“How do you know? Do you remember it?”
“No, but Terrick said—”
“He’s lying to you,” Andrew shouted. “That whole family has been a thorn in our parents’ sides for years. You can’t believe anything they say.”
Tears stung Bella’s eyes, but it was the frustration growing inside her that made her want to scream. “Just tell me what happened to me when I was abducted.”
Andrew exhaled slowly and stepped closer to her, grasping her upper arms. “Mr. Wentworth took you from the library and into the woods by his estate. He was preparing for you and Terrick to leave town and get married.” He took a deep breath. “Search parties were looking for you all day, but it wasn’t until the next morning when you were found. There was a panther by your side, guarding you, and the cursed animal wouldn’t allow me or Father to get to you.”
The panther? No, that couldn’t be right. “Andrew, the panther tried to attack me the other day. Why would you think it’s trying to protect me?”
“I don’t know. All I can tell you is what I saw.”
“Did you try to kill the beast?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“No. Father thought the animal was Terrick.”
She snorted a laugh. “Why on earth would he think that?”
“Because Terrick is cursed. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. When we found you in the woods, the animal was protecting you. Only Terrick wanted to protect you. When I tried to shoot the panther, he ran away. That was how we were able to rescue you and bring you home.”
Still, there were so many questions buzzing through her pounding head. How could she believe any of this? And there was no way she’d believe Terrick could change into a beast. “How do you know it was Mr. Wentworth that abducted me?”
“Witnesses in town described him.”
“And how do you know he wanted me to run away with Terrick?”
“Why else would he take you?” Andrew shrugged.
“So, you have no proof?” She threw up her hands, breaking free of his hold. “Andrew, you are just like Garrett, believing the gossip in town.”
“Then why would he take you into the woods?”
“I don’t know, but believe me, I’d love to find out what really happened.” Closing her eyes, she breathed slower, trying to make the pounding in her skull ease up so that she could think again. After a few moments, she opened her eyes. “Andrew? Tell me, truthfully. I’m an adult, and I deserve to know the truth.”
He nodded. “Yes, you are old enough to handle reality now.”
“Was our Mother... a witch?”
His mouth hung open, and he blinked with wide eyes. “Are you insane? Why would you think that?”
Her headache wouldn’t let her go into details. Besides, she still needed to do as Terrick had suggested and find the proof she needed. “Don’t worry about it.” She swished her hand through the air. “I’ve been very distraught lately, and I’m not thinking straight.”
“Bella,” his voice was calmer this time, “you have been under too much stress lately, and I take responsibility. I should be helping you with Father more, but my job as the sheriff—”
“Andrew, I’m fine. Father is fine. If we need your help, I’ll send for you.”
Frowning, he nodded. “Go back inside. Until the panther is found, I don’t want you out here.”
She rolled her eyes and snickered. “Why? According to my brother, the panther protects me.” Bella shouldn’t have made her voice so sarcastic, but she couldn’t help it. Andrew’s story didn’t match Terrick’s description at all, and she honestly didn’t know which one to believe. She must listen to her heart. That was the only way.
“Are you coming inside?”
He shook his head. “No, I just came to check on the horses. The other day I noticed one had a cut on his leg.”
“Fine.”
She turned away from him and went back into the house. The warmth from the fire heating the room touched her skin. She hadn’t realized how cold it was outside until now.
From the other room, her father chuckled. She stepped into the room and glanced at him reading the newspaper as he sat in his cushioned chair with a blanket over his legs. At least his mind had somewhere to go. If only she could get hers on the right track.
Bella sighed and rubbed her forehead. Perhaps she needed to lie down and rest. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.
“Oh, not again.” Her father grumbled loudly.
She snapped her gaze toward him again, half expecting to see that he’d dropped something, or had spilled his teacup that sat on the small table next to his chair. Instead, he was still reading the paper.
“What’s wrong, Father?”
“That cursed animal is back.”
Her first reaction was to look out the window to see if the panther were here, but since her father couldn’t see out the window from where he sat, he couldn’t have been talking about that.
She moved to his chair and stopped. “What cursed animal?”
He pointed to the newspaper. On the page was a sketch of a panther. Although it wasn’t the one she saw the other day, it was similar. The heading above the picture was Wild Animal on the Loose. “What do you mean the panther is back?”
“The animal is cursed.”
She narrowed her gaze on her father, trying to study his expression and read his thoughts, which were probably as jumbled as her own. Andrew had also referred to the panther as cursed. “Why do you think the animal is cursed?”
“It keeps showing up. It won’t leave us alone.”
She squatted to his level and looked into his eyes. “When did you see the panther, Father?”
“Years ago. You were sixteen. The animal was protecting you, and then he showed up again not long after your mother died.”
She sucked in a shocked breath. Father actually remembered that part of his life? It had been a long time since he’d said anything about his dead wife. Or were his words the mumbling of a man whose
