CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO ELISE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ELISE
FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER

Elise was numb. She was going through the motions of walking and keeping lookout, but her mind was a million miles away. How did I let this happen?

The truth was, she knew. She hadn’t told Cate, probably would never tell Cate, that she’d had an argument before they left with Addy. It was the reason she’d known she wasn’t coming back, and why Addy had decided to leave instead of waiting for her. And it was all she’d thought of since they’d set out.

She pressed her hand to her heart as she walked, as if somehow, miraculously, it could stem the pain. But it did nothing to ease her suffering. Or her guilt. If only Adelaide had followed the plan, and if only she hadn’t tried to convince her to leave France again.

“You still expect me to get on that boat and sail for England?” Addy laughed as if it were the greatest joke she’d ever heard. “You’re serious? You actually think I’m going to leave France?”

Elise stayed calm, realizing her error the moment she saw her sister’s reaction. “Yes. I feel it’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“And what about you?” Addy asked. “Who will keep you safe? Because I can tell right now that you’re still not planning on leaving with me.”

“Addy, please, just hear me out,” Elise pleaded. “You can take Oscar with you, no one will turn down a little dog under your arm, and it means that you can get far away from Wolfgang so you don’t have to do anything you don’t want—”

“What are you trying to say? That he’s somehow forced himself on me?” Addy sounded hysterical now, and Elise felt as if she were dealing with a child; although when it came to her sister, that wouldn’t be the first time.

“I’m only saying that he’s a very powerful man, and if you ever don’t want to see him again, things could become difficult,” Elise carefully said. “Besides, I thought you were only seeing him still to help the cause?” It was a ruse to get her sister to admit her true feelings, and it worked.

“What if it’s not a ruse anymore?” Addy asked, staring out the window. “He’s been so lovely to me, he treats me well, and if our country becomes part of Germany one day . . .”