Madeline ducked into the hall, glancing at her watch again as she did. Time was slipping by. Too much time. She had to put as much distance between her and this family as she could, as fast as she could. When Pierce and Adam realized what she had done, they would use their every resource to find her.
She ran to her and Pierce’s bedroom. There, she raced across to the bed and, getting down on her hands and knees, yanked the suitcases out from under. With trembling fingers she unlocked hers, looked it over to make sure nothing had been moved, then tucked the pouch of gems inside. That done, she snapped the case shut, stood and bent for the bags.
Pierce knew.
The thought came to her suddenly, with it an overwhelming feeling of dread. A sense of foreboding. She looked over her shoulder, half expecting to see him standing behind her, the expression in his eyes murderous.
The doorway was empty.
Even so, a shudder moved up her spine. He knew. Dear Jesus, he knew.
But how could he? She shook her head. If he did, he would have disturbed the contents of her suitcase. He would have confronted her.
She had to get a grip, she told herself, hoisting up the bags. She had to keep her wits about her—for Grace’s sake. And her own. If Pierce caught her, she didn’t know what he might do.
He might even kill her.
Madeline took a deep, calming breath. Twenty minutes from now she and Grace would be on the road, and on their way to starting a new life, one free of this unhappy, twisted family. Everything was going according to plan.
After peeking into the hall to make sure no one was about, she returned to the nursery. Grace was dawdling, having gotten distracted in the bathroom.
“Mommy, I brushed my teeth really good. For a long time, every tooth.”
Madeline took another deep breath. Losing her cool with her daughter would not hurry her. “Good girl,” she said with elaborate calm. “Come on now, we have to hurry.”
Grace trotted back into the room. “Why?”
Madeline held out Grace’s jumper. “Why what?”
“Why do we have to hurry?”
“Because we do.” Madeline’s voice rose; she heard the edge of hysteria in it. She fought it back and smiled at her daughter. “I’ll help you dress.”
She did and within minutes Grace was ready to go. Madeline sat her on the rug next to the packed suitcase, handed her her favorite toy, then started filling Grace’s suitcase, throwing in clothes and toiletries and toys, only the essentials and a few of Grace’s favorites.
A knock sounded at the nursery door. Madeline swung toward it, heart thundering. The knock came again.
“Mrs. Monarch? I’m leaving for the market, is there anything special you need?”
The housekeeper. She hadn’t left yet.
As if reading her mind, the woman said, “I got hung up on the phone with the plumber. They’re sending someone by this afternoon. Is there anything you need?”
Madeline struggled to find her voice. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Mrs. Monarch? Are you all right?”
Madeline heard the question, the concern in the other woman’s voice. Panic pumped through her; if she didn’t answer, the housekeeper would come into the nursery.
“I…I’m fine, Alice. And no, there’s nothing I need. You…you go on, we’re just fine.”
“All right, Mrs. Monarch. Oh, Mr. Monarch’s office called, looking for him. Apparently, he forgot something and is on his way home.”
Pierce? On his way home?
Madeline struggled to breathe evenly. She thanked the woman, reminded her that she and Grace would be gone to the zoo all afternoon, then waited several moments to make sure the housekeeper had left before she jumped into action.
How long? she wondered, completely panicked. How long until Pierce walked through that door? She turned back to Grace’s suitcase and did a quick inventory. She would just have to leave the rest; they would have to make do. There was no time. No time.
“Mommy!” Grace squealed with delight. “Look!”
Madeline swung around in time to see Grace emptying the pouch of gems into her lap.
With a cry, Madeline leaped across to her daughter. “No! Bad girl!” She snatched the pouch from Grace’s hands. The jewels flew, scattering across the wooden floor.
For one moment, Grace stared blankly at her, as if in shock. Then she burst into tears.
Madeline hardly ever raised her voice with Grace. She could count on one hand the times she had yelled at her.
“I’m sorry, honey. Daddy wanted us to have the pretty stones for our trip. But they’re very special, we mustn’t play with them.” She hugged her daughter. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Come, help me pick them up. Can you do that?”
Still whimpering, Grace nodded and together they retrieved the stones, put them back into the pouch, the pouch into the suitcase, Madeline painfully aware of each passing moment. She snapped the case shut, locked it this time, then did the same to Grace’s. “Come on, sweetie, time to go.”
The nursery door opened. Madeline swung toward it and froze. Not Pierce on his way home, she realized. The other Mr. Monarch. Worse, much worse.
Adam took in the scene before him, realization crossing his features. His face went from passive to enraged. “Going somewhere, Madeline, dear? On some sort of a trip?”
Madeline wetted her lips. “This isn’t what it looks like. It’s—”
“Going on a trip,” Grace chirped up, happily playing with her baby doll. “Daddy can’t come. He has to work.”
“You lying, conniving bitch.” Adam took a step toward her, his expression murderous. “So this is what you’ve been up to. This is why you’ve been such a perfect little wife. So agreeable, so helpful. You’ve been planning to steal my granddaughter.”
Madeline took a step back, heart thundering. “She’s my daughter, Adam. Mine.”
“Pretty stones,” Grace said. “Daddy sent pretty stones for our trip.”
Adam looked at Grace, drawing his eyebrows together in question, then back at Madeline. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“You can’t stop me.” Madeline jerked her chin up and stiffened her shoulders. “I have to protect her. I’ve tried to tell you about Griffen, I’ve tried to make you—”
“Griffen’s her brother!” Adam’s face mottled with rage. “He’s my grandson. A Monarch, for Christ’s sake!”
“But he’s unbalanced!” she cried. “He’s dangerous! You have to see it! You have to believe—”
“Believe what?” he demanded. “The delusional ravings of a woman who believes she can see the future? Please.”
“I told you what I walked in on! I didn’t imagine that. He was holding her down, he had his hand—”
“Shut up!” he shouted, nearly purple with rage. “You’re the one who’s unbalanced. You’re the one who needs help.” He advanced on her, flexing his fingers. “Let’s get this straight. I don’t give a fuck if you leave, you crazy bitch, but you’re not taking my granddaughter.”
“I have to protect her. You can’t stop me.”
“I can. And I will. She belongs here, she belongs to Monarch’s.”