Chapter 0128

Hannah

It was quiet as I lay in bed, the room completely dark except for the last bit of sunlight peeking through the curtains. I pressed the cool washcloth harder against my aching forehead, yearning for relief. My hand ran across my belly; at least my baby wasn’t hurt. I had only hit my head when I fell.

Only, I thought with a snort. It was still bad enough that I had hit my head. And my husband was still nowhere to be found.

“Luna Hannah?” A soft voice pulled me from my reverie. I cracked my eyes open to see my maid, Ana, peeking through the door. “Ana,” I croaked, sitting up. “Please, come in.”

Ana entered carrying a tray. It held toast with jam, a cup of tea, and more painkillers. My stomach rumbled instantly. That nagging eating disorder voice in the back of my mind wanted me to starve, but I wouldn’t listen. Not today, at least.

“Here,” Ana said gently, setting the tray on the bed’s edge. “This will give you some strength.”

“Thank you, Ana,” I said, setting aside the washcloth. I picked up the toast, nibbling a corner. I instantly felt better, just from the taste of the sugary orange marmalade.

As I ate, Ana fussed around the room, stoking the fire, opening the windows, and shaking out the throw blankets. But as I watched, I thought about the last time we spoke—when she had been ill. I hadn’t seen her since, and the last words I remembered were about my diet pills. The pills secretly laced with a contraceptive.

“Ana?” I asked, clearing my throat.

“Yes, Luna?” She turned to face me. When I patted the bed beside me, she hesitated, mildly shocked, before cautiously sitting down. “Is everything okay?”

I nodded, pausing to consider how to phrase my question without alarming her. Finally, I decided to be direct.

“I keep thinking about what you said about my diet pills the last time we spoke,” I said. “About how… they’re not what I think they are. Something along those lines.”

Ana visibly blanched and opened her mouth, but I raised a hand to stop her. “I’m not scolding you, Ana,” I assured her. “But I had those pills examined by the apothecary, and they contained abortion contraceptives. Do you know anything about that?”

The maid’s eyes widened. Her lower lip quivered, and she started to rise, but I stopped her by placing my hand on her arm. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I just want to know how you knew something was wrong.”

For several long moments, Ana stared at me in shock, her mouth opening and closing. I watched her eyes dart toward the door, clearly considering a flight. But I waited patiently, my hand on her arm. Besides, if she tried to run, I would hold onto her. I needed the truth.

Finally, instead of running, she swallowed hard, lowering her gaze to her hands. “A few months back, I…” She paused, clenching her jaw. “I took some of your pills. To lose weight.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You did?” I asked, my eyes wandering over my maid. She was beautiful—petite and healthy-looking, with a curvaceous figure and a sweet face. She looked like something out of a Renaissance painting. “You don’t need to lose weight, Ana.”