Chapter 5
People thought I was courting death.
This was perfect.
I wanted them to think I'd lost my mind.
After all, anything a lunatic did could be excused.
A poor woman pushed to insanity would easily win sympathy from some people.
Like my relatives back home, far away.
Or Russ's mother, Jane Marrow, the only one who could keep Russ in check in this family.
My plan needed a new ally.
Locked away in the woodshed, I couldn't carry on with my grand recovery plan.
If the effects of the Snowbreaker were interrupted, everything I'd worked for would be lost.
I had to get out.
I got sick.
First, I started coughing nonstop.
Then came the fever, and I was burning up.
I wouldn't eat or drink a thing.
I pushed away every meal they brought, not touching a single bite.
I grew weaker by the day.
The mute maid quietly let Juliet know how bad things were for me.
Juliet was frantic, but she did as I told her.
She slipped the news to Jane's head maid, acting like it was just idle gossip.
"Lady Lucy is at death's door...
"Ever since she was locked up in the woodshed, she hasn't touched a drop of food or water. She's burning up with fever, totally delirious."
"She keeps mumbling about 'the baby' and 'Russ'...
"Please, Madam, have mercy and let Lady Jane know. Ask her to beg the General for some kindness. If this keeps up, she's really going to die!"
Jane was a religious woman who cared deeply about her reputation.
If I were locked away in a woodshed and left to die by Russ and word got out, it wouldn't just be a scandal for the General's Estate.
It would be a huge disgrace for my own family, the Duke of Marshall's Estate.
Jane would never let that happen.
Just as I expected, three days later, the woodshed door was kicked open with a bang.
It wasn't Russ who showed up.
Instead, it was Laura Cross, Jane's right-hand woman.
She was flanked by two burly maids, her face completely unreadable.
"Lady Luna, Lady Jane wants to see you," Laura announced.
I lifted my head weakly and gave her a faint smile.
I knew my gamble had paid off.
I was hauled out of the woodshed.
The sunlight stabbed at my eyes, so bright I couldn't even open them.
I caught the servants whispering around me.
"Oh my god, is that really Lady Luna? How did she get so skinny?"
"She's just skin and bones, so scary..."
"Poor thing... she's still the lady of the house, after all..."
I was carried straight into the Pine Hall, Jane's domain.
Russ was already there.
He stood beside Jane, his face ashen and grim.
As soon as he saw me, emaciated, looking more like a walking corpse than a person, his pupils contracted sharply.
*****
Inside Pine Hall, the air was heavy with the scent of sandalwood, drifting lazily all around.
Jane sat upright in the main seat, fingers rolling her rosary, her face tranquil and unreadable.
But those piercing eyes kept scanning me, never letting me out of their sight.
A servant helped me kneel on the cold tile floor.
I was so weak, a gust of wind could have knocked me over.
"Mother."
My voice was so hoarse, it sounded like an old bellows.
Jane didn't say a word right away.
After a long pause, she finally set down her rosary and let out a heavy sigh.
"Lucy, you've really lost your head," she said.
I bowed my head, letting perfectly timed tears slip down my face.
I said, "It's all my fault. I was so jealous of Abigail being pregnant that I lost my mind and did something unforgivable.
"I accept my punishment, but I really can't take it anymore."
"I miss my child, and I miss Russ."
As I spoke, I started coughing my guts out, like my lungs were about to burst.
Russ stood off to the side, his lips pressed into a thin line, saying nothing.
His stare was sharp as a blade, cutting right through me.
He must've thought I was just acting, trying to play the victim and win some sympathy.
He was right.
But he had no proof.
"Enough," Jane snapped, her brows knitting together.
She turned to Russ, her tone sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argument.
"Russ, no matter what, Lucy is your lawful wife and the Duke's trueborn daughter.
"She just lost her child and is already frail. You locked her in the woodshed with no food or water. Are you trying to kill her?
"If this gets out, what will people say about the General's Estate? And what will the King think of you?"
Russ's face became even more grim.
He bowed low. "Mother, your criticism is justified. I failed to consider things properly."
"You have gone too far this time," Jane let out a cold snort.