Lorenzo smiled, biting her lower lip, tilting her head slightly. "I am glad to see the lessons I taught you actually worked."
Marie pressed the knife more firmly against Lorenzo's throat.
Lorenzo raised her hands. "Are you going to slice me, or will you at least hear what I have to say?"
"I am done listening to your lies. I forgave you for forcing yourself on me. I even forgave you for that ridiculous story about my family scheming with the King. But this time, I have absolutely no intention of giving you even a moment of my time. You might as well leave now, before I actually stab you."
Lorenzo looked at her for a long moment. She looked... pained. As though she truly grasped the anguish Marie had been through.
"I am sorry," Lorenzo said softly. "Truly."
Then, with impossible speed, Lorenzo grabbed the scarf tied around her waist and, after smoothly disarming Marie, bound her wrists together.
Marie opened her mouth to scream—
Lorenzo silenced her with a kiss.
Marie jerked her head away and bit down hard on Lorenzo's lip.
Lorenzo winced, touching her bleeding lip. "Just trust me. I will not need to explain—you shall see it with your own eyes. Please, Marie. Trust me."
Marie raised her bound wrists, eyebrow arched in furious disbelief.
Lorenzo sighed and untied her. Then she placed a bundle of dark clothing on the bed. "Change into these."
Marie gestured for Lorenzo to turn her back.
Lorenzo shrugged. "I have seen it all already."
Marie remained expressionless.
Lorenzo sighed and turned around, but stole glances now and then.
"How is your health?" Lorenzo asked, attempting small talk. "Have you fainted anymore? Have you been well?"
Marie ignored her entirely, pulling on the dark clothes.
When she was dressed, Lorenzo turned fully. "You still look utterly desirable. Nothing could steal your charm. Those curves shall be the death of me."
Marie folded her arms. "My patience is running rather thin."
Lorenzo gestured toward the tent flap. "After you, cara mia." (my dear.)
They walked through the darkness. Not far from the upstream party camp, Lorenzo's men were waiting.
Marie stopped short.
There were dozens—far more than should have been with Lorenzo. When they saw Lorenzo and Marie approach, they bowed in unison, hands on their chests.
Marie took in the sight, then turned to Lorenzo. "How cunning. Where were all these men hiding? Were they spying all along?"
Lorenzo chuckled.
Marie leaned close and whispered spitefully, "You are indeed the treacherous creature to the bone."
Then she turned and greeted the men cordially, her smile practiced and gracious.
Pierro saw Marie and immediately rushed forward, bowing deeply. "My lady! I am so glad to see you well!"
He was perhaps slightly older than Marie, with a warm smile. But there were ashes smudged on his cheeks.
Marie reached up and gently wiped them away. "You have been working hard, I see."
Pierro blushed deeply and rushed away.
Marie turned to find Lorenzo watching. Marie rolled her eyes.
Lorenzo folded her arms, arching an eyebrow, looking distinctly annoyed at the display of affection Marie had just shown Pierro.
Lorenzo turned sharply and walked away toward her men. "Report. What activities have you observed on the other side?"
Marie entered Lorenzo's tent and sat in Lorenzo's chair—the larger one on the opposite side of the table.
Her eyes fell on a medical report lying there, written in Italian.
She picked it up and began reading.
Her expression darkened with each line.
She stood abruptly, report in hand, and was about to storm out when Lorenzo entered.
"By the frown on your face, you have read your medical report," Lorenzo said calmly.
Marie glared. "This cannot possibly be mine."
Lorenzo turned to the guards outside and spoke in Italian: "I soldati che sorvegliano questa tenda si allontanino di tre passi. Qualunque cosa sentano, devono dimenticarla sotto pena di morte." (The soldiers guarding this tent are to step three paces away. Whatever they hear, they are to forget it under penalty of death.)
"Sì, Vostra Altezza," (Yes, Your Highness,) they responded, stepping back.
Lorenzo removed her coat, scarf, and turban. "Well, it is true. This report attributes your fainting to the presence of abortion herbs in your system."
Marie scoffed. "Do you really think I would do such a thing?"
"When I was told after you fainted, I was tempted to believe it. After all, you have made quite certain I knew you hated me."
Marie threw the report down. "I am leaving."
Lorenzo rushed forward and caught her wrists.
Marie shoved her away. "This is baseless! I would never do that. Regardless of how much you have hurt me and lied to me, I still loved you!"
Lorenzo sighed. "Can you at least let me finish before you decide to stop loving me?"
Marie stood rigid, breathing hard.
"I know for a fact you have no idea what such herbs look like or could taste like. And I know for a fact you do have a maternal bone. I have seen you interact with your cousin's children. You love children."
She paused. "Lastly, there are many ways someone may be administered poison without their knowledge."
Marie ran her hand through her hair, trembling. "More lies and stories... Does it even stop?"
Lorenzo's expression hardened. "Your naivety knows no bounds! If it were not for Bess, who overheard us speaking and came to me to share that your bathwater had a peculiar smell—even after the oils were applied for the last couple of months—the doctor would not have been able to acquire a sample and test it to find the drug."
Lorenzo turned toward the entrance. "Bess, you may enter."
The flap opened.
Bess walked in, and with her, a maid Marie recognized. The woman was tied up and looked beaten.
"Bess!"Marie gasped. "How are you here? You were supposed to be in Scotland!"
Bess bowed to Lorenzo first, then rushed to embrace Marie.
"After you fainted, I shared my worries with His Highness. I started investigating. I found out that a maid had left the manor a day after your collapse. I hunted her down."
Bess turned to the bound maid. "Speak."
The maid began to cry. "I apologize, my lady. I did not have a choice. I needed the money."
"Tell her what you did," Bess said coldly.
"Lord Matthew. He asked me to tamper with the bathwater. He told me it would help you stay without child, to protect you. He gave me coins. So many coins. I have a family to feed, my lady. I did not know it would harm you so!"
Marie's face went white with rage. She lunged for the woman.
"You deserve death for this!" Marie screamed as Bess caught her.
"Bess, take her away," Lorenzo commanded.
Bess dragged the sobbing maid from the tent.
Marie stood there, chest heaving, eyes bright with unshed tears. She wiped at them roughly. "So you knew about this. And instead of coming to comfort me, I heard you almost broke Matthew's jaw a few hours before I woke up. Why did you run?"
Lorenzo approached, but Marie was too emotional. She raised her hands. "I need to understand you. I am tired of this. I am tired of having to hear about things and feeling confused about your intentions!"
Lorenzo ran her hand through her hair. "Something worse was coming. I had to act fast. He is not acting alone. But as long as you refuse to open your eyes to the fact that your family is in on it, you shall keep being a target. I had to make them believe they won—so they would not harm you further."
Marie stared at her, tears finally spilling over.
"My family?" she whispered. "My fam... how can this be?"
Marie tried to rationalize it. Yes, Matthew would do such a thing—he had always been cruel, possessive. But the rest of her family? How could they ever plot to hurt her? It made no sense.
"Matthew, yes,"Marie said, voice shaking. "But the others? My father? Ann? They would never—"
Lorenzo sighed, and as she opened her mouth to respond, one of her guards appeared at the tent entrance, speaking urgently.
"Your Highness, there is movement in the camp. Something is happening."
Lorenzo grabbed Marie's wrist and rushed to the edge of the clearing where they could observe without being seen.