Her mother left her father’s side and took Lily’s hand. “Did he say where he was going, darling? Did he leave a note?”
Her mind flashed to that horrible morning eight years ago, the scribbled letter left on her pillow.
But he hadn’t left anything, and after all they’d shared, she couldn’t imagine him leaving without a word.
“He didn’t,” she managed, hot, sticky shame and fear congealing into a knot in her gut.
“What does this have to do with laudanum?” her father asked, and Lily’s insides lurched. The truth had to come out, even if it ruined Christmas for everyone.
She swallowed hard. “Philip hasn’t been traveling for all thoseyears. He… he’d left me.”
Her parents’ expressions betrayed nothing, and she barreled on.
“I didn’t know, but he’d developed an addiction to opium.” Her mother and father flinched then. “He was trying to recover before he returned to me. Now everyone thinks he’s taken the laudanum from the pantry and left again.”
She expected horror at the revelation of Philip’s abhorrent vice, or anger at Lily’s deception, but instead her mother rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace.
“I knew he was gone, darling,” her mother murmured. “I was waiting for you to tell me yourself. How difficult this must have been for you.”
Tears burned and spilled over, scorching her cheeks. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to ruin your holiday.”
“You’re not ruining anything.” She stroked Lily’s unruly hair, and a measure of peace passed through Lily. “I’m happy you were finally ready to tell me. But sweetheart…”
Lily pulled back. “What is it?”
Her mother’s mouth flattened into a thin line. “We didn’t know about the laudanum. We never would have had it in the house where he could reach it so easily…”
She wrenched herself out of her mother’s embrace and glared, hating the collective looks of pity her family sent in her direction. “If you don’t believe my word that he didn’t take it, I’ll prove it to you.”
Her legs churned, her muscles aching and heart pounding as she pushed past them, down the hallway and into the pantry. She swung the cabinet doors open, pushing aside tinctures and tins ofsalve. The rushing in her ears grew louder when the bottle didn’t appear, and panic swirled into a knot in her chest. “It’s here,” she muttered, more to herself than the members of her family who’d chased her. “I know it is.”
But what if it wasn’t? What if the darkest fears she’d refused to acknowledge when she saw her empty bed were true? After all they’d shared in these few days, could he have left her again?
Would she survive if he had?
She shoved the soup tureen aside but froze, hearing an unexpected roll and clinking of glass from the inside. Her lungs were too tight, and she spun to see Callum directly behind her. “I can’t reach it,” she whispered,begged. “Can you—”
He cut her off with a brisk nod and easily reached over her to retrieve the silver tureen, setting it on the table beside them.
The blue stoppered bottle rolled around the bottom.
Callum cursed under his breath. Marigold hissed. “Oh, Lily—”
“I told you.” Lily’s sense of vindication was short-lived as she realized the implication of her discovery.
Timothy swallowed audibly. “Then where is he?”
Before anyone could speak further, Matthew and Reggie burst into the room, their faces twisted with concern. “Mum!” Matthew shouted. “Cricket’s sick.”
Marigold crouched in front of her sons, and Archie rushed to her side. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s throwing up.” Tears streaked down the younger lad’s face.
“I think he was eating something in this.” Reggie lifted a shredded wax paper bag, the confectioner’s distinctive logo immediately recognizable. “I found it in the hallway.”
“Oh Lord,” Violet whispered. “That’s from my ginger candies. I must have left them out by mistake.”
Lily whirled on her heel and marched to the back of the house, her family trailing behind her and urging her to stop. But she wasn’t stopping, not when her husband was in danger. Her fingers still trembled as she tugged on heavy boots and a long wool cloak.
