What is he doin' to me? He must mean to drive me mad.She snatched up her shawl from the ground and pulled it over her shoulders in an attempt to bring back some warmth into her body. A tingling sensation pricked at her arms and chest, then her body tightened, as if all her muscles were locking up, threatening never to relax.
Her lungs weren’t working; her voice was trapped in her throat. She tried to call after Leo, but not a single sound escaped her mouth.
Leo, please. I need ye.
With immense effort, she dragged in enough air to shout, “Leo!”
He turned back to her just in time to see her collapse to the ground, convulsing and pale. In an instant, he was by her side, his eyes scanning their surroundings for an assailant.
“Beatrice… Keep calm, lass.”
Beatrice curled around herself. She shook and seized, her jaw clenching so hard she thought her teeth were going to shatter. Leo tore her shawl off her and brought it to his face, sniffing it. He gagged at the smell and threw it over the railing.
“Arsenic.”
Beatrice tried to open her mouth to speak, but it would not obey her. The anxious concern on Leo’s face heightened her terror.
I’m goin' to die. Nay. Please, God, daenae let me die.
Her vision was fading, the world going dark around the edges. The last thing she remembered before she slipped into oblivion was Leo scooping her up in his arms and rushing her back into the castle.
“Ye were right, me Laird,” the healer said as she bent over Beatrice’s fragile form. “She’s been poisoned.”
“Will she live?” Leo asked.
The healer cocked her head, working diligently to draw blood from Beatrice’s arm. “I cannae say just yet. She is strong, which works in her favor.”
God, she already looks dead.
The guests had been ordered to leave immediately; only the servants and Leo’s family were permitted to stay. Despite that, Leo stayed by Beatrice’s bedside, holding vigil. Effie joined him that long first night, climbing into bed next to Beatrice and speaking in a soothing tone.
“She’ll be all right, Leo,” Violet assured him.
“When I find who did this…” He could not finish.
Violet rested a hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
Nobody doubts what I would do.
One by one, the servants were brought into the chamber for questioning. Leo was too worried to leave Beatrice alone, so he sat in front of the hearth as each servant swore their innocence, all while Effie observed with the pensive expression of a shaken child.
When Tyler presented himself for the interrogation, Leo dismissed him outright. “If there is a man I trust with me life, it’s ye.”
“I’m relieved to hear that, me Laird.” Tyler cast a glance at Beatrice’s pallid face. “Shall I bring in yer cousin?”
“Allistair?”
“Aye, me Laird. For questionin'.”
Leo inhaled through his nose and let out a long stream of air through his mouth. He nodded, and Tyler left without a word.
Moments later, Allistair entered the chambers, his hands folded in front of him and creases lining his brow.
“Leo, how is she doin'?” He flashed a smile at Effie. “She looks better this mornin'.”
“She’ll live,” Leo grunted.
“We’ll find whoever did this,” Allistair promised. “An attack against her is an attack against the whole clan. It willnae be forgotten.”
