Page 104 of A Stolen Heart

Alexandra’s rush carried Willa backward, but she did not fall. She was preternaturally strong in her madness, and she fought back. They careened around the room, Alexandra holding Willa’s knife arm up and back while Willa scratched and kicked and beat at her, trying to loosen her hold. They crashed into the wall and slid along it to the highboy, sending a porcelain dish of pins crashing to the floor, followed a moment later by a small box. As they fought, Rhea climbed out of bed, clasping the sheet to her upper arm. Blood poured forth, staining it red. She staggered toward the door, screaming for help.

Willa turned as she and Alexandra shuffled in a deadly dance, then shoved with all her might, throwing Alexandra against the wardrobe. Alexandra’s head smacked against the tall cabinet, and she loosened her grip on Willa’s arm enough that Willa was able to jerk it down. Willa shoved her arm forward, aiming for Alexandra’s stomach. Alexandra twisted and pulled away, and the knife sliced harmlessly through her dress and chemise. She turned, grabbing Willa’s arm again with both her hands, and they grappled.

The door to the room was flung open, and Aunt Hortense let out a cry of horror. An instant later, she was unceremoniously shoved aside as Sebastian barreled into the room.

Willa, seeing the reinforcements arrive, let out a high animal scream of rage and pushed against Alexandra with all her might. Alexandra staggered backward, her hands still clenched around Willa’s arm, and stumbled over a footstool. They went crashing to the floor, Willa landing on top of Alexandra.

Thorpe rushed forward, grabbed Willa by the shoulders and pulled her off Alexandra. All he saw at first was the blood staining the front of Alexandra’s dress, and he went pale.

“Alexandra!” He let go of Willa to go down on his knees beside Alexandra, and when he did so, Willa crumpled to the floor. It was then that he realized the knife was deep in Willa’s chest, not Alexandra’s.

He gathered Alexandra in his arms, and she clung to him, crying. She pulled away suddenly. “Willa!”

“Don’t worry. She is beyond hurting you any more.”

“No! It’s not that!” Alexandra scrabbled across the floor to where Willa lay.

The knife was sunk into Willa’s chest, but she was still alive, her eyes open. Blood had soaked the front of her dress. Her breathing was labored, and there was an odd gurgling noise in her throat.

“Tell me what happened to them!” Alexandra begged, bending over her. “Please…tell me what happened to my brother and sister!”

She heard Sebastian’s astonished exclamation behind her, but she ignored him, leaning closer to Willa to catch her words.

Willa looked at her with hatred. “Why should I? You’ve ruined me.”

“For your soul,” Alexandra pleaded. “Do you want to go to your Maker with that on your soul, too? Tell me what happened to them. What did Richard do with them?”

“Boy had fever.” Willa choked the words out, bloody bubbles seeping out of her mouth. “Died. Girl…orphanage…no name.”

She began to cough, and blood poured out of her mouth. Then the light of hatred dimmed in her eyes and went out. She was dead.

Alexandra stared at her. A wordless moan of grief issued from her mouth.

“Alexandra, my darling.” Sebastian pulled her into his arms and stood, taking her with him. Alexandra rested her head upon his chest and sobbed.

Finally she calmed down and raised her head. “Mother!” She pulled away and looked around the room. Her mother was seated in a chair, Aunt Hortense kneeling beside her, wrapping a strip of sheet firmly around her arm.

“Mother, are you all right?” Alexandra hurried across the room to Rhea.

Rhea smiled at her. “Yes, darling. I’m fine. Aunt Hortense is bandaging me. It was just a cut.”

“Alexandra,” Sebastian said, his voice taut with frustration. “What is going on here? Willa is the person who has been behind all these attacks?”

“Yes—or at least the hired ones. I don’t think she could have been responsible for that man who attacked me when I walked home from the ball—Oh!” Alexandra’s eyes widened. “That must have been the Earl! He had just met me that night, and he must have realized who I was.”

“The Earl?” Sebastian exclaimed. “You mean Richard? He really was involved in this? But why?”

“Willa?” Aunt Hortense interrupted, amazed. “Oh, my God, and we have left her in the room alone with Rhea time after time!”

“I know. Apparently she wasn’t going to hurt Mother unless she regained consciousness. Fortunately Mother sensed that and pretended to still be in a coma. You were awake the other day when you squeezed my hand, weren’t you?”

“I was coming to, but I was very confused. I knew I had seen that woman before, and it scared me. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want her to know.”

“But why?” Sebastian asked, frustrated. “Why did Willa—or Richard, for that matter—want to get rid of you?”

Alexandra drew a deep breath. “My mother told me everything tonight. Simone gave her the children, and she brought them to the Countess. She kept me as her own. She pretended that I had died. But she gave the others to the Countess.”

“What?” Sebastian stared at her, astounded.