Dangerous Times

He saw Leon rush into the room and seize Madeline by the wrist. His eyes, wide with a frantic urgency, then fell upon my bruised and broken body laid out upon the cold marble table. A guttural roar of pure, unadulterated anger tore from Leon’s throat. In one violent motion, he flung Madeline to one side, her slight figure crumpling against the stone floor. The old maid, Mandy, who had followed close behind, gasped and quickly dropped her lantern. The light guttered and died as she scrambled through the sudden darkness to her master's side, her trembling hands already reaching out to tend to the fallen Madeline. "Emily, are you okay?" Leon picked me up as he looked me up and down, "Tell me who hurt you!" "It's Madeleine!" I said weakly and held up the letter, "She's the one who spread the rumors about Jack and me!" "You?" Leon set me down, his purple eyes suddenly full of murder. "Don't you dare touch my men!" "You read my letter?" Madeleine screamed, still staring defiantly at Leon, "