“I beg to differ because you seem to go by quite a few different names,” Dr. Franklin returned. “Most sane people are content to travel through life with only one name.”
“Unless you’re a woman and marry,” Eunice shot back. “Then your name changes, and if you’re widowed and then remarry, well, your name changes again. Hardly a whimsical situation in my humbleandsane opinion.”
Arthur caught Dr. Franklin’s eye. “She seems remarkably capable of presenting a valid argument, which suggests she’s not insane.”
“I don’t need you pointing out the obvious for me, Arthur,” Eunice snapped.
He felt the distinct urge to laugh as he turned to her. “How delightful to discover you’re still as contrary as ever.”
She dusted her hands off. “I’ve always thought my contrariness was one of my most stellar qualities. Perhaps you should rethink your determination to marry me for my own good because my contrariness has only increased with age. And before you bring up that nonsense about honoring your word to my grandfather, he never should have asked that of you without first seeking my opinion. I assure you, if he’d told me he had you in mind to marry me, I would have nipped that in the bud straightaway.”
Arthur opened his mouth, but before he could reply, Dr. Franklin settled a frown on him.
“Surely I misheard and you’re not considering marriage to this woman, are you?”
“It’s a long story, and I’d rather not get into it with you, especially not when there’s other matters to settle, such as getting Eunice released.”
Dr. Franklin’s eyes widened. “My dear Mr. Livingston, she can’t be released. She’s mad.”
“Mad as a hatter, in your words,” Eunice corrected. “Frankly, I found that to be insulting because it’s a mocking term and shouldn’t be used to describe your patients.”
“I’ll thank you not to tell me how I should speak about my patients,” Dr. Franklin all but spat before he began looking around the room, his gaze sharpening on a nurse who was pushing herself off the floor while holding a handkerchief to her nose. “Nurse Grady! I trust you’ll soon have this situation well in hand?”
Nurse Grady bobbed her head as she wove her way unsteadily to a table, grabbing hold of a medicine bag from underneath a chair. She began riffling through it, pulling out a vial a second later. “Won’t be long now, Dr. Franklin. Morphine has a way of subduing even the most troublesome patients.”
“Now see here,” Arthur began, “I won’t stand by and allow you to drug her, and—”
He stopped talking when he realized he was speaking to Dr. Franklin’s back. Dr. Franklin was moving toward a group of at least ten nurses who’d just entered the room, all of whom were carrying very intimidating-looking batons.
Arthur didn’t hesitate to surge into motion, striding toward Eunice and being joined by Elsy and Judith, both of whom looked as if they’d run into some difficulties since entering the dining room because their clothing seemed more disheveled than ever and Elsy was missing her hat.
“A patient decided Judith and I were her daughters,” Elsy said before he could ask what happened as she smoothed a hand over hair that refused to be tamed. “She didn’t like that our clothing was damp and tried to remove it for us.”
“It was very sad,” Judith added. “Until the woman realized we weren’t her children and started boxing our ears for misleading her.”
“This is a very disturbing place,” Arthur said as they reached Eunice’s side and he caught her eye. “Still hesitant to accept my assistance?”
To his surprise, Eunice shook her head as she glanced at the brigade of nurses advancing their way. “I think the sheer size and number of those nurses coming for me may be more than I can handle on my own, so I’ll thank you in advance for your assistance. Know, though, that accepting your assistance does not mean I’m going to marry you. And before I forget, and while I’m thinking about it, and have thought about it for years, I am sorry I shot you. I’m sure that wasn’t a pleasant experience for you.”
Before he could do more than blink over the unexpected apology, Eunice turned to Judith and Elsy. “Should I ask why you’re here?”
“I would think Arthur Livingston’s presence at the asylum is explanation enough,” Judith said. “His presence is mostly my fault, but I’ll explain that later. We’ve got more important matters to worry about, such as making certain they don’t succeed with using that morphine on you.”
“We certainly won’t allow that to happen,” Lloyd said, limping up to join them, Chase by his side. Lloyd presented Eunice with a bow. “I’m Arthur’s grandfather, dear, Mr. Lloyd Brevoorts, but you may call me Lloyd, or, better yet, Grandfather.”
Eunice dipped into a perfect curtsy. “How lovely to meet you, Lloyd.”
Lloyd’s eyes began to twinkle. “Too soon for the grandfather business?”
“I’m not certain what your grandson told you, but if he’s mentioned marriage, know that it’s never going to happen.”
“Ah, now that sounds like a challenge.” Lloyd turned a smile on Arthur. “I like her. She’ll obviously give you a time of it, but I have the feeling she’ll be well worth the effort.”
“Is this really the moment, Grandfather?” Arthur asked, eyeing the nurses who’d stopped their advance and were now huddled together, whispering furiously.
“No need to worry those nurses will get near you with that morphine, dear,” Lloyd said, giving Eunice’s arm a pat and lifting his cane with his other hand. “I’ve got a concealed blade in this lovely piece that I won’t hesitate to use.”
Before Eunice could do more than smile, Nurse Grady began walking toward them, resolve in her every step. She suddenly faltered, though, when two men came sprinting across the room. They stopped in front of Eunice, and Arthur recognized one of the men as Ivan Chernoff, Eunice’s long-time bodyguard and a man one wouldn’t want to cross—ever.
