Autumn's Wild Heart (Seasons #4) - Laura Landon Page 0,41

snatched up a charming bundle of lace remnants, sure she could use them on her own babe’s growing wardrobe. As she turned to lay them on the counter, a voice from behind her froze her where she stood.

“You never learn, do you.”

Nella whirled toward the voice and choked back a startled yelp as she saw Lady Blanche stepping toward her. The woman’s face was frozen in a look even more hateful than Nella had seen months earlier.

And worse. She looked haggard, as if giving birth had stripped her healthy glow and replaced it with stark whiteness.

“You…you don’t look well, my lady. You should sit down.”

Blanche ignored her and took another step closer. Now she was near enough that Nella could see the milk stains badly soaking the front of the woman’s gown. Knowing Lady Blanche’s vanity, it was a shocking thing to see her in that state.

“How did you know I was here?” Nella asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

The woman cackled, a hollow, deranged sound. “I was just leaving Bellingshire House. Can you see it? Just there on the hill.” She breathed a seething breath. “I saw the coach let you out down here, and then your bastard of a husband showed up to take the brat.”

Nella turned and easily spotted the large house that sat on a knoll not far from the center of town.

“You were supposed to come alone. You were supposed to take the babe and leave James. That’s all you had to do. Just disappear!”

With each statement she moved closer, gathering herself in a menacing way.

“But you had to bring him, didn’t you. You just had to ruin my life all over again.”

“Ruin? I don’t—”

The woman staggered, knocking into a table and sending its display of hats flying in every direction.

“You brought him to humiliate me, didn’t you.”

Nella cringed at the pure hatred that flowed from Blanche’s stiff lips.

“No, I—”

“You were to collect the brat and leave the country. That was our arrangement. But oh, no, you wanted to keep the brat and James, too.” She cocked her head to the side as if hearing voices. “I couldn’t understand why you’d take the brat, but now I see.” She gestured at Nella’s swollen stomach. “You’re probably afraid yours will turn out to be a mongrel.”

Lady Blanche let out a vile sound that seemed to start as a laugh and ended as a howl. Her eyes turned manic and Nella realized Lady Blanche had lost her grip on sanity.

“We’re taking the child to a good ho—”

Lady Blanche struck out with both hands and pushed Nella back a step.

“You’ll not touch the brat.” She pushed again harder, forcing Nella to back into a display table. “You’ll just leave. Now!” She slapped Nella. “Get out. Leave. Go anywhere you like, as long as it’s far away from James.”

With each word her anger escalated. “Now get out! Get out! Get out!”

She grabbed Nella and flung her sideways. Out of instinct, Nella reached out for support as she began to fall. She grabbed at Blanche and the two crashed into the table and tumbled to the floor. Nella tried to protect her babe, but the fall was bruising.

Nella was dazed, and clutched at her abdomen as if she could discern whether the unborn child was all right.

The proprietor of the store ran in from a back room, shouting orders to his shop girl. “Summon a doctor!”

Nella recovered herself and rose to her knees, grateful to know nothing was broken. But to her horror, she saw that Blanche had not fared so well. Blood was now seeping from her temple where she had struck her head as she fell. Her eyes rolled back, focused, then rolled back again.

“Are you all right?” The man asked as he crouched beside Nella.

“Y-yes. I…I think so. But this woman needs that doctor. Now!”

“No. No doctor.” Nella heard the weak protest and turned to Lady Blanche.

It was clear the woman was fearfully injured, but as Blanche struggled to focus, she reached a hand to Nella. The least Nella could do was give the poor woman some comfort until the doctor arrived.

Blanche began to speak, but Nella had to lean close to hear her weak voice.

“You…think you’re such a…a good woman.” Lady Blanche coughed, leaving a red tinge in the corners of her mouth. “It’s a pity he’ll…never…love you.”

Nella grasped Blanche’s hand more firmly. It would be so easy to answer tit for tat, to spew vitriol at the woman as she had railed at