Page 113 of The Curious Story of the Missing Lady
Madeline met Lisbelle in the hallway.
“There you are, M’Lady, I was looking all over the place for you. There’s the matter with your headpiece and I—”
Madeline barrelled past the maid.
“Well!” exclaimed Lisbelle. “What on earth ...? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to see Oliver.”
“No! For Heaven’s sake! Don’t!”
Lisbelle ran after her, trying to keep up on her heels.
“Don’t, M’Lady,” she implored. “It’s bad luck. You can’t … It’s too close to the wedding.”
“You don’t think there’s been enough bad luck already?”
They reached the door to the room where Oliver was waiting. Lisbelle thrust her body in front of it, spreading her arms defiantly.
“I’ll not let you. You can strike me if you wish. You’ll have to, yes … you’ll have to kill me. How about that? Hmm?”
“Pardon me, Lizzy,” said Madeline and shoved the maid aside with one push.
“M’Lady! Don’t!”
Madeline burst through the door. Oliver and his valet visibly jumped when she did so.
“What?” said Oliver. “Madeline? What are you doing here?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about Emily?”
Lisbelle rushed in. “I tried to stop her, M’Lord, but she shoved me aside like a she-devil!”
“Well?” said Madeline. “Tell me.”
“You made a convincing argument that day you came to see me. Otherwise, I would have told you then.”
“Your heart is indeed fickle, Lord Oliver. That’s awfully quick of you to flip your emotions like that after seeing me at Uncle Roger’s.”
“Now, hold on just one moment—”
“No, don’t tell me to hold on! One door closes for you, the next one opens without any problem at all. Is that it?”
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly you say! Oh, you couldn’t wait to come and see me at Uncle Roger’s. Not a thought for how I might feel. You were on the hunt, and so you came to see me to have one last shot before the door closed on you for good. Well, I may be a fragile young lady, Oliver, but I’m not stupid.”
“Madeline,” he said calmly.
“What?”
“I didn’t come to your Uncle’s estate to see you. I accepted your mother’s invitation because I wanted to see Emily.”
Something caught in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, and there was only silence, then a small sound like a tiny cough.
“M’Lady?” said Lisbelle. “Do you need a glass of water?”
“Bring it, Lisbelle,” said Oliver. “Maybe some brandy as well. We’ll decide which one she needs when you return.”
