In the blink of an eye, the lady in black, who was most certainly Eunice Holbrooke, knocked the woman to the ground, not waiting to assess the damage she’d done to the woman before spinning around to face the other nurses.
As Arthur’s attention settled on Eunice’s face, he blinked, and then blinked again as time slowed to a stop because he’d been right after all.
Eunice Holbrooke was none other than Eugenia Howland, the woman he’d been searching for.
Her distinctive blond hair was straggling about her shoulders, but she wasn’t letting that stop her as she sent a nurse who’d rushed forward and grabbed hold of her arm tumbling to the ground. Her lips curved into a smile that was downright terrifying as she sether sights on the four nurses still left standing, which should have sent those nurses, if they’d been sensible, running from the room.
It soon became apparent the nurses weren’t possessed of much sensibility because one of them, a bulky woman wielding a club, began inching Eugenia’s way. Striding into motion, Arthur stepped around Dr. Franklin, who was merely gawking at the scene unfolding in front of him, and moved directly for the nurse wielding the club. He came to an abrupt stop when Eugenia’s attention swung to him and then, quite unexpectedly, she rolled her eyes.
“Honestly, and here I thought my day couldn’t possibly get worse, but evidently I was wrong about that,” she called out even as she swung the bucket back and forth. “If you haven’t noticed, Arthur,” she continued, quite as if she were not in the midst of a brawl, “this is hardly the moment for any type of reunion. I’m a touch occupied right now.”
With that, she swung the bucket in a wide arc as the nurse wielding the club began to advance more rapidly, seemingly under the mistaken belief that Eugenia was currently distracted.
The peculiar thought sprang to mind that there was something impressive about a woman who could converse and wield a bucket like a weapon at the same time.
Pushing what was a rather ridiculous thought aside, given the circumstances, Arthur took a single step toward Eugenia, stopping again when she glared at him.
“I thought you might be in need of my assistance,” he called.
She tilted her head and considered the nurse who was still heading her way. “And ruin my fun? I think not.”
CHAPTER
Fourteen
“Get ahold of yourself, Dr. Franklin. You’re supposed to be in charge here. I suggest you remember that and get busy trying to gain control over what is clearly a descent into complete chaos.”
Turning, Arthur found his grandfather limping determinedly toward Dr. Franklin, the sight of the distinguished gentleman with the silver-handled cane causing the patients who’d been cheering for Eunice, or rather, Eugenia, to turn their attention away from the drama and settle it on Lloyd.
His grandfather didn’t seem to notice the attention as he reached Dr. Franklin’s side, giving the doctor a nudge toward the three nurses who’d taken to circling Eugenia.
“Have at it, Dr. Franklin,” Lloyd said. “Seems to me your nurses are having difficulty with that woman.” He glanced to Arthur. “Were you right? Is she Eugenia?”
“She most definitely is Eugenia.”
“How wonderful, although given the situation, it’s concerning at the same time.” Lloyd returned his attention to Eugenia, who was now assuming a boxer’s stance, having lost the bucket when she used it to whack the club out of her previous attacker’s hand. “Not that this is probably the moment, but it’s little wonder you’ve changed your mind about marrying an incomparable fromsociety. Eugenia Howland puts all those young ladies to shame. Why, there’s no other way to describe her except as magnificent. She’s clearly possessed of unusual spirit, and spirit, my dear boy, makes a lady incomparably fascinating.”
Arthur found he couldn’t disagree with his grandfather’s assessment because... she was magnificent. She was also still apparently fearless because there wasn’t a smidgen of fear on her face as she stared down what most ladies would see as daunting odds.
The last time he’d seen her, she’d been twenty years old and had been beyond beautiful—not that he’d allowed himself to consider her beauty often. He’d had a distinct plan back then, and courting an unconventional lady from Montana hadn’t been part of that plan, even if he occasionally found her stubborn streak and dry wit compelling.
She was no longer a young lady, but the years had been kind to her. In fact, she was more beautiful than ever, even dressed in a black gown that was tattered and torn, with her hair tangled and a streak of dirt marring her cheek.
Eugenia had been self-assured when he’d first become acquainted with her, but now, taking on a throng of angry nurses, it was clear she’d become more confident, and—
Arthur snapped out of his thoughts when a thud echoed around the room, a direct result of Eugenia sending a nurse who’d been trying to take her by surprise on her backside.
“Only three left,” Eugenia said cheerfully, rolling up her sleeves and gesturing with her fingers for the three nurses left standing to come her way.
Instead of beginning an immediate advance, those nurses looked to their fallen contemporaries, many of whom were nursing swollen lips, bleeding noses, and obviously aching heads, then turned on their heels and dashed out of the room.
“Looks like you’ve won the battle, Eugenia, which is wonderful because obviously you and I have a few matters we need to discuss,” Arthur called, taking a step toward her but freezing on the spot when he noticed her hand was clenched into a fist again.
“I don’t go by that name these days, Arthur. I’ve become rather fond of Eunice,” she returned. “As for us having a discussion, I don’t believe I’d enjoy that, especially not when I know that talk will center around your ridiculous ideas about marrying me.”
“It seems I may have not been accurate regarding my diagnosis of that woman after all,” Dr. Franklin said, stepping up beside Arthur. “Her mind is obviously far more diseased than I realized because only a diseased mind causes a person to change their names at whim.”
“I don’t change my name at whim,” Eugenia, or rather, Eunice, called.
