Chapter 3

Eleanor held the supplies, and her fingers stiffened.

"They're for Cecilia. She's marrying far from home, so I'm preparing warm things for her."

Silas raised an eyebrow, surprise entering his voice.

"I thought the two of you had never been close.

"After her behavior today, you're not jealous, and you're still buying these?"

Eleanor answered calmly, "With the weddings approaching, those small conflicts no longer matter."

Silas heard a different meaning.

He took the bundle from her arms, gentle and certain.

"You've become more thoughtful.

"You remember that Cecilia saved my life. Because you love me, you're willing to tolerate her too. Isn't that true?"

Something flickered behind Eleanor's eyes, but she offered no explanation.

When they separated, Silas wanted to escort her home, but Eleanor invented an excuse.

She still needed durable cloth from the west market. Her mother was weak, and ordinary fabric would not survive frontier weather.

As she turned the corner, her maid Poppy rushed toward her, stumbling and white-faced.

"Miss Eleanor, something terrible has happened. It's your mother..."

Eleanor's heart seized, and she ran.

She burst into the room and found her mother on the bed, face colorless, lips blue, both hands pressed over her abdomen.

"Mother." Eleanor caught her icy hand. "What happened? Where is the physician?"

"Where is the physician?" Her voice shook.

Poppy dropped beside the bed, crying.

"I tried, but Miss Cecilia summoned every household physician and said her old condition had come back.

"I finally brought a doctor through the side gate, but Cecilia's servants took him too."

Eleanor would not watch her mother die from delayed care a second time.

She rose, seized a pair of scissors from the table, and strode out.

She rushed into Cecilia's wing, where several doctors stood around the bed examing Cecilia.

"Come with me. Someone is dying." Eleanor grabbed one man's sleeve.

The older servants swarmed her.

During the struggle, the scissors cut her wrist, and blood ran across her hand.

She seemed not to feel it and refused to release the physician.

Shouting, pleading, and the sounds of bodies pushing together filled the courtyard.

After an unknown amount of time, everything became quiet, and the servants opened a path.

Eleanor turned and saw Silas approaching quickly.

Poppy whispered, "The gate boy was clever enough to call Mr. Wycliffe. He'll protect you now."

Whenever Eleanor's mother became ill in earlier years, Silas had arrived with the best physicians and medicine.

Eleanor caught his sleeve and relaxed almost instinctively.

"Mother's in terrible pain. Send a physician to her now."

Silas squeezed her hand reassuringly and ordered, "Go attend her."

His guards moved forward with enough authority to clear the way.

Then Cecilia appeared, supported by a maid and swaying weakly.

"Silas, I know Eleanor is frightened for her mother, but my old injury is unbearable.

"A year ago, I dragged you through a frozen mountain after you were wounded and saved your life.

"My knees were permanently damaged by the cold. Whenever the weather changes, the pain is excruciating, and the doctors say it'll never heal."

She held one knee, staggered, and pleaded, "Please leave the physicians with me."