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She pulled out an envelope from her pocket. “Here’s the invitation. You will be an honorary guest.”

Leila took the envelope carefully and held it in her hand.

“You don’t need to open it now. It just has the details, the time and date. I just hope we can collect enough for you to come home a hero.”

“Thank you. I hope so too,” Leila said, trying to keep her smile natural. “It is very kind of you, and I appreciate your help.”

“That’s not all,” Caroline added, fidgeting slightly with the sleeves of her dress, which seemed an unnatural gesture for a poised woman like her. “I also brought this.” She pulled out a bank draft and handed it to Leila. “I wanted to contribute personally to your cause.”

“Oh, but you’re already doing so much.” Leila wished she could refuse the money and tell Caroline to spend it on something more worthy. Instead, she feigned excitement. “That’s very generous of you.”

“I am trying to do as much good as I can,” Caroline continued, her gaze fixed on some point on the table. “To repent.”

Leila frowned. Caroline seemed very troubled. “You have things you want to repent for? Pardon me if it’s too personal.”

Caroline swallowed hard, her throat working visibly. “Not for me. For my uncle. He—” She paused, collecting herself. “I have never been a religious person, but in his latter years, my uncle was.” She paused again, seeming to gather courage. “Do you believe in heaven, Lady Leila? I am sorry, I do not know much about your religion.”

The weight of the question landed heavily on Leila’s shoulders.

“Yes, I do,” Leila admitted quietly. “I don’t follow the doctrine of my religion completely”—that was quite an understatement—“but yes, I believe in heaven.”

Caroline shifted in her seat, leaning forward slightly. “Do you think…” She hesitated, then pressed on. “Do you think if a person has done heinous acts and committed reprehensible things without being able to repent while on earth… Do you think their loved ones can wash away their sins? Do you think I can repent for my uncle?”

Leila licked her lips, tasting again the bitter residue of wolfsbane, guilt washing over her. I truly hope so.

“I think intent is what matters,” she finally said. “We won’t know until our time comes.”

Her words didn’t seem to ease Caroline’s mind at all. Soon after, the conversation shifted to other topics, until finally, Caroline excused herself and left.

Minutes later, Leila sat alone in the sitting room, staring at the bank draft that represented Caroline’s desperate hope for her uncle’s redemption. The amount was substantial—more money than Leila had seen in months. Caroline’s uncle must have done something truly heinous if that amount was necessary to wash away his sins.

Leila would need a fortune to wash away hers.

But Caroline’s trust in her, her willingness—no, her excitement—to help, made Leila’s insides burn.

She truly hoped that intent was what mattered. She didn’t want to see Caroline’s face once she found out where her money really went.

Contrary to Caroline’s uncle, Leila used to be a religious person. She grew up in a devout Muslim household. But she had distanced herself from all of that as she grew older, first by necessity, later from despair.

The further she traveled from the innocence of her youth, the harder it became to believe in divine mercy.

There was one thing she was certain of, though, sitting there with Caroline’s money in her hands and the taste of poison still lingering on her tongue.

If there was a heaven, it was likely she wouldn’t see even the outline of its gates.

Caroline and Dane

Caroline arrived home feeling as though she had been wrung out like a wet cloth.

She was tired and drained, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her shoulders.

This feeling had lingered for a while—several weeks, in fact—ever since she had come across the late Wolverstone’s personal journal. Since reading how her uncle’s selfish actions had led to so many deaths, including those of her parents.

William, her husband’s illegitimate half-brother, had warned her against reading the journal.

Had he been right?

Was it better to remain blind to the truth when there was nothing she could do about it? Should she have stayed in the dark regarding the actions of her late, beloved uncle?