34

Chapter 34

He woke her early on punishment day, not giving her the option of refusing to attend. Madison was undecided if she wanted to be there, and perhaps he’d picked up on her indecision, leading him to choose for her. Or maybe he was just an overbearing tyrant. Perhaps both.

Grumbling in protest, she washed and dressed before following Tiernan. When they turned to go upstairs instead of down to the main floor, her heart leapt into her throat. As they climbed the stairs, she couldn’t help remembering how awful it was to be confined to the cupola. Had her continued insistence that their relationship was over made him so angry that he was going to imprison her in the tower again? Did he somehow envision that would make her realize she still wanted to be with him? In fact, it would certainly be the death knell of their affair—which was already over anyway, she hastened to assure herself.

As they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, she strove to control her panic and asked in wh