“No, my sweet Bella.” He cupped the side of her face. “She would never do that to you. She loved you so much and wanted what was best—”
“Listen to me, Terrick.” She shook her head. “If we were in love as much as you say we were, I would have been heartbroken when we stopped seeing each other.”
Hesitating to answer, he studied her tearful expression. His mind whirled with the possibilities. He prayed that Bella was wrong about her mother, but... it made sense now. “I know I was devastated. So much, in fact, that I had to move away because seeing you every day was killing me. I wanted to hold you so badly, but I couldn’t.”
“Then, I would have felt the same.”
He stroked his thumb under her eye, catching more tears. “Yes, I think you did.”
“That’s it.” She took another shaky breath. “Mother couldn’t stand to see me so distraught, so she put a spell on me to make me forget my heartache.”
Sighing heavily, he pressed his forehead against hers. Bella closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall. What if she was right? Yet, in his gut, he felt she was.
“Bella?” He brushed his lips across her forehead. “Stop crying, please. It’s tearing me apart to hear you this way.
“I’m sorry.”
“Tonight, when you get home,” he pulled back and looked into her eyes, “read through your mother’s journals. If she were indeed a witch, there would be some signs in her writing. But until then, please don’t fully believe that she could have done this to you. Witch or not, your mother had a big heart, and she loved you very much.”
Nodding, she pulled away from him, wiping her eyes. “You’re right, of course.”
He took hold of her hands and lifted them to his mouth, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. “Would you like to stay home tomorrow and take it easy?”
“Yes, if that’s all right.”
“Of course, it is.” He kissed her knuckles again. “Ana can wait a day or two for her next lesson, but I want you to take it easy and really think about this. Before you burn her memory at the stake for being a witch, you had better find some solid proof.”
“I agree.”
The vehicle stopped, and seconds later, the driver opened the door. She leaned over and kissed his scarred cheek before leaving the carriage.
Groaning, he raked his fingers through his hair. What a mess this had turned out to be. He prayed they were wrong about Bella’s mother, but if they were right... what other mayhem had she caused, and were they going to be able to repair the damage?
EIGHT
BELLA SAT ON THE WINDOW seat the next morning, sipping her hot tea as she stared blindly out the window. She’d cried so much last night, and she didn’t think she had anything else to cry. Yet, as her mind drifted back over her life, and she remembered odd things that had happened, more tears spiked her eyes.
She had stayed up late reading through Mother’s journals again, but there was no indication of her practicing witchcraft. From the woman’s words, she was a normal housewife raising a son and daughter, just like every normal mother in the world.
The weather had turned chilly today, bringing a cold wind from the east. Autumn was touching the leaves on the trees, turning them orange and red. She loved this time of the year, but she couldn’t enjoy it now. Next month would be her mother’s death anniversary... which meant it was hers and Terrick’s separation anniversary next week. Was it any wonder she couldn’t celebrate the cooler weather and the change of nature this time?
A movement from outside caught her attention, and she blinked to focus. Andrew walked out of the barn, swiping his leather gloves against his jean-covered thighs. The sun hit his sheriff’s silver-star badge, making it shine.
Bella quickly moved off the window seat and set her teacup on the nearby table before dashing out of the house. Andrew looked at her with surprise.
“Bella, why are you home? Isn’t it Wednesday? I thought you’d be in town.”
She had so many things to say to him, but she didn’t know which question to ask first. “I’m not going into town today. Besides, I have taken a position with the Wentworth family as their daughter’s teacher.”
His eyes widened, and his face turned red. “You work at the Wentworth Estate?”
“Yes, and before you start shooting off your mouth, let me tell you that you cannot believe what Garrett has told you. Terrick Wentworth is not a beast.”
The color in his face flamed, and he grasped her shoulders. “Bella, please believe me when I tell you that Terrick Wentworth is a beast.” His chest rose and fell quickly, and his nostrils flared. “You don’t remember much about the year you turned sixteen, but I do.”
Her hopes lifted, and she prayed her brother would be able to finally answer her questions. “Then tell me why I need to stay away from them. All I know is that they are a nice family, and they have treated me like I’m part of the family.”
Shaking his head, Andrew turned and pushed his fingers through his hair as he paced the ground in front of her. “You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.” A sob caught in her throat. “Andrew, I remember bits and pieces of that year, but they don’t match up with what Terrick has told me, and I want to know why.”
Andrew stopped and looked at her. “What has Terrick told you?”
“That we were in love, but Mother wanted me to have a few more years left of my youth before I married. Mr. Wentworth wanted Terrick to build his own empire before we married, which was why we couldn’t see each other for seven years.”
Her brother arched an eyebrow. “He didn’t tell you about abducting you?”
Bella gasped in shock. Her heartbeat sped faster, and her head pounded with disbelief.
