Unfortunately, when they arrived at Miss Gibson’s, she’d already returned from delivering Nora home to her father—and a potential suitor, no less.He shouldn’t be surprised Mr.Davis was alreadytrying to dissuade Nora from him, but that didn’t excuse the man’s behavior.Interrupting supper with a preferred suitor to announce danger wouldn’t endear him to Mr.Davis, but Nora’s safety was worth any fire that dragon might spew.Miss Gibson was adamant about joining the party, and Ezekiel wouldn’t reject any help in facing the challenge ahead.
When the hack turned onto Nora’s street, a crowd was standing huddled on the sidewalk, watching a stretcher being loaded into the bed of an ambulance.Mrs.Reed stood to the side with two women supporting her as she cried into a handkerchief.
Graham turned his back to the sidewalk and tugged his hat down.“That woman next to the ambulance is definitely Ursula.”
Dread pooled in Ezekiel’s gut.He attempted to see who was on the stretcher, but the attendants blocked his view.He doubted Mrs.Reed would shed tears for Nora, and her upset did appear real, but it could all be a performance.He searched for a crown of orange as the hack passed the huddled groups, but neither Nora’s vibrant hair nor her face were amongst them.
“Look.There’s Mr.Davis.”Miss Gibson pointed to an isolated group of three farther up the street.
Mrs.Jerden clung to an older man, whom Ezekiel presumed to be her husband, as the three of them watched a carriage pull away from the curb to trundle down the street.The slump of Mr.Davis’s shoulders and Mrs.Jerden’s obvious distress screamed of something terribly wrong.
Panic clawed at Miss Gibson’s voice.“I don’t see Nora anywhere.He wouldn’t be without her unless he didn’t have a choice.”
As if to confirm, when the departing carriage turned a corner, Mr.Davis’s head dropped and his shoulders shook.Mr.Jerden clasped Mr.Davis’s shoulder, his own head bowed.
The hack stopped a few feet away, and Ezekiel rushed to them.“What’s happened?”
“Oh, Mr.Beaumont.It’s awful.”Mrs.Jerden drew in a shuddering breath.“They’re taking Nora to jail for attempting to kill someone.”
“They’re calling her mad,” Mr.Jerden added.“The officer said it’s likely she’ll be at Longview before morning.The poor girl mistook the new neighbor, Mrs.Reed’s brother, for a man named Winston.Claimed he attacked her, but Mrs.Reed insists her brother had come out to calm Nora after she threw a rock through their kitchen window.”
Knowing what he did, Ezekiel would take Nora’s word over Mrs.Reed’s without question, but Nora had been guarded with her story, and it was unlikely the Jerdens knew it.He looked to Mr.Davis, but the man still had his back to the group.“Can anyone corroborate Mrs.Reed’s story?”
“All the neighbors came out fairly quickly after Nora stabbed him.”
“But did they see her attack him or him attack her?”
Mr.Jerden shook his head.“No, but Mrs.Reed had already shared her suspicions about Nora being mad before tonight’s incident.”
“What suspicions?”Miss Gibson drew alongside Ezekiel and gripped his arm.
Mrs.Jerden dabbed at her nose.“Mrs.Reed came by for tea this afternoon to introduce herself, and asked after Nora.She hated to think ill of anyone, but she was concerned Nora might not be safe to be around and wanted my opinion on the matter.Apparently, Nora saw a man that wasn’t really there when Mrs.Reed called upon her this morning.She must have visited most of the neighbors and asked them as well, for it’s been the titter of courtyard gossip all day.”
Behind Ezekiel, Graham muttered, “Ursula always did plan her schemes well.”
By all appearances, the woman was a mastermind.In a single afternoon, she’d poisoned Nora’s neighbors against her and predisposed them to believe her mad.“Surely you don’t believe Nora’s insane.”
“I don’t know what to think.I don’t want to believe it of her, but her mother did do the same thing five years ago.”
Mr.Davis spun toward Ezekiel.“This is your fault.You exposedher to this.”The accusation stung, but the evidence of the man’s crying crushed him.
“Don’t blame the boy, Marcellus,” Graham spoke up.“He could have no way of knowing his connections put Nora in danger.”
“You!What are you doing here?I thought I told you to stay away from my family.”
“They’re my family too, and I’m here because I want to protect Nora and Katherine as much as you.Now we should go inside to plan our next steps before Ursula recognizes me.”
“Ursula?Then Nora was right?Mrs.Reed isn’t Mrs.Reed?”Mrs.Jerden straightened.
“It’s one of many names she’s called herself over the years.Nora isn’t mad.Now let’s go inside.I’m afraid if Ursula sees me, whatever she has planned next for Nora will jump straight to murder.”
“Don’t make any plans without me.”Miss Gibson pivoted on her heel and marched toward the other neighbors.
Ezekiel caught her arm.“What are you doing?You might give us away.”
“You all should go inside before the ambulance drives by.Mrs.Reed is climbing in to ride with them now.I’m demanding an officer notify Abraham of what’s happened so he can be the one to meet Nora at the station.Then I’m getting Theresa and Lydia.If we’re making plans to rescue Nora, then we need everyone together.”
Miss Gibson broke free of his grasp and strode toward the nearest officer.
