Chapter 7
Serena had arranged for me to stay in Winchow House, the most secluded courtyard in Thorn Manor.
It used to be a storage area for the servants' odds and ends.
The place was damp, gloomy, and filled with the stench of decay.
Lily's eyes were rimmed with tears as she looked at the dilapidated room. "Ms. Finch, how is anyone supposed to live here?"
I stayed silent and quietly stepped inside.
Cobwebs hung from the rafters, dust coated every surface, and a wooden bed with one leg missing stood against the wall.
This was the "home" Thorn Manor had prepared for me.
It wasn't long before Serena had someone deliver a few things to me.
Serena soon sent over provisions: a few hand-me-down dresses, a thin scratchy blanket, and a bowl of cold stew.
The servant who delivered them wore a sneer. "Mrs. Thorn said you're just back, and your health is fragile, so eat light to build your strength.
"If you need anything else, just let her know. Don't stand on ceremony with her."
The words sounded polite, but the mockery underneath was unmistakable.
Lily shook with rage and started to argue, but I stopped her.
I smiled at the servant. "Please convey my thanks to Mrs. Thorn."
The woman hadn't expected that reaction; she blinked, then left in a huff.
"Ms. Finch, why wouldn't you let me speak?" Lily asked, aggrieved. "They went too far."
I walked over to the worn-out dressing table and settled down.
The mirror reflected a face riddled with scars, staring right at me.
Hideous. Terrifying.
"Lily, take it easy," I said. "Our best days are yet to come."
My voice was perfectly calm, but Lily couldn't help but shiver, even though she didn't know why.
That night, Julian showed up.
He stood in the doorway, holding a lantern.
The dim yellow glow cast a long shadow behind him.
He had changed out of his official coat into a simple pale tunic, which made him look less distant, almost gentle.
He glanced around the room, his brows furrowing in displeasure.
"How can you stay here?" His voice carried a trace of anger. "Did Serena arrange this?"
I didn't say anything.
I watched him quietly.
"I'll make sure she moves you to a better place," Julian said.
"No need." I finally broke my silence. "This place suits me. It's quiet."
Julian stepped closer and tried to take my hand.
Instinctively, I tucked my hand back into my sleeve.
He froze mid-gesture, his expression wounded. "Mia, I know you're still angry. Give me some time. I'll settle everything."
He thought I wanted only a better room, a more legitimate title.
He would never understand that I wanted none of those things.
I said, "You've had a long day, my lord. You should rest. Mrs. Thorn and the child are waiting."
I deliberately brought up the kid.
As expected, guilt flickered across his face.
He stood there for a long time.
In the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.
I watched his figure disappear into the night.
This was only the beginning.
What Julian owed me, he would repay, drop by drop, with interest.
The next morning, I fell ill.
Perhaps from the journey, perhaps from the damp rot of that remote wing.
I was burning up with a fever, barely conscious.
Lily panicked and ran to the front court to fetch a doctor, but the servants blocked her at the door.
They said Serena had ordered that nobody could come or go from Winchow House unless she gave the word.
Lily pleaded with them until her voice broke.
They beat her for it.
Lily ran back crying, the outline of a handprint clear across her cheek. "Ms. Finch, they won't send for a doctor. What do I do? You're burning up."
I lay on the bed, barely conscious, everything blurring around me.
Through the fog of my fever, I felt as though I had been dragged back to that freezing winter in Birtande.
Back then, I was burning up, tossed into the snow, and left to die.
Survival instinct kicked in, and I forced my eyes open.
I grabbed Lily's hand, with all the strength I had left."Go go find Julian.
"Tell him I want the cherry pie from the bakery in Southride."
Lily stared at me in confusion. "Ms. Finch, how can you think of pie at a time like this?"
"Do as I say. Hurry," I urged.
The cherry pie. An old promise between Julian and me.
When I first married him, he said that when spring came, he would take me to the best bakery in Cirewen for a slice.
Life got in the way. The promise was never kept.
I did not know if Julian remembered. But I knew it was my only chance to see him.