She paced in front of the doctor and wrung her hands. “So you see, she hit her head when she fell and now she believes she is Lady Magnolia Makepeace and my brother-in-law here is the Duke of Loveridge.”
The doctor’s mustache twitched. “The Duke of what?”
“Loveridge,” Adam replied with a completely straight face, despite the urge to laugh.
The doctor’s bushy eyebrows met over his dark eyes. “There is no such man.”
“Precisely,” Lucy said with a flourish of her hands.
“That is curious, indeed,” the doctor replied. “May I see her?”
“Of course,” Lucy replied before leading the doctor up the staircase while Adam remained below.
After the better part of half an hour, Dr. Archibald returned with Lucy trailing him. He reentered the drawing room where Adam had remained and tugged at his lapels. “She says her name is Lady Magnolia Makepeace.”
Adam nodded. “Yes, we know. But we have reason to believe no such lady exists.”
Dr. Archibald cleared his throat. “She says she is engaged to the Duke of Loveridge.”
Lucy nodded vigorously. “Yes, we know, and of course no such man exists.”
The doctor inclined his head, a skeptical look on his face. “She says her betrothed lives here.”
“She thinks I am her betrothed.” Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “And I do live here, temporarily. But I’m certainly not the Duke of Whathaveyou.”
“I see.” The doctor paced toward the door, his mustache furiously twitching. He rubbed his chin before turning back to face the other two. “I’ve seen this before.”
“You have?” Adam and Lucy replied simultaneously.
The doctor tugged at the ends of his mustache. “Yes. A severe blow to the head can cause a temporary memory loss. It’s not entirely uncommon.”
“How long will it last?” Adam asked.
“There’s absolutely no telling,” the doctor replied. “It could last a few hours. It could last a few days. I’ve read of some cases that lasted years.”
“Years!” Adam’s jaw dropped open.
“Yes,” the doctor replied. “But that would be a rare case indeed.”
Lucy shook her head. “But she must have family. Someone will be looking for her.”
The doctor nodded. “Let’s hope she regains her memory sooner than later.”
“In the meantime, what should we do?” Adam asked.
Lucy nodded. “Yes. I don’t see how we can notify her family if she can’t remember who she truly is.”
“That is a problem,” Dr. Archibald agreed.
“What do you suggest, Doctor?” Adam asked.
The doctor pulled off his spectacles and rubbed the lenses against the side of his coat. “There’s only one thing to do.”
“Yes?” Adam prompted, furrowing his brow.
“Pretend with her.”
Adam’s eyes widened. “Pretend with—I thought you would say we should calmly explain what’s happened to her and ask her if she can remember who she is.”
The doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t recommend that.”
Adam stared at the man as if he’d lost his mind. “Why not? Isn’t it the most direct approach?”
“The most direct approach is not always the preferred one, young man,” Dr. Archibald announced as he placed his spectacles back on his nose.
Lucy cleared her throat. “So you’re saying we should pretend she is Lady Magnolia and Adam is the Duke of Loveridge?”
Dr. Archibald grasped his lapels and nodded. “Precisely, Your Grace.”
Adam pressed a knuckle to his forehead, where a headache was quickly forming. “That’s ridiculous! Are you saying I should agree to be her betrothed?”
The doctor took a deep long-suffering breath. “I’m saying you should agree to pretend to be her betrothed … temporarily. If she feels comfortable and remains calm it may hasten the return of her memory. Pretend with her and it may well help her to recall the truth faster. That is my advice.” The doctor turned to Lucy and bowed. “Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace. I’ll see myself out.”
Lucy smiled and nodded to the man. “Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your expertise in this matter.”
Dr. Archibald bent to retrieve his bag and promptly left the room while Adam turned back to Lucy with his hands on his hips. “You’re going to let him go? Just like that?”
The hint of a smile touched Lucy’s lips. “What do you suggest, that I grab him by the leg and drag him back in here? He told us what to do.”
Adam snorted. “Pretend we’re people who do not exist? That’s madness. He couldn’t give us any suggestions to help jog her memory?”