A Most Peculiar Circumstance (26 page)

Mrs. Murdock beamed. “That was something, was it not? Who knew I would throw a ball in which Eliza would disclose a fraud being perpetuated on society?” Her eyes twinkled. “I’ll never forget when she ripped that necklace from around that imposter’s neck. People are still talking about it to this day.” Her smile dimmed. “I do hope no one will be too disappointed if something equally dramatic doesn’t happen this evening.”

Theodore let out a chuckle. “I, for one, am perfectly content to endure a normal evening for once. It has been entirely too chaotic of late.”

“I did hear tell of your latest escapade, Mr. Wilder,” Mrs. Murdock said. “It was very gallant and heroic of you to save Miss Beckett and your sister from those dastardly criminals.”

“I’m sure anyone would have done the same,” Theodore said. “In fact, I’m fairly certain Katherine and Arabella would have found the means to escape if I hadn’t come to their aid. They’re fairly resourceful young ladies.”

“As is my Felicia,” Mrs. Murdock said with a not-so-subtle prodding of her daughter that brought her front and center. “You should tell Mr. Wilder about your latest charitable efforts with the orphanage. Why, Felicia has put her life at risk numerous times in order to scour the streets looking for homeless orphans.”

“I don’t think visiting foundling homes is on quite the same level as being abducted by scoundrels and threatened with being sold to a man in India,” Felicia said.

Mrs. Murdock abruptly changed the subject. “It is so lovely your grandparents decided to stay in the city for the holiday season, Mr. Wilder. I’ve always enjoyed your grandmother’s odd sense of humor. I’ve noticed Mrs. Wilder spending a good deal of time with Gloria and Cora. I’ve been wondering if they’re contemplating a new charitable venture together.”

“I think the only venture they’re contemplating is one of a personal nature,” Zayne said.

“Oh?”

“Mother, Mr. Beckett said it was of a personal nature,” Felicia said. “I hardly believe that requires an explanation, as we are not personally attached to their family.”

“I am very good friends with Gloria,” Mrs. Murdock said.

“Then may I suggest you question her on the matter?” Felicia asked before she set her sights on Zayne. “Eliza mentioned that you’re intending to join Miss Collins out west soon. Will you stay in New York until after the holidays?”

For a moment, Zayne looked slightly uncomfortable, but then he smiled. “I’ve actually had a change of plans, Miss Murdock. I don’t believe I’ll be leaving until spring.”

“Why not?” Agatha asked before Felicia had an opportunity to respond.

“Helena is in the process of moving to California,” Zayne said. “We’ve decided that since the weather has turned somewhat unpredictable, it would be best if I didn’t follow her until the snow stops.”

Mrs. Murdock’s smile brightened as she looked between Zayne and Theodore and then back to Zayne again before looking up and pointing. “My goodness, would you look at that? There’s a single strand of mistletoe.”

Theodore looked up, squinted, and couldn’t help himself. He laughed. A small speck of green was attached to the very high ceiling. How someone had actually been able to place it in such a high spot was a matter to ponder at a later date,
but he couldn’t help but admire Mrs. Murdock’s tenacity. He caught her gaze, saw she was fairly bursting with delight, and was about to congratulate her on her ingenuity when Felicia’s mutters caught his attention.

He turned to her, found her bright red and bristling with embarrassment, and immediately held out his arm. “Miss Murdock, would you do me the extreme honor of taking a turn around the dance floor?”

Felicia blinked, her color increased, and she shook her head. “That truly isn’t necessary.”

He leaned in and lowered his voice. “It’s either that or kisses.”

Felicia grabbed his arm. “I would adore nothing more than to take the floor with you.”

Theodore grinned, patted the hand with which she was now clutching his arm, and escorted her rapidly into the ballroom, his amusement swelling when he realized Felicia was actually setting the pace. “Trying to get out of your mother’s sight?”

“I love her dearly, but she’s enough to drive a girl mad.” Felicia stopped in the middle of the dance floor and held out her arms.

“Are you going to lead?” Theodore asked.

“Don’t be silly. Unless you don’t like to lead, then I will. I’ve had plenty of practice with my brothers.”

“They don’t like to lead?”

“Mother believes a gentleman should learn both ways. That way, he’s more apt to be considerate of his partner.”

“That’s quite clever of your mother.”

“She is certainly clever. Now, if she’d just learn the art of discretion.”

Theodore laughed and swept Felicia around the room when the music began. She was a proficient dancer, and she entertained him with her keen observations and sense of humor
as they glided about the room. He suddenly stumbled when she changed directions mid-step. He recovered his balance and frowned. “Is something the matter?”

“I thought you’d prefer distancing yourself from Arabella. She just took to the floor with Mr. Sumner.”

Theodore narrowed his eyes as he searched the crowd. Sure enough, Arabella was in Grayson’s arms, laughing at something the man was whispering in her ear.

No one except him should be whispering in her ear.

He took a breath and twirled Felicia around in circles, trying to get closer to Arabella.

“What are you doing?” Felicia hissed.

“I need to speak to Arabella.”

“From what I’ve heard, she doesn’t want to speak to you. Eliza told me she’s beyond annoyed with you.”

“Yes, well, I’m a bit annoyed with her at the moment, so we’re fairly even. When we get closer to them, I’m going to hand you off to Grayson and take Arabella.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Umm . . .”

“You don’t care for Grayson?”

“I’m sure he’s perfectly delightful.”

Theodore smiled. “You don’t like him.”

“It’s not that I dislike him, but . . . he makes me nervous.”

“Ah, your mother has set her sights on him.”

“My mother has her sights on every eligible bachelor.”

Theodore slowed his steps. “You don’t seem to be nervous around me.”

“I’m not nervous around you because you’re not a threat anymore.”

“I can be threatening.”

Felicia laughed. “I wasn’t insulting you. Of course you can be threatening and dangerous and all that goes with being a
man, but you’re clearly in love with Arabella, which makes you no threat to me.”

“How do you know I’m in love with Arabella?”

“You watch her.”

“I’m watching you right now.”

“No, you’re not. Your eyes keep darting away to settle on Arabella.” Felicia smiled. “She’s a good match for you. She won’t let you run all over her, and that’s what you’d try to do with someone like me. You need a strong woman to keep your interest.”

“You’re a strong woman.”

Felicia shook her head. “I would never be able to stand up to you the way Arabella does. She watches you just as much as you watch her. If you ask me, that’s telling. Don’t you think?”

“What’s ‘telling’ about that?”

“She loves you, albeit reluctantly. It’s all in her eyes, but she’s stubborn, as are you.”

“Why did you say ‘reluctantly’?”

“Because the two of you shouldn’t suit,” Felicia said. “You’re opposites in almost every sense of the word, but for some peculiar reason I think you’re meant for each other.”

“I have no idea how to make amends with her.”

“You need to tell her what’s in your heart.”

“I’m not very good at that.”

“You’ll never get better unless you try.” Felicia took a deep breath and nodded. “They’re approaching us, so if you’re intent on switching partners, we should do it soon. Any suggestions on how we can make this transition smooth?”

“Could you act as if you long to dance with Grayson?”

Felicia arched a brow. “That might be stretching the truth, but . . .”

Before Theodore had a chance to even blink, Felicia stepped out of his arms, moved up to Arabella and Grayson, and tapped Grayson on the shoulder. She smiled brightly when the
couple came to a clumsy stop. “I hope you don’t mind, Mr. Sumner, but I find I just can’t wait another minute to dance with you. Theodore, be a dear and take Arabella around the room.”

For a minute, all Theodore could do was stand in the middle of the floor with his mouth gaping open as he watched Grayson consider Felicia with confusion in his eyes. To give the gentleman credit, Grayson blinked and a charming grin spread over his face when Felicia suddenly grabbed him by the arm and danced him away.

“I cannot believe you would stoop to such tactics,” Arabella said, drawing his attention.

Theodore stepped forward and pulled Arabella into his arms, bracing himself for her reaction to his unorthodox manner of getting her attention. He didn’t have long to wait.

Pain shot through his foot. “I cannot believe you just stomped on my toe,” he muttered as he swung her around and into the midst of the other dancers.

“You’re lucky I didn’t bring my pistol or you’d be nursing more than a sore toe,” Arabella replied sweetly.

“I needed to talk to you.”

“So you coerced Felicia into aiding your cause?”

“I certainly owe her.”

“She’s probably mortified. I don’t think she even knows Grayson very well.”

Theodore lifted his head. He spotted Felicia’s bright gown and couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s still leading, but she’s at least smiling.” He returned his gaze to Arabella. “I’m sure Grayson probably isn’t used to a lady leading on the dance floor, seeing as he’s an aristocrat.”

“Grayson Sumner is a very nice man, aristocrat or not.”

“I’m a very nice man.”

Arabella stopped dancing. “No, you’re not.”

“Well, all right, perhaps I’m not always nice, but I can
change.” He smiled down at her. “I’d like to take you to the opera.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Theodore watched as Arabella began to nibble on her lip, the action drawing his attention to her lips’ rosy hue. Out of nowhere it hit him, and a jolt of something wonderful took root in his very soul.

While he’d been trying to convince himself—and everyone else, for that matter—that he and Arabella were not suited for each other, he’d neglected to realize the obvious.

She fascinated him.

She was annoying and opinionated and bossy at times, but she was also . . . perfect for him.

He wanted to know everything about her, wanted to sit beside her at the opera and watch her cry. He wanted to grow old with this exasperating woman and argue with her as they sipped tea on the porch.

She would never bore him, and every day he spent in her company would be an adventure.

“Why do you want to take me to the opera?”

He drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “I suppose because I’ve grown incredibly fond of you.”

He winced when she narrowed her eyes.

“You’ve grown fond of me, and that’s why you want to take me to the opera, and why you told me you had to marry me to keep me safe?”

“I think you neglected to hear the ‘incredibly’ part of that statement. To repeat myself, I said I was
incredibly fond
of you.”

For some odd reason, her eyes narrowed to mere slits now.

He drew in another breath. “Arabella, forgive me. I don’t seem to know how to go about proclaiming my feelings very well. May I make the suggestion we seek out a more private place to talk? Once we get out of this crowd, I will attempt
to collect my scattered thoughts and strive to explain myself better.”

Theodore wasn’t certain, but he thought Arabella muttered something that sounded very much like “idiot” under her breath before she dropped her arm from his sleeve and stomped off the dance floor. He followed her through the throng of guests, past the dining room, and down a hallway until they reached a pair of glass doors. Arabella opened them and stepped out into the blustery night.

“Don’t you think the library might have been a better choice?” he asked, even as he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

“Someone might overhear you talking about your feelings.”

He felt his lips twitch at her tone, stifled the urge to laugh, and opened his mouth, but closed it when a rustling sound off to his right drew his attention. He reached for his gun as a man suddenly materialized in front of him. Before he could get his gun out of its holster, the man lifted his arm, a shot reverberated through the cold air, and pain exploded in his shoulder.

He heard Arabella scream, and he tried to fight the darkness gathering in front of his eyes. He struggled to remain on his feet as he stumbled toward Arabella, but lost his footing and crumpled to the ground. A howl of rage erupted from his mouth when he saw the man strike Arabella with the butt of a gun and then pick her up. He started to crawl toward them, his hand once again fumbling for his gun, but the darkness increased and his body slumped back to the ground. The last image he saw before black completely claimed him was Arabella being thrown over a wall. A feeble cry escaped his lips, and then everything went black.

 21 

T
ime was getting away from her, and Arabella had taken to using the arrival of the dinner tray to mark the days that passed. According to the scratch marks she’d made on the wall, six full days had come and gone since she’d been abducted. Six full days of being locked up in a dark and musty room with terror as her constant companion.

She was afraid to admit, even to herself, that she’d almost given up hope.

She was dealing with a madman, a man who seemed to derive pleasure from her fear.

Deputy Jud Hansen, the too-charming deputy who’d held Miss James’s hand through the bars of the cell in Gilman, was the man responsible for her abduction, and he was anything but charming.

He was insane. There was no other way to describe him, as he’d been the one responsible for stealing all the ladies off the streets.

Those ladies were being housed in the rooms beside her, all of them still alive, although Deputy Hansen had alluded to the fact that this was only a temporary situation.

He enjoyed toying with the ladies, herself included, by giving them a small measure of hope that everything would be set to rights come Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, Arabella had soon determined that his idea of setting matters right and hers were completely opposite.

She was fairly certain he intended to kill them. She was also fairly certain that, given the marks on her wall and the fact Mrs. Murdock had held the ball a week before Christmas, today was Christmas Eve.

She shifted on the rotting mattress and pushed herself to a sitting position, straightening her spine and taking a deep breath.

She couldn’t give up.

She couldn’t allow this deranged man to win.

“I’m home, my little lovelies. Time to come out and play.”

The fine hair on the nape of her neck stood to attention. Jud was back, and he seemed to be in an unusually pleasant frame of mind.

That didn’t bode well for anyone.

“Miss Beckett, I’m coming in now.”

Arabella jumped to her feet and plastered herself against the far wall, desperately wishing she could melt into the cement blocks. She watched as the door swung open and the feeble light of a candle flickered into the room, illuminating the face of the man who held her captive.

His face did nothing to reassure her.

He was evil, plain and simple. His eyes gleamed with an unholy light, and his hair was slicked back with some type of grease. He was wearing a pristine white shirt with dark trousers, and she could smell the scent of sandalwood emitting from his person.

For some odd reason, it reminded her of brimstone.

“I desire your company at dinner,” Jud said, throwing a
bag at her she didn’t bother to catch. It landed on the floor with a soft
thump
.

“Now, we can’t have that, can we?” Jud said, taking a step into the room. “Pick it up.”

Arabella pressed herself further against the wall and shook her head.

Jud’s smile caused her blood to freeze in her veins.

He really was insane.

She braced herself when he tilted his head and considered her for a moment, but then turned on his heel and strode from the room. She blew out a pent-up breath of air.

Perhaps he’d decided she wasn’t worth his trouble.

Her relief turned to fresh horror a mere minute later when he walked through the door again, panting as he tugged one of the ladies of the night in beside him. The poor lady was white as a sheet and trembling from head to foot.

“You will pick that up or I’ll harm her.”

Arabella pushed off from the wall and rushed to the bag, scooping it up in her arms. “See, I got it, Mr. Hansen,” she whispered. “You can let her go now.”

“You’ll agree to dine with me, be pleasant, and entertain me with lively conversation?”

Arabella gave a jerk of her head. “Yes, I agree. Please . . . just let her go.”

Jud pulled the woman from the room, and Arabella steeled herself when he ambled back through the door and smiled at her. “We will dine in less than an hour. Your hair’s a mess. Fix it. I expect you to look beautiful for me. You won’t care for what will happen if you disappoint me.”

“I’ll fix it, and I promise you won’t be disappointed with my appearance.”

“Good, because there are ten other women here, and I would hate to have to hurt them because of you. It would not be good for your digestion.”

Arabella swallowed. “Why don’t you let them go? From what you’ve said over the past few days, it’s me you’ve been after all this time. They’ve done nothing to deserve this.”

“Now, that’s not true, is it, darling?” he purred, his tone causing sweat to bead on her forehead. “Those ladies aren’t exactly innocent, and they should be punished, just as I punished some of the women I kept in Gilman.”

“You killed women back in Gilman?”

“No, I never killed them,” Jud said slowly. “I only kept them for a spell, until they learned the errors of their ways and they began to bore me. Once I was certain they were changed women, I released them into the woods.”

“You left them in the woods to die?”

“I never found a body, so I have to believe they made their way out alive.” He let out a chuckle. “I kept expecting someone to come and question me, but apparently I intimidated the women so much that they never told anyone about me. That diminished the excitement tremendously.”

Arabella closed her eyes for a brief second and then opened them. “Is that why you’ve decided to kill this time? You need more excitement?”

Jud shrugged. “I never actually said I was going to kill any of you, but I have been considering it. Those other women—not you of course, my dear—are exceptionally bad. God will be disappointed in me if I don’t punish them most severely.”

Arabella frowned as his words settled in her mind. “Forgive me, but I was under the impression you lured the women to Gilman in order to sell them, not keep them around for a while as if they were some type of a collection.”

“My dear, dear, child, I was not part of that mess you landed yourself into, although it did give me a wonderful way to cover up my activities. Sheriff Dawson was so occupied with figuring out why beautiful women were flocking
in droves to his little town, only to disappear, that he kindly overlooked what I was up to.”

Arabella considered him for a moment, wondering how in the world she was going to reason with him. “You mentioned that God will expect you to punish these women for their sins, but don’t you believe God expects His children to show each other mercy?”

“There will be relatively little pain involved if I decide to kill anyone. That will be my mercy.”

“God commands His people not to kill.”

He waved her statement away with a flick of his hand. “He also commands us to honor our fathers and our mothers, and my mother loathed women who were sinners. She brought me up to expect nothing less than perfection in a woman, and I truly did believe I’d finally found that perfection in you, until you went away with that Mr. Wilder.”

A drop of sweat ran down Arabella’s face as Jud’s expression turned crazed and a line of spittle dribbled out of his mouth.

“When I saw you out at that farmhouse, I considered stealing you away right there and then, but Sheriff Dawson got in my way and I was forced to watch as he shoved you in that wagon and carted you back to jail. I changed my plan and decided I’d spirit you away once you were in jail, but then Mr. Wilder showed up and . . .” He paused and then let out a laugh that caused shivers to run over her body. “I was not sorry at all to put a bullet into that annoying man. I do hope you weren’t too distressed that I killed him, but he deserved to die. He disrespected you when he took you out of town without a proper chaperone, and you should thank me for getting him out of your life for good. A lady can never be too careful in guarding her reputation.”

“I’m hardly going to thank you for killing the man I love.”

Jud’s eyes began to burn. “You’re a fool, and not perfect
in the least, but you can find contentment in knowing you’ll shortly be joining Mr. Wilder in the hereafter.” Jud looked her over from head to toe, let out an insane laugh, then turned and walked through the door, pausing for a moment to look over his shoulder. “Get dressed. I’ll be back soon.”

Arabella waited until the sound of retreating feet disappeared before she opened the bag and dumped the contents out on the bed. A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she brushed it away, not allowing herself the luxury of a good cry.

Theodore was dead.

She’d spent the last days of his life avoiding him.

She’d never told him she loved him.

Another tear plopped from her eye and landed on the silk material on the bed. She fell to her knees and folded her hands.

Forgive me, Father, for not seeing the gift you so clearly sent me in Theodore. I was a fool for turning my back on him, and I can only hope he’s safe in your presence now. Please watch over him for me, and let him know that I do love him, even if I never took the opportunity to tell him that. I know the chances of my getting out of this alive are slim, but I ask you once again for your assistance. It seems I’ve been asking for it a lot lately, but if it is my time to leave this place, please give me courage, and please be with the other women here as we face the horror of this man. If there is some other plan, Lord, show me the way, and I’ll try to see it through to the end. I leave my fate in your hands. Amen.

A sense of peace settled over Arabella as she sat on the floor. God had never forsaken her before, and He was hardly likely to do so now. If it was her time to leave the world, well, all she could do at this point was meet her destiny with courage and grace. She rose to her feet, slipped out of her soiled gown, and quickly dressed, taking a few moments to pry the tangles out of her hair with her fingers.

The sound of church bells came to her ears and she stilled.

It
was
Christmas Eve.

She allowed the sounds of the bells to wash over her, giving her an added feeling of peace as she waited for Jud to return.

“What’s he going to do to us?” a voice whispered through her wall.

Arabella walked to the wall, her fingers reaching out to touch the cold surface. “I’m not certain.”

“I think he’s going to kill us. He’s crazy.”

“I know,” Arabella agreed. “What’s your name?”

“Betsy.”

“I’m Arabella.”

“I know who you are,” Betsy said. “I went to one of your speeches. You spoke after that Stanton lady.”

“You were at a rally?”

“You sound surprised. I wasn’t always a harlot, you know. Circumstances beyond my control caused me to take to the streets, but I still felt the need to support the cause. If women could vote on the laws that are passed in this country, maybe we’d discover a way to better our lot in life. It is women like you, Miss Beckett, who’ve made a difference already.”

Arabella took a deep breath and slowly released it. Here she’d been questioning everything she’d done of late, and yet she had made a difference. She’d been on the right path.

She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. It was not right that she and the other women were being made to wait for their deaths. There was still much to live for, and she wasn’t the type of woman to simply give up.

She wasn’t going to die until she knew her efforts meant something. She needed to live to see the day women would get the right to vote, which meant she wasn’t going to be able to die for quite some time.

“Betsy, listen to me,” she called through the wall. “When Jud comes back to get me, and after you hear us depart, I
want you to search your room for anything you can use as a weapon. Spread the word through the walls and have the other women do the same.”

“I don’t think there’s anything we can use.”

Arabella’s gaze settled on the bed. “Try to break the bed frame and hide the pieces in your dress, but wait until you’re certain I’m gone. We can’t allow Jud to hear the noise.”

“Shh, someone’s coming.”

Arabella moved away from the wall and braced herself as her door swung open. Jud stood, framed in the doorway, his expression pleased as he looked her up and down. She fought hard to suppress a shiver, knowing it would only delight him to see her fear.