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Chapter 28
The following are the men who generally obtain success with women: Men who are celebrated for being very strong (bull-men)... enterprising and brave men.
The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
Her fault.
Nick had experienced a delirium induced by his fear and by the unwholesome atmosphere of the madhouse, and his mind had broken.
Lear and Patrick had taken charge, half carrying Nick to the carriage.
His huge frame was convulsing. Dr. Forster instructed Lear to pin him down. Alice sat across from him and held his hand.
At Sunderland they rushed him to bed.
“Tie him to the bed,” Dr. Forster instructed. “Close all the curtains. Instruct the servants to be absolutely silent.”
Alice raced from the room and down the stairs, bursting outside into incongruous sunlight. She frantically searched through the kitchen garden for lavender to calm him.
“What’s wrong?” Bill asked, following her down the garden path.
“Lord Hatherly is having an attack. We must all be very quiet. Please inform the other servants.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Lavender.”
“Here.” He plucked some and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Bill.”
She rushed back to the bedroom. Nick’s convulsions were so strong they shook the bed. Dr. Forster had stripped him to the waist.
Alice crushed lavender between her nails and rubbed it on his temples. “Please,” she whispered. “Please come back to me.”
“He’s convulsing!” Dr. Forster shouted. “Leather for his mouth.”
Lear slit a chair cushion with a knife he produced from somewhere in his clothing, and tore a strip of leather free. He worked Nick’s jaw open and stuffed the leather in his mouth to keep him from biting his tongue.
Nick mumbled something incoherent, thrashing against his restraints, straining, the muscles bulging in his arms, his veins popping blue against his tanned skin.
Alice held tight to Nick’s head, trying to keep him still.
“Nick, shh.” She smoothed lavender over his temples. “Listen to my voice, Nick. Follow my voice. I’m here with you.”
The duke and Berthold came to the door. “What’s happening?” the duke asked, his voice trembling. “Nicolas, my boy, what did they do to you? The orchids warned me something bad would happen. They said you would suffer for my sins.”
Berthold placed an arm around his shoulders. “We can’t do anything, Your Grace, best to wait in the other room.”
Oh Nick,she thought. I should have listened to you. You were trying to tell me. But you didn’t want to admit to any weakness. You big, stubborn fool.
“He told me he didn’t want to go,” Alice said. “It’s all my fault. He knew this might happen. He knew he might go insane.”
“He’s not going insane,” Dr. Forster snapped. “He’s been poisoned.”
Poisoned? Not insane. Poisoned.
Alice and Lear exchanged a glance. “The tea,” she breathed.
