Chapter 15
Fifteen
“Are you certain this is wise?” Aunt Margaret asked as the coach halted before Hollowgate Heights that afternoon. She’d fretted the entire train ride, and nothing Amelia had said seemed to reassure her.
Not the most auspicious beginning.
“I don’t know, but Louisa could be in danger.” Amelia loved her aunt, but her patience was running short, worry for Henry shortening her temper. “If you’d prefer to wait in the coach, please do so.”
Her aunt had been agreeable to Amelia’s plan last evening when they’d discussed it, but was clearly having second thoughts—understandable since she hadn’t been involved in investigations before.
While there might be an element of danger in this outing, it was surely minimal.
Amelia had thought it through carefully, had considered everything.
“The worst that could happen is they ask us to leave in an uncouth manner.” Amelia lifted a brow at her aunt, hand on the coach door. “If that is too much for you to bear—”
“All right.” Aunt Margaret’s lips tightened with determination as she scooted across the seat toward the door. “I will do it. It won’t be the first time I’ve been asked to leave an establishment.”
“Oh?” Amelia’s curiosity was caught. “Please do share that story on the return journey.” She couldn’t quite imagine her polite aunt breaking any rules that might result in such an outcome.
“It is quite an amusing tale now that several years have passed, though at the time I admit myself irritated and embarrassed.” Aunt Margaret stepped out of the coach and considered the building before them. “Do you truly believe your plan will work?”
Amelia sighed as she followed her aunt’s gaze.
“Well, it’s the best one I could think of.
” She turned to her aunt, still wondering how committed she was to the scheme.
“If you’d prefer to be the one to have a look around while I pretend to have cancer and be considering a stay at the sanatorium, I would be happy to change roles. ”
Her aunt swallowed hard. “No. I think it best if you look for anything of interest, including Louisa. You’re far more adept at thinking on your feet.”
“Thank you.” Amelia took the compliment to heart, hoping it was true.
How she wished Henry were with her. Though he continued to insist he was improving, she worried his recovery was slow—certainly slower than either of them would like.
While he definitely wouldn’t approve of her venturing to the sanatorium, there was a chance she or her aunt might discover something helpful.
Being able to hand him a lead of any sort would be a boon.
He’d eventually appreciate that…though she worried how long it might take him to agree.
Aunt Margaret pressed a hand to her stomach, looking rather pale. “I confess my nerves are threatening to get the best of me.”
“May I suggest you use them to immerse yourself in the role of a person recently diagnosed with a frightening disease? And remember, there’s no harm in being asked to leave.
In fact, we should consider that our goal.
” Amelia nodded, warming up to the idea.
“Ask as many questions as possible. I’m especially interested in Dr. Thorne’s background and where she obtained her medical training.
And why is hydropathy one of the preferred treatments? ”
Amelia requested the driver to wait, then took her aunt’s arm to walk toward the door. “We shall allow a half hour for our endeavor. If at any point you feel truly uncomfortable, you should leave. Return to the coach.”
Aunt Margaret stared at her in dismay, eyes round and mouth agape. “Where will you be?”
“With any luck, having a closer look at the facility and its patients.” She glanced at the sky. “The day is quite warm. Perhaps some of them will be outside to enjoy it, and I will have the opportunity to speak with them.” Was it too much to hope that she find Louisa?
“You are going to be asked to leave well before I am.” Her aunt lifted her chin and straightened her back.
“And if that happens, I will be the one in the coach waiting for you. Agreed?” Covering that particular scenario prior to entering seemed wise, but they couldn’t cover them all. Who knew what might happen once they were inside and separated?
But as Amelia had told her aunt, the worst that could happen was they’d be asked impolitely to leave. Or so Amelia told herself.
She dearly hoped she was right, or her aunt might never forgive her.
With luck, the porter she and Henry had spoken with on the previous visit would not be working today. Not bothering to ring the bell, which probably still didn’t work, she tried the door, only to find it locked once again, then knocked as loudly as possible.
“I can’t believe they lock the patients inside,” Aunt Margaret murmured under her breath. “Hospitals don’t lock their doors. Why would this place? What was Louisa thinking to come here?”
“I don’t know. As we agreed before, she must’ve been quite desperate for change, for anything that could give her hope.” In Amelia’s eyes, there had to be an easier way. Then again, she wasn’t in Louisa’s position and couldn’t truly understand how she’d been feeling.
“Is it wrong of me to hope we don’t find anything untoward?” Aunt Margaret held her gaze for a long moment, concern in the depths of her eyes.
Before Amelia could answer the latch clicked and the door swung open, revealing a young woman wearing a white knee-length jacket over a gray gown.
“Yes?” She glanced between them, not bothering to be particularly friendly or welcoming.
“We would like to speak with Dr. Thorne,” Amelia advised with a polite smile.
“You’ll need an appointment.” The woman started to close the door.
Amelia followed Henry’s example and placed her foot on the door jamb, aware it wouldn’t be nearly as effective as his boot. “It is rather urgent.”
“Y-Yes, you see, I am desperate for help,” Aunt Margaret added, followed by a sniff as if she might cry.
Amelia hid her surprise, holding back the urge to applaud her aunt’s astonishing performance.
“I must speak with the doctor today, b-before it’s too late.” Her aunt dabbed her nose with a handkerchief.
The nurse considered the two of them for a moment. “I will see if Dr. Thorne is available, but I can’t make any promises. She is quite busy and important, you know.”
“We only need a few minutes of her time. I simply must know if there’s hope for me.” Her aunt sniffed again, her distress quite convincing.
Amelia patted her aunt’s shoulder in a show of support, then added her own plea. “It truly would be wonderful if we could speak with her, however briefly.”
She’d asked her aunt to wear one of her nicer gowns and a bit of jewelry, just in case money was a motivation to admit some before others.
“Yes, please, just a few minutes,” Aunt Margaret added, fingering the ruby necklace she wore as if anxious.
The nurse’s gaze dropped to the necklace, but showed no other reaction to it. “Allow me to see if she has the time.”
Unlike the last visit, this woman showed them to the small waiting room without argument, bidding them to wait until she returned. Amelia watched as she strode toward the right side of the building and disappeared down a corridor.
“Remember to learn all you can about Dr. Thorne. Any details could prove helpful,” she advised, trying to hide her own nerves. Revealing them would only make her aunt more nervous.
Her companion smiled wanly. “Right. I will do my best.”
“Tell them I went in search of a water closet, a necessity after our journey here.” Amelia stepped toward the door and peered out, pleased no one was nearby. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Do be careful, Amelia. I don’t care for this place.”
On that, they agreed. With a nod and a smile, Amelia stepped out of the room and went in the opposite direction of their escort. She hurried across the large hall lined in dark wood with a high ceiling toward a corridor, determined to see as much as possible before someone stopped her.
A glance down the length of it suggested patient rooms were located there as numerous doors lined the walls. The chances of her finding Louisa’s before being caught seemed slim, especially since nothing other than numbers marked the outside of each door.
She continued past the corridor toward the back of the sanatorium, where a row of tall windows brightened the hall, hoping to find a room where the patients gathered. Surely they didn’t remain in their individual rooms all day?
It took several tries, her heart hammering, before she found an unlocked door located near the windows that looked as if it might serve that purpose. Unfortunately the room was empty other than a few chairs and tables. No clues there.
A window at the rear overlooked the grounds; gardens, paths, and numerous benches.
Aware the woman who’d let them in might already be searching for her, Amelia strode toward it to look out.
Only a few people sat in the fresh air, none of them Louisa.
They all wore gray robes, and only a few conversed with one another.
Most stared across the garden as if lost in thought.
No one read a book or did needlework. Were those activities not allowed?
Amelia considered where else to look, preferring to avoid the area where Dr. Thorne apparently kept her office. But perhaps that was exactly the place to look? Some of the staff might also have offices nearby with patient files or paperwork, anything that could be helpful.
If she couldn’t speak with Louisa, that was her next best option.
She left the room, pausing to glance around. How odd not to come upon any patients or staff. Where was everyone? With a breath to gather her courage, Amelia continued her search, moving as quietly as possible.
How could she tell Henry that she had slipped past the door’s guards, but found nothing?