When Sophy became dimly aware of sound and feeling again, she felt herself being rocked, in the same manner one would use with a child. Fighting the nausea which had accompanied the consciousness, she struggled to open her eyes through the blinding pain in her head.
‘Oh, ma’am, ma’am.’ She was in Sadie’s arms on the floor and tears were running down the woman’s face. ‘I thought he’d done for you.’
Sophy tried to sit up but as the room swam and she felt herself slipping away again, she lay back. She felt ill, so terribly ill. What had happened? And then she remembered. Feebly, she murmured, ‘Toby?’
‘He’s gone, ma’am. Oh, ma’am, your poor face.’
‘Help me sit up, Sadie.’
It took several attempts, because each time she raised her head the blackness took over, but somehow, with Sadie taking her weight, Sophy managed to reach a chaise longue. She knew she was going to be sick and Sadie just had time to grab an ornate bowl holding pot-pourri, emptying the mixture of dried petals and spices unceremoniously over the floor, before Sophy gave in to the nausea. She was aware of Sadie wiping her mouth afterwards and of her saying, ‘Lie back, ma’am, that’s right, and shut your eyes. You’ll be all right in a minute,’ and then she must have lost consciousness once more.
When she next became aware of anything, she could hear a voice saying, ‘I’ll have him hung, drawn and quartered for this, the swine. You did absolutely right to send for me, Sadie, and Ralph’ll be here soon with the doctor.’ She sensed Kane was kneeling at her side and his hand felt cool on her hot forehead, but she couldn’t find it within herself to move or talk. She knew she was drifting back into that deep sleep again and she welcomed it.
On the perimeter of that other world she heard Sadie say, ‘I know Mrs Shawe needs a doctor, sir, but she wouldn’t want you to send for the Constable like you said. She’s a very private person, sir.’
‘Private or not, this needs to be documented.’
She had never heard that note in Kane’s voice before. He must be very angry.
‘There is no way Mr Shawe is coming back into this house, you understand that, Sadie?’ the same grim voice continued.
‘But the police won’t be able to stop him, sir, and—’
‘The police will have nothing to do with it.’
Kane couldn’t do that, he mustn’t do it. Toby was capable of anything when he was thwarted. Now she tried to surface from the fog but it made the blinding pain that was threatening to break her head apart worse, and this time when she went under she knew nothing for a long, long time.
Chapter 18
The concussion Sophy had sustained was serious. It was a full two weeks before the doctor would allow visitors, and a further week after that before she was able to leave her bedroom and venture downstairs. She hadn’t argued with the doctor’s orders, mainly because she felt too exhausted and ill to object, but also because she didn’t want to see anyone until the bruising to her face had gone down. Kane had been the only exception to the doctor’s rule simply because he would not have it otherwise. He had visited each day for a short period, treating her with the same friendliness he’d always shown and often just sitting by the side of her bed while she slept. This embarrassed her once she thought about it when she was getting better, but at the time it had seemed perfectly natural for him to be there when she awoke.
Sadie had told her that Toby had returned home the morning after the attack. Kane and Ralph had been waiting for him. They had taken him into the drawing room and closed the door in Sadie’s face. Sadie didn’t know what had been said but when the three men had emerged, Toby was clearly shaken. He’d quickly packed a case and left the house, and that afternoon Kane had told Sadie he wouldn’t be back in the forseeable future. They’d since been informed he was staying at his club, but nothing more.
The subject of her husband was not mentioned between Sophy and Kane until the first afternoon she came downstairs. She was still feeling shaky and some vestige of the severe bruising to her face had yet to fade completely, but now the terrible headaches and nausea had all but gone she felt much more like herself. Sophy was lying on a chaise longue close to the window where she could see a little of the comings and goings in the square when Sadie showed Kane into the drawing room. It was a beautiful day and the May blossom was drifting in the air like summer snow, but the bright sunshine and blue sky merely emphasised the darkness in her life, and once Kane was seated and Sadie bustled away to prepare a tea tray, she said, ‘I need to know exactly what you said to Toby, Kane, but first, is there any news about Cat’s murderer?’
The vivid blue eyes narrowed for a moment. ‘We can discuss all this when you’re feeling better.’