“Never. You know as well as I do what would happen if I did that. Such an action would not only destroy him, it would devastate the entire family.”
The doctor said nothing.
“I will deal with this just as I did the last time,” the woman said. Resolve strengthened her voice.
“I anticipated that you would make that decision,” the doctor said. He sounded resigned. “I took the liberty of sending word to Dr. Renwick at Cresswell Manor. There are two attendants waiting outside.”
“Send them in,” the woman said. “Remind them that I expect absolute discretion.”
“They are well trained. As I explained on the previous occasion, Dr. Renwick specializes in dealing with situations such as this. He accepts only patients from the best families and he is mindful of his obligations to those who pay his fees.”
“In other words, I am buying Dr. Renwick’s silence,” the woman said bitterly.
“I can assure you that you are not the only one in Society who is doing so. But given the alternative, there is nothing else to be done, is there?”
“No.” The woman hesitated. “You are certain that he is fit to travel?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, send for the attendants.”
“I think it would be safest for all concerned if I administered more chloroform before we prepare the patient to be transported.”
“Do what you feel must be done,” the woman said. “I will go now. I cannot watch them take him away again.”
She was leaving.
Panic flashed like wildfire through the patient. He opened his eyes and tried to rise from the bed, only to discover to his horror that he could not move. Leather straps bound him to the bed rails.
The doctor came toward him with a white cloth in his hand. The sickly sweet smell of chloroform scented the atmosphere. Two burly men in ill-fitting coats came through the door. He recognized them from his previous stay at Cresswell Manor.
“Mother, no, don’t let them take me,” he pleaded. “You’re making a terrible mistake. You must believe me. That lying whore tried to murder me. Don’t you see? I’m innocent.”
His mother’s shoulders stiffened but she did not look back. The door closed behind her.
Dr. Norcott clamped the chloroform-saturated rag over the patient’s nose and mouth.
Fury scalded his veins. This was the harlot’s fault. Everything had gone wrong because of her. She would pay. He had granted the others a swift death, taking pity on them after they acknowledged their sins. But Amity Doncaster would die slowly.
Five
Ido not think that my reputation can withstand any more gossip,” Amity announced. She set aside the copy of theFlying Intelligencerand reached for her coffee cup. “Three weeks have passed since I was attacked and I still find myself in the newspapers every morning. It was bad enough knowing that silly people in Polite Society were amusing themselves with speculation about my association with Mr. Stanbridge.”
“Stanbridge is a very wealthy gentleman from an old, distinguished family,” Penny said. “He is also unmarried. In addition, he was involved in a great scandal several years ago when his fiancée stood him up at the altar. That combination makes his private life a matter of considerable interest in certain circles.”
Amity blinked. “He was left at the altar? You never mentioned that.”
“The young lady ran off with her lover. It’s been a few years now but there was a great deal of speculation about the event at the time. Everyone wondered why the woman would abandon a gentleman of Stanbridge’s rank and wealth.”
“I see.” Amity gave that information some thought. “Perhaps she got tired of having him disappear on her the way he did on me.”
“Indeed.”
“Yes, well, I knew him as Mr. Stanbridge, an engineer who happened to be traveling in the Caribbean,” Amity said. “He never bothered to mention his finances or his social connections. As I was saying, the gossip about our so-called affair on board theNorthern Starwas certainly annoying, but I had hoped it would dissipate before my book was published. Unfortunately, the lurid reports of my escape from the Bridegroom don’t show any sign of diminishing. They may prove to be the ruin of my career as a travel guide writer.”
“For heaven’s sake, Amity, you were very nearly murdered,” Penny said. She put down her fork, anxiety and alarm shadowing her eyes. “According to the press, you are the only intended victim of that dreadful monster known to have escaped his clutches. You must expect to find your name in the papers. We can only be grateful that you are alive.”
“I am grateful—exceedingly grateful. But I do not enjoy seeing myself pictured on the front covers of theIllustrated Police Newsand theGraphic. Both of those magazines portrayed me fleeing from the killer’s carriage dressed only in my nightgown.”
