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"I don’t believe in curses, or spells, or anything of the sort The only curse my brother faces is self-irief over Laura Dillard?"

Amelia’s blue eyes turned round "He talked to you about her?"

Catherine nodded

A Catherine’s ar the hallhere there was less risk of being overheard "What did he say?"

"That she liked to watercolor," Catherine replied hesitantly "That they were betrothed, and then she caught the scarlet fever, and died in his arms And that … she haunted him for a time Literally But that couldn’t be true … could it?"

Aht be," she said with remarkable calmness "I wouldn’t admit that to many people--it makes me sound like a lunatic" A wry smile crossed her lips "However, you’ve lived with the Hathaways long enough to know of a certainty that we are indeed a pack of lunatics" She paused "Catherine"

"Yes?"

"My brother never discusses Laura Dillard with anyone Ever"

Catherine blinked "He was in pain He’d lost blood"

"I don’t think that is why he confided in you"

"What other reason could there have been?" Catherine asked with difficulty

It must have shown in her face, how much she dreaded the answer

Aed with a rueful sive reatly" She paused before adding sincerely, "And yours"

"I assure you,to do with the other"

"Of course," Amelia murmured, and went back to the doorway to wait

Chapter Nine

After the wound had been cleaned and bandaged, Leo was left gray-faced and exhausted He slept for the rest of the day, waking occasionally to find broth or fever tea being poured down his throat The family was merciless in their efforts to take care of hiht fro hi eyes blinked at him in the dark Trapped in a narcotic daze, Leo couldn’t fully awaken froled in the heat and misery, and subsided into more hallucinations The only respite hen a cool cloth was applied to his forehead, and a gentle, co presence hovered beside him

"Amelia? Win?" he mu sigh

"Lie still"

He was vaguely aware of two or three other tied …against his cheek

When he awoke in the rip of a profound gloom It was the usual aftere hardly helped to alleviate the overwhel dreariness

"You have a"You’ll need to drink n of festering Rest today, and I expect you’ll feel much better by tomorrow"

"That tea tastes like ditch water," Leoto stay in bed all day"

Cam looked syh to rest, but you’re not well enough to do anything All the saoing downstairs for a proper breakfast"

"Breakfast is done They’ve already cleared the sideboard"

Leo scowled and rubbed his face, wincing at the fiery pull of his shoulder "Have Merripen come up here I want to talk to hi turnip seed"

"Where is A"

"What about Win?"

"She’s with the housekeeper, taking inventory and ordering supplies Beatrix is carrying baskets to elderly cottagers in town And I have to visit a tenant who’s twoin his rent I’reeted this stateht himself to ask for the person he truly wanted The person who hadn’t bothered to look in on hiuard him "Where’s Marks?"

"The last time I saw her, she was busy with needlework It see has piled up, and--"

"She can do it here"

Cam’s face was carefully blank "You want Miss Marks to do thein your roo," Caed on a dressing robe, he went back to bed He was sore and infuriatingly unsteady A househt a small tray with a solitary piece of toast and a cup of tea Leo ate his breakfast while staring morosely at the empty doorway

Where was Marks? Had Cam even bothered to tell her that she anted? If so, she had evidently decided to ignore the summons

Callous, coldhearted harpy And this after she had promised to be responsible for him She had persuaded him to take the laudanum, and then she had deserted him

Well, Leo didn’t want her now If she decided to appear after all, he would send her away He would laugh scornfully and tell her that no co her there He would’

"My lord?"

His heart gave a leap as he saw her at the doorway, dressed in a dark blue gown, her light golden hair caught up and pinned in its usual stern confinelass of pale liquid in the other "How are you this ?"

"Bored out ofto seethe roo, furry for in after her After standing tall to view his surroundings, Dodger scurried beneath the dresser Catherine watched the ferret suspiciously "Probably one of his new hiding places," she said, and sighed She brought Leo a glass of cloudy liquid, and gave it to him "Drink this, please"