fright, looked at him and yet didn’t seem to see—or recognize—him.
He lowered his voice, realizing his shouts had only upset her. He kept his arms banded about her but murmured soothingly to her.
“I am here, Anna. I am not leaving you. Ever. You are safe. You are here. With me. At the cottage. Nothing can hurt you. I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again.”
He must have gotten through to her because she shuddered and then quit struggling. He relaxed his hold on her but still kept her nestled in his arms.
“I thought . . . I was there again,” she rasped.
“I know,” he said, stroking her back. “It is only natural to have a nightmare regarding that place. You will never see it again, that I can promise you.”
Anna blinked several times. “It was so real. And Matron . . .” Her voice trailed off as she began trembling.
Dez continued to rub her back. Kiss her hair. Assure her she was safe.
Finally, he asked, “Would you care to talk about it?”
“I dreamed of Matron,” she said dully.
He had only seen Dr. Cheshire and male attendants when he and Lord Shelton had entered Gollingham Asylum so it surprised him to hear a woman had been present in the madhouse. Still, she must have been a large presence in Anna’s life for her to dream about her.
“Matron is not here, Anna. She never will be.”
“She was so cruel,” Anna whispered, as if this woman could hear Anna talk about her. “She delighted in making impossible rules and then punishing those who broke them.”
After what he had witnessed during his brief time at the madhouse, Dez couldn’t imagine what punishments this woman had dreamed up that could be worse than what he’d seen.
“You could tell she enjoyed hurting others. Lording her power over helpless women.”
“Did she ever hurt you, Anna?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “Many times. She liked to have the attendants beat us with their fists while she counted the number of blows.”
He kept silent, letting Anna take the lead.
“The worst was the heretic’s fork. It was a metal rod with two prongs at either end, attached to a leather strap. Matron would tie the strap around my neck. One prong would rest on the fleshy part just under my chin. The other dug into my bone. Here.”
She indicated her sternum. A sick feeling washed over him.
A faraway look filled her eyes as she continued in a monotone. “You had to keep your neck stretched and your head erect and absolutely still. If you moved, the prongs would penetrate your skin. Matron would have an attendant bind my hands over my head and attach them to a hook from the ceiling.”
Bile rose in his throat at the thought of Anna being tortured in such a way.
“Matron said no vital organ would be pierced and blood loss would be minimal. She would leave me that way for hours.” Tears cascaded down her cheeks. “I would try so hard not to move and keep my head still.”
Dez kissed her brow. “She sounds as if she enjoyed seeing you suffer.”
Anna blinked. “She did. I think she thrived on the misery of others, Dez. She enjoyed it when a patient broke her rules. She liked to torment us. See us in pain and agony.”
Anna told him about being lashed with a horsewhip for not eating the food set before her. How when she spoke without permission her head was forced into something called a scold’s bridle, which included a bit with tiny spikes being jammed into her mouth. The words poured from her in a torrent. He could only hold her close and try to keep from picturing the torture she endured.
Her voice faded and Dez looked down. Anna had worn herself out and had fallen asleep. He kept his arms about her, hoping it would comfort her and keep the nightmares away. Hours passed and morning turned into early afternoon. He remained with Anna, knowing it was important to be present when she opened her eyes.
He understood that his kiss had awakened her to reality. She had seemed in a fog until then, moving as if she glided through water, only taking in part of what he said.
Had she descended into madness during her time at Gollingham Asylum? Or had she retreated from its horrors and now emerged?
Even Anna might not have the answer to that. Dez only hoped that he could keep her here, in the present, and not have her slip away