The Wrong Girl(36)

"Do whatever you want," she said huffily, striding off.

I watched Jack go and chewed my lip. Should I follow him? If I did, would I learn more about him? I knew he was going to see Patrick, the person he suspected of breaking into Frakingham House, and I desperately wanted to find out who Patrick was and how Jack knew him. But I would have to follow him surreptitiously, and that meant being alone, more or less. I didn't consider myself a fearful person in general, but being on my own in a city the size of London set my nerves on edge. What if I lost Jack? What if I wandered into one of the less appealing areas I'd seen on our journey in?

"Lady Violet!" called a familiar voice.

"Mr. Gladstone!" I said as he came up to me. "Are you here to see me?"

"I am. May we talk?"

Down the street, Jack turned the corner, unaware of the medical student's presence. I made up my mind then and there. "Yes! Excellent. Let's talk and walk at the same time. I have a mind to be out and about in this fresh air."

He pulled a face. "It's cold and growing dark."

"The lamps will be lit soon. I've always wanted to see London in the evening." I hooked my arm through his and hailed one of the Claridges' footmen hovering nearby. "Please inform Miss Langley that I've gone for a walk," I told him. To Mr. Gladstone I said, "Quickly now. A swift walk is a good one." We rounded a corner, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Jack up ahead. "Now, what is it you wanted to say to me, Mr. Gladstone?"





CHAPTER 8





"Lady Violet, is everything all right?" Mr. Gladstone asked. "You seem distracted."

"Just enjoying the walk. And please, let's not be so formal with one another. You may call me Violet." Hannah, part of me shouted inside. I so wished to hear my real name again.

"In that case, you may call me Samuel."

Up ahead, Jack turned another corner. He walked swiftly, his strides long and purposeful. He didn't look back, and since it was becoming darker, we didn't need to hide. London's ever-present fog had already begun to settle in the dim depths of the alleys, and it wasn't yet four o'clock.

"Now, Samuel, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"May we slow down?"

"No."

"Right." He cleared this throat. "Ever since you left Dr. Werner's rooms this morning, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I mean, your situation."

"Oh?" Jack turned another corner and I sped up. I didn't want to lose him when we'd gotten this far.

"I think there may be another possibility to explain the blocking of your memories."

"Something other than a traumatic event? That is a relief." Indeed it was. I'd felt unnerved at the thought ever since he'd suggested it.

"Yes, but..." He sighed. "There's no easy way to tell you this. Someone may have deliberately tampered with your mind."

I stumbled, but with our arms linked, he was able to steady me. I stared up at him, my heart in my throat, beating like a drum. "You'd better tell me what you mean."

"We'll lose him if we don't keep walking," he said.

"Pardon?"

He nodded in the direction of Jack. "Mr. Langley. We are following him, aren't we?"

I pressed a hand to my head. "Yes," I murmured. "But this is...important."

"Then I'll tell you as we go. Come on."

I allowed him to lead me a few paces until I regained my wits. "Samuel, tell me, please. What do you mean someone has tampered with my mind? Do you mean they've blocked off my memories on purpose?"

"May have blocked them. It's simply another possibility. One I didn't want to mention in front of Dr. Werner."

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't believe in it."

"Believe in what? Samuel, you're not making sense."

He huffed out a breath. "This is complicated, but I'll try to explain it. I've been able to hypnotize people ever since I can remember. Medical professionals like Dr. Werner have had to learn to do it, but I've always had the ability."

"Really? Have you been hypnotizing unsuspecting people since you were a child?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Yes, much to my parents' dismay, until..." He cleared his throat. "Never mind. Suffice it to say, I learned not to use hypnosis unless the subject agreed. I decided the best way to use my ability was to become a neurologist and hypnotize patients in a professional capacity."

"When did you discover that memories could be blocked? Is that something you can do?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Yes. The Langleys find it irritating too."

He chuckled. "Come on, walk faster. He's going into that alley."