Proper Princess

Chapter Sixteen

"Mother?" I asked, hearing the fear in my own voice as soon as I spoke. My mind was racing already, regrets and worries and questions all flying about at once.

What had happened? Why was she crying? What had I said to Elizabeth last that day- she had embraced me, telling me how much she loved me and how grateful she was for me. Had she done something foolish? Oh, please, please, tell me she hadn't done something sinfully foolish- something that would take her out of this world forever. Where was my sister now- had they called for a doctor? Was there a use for a doctor?

Once Mother caught sight of me, she let out a wail, bolting from Miss Lancing's arms and pulling me to her. She squeezed me tightly for a moment, then pulled back, holding me at arms-length and shaking me. "Where is your sister? Amelia, where is Elizabeth?"

"I- I don't know." I stammered, still bewildered and terrified. "Mother, what is happening? Why-"

"Where is she?" Mother demanded, shaking me harder- painfully. I cringed away, trying to hold back tears, though they were not from the pain. I was panicking now, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my own ears as I desperately tried to understand what had happened to my sister and why nobody seemed to be doing anything about it.

Miss Lancing was suddenly there, pulling Mother off of me. Mother thrashed in her hold, shrieking hysterically. "Release me! Release me, Amelia is my daughter, you won't take her from me!"

My governess was firm, though, standing between myself and Mother. "I am not taking her from you," Miss Lancing told Mother gently, but with a firmness in her tone that I was familiar with. She had never used it on anyone but Elizabeth and I, though. And certainly not my parents. "But I cannot allow you to harm her. You are not well-"

"She is my daughter!" Mother repeated, still sounding far from lucid. "You are just a servant, you cannot tell me what to do! This is my home- mine! I can fire you and send you away from here. You will not tear me from the only daughter I have left!"

Her words had me growing more frantic- what did she mean, the only daughter she had left?

My eyes met Thomas' and he saw my terror. Through his concrete frown, he managed to get words out. "Amelia, Elizabeth is alive. She is unharmed."

Mother wailed. "Unharmed? Who knows what shall happen to her? She could be beaten, raped, imprisoned, whipped at the stocks! My child-"

"Mummy, stop!" I was crying now, too, and I was quite sure I had never referred to Mother as 'Mummy'.

It seemed to snap her out of whatever mania-induced loop she was trapped in, though, because as her eyes met mine, and then Miss Lancing's, she seemed to realize exactly what she was doing and saying. Her gaze moved to the marks her nails had left on my arms, and then to the protective stance Miss Lancing had taken in front of me, despite being shorter and more slender than Mother.

"Dear God," Mother cried, swaying as she weeped quietly. Miss Lancing caught Mother under her arms as she fell, gently guiding her to the floor and leaning her against the stair railing as Mother moaned, "My child. My child-"

"What has happened?" I demanded, my voice still heavy with tears, despite not yet knowing what I was grieving. "Where the hell is my sister?"

Nobody scolded me for my language. Nobody said a word. And I would not tolerate that. Not now- not with this.

"Where is she?" I shouted, stalking up to Michael and yanking him away from Thomas. I gripped him by the front of his shirt. "Where has Elizabeth gone, Michael? You are her twin so you must know- where is she?"