Ordained

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight

Emmeline's understanding dawned upon her as Carmen's eyes twitched towards the cup, her tiny smile triumphant. Her own cup sat untouched on its saucer. Cursing her own stupidity she felt her stomach cramp painfully. Hunching over she ignored the polite words of support Carmen offered her. "Oh dear, are you feeling alright? I know you have been unwell of late-"

Not giving a damn about decorum she screamed for Clementine and then Cassius, and even Mr Graham, anyone that might hear.

Her voice rang jarringly through the courtyard, echoing loudly into the house, she hoped. Dragging in a deep breath to shout again, a hand was clamped over her mouth, cutting off her words. Ms Frances' was strong despite her age, her fine wrinkles seeming all the deeper set as she frowned heavily at Emmeline. Her calloused hand was covering her mouth and nose, she clawed at the hand restricting her airflow, but the maid only placed her other hand atop the first.

Was this it? No, surely not. Her lungs burned as she tried to fight. She tried to push herself out of her seat, but Ms Frances only slammed the chair backwards onto the ground, climbing on top of Emmeline to put her hands around her throat. She kicked her legs out wildly, still frantically trying to remove the obstruction from her mouth but for every few seconds she managed to move the hand away, Ms Frances managed to put her hands right back. Her stomach was like it was aflame, cramping painfully, the poison no doubt finishing her off if Ms Frances didn't manage it first.

With her vision beginning to blur, her kicking grew more pathetic with each attempt. Even her hands seemed to lose their traction as she fluttered her hands weakly at Ms Frances' grip. Her eyes began to close when the pressure around her neck was suddenly removed. Gasping for air she barely registered what was happening around her. Cassius' voice was thunderous, screaming words that she couldn't really focus on.

Clementine was leant over her, forcing salt water into her mouth. She gagged and was flipped onto her hands and knees as she vomited up bloody water everywhere. "You must get it out mistress." She soothed, hitting her hard on the back as Emmeline emptied the contents of her stomach. Her eyes stung, her lungs burned, her stomach sending violent stabbing pains through her. Clementine's grip on her was almost painful as she continued to whack her back, encouraging her to throw up the poison.

"Clem I need –" But what she needed, she didn't get to say, lapsing into unconsciousness.

...

When Emmeline opened her eyes, they felt heavy and full of sleep. She lifted a hand to rub them, but it seemed to weigh a hundred pounds. "Sshh, shh. I'll do it." A familiar voice breathed, sounding immensely relieved. A thumb gently wiped the sleep and tears from her eyes, the blurred view of the ceiling becoming clearer.

Rolling her head to the side she couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight she saw. Cassius, looking ragged, but still more handsome than ever, was staring back at her. He looked terrible, with bags under his eyes and stubble across his jaw, but most of all, he looked pleased. Better than that, he looked delighted. With the softest of touches he lifted a hand to her cheek, communicating without words his affection for her. Pressing a kiss to her forehead she felt him let out a shaky breath.

"Hey." She croaked; her throat raw. Cassius laughed, tears in his eyes. He wiped them away roughly, as if he couldn't bear not looking at her for even a second.

"Hey yourself." He grinned, rubbing his thumb across her cheek over and over. "Gods I'm so, so, glad you are awake." He exhaled.

Emmeline blinked hard, trying to orientate herself. She didn't recognise the canopy over her, and from what she could see no room in the townhouse matched this décor. "Where are we?"

Cassius grabbed her hand with his free hand, looking like he wanted to jump into bed beside her, but holding himself barely in check. "We are in the palace. After you passed out, our doctor couldn't treat you himself, so we brought you here. He said that if Clementine hadn't –" He took a deep calming breath in, his hand trembling within hers. "He said that if Clementine hadn't made your drink that salt water, you - you would've died."

Frowning a little she remembered her maid forcing a large glass of salty water down her throat, and the vomiting that it caused. Wrinkling her nose she tried not to think about it any more just now, her mind still foggy.

"You were right to trust her." Cassius chuckled wryly, still seeming less confident than she had ever seen him.

Emmeline nodded vaguely. Looking around she began to notice the pounding headache she was experiencing. Shutting one eye against the discomfort Cassius practically pounced on the tiny gesture. "What's wrong, are you hurt? Shall I call for the doctors?" Before she could answer he had let go of her hands and was calling for someone who's name she didn't recognise.

A gaggle of doctors came through the door as she tried to sit up. She felt vulnerable laying down and as she became more awake her fear also crept in. She felt afraid. Carmen had tried to kill her. Suspecting it was one thing, but fighting for your life and almost losing, was quite another.

The memory of that hand over her mouth, around her throat... it had her trembling. Cassius was at her side at once as a sob shook through her. Turning to face him with watery eyes she was immediately pulled into a tight embrace.

"Your grace, we don't recommend any strenuous movement." A doctor piped up but was quickly silenced. Emmeline didn't need to see her pair's face to know the expression he had shot at the poor doctor.

Sucking in air desperately she tried to calm herself, not wanting to embarrass Cassius in front of so many people. If he cared, he didn't show it, focusing only on her face as he brushed away each and every tear till she was more settled.

"She tried to kill me." She hiccupped. She didn't dare say Carmen's name, not with so many witnesses in the room.

Despair cracked Cassius' soft smile he had been giving her. Looking away he took a second before nodding. "Ms Frances served our family for a long time. Mother believes she suffered a psychotic break."

Emmeline said nothing for a long moment before she nodded, holding his gaze knowingly. She would ask him about it when they were alone, but she already knew what he would say. Carmen would shift the blame onto her maid, and her involvement would be hushed up to avoid family embarrassment.

Rage burned inside her. It was generally understood that when the nobility committed a crime, they would be quietly exiled from society to a distant country estate, or hunting lodge far away from everyone else. She knew that this was the norm, but she still burned at the injustice of it. Carmen had starved her, mistreated her, and gotten away with it. She had disrespected her, and her pairing, and gotten away with it. The woman had been adding poison to her food for months, having her maid physically try and strangle her, and she was going to get away with it. No. She would not allow it. It was one injustice, one insult too many.

With a look at Cassius that held all of her disappointment, her dissatisfaction, her rage, she spoke to him wordlessly that this would not stand.

Her ordained pair looked at her for a long time before sighing and leaving the room, leaving her alone.

...................

Author's Note:

Well, at least now we know for sure. What do we think of this development?

Sophie x