does not concern him,” she said, giving her best imitation of Liza’s breezy nonchalance. “I don’t see any reason to mention it at all.”
Mr. Rea smiled and bowed over her hand and took his polite leave with many more nods and many assurances that should the princess ever require anything further, he was, of course, entirely at her service.
He had not been gone half a minute before Liza came in. Jane grinned. Liza raised her brows.
“Did you hear?” Jane asked.
“What do you take me for?” Liza sat down and reached for the shortbread. “Of course I did.”
“What do you think?”
Liza flopped backward, assuming a pose very much like Mother’s and took a large bite of shortbread. “I think that the next thing we must do is work out how we’re getting to Ramsgate.”
Chapter 52
Someone was shouting.
“Wake up! Wake up, you spoiled brat!”
Sir John.It must be morning. Victoria needed to sit up. But she couldn’t sit up. Her head hurt too much. She tried to roll over, and pain lanced up her back.
She tried to remember where they were. Ramsgate. Yes. In the cottage. At the seaside. She could smell the salt air. They were to rest now. She was promised rest.
Why can’t I rest?
Her throat was aching and painfully raw. Her tongue felt like wet flannel clogging her mouth.
“Water,” she whispered.
“You will have nothing until you cease your shamming and do as you are told!”
He grabbed her shoulders, and she shrieked as he hauled her upright. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was far too bright. She screwed them shut again, and even that hurt.
Anger washed through her, a weak tide, but it gave her just enough strength to lift her head.
“Is this how you killed Dr. Maton?” she whispered. “Did you poison his tea? Or was it his drink? I understand he drank to excess.”
Sir John’s face went utterly blank. “What in God’s name are you talking about?”
“You killed Dr. Maton,” she said. “You poisoned him, and now you are poisoning me.”
“Is that what you think?” Sir John crouched down, bringing his face close to hers. “Is that the nonsense you’ve been relishing while you’ve run about with my daughter? Well, now, you deluded little creature.” Her head sagged, and he put his hand under her chin to force her to look at him. “It’s possible, I suppose, that one of Dr. Maton’s victims may have done for him, but I don’t really care. The man is proving more of a nuisance dead than alive. Now.” He grabbed her hand and fumbled with her fingers.
What are you doing? Stop it!But she had no strength left to protest.
It was only slowly that she realized he was wrapping her fingers around the pen.
“You will sign what I give you to sign, and you will speak to me with respect, or you will lie here and burn to ashes for all that I care. Do you understand, you stupid little girl? Do you?”
The pen was in her hand. Sir John was shouting. The whole world shifted and blurred. She was hot. She could not see clearly. Her hand was being moved. She didn’t understand.
She did know there was something important she must do, but she couldn’t remember what it was.
I must . . .
I must . . .
I . . .
