Page 57 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
“You must not have high expectations, Mrs Drake,” he had said. “If Mr Stone does wake, he may be changed after such a blow. The head and mind are such delicate things, after all. And we barely understand the workings of it, yet. It will take hundreds of years, I fear, before the mind can be fully understood, and we will have cures for such things.”
And then there was Leonard Green. She knew that he was responsible for this; she felt it, deep in her soul. She had ten men scouring the grounds now, searching for evidence that he had been here last night. But if they came up with nothing, what then? What could she do to protect her home, and everyone in it, from such a crazed, deranged man?
Her heart tightened. She would have to sell The Willows, secretively, and leave under cover of night, so that he could not follow her to her new home. It was not impossible, to evade him, but it would be hard. He was persistent, and he was clever.
She didn’t want to have to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of it. Of living in fear, every time that she stepped out of her home, that he might follow her. Of living in fear, every time she looked out a window, that he was out there somewhere, secretly watching her. Of living in fear that the people closest to her might be hurt by him, at any given moment, like Jasper had just been hurt.
How could she bear it?
She glanced back at the man, lying prone on the bed, clinging to life. If Leonard Green had indeed caused his injury, then his intention was probably to kill him. Why? Why had he targeted Jasper? The only reason she could think was that he had been watching The Willows and knew that she and Jasper had grown close.
She took a deep, shuddering breath. Leonard Green would not give up. If he perceived that Jasper was an obstacle to his twisted ambition – just as Gilbert had been an obstacle to it – then he would not stop. It would not matter if she and Jasper were wed; it hadn’t stopped the man from harming Gilbert, after all. They would have to be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, thinking that he was out there somewhere, intending to cause harm.
She blinked back tears, watching Jasper, her heart breaking as she took in his still form, the whiteness of his skin, the deep, ugly gash on his head. He might not wake from this. The doctor had told her that the next few days were crucial. He might just slip into death, silently, without ever waking again. How could she endure it?
“I am sure you are right,” said Amy, reassuringly. “I am sure that he will wake, my dear, and all will be well.” She gazed at Susannah. “Why don’t you go and have a good, long rest in your own chamber? I will keep vigil here. I promise that if anything happens – if he stirs and wakes – that I will get you straight away.”
Susannah gave a shuddering sigh. “How can I leave him, Amy, even for a moment? How can I, after what happened?”
“You must take care of yourself,” said Amy slowly. “It will not help Mr Stone’s recovery if you collapse entirely, from nerves and lack of rest. If you look after yourself, then you are stronger and able to deal with what comes next, in a better state of mind and health.”
Susannah nodded but hesitated still. Amy was right, but it still seemed a betrayal to leave him even for a moment.
“My dear,” said Amy gently. “You must bathe and change. You are still wearing the evening gown from last night …”
She glanced down at her dress. She had forgotten entirely that she was still wearing the blue silk gown. The gown that she had picked so carefully, for the dinner that she had planned. She had been so excited, putting it on, anticipating his admiration of her in it.
Now, it was torn and crumpled. Her heart seized. It was also stained with blood. Jasper’s blood, from when she had cradled his head in her arms, underneath the tree. It was ruined; she would have to throw it away now.
She stood up quickly, taking a deep breath.
She knew, suddenly, that she would not live with the threat of Leonard Green anymore. That she must find a way to stop him or else lose her mind entirely.
Chapter 23
Susannah walked into the room, stopping for a moment to take a deep breath. It smelt stale as if it had not been aired properly. A cloying mixture of trapped air and huddled bodies.
Kathy, the maid, was tending the fire, putting another log onto it carefully, causing sparks to shoot into the chimney. The doctor had said to keep the room warm, so she had ordered that the fire be tended around the clock. But it was so stifling in here now she did not know how it could be endured.
She glanced at Jasper, lying on the bed. It had been two days now since he had been carried here, and he still hadn’t stirred a muscle, nor opened his eyes, even for a brief moment. He was still as pale as snow, but now she could see a thin sheen of sweat covering his body.
“Kathy,” she sighed. “Go and open a window if you please. It is stifling in here, and we need some fresh air.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the maid, jumping to her feet.
The next moment, a soft breeze was wafting through the room, the scent of honeysuckle clinging to it. Susannah took a deep breath, closing her eyes. It was wonderful; a reminder of the world outside these walls, a world that still existed, even though she had not seen it in days.
She had not left the house, even briefly, since they had carried him in here. Her world had narrowed down to a few rooms within the house. Mostly, she stayed here, eating her meals on a tray. Amy encouraged her to rest, but she could only manage a few hours of sleep at a time. She would always wake, startled, the horror of it all slowly coming back to her.
She sat down at his bedside, picking up his hand, caressing it gently.
“Will that be all, ma’am?” asked Kathy.
Susannah smiled at the maid. “Yes, Kathy, thank you.”
The maid left the room, closing the door gently behind her. They were alone. The doctor was due to come at some stage this morning, but for now, there was nothing to do but sit here with him, praying. Begging him to wake up.
