Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 38

Letitia Pratchett was a name Louisa hadn't heard in a long time. So much so that she froze when she heard it again.

She looked at Thaddeus, knowing he hadn't brought up the name by accident. This was the real reason he had lured her here. "What are you trying to say?"

Thaddeus saw the color drain from her face and knew the name had cut her deep. But he had no choice. He was desperate to make her stay, even though he was afraid it would hurt her.

"She's not dead. She's receiving treatment abroad," Thaddeus said to put her at ease.

After hearing about Letitia's past from Jake, Thaddeus had dug into her history. He finally realized that her years of isolation and her refusal to make friends weren't because she was cold or arrogant. She was a victim of a trauma so deep that she was terrified of letting anyone in.

Thaddeus had read about how badly the past had hurt her in the old newspapers.

A flicker of light returned to Louisa's dull eyes. She had spent years searching for news of Letitia to no avail. Knowing she was alive, regardless of her condition, felt like a massive weight being lifted off her chest.

At least she was alive.

"Thank you for telling me that, Mr. Cromwell," Louisa said coolly.

Thaddeus winced at her formality. It felt like hitting a brick wall. He tightened his grip on the edge of the desk. "Don't you want to know who's been footing the bill for her care all these years?"

Louisa's eyes drifted to a magnolia plant on the corner of the desk. It was Letitia's favorite. She had given it to Louisa.

Louisa had tried to keep one alive for years, replacing it every time it withered. Looking at it now, she realized that some things couldn't be kept alive, no matter how much you obsessed over them. The plant looked the same, but it wasn't the same plant that Letitia had given her.

"It doesn't matter," she said quietly.

As long as Letitia was okay, nothing else did. Years ago, she had prayed for Letitia to wake up and clear her name. But those years were gone now, and she had long since stopped caring about being vindicated.

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