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"But that is not enough reason to——" Rochester flicked his eyes back to Eloise. "Mother, what situation led you to be so cruel? I already told you when she would leave. Couldn't you have, at the very least, taken my word for it?"

"Then consider that a parting gift for all the horrors she's committed in this place," Eloise told him. "If you will excuse me, or better still come with me, Adelaide is not herself in there after talking to that swine."

"But what is wrong with Adelaide?" he asked.

"I don't know," Eloise shrugged one shoulder up. "Why not let's go in and see, are you coming in or not?"

Rochester tilted his head up north and saw how far Louisa had gotten from them. The way her feet dragged on with both hands stationed on one cheek, and her slanted back, he felt like he needed to interfere and console her in some way.

When the sound of the door creaked open on Eloise's account, he rolled his head back to his mother and followed her right in.

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