Arthur stepped forward. “It does seem as if there are numerous ladies sportingEnames in our conversation, Dr. Franklin. But if we could return to the pressing business at hand, since you’ve decided it’s only fair for me to speak to Eunice first, I’d like to see her now.”
“Absolutely not,” Judith said, moving to block the doorway. “That’s not fair in the least, not when, ah, well,familyshould be permitted to see her before casual acquaintances.”
“That was some impressive improvising there,” Chase said under his breath.
Before Arthur could agree, Dr. Franklin frowned. “You’re family?”
“Indeed.” Judith shot Arthur just a touch of a triumphant look before she turned a remarkably innocent smile on Dr. Franklin. “I’m her daughter.”
“Brilliant,” Chase muttered as Dr. Franklin’s gaze sharpened on Judith.
“How interesting for you to claim you’re her daughter. You’re far too old for that role.”
“How would you know that?” Judith demanded. “You told us she’s mad as a hatter, so if she told you her age, I doubt she told you the truth.”
“I saw her face.”
“She took off her veils?”
“Not voluntarily.”
“I’m sure she wasn’t happy about that,” Judith murmured before she actually resorted to fluttering her lashes at the doctor. “As for my being too old to be her daughter, you’re right about that. I should have been more specific and said that Eunice is my stepmother.”
Dr. Franklin frowned. “But you told me you’re MissDonovan. If she’s your stepmother, she would have married your father, whose name would have been Hickenbottom, or perhaps Holbrooke.Unless you’re saying that Eunice is neither Hickenbottom or Holbrooke but Donovan instead.”
Chase inched closer to Arthur. “He’s more astute than I gave him credit for. It’ll be interesting to see how she gets out of that one.”
Arthur grinned, his grin fading when Judith got a determined look in her eye right before she gave an airy wave of her hand.
“Donovan is my stage name. I’m an actress.”
Lloyd chuckled as he stepped next to Arthur. “I’m sorry, but I think they deserve to see Eunice first. They’re very impressive, not to mention quick on their feet.”
Any response Arthur was going to make died on the tip of his tongue when yet another nurse sprinted into the room, looking frazzled.
“Dr. Franklin. Come quick! A patient has gone completely mad and is causing mayhem with the nurses. The other patients are becoming agitated, and—”
Dr. Franklin didn’t wait to hear what else the nurse had to say because he was already bolting out of the room, the nurses right after him.
“We should follow them,” Elsy said, turning on her heel and dashing with Judith after the doctor.
“What do you think the chances are that those two are off to locate Eunice while everyone’s distracted?” Chase asked.
“Relatively high,” Arthur said as he headed for the door, Chase right behind, Lloyd calling out that he’d catch up with them at some point.
Reaching a staircase, Arthur took the steps two at a time, keeping Elsy and Judith in his sights. He’d almost caught up with them when a nurse came sprinting down the stairs, coming up short when she spotted Elsy and Judith. “Dining room, hall seven. She’s in trouble. I’ll be back with reinforcements.” With that, the nurse sprinted into motion again, barely giving Arthur and Chase time to get out of her way as she flew down the steps.
“Is it my imagination or did that nurse bear an uncanny resemblanceto Miss Elsy Evans?” Chase asked as they surged up the stairs again.
“She did, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the woman that nurse was talking about is Eunice.”
Reaching a landing, Arthur turned to the right and ran toward the shrieks coming from an open door at the end of the hallway, suggesting that the patients were indeed becoming agitated.
He rushed through the door, finding it next to impossible to move farther into the room because his path was blocked by a group of women dressed all the same, their attention settled on something at the far end of the room, something that was having them cheer loudly.
Seeing a gap in the women against the wall to his left, he headed for it and began edging his way along the wall, stopping at the sight that met his eyes once he cleared the throng of patients who’d begun to chant something that sounded like “One more down, one more down.”
Five nurses were standing in a line ten feet in front of him, their concentration centered on a lady dressed in black, her back turned to him as she advanced on another nurse who was edging backward, probably because of the bucket the lady was wielding like a weapon.
