The Mother: A Novel (The Good Lands) by B.L. Blanchard

Author:B.L. Blanchard [Blanchard, B.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2023-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Marie tried to hide her panic behind a scowl.

“You’re what?” Emma demanded of her sister.

“We’re not talking about this here.” She grabbed her sister’s elbow and glared at Alice as she began marching Emma away. “Please think about what I said, Alice.” She thrust out the pearls again, but Alice’s face was as immovable and soulless as a porcelain doll’s. She wasn’t taking them. “We’re leaving now.”

Alice kept pace with them. “We aren’t finished yet.”

“Yes, we are,” Marie said through gritted teeth, not breaking her stride. Emma stumbled to keep up, which was unusual. Emma was typically the one striding purposely. But Marie needed to escape.

“Is Alice telling the truth?” Emma hissed.

“We need to go,” Marie hissed back.

“I said, we weren’t finished yet,” said Alice. They weaved through groups of people who did not part for them, and Alice kept pace the entire time.

“I won’t go with you,” Marie said. She gripped Emma’s arm so tight that it was sure to leave a bruise. “Not for anything. I’ll die first.”

“You’d do that to your own child?”

“This conversation is over,” Marie said. She made to leave again, but Alice gripped her hard on the shoulder.

“You know that I can’t let you leave, now that I’ve found you,” Alice said. “And it wasn’t that difficult to for me to do.”

“So, what, you get some sort of bounty for finding and returning me? Is that all I’m worth to you now, a few pounds of Sterling?”

“I’m insulted that you think I could be motivated by money or jewels.” Alice did seem genuinely offended, and Marie could tell she was becoming angry. “I told you, there is a higher calling at issue here.”

“What, God?”

“Yes.”

Marie scoffed. “God has no place in this situation.” The sun shifted, and the shadow of the cathedral fell over all three of them.

“Given how freely you trample the holy sacrament of marriage, and faked the venal sin of suicide, you have not the slightest idea of God’s position in any situation. And it is time you stopped insulting His will.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Oh, will you stop, and just name your price.”

“Neither of you are listening to me,” Alice said. “I am here as your sister. I am the only person who might find you who will not hurt you. I am the only one who will ensure that you will be both safe and cared for. The only one. Do you understand me? You’ve been found out. You can come back to England freely with me, or you can be dragged back in chains. You can give birth in your home, or in prison. But either way: you will have that child in England, and you will go back, willingly or otherwise. You’re carrying a child now; it’s not about you anymore. You’re not allowed to think about yourself; you have to put the child first. It’s the law. You have no choice.”

No choice. All her life, Marie had been told she had no choice. Her sisters had had no choice.

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