“Asleep,” Henrietta said, settling on the single settee in the room.

“Asleep? Why are you here?” Confusion laced her words. “What are you doing here?”

Her lips curled to form a smile. “I'm getting rid of you.”

“What?!”

“Did you honestly think, for the slightest second, that I'd let you —a peasant, American— win?” The ludicrousness of the entire thing made her laugh. “You're pathetic!”

As Henrietta spoke, the sound of approaching footsteps reached them. Gretchen's gaze shifted from Henrietta to the door. Henrietta watched as her eyes widened in shock and fear.

“Ellie?” Gretchen's voice shook as she took a step toward the maid who held a sleeping Elizabeth.

“Not so fast, Lady Williams.” Henrietta rose to her feet and Gretchen glanced at her briefly before turning back to the baby. “Take another step and I cannot guarantee the safety of the child.” She motioned to the maid who waved the kitchen knife in the air before holding it midair over the child's back.

Gretchen turned frantic eyes to Henrietta, shaking her head violently. “Please,” she muttered.

“I shall not harm the child if you do what I demand.” Henrietta answered and settled on the settee once more.

Gretchen placed both her hands over her mouth in a failed attempt to stifle the sob that managed to escape her lips.

“You shall write a letter to Lord Williams,” Henrietta said, ignoring the fact that Gretchen was shaking her head in refusal. “You shall tell him of your decision to leave him after finding out that he still loves Juliet. You shall tell him of your decision to take the child along simply because you cannot bear the thought of being away from her. Something along the line of; Dear Ethan, your betrayal of our marriage has proven to be a betrayal too great to live with...”

“No!”

“Ah, but you will.” Henrietta rose to her feet once more. Taking the stationary materials from her purse, she walked over to where Gretchen stood shaking like a leaf and held them out to her. “I shall count to five and if by the end of my count, Gretchen, you do not relieve me of this ink and paper, I shall have Lucinda here, cut into the child.” She nodded toward Lucinda, “One,”

“Henrietta...”

“Two,”

“Please.”

“Three,”

“I can't.”

“Four,”

Gretchen's frantic eyes traveled back and forth from Elizabeth to Henrietta.

“Five.”

Chapter Forty Three

The instruction was to stay in bed.

Jacob knew that much, but he could no longer ignore the growling beast that was his stomach.

It had been five days since his retirement but Gretchen insisted he stayed in the castle long enough to recover before he could travel to Birmingham to be with his family.

Jacob was a seventy five year old man whose body could no longer stand the grueling hours of servitude, according to the physician. He had been put on bed rest and had been assigned a maid who was to see to his care. Three hours of waiting for his meal was proving to be too much for the old butler.