Page 30 of Murder in Disguise (Mary and Bright #5)

Mary came back to consciousness with a soft groan. Her head felt all too groggy, and the second truth that skated into her mind was the fact that she couldn’t move her arms.

“Adelaide? Where are we?” she asked, but it felt weird to form words, and wherever she was, it was chilly and dark, for clearly, she’d been dumped unceremoniously onto a floor with her skirting tangled with her legs. Of course, that assumed her niece was even with her.

“Oh, thank God.” The soft cry from Adelaide reached her ears the same time the girl fell to her knees at Mary’s side. “I thought the worst when Theresa shoved you into the carriage.”

“What happened?” Now that the sedative was beginning to wear off, it left her with an ache in her head and a mouth that tasted like cotton. “The last thing I remember was Miss Madison coming over to us when we were at the refreshment table.”

“I saw her arrive. She accidentally dropped a glass of champagne, and while a footman was cleaning the mess, she took another one. The next thing I knew, she offered it to you.”

“And I made the mistake of drinking it because I was distracted about trying to get you away from the crush.” Another groan escaped her. “I’ll wager she put laudanum into the glass, yet I didn’t drink the whole thing.”

Adelaide blew out a breath. “Perhaps it was an overly large dose then, designed to incapacitate you quickly.”

“But why?” She struggled into a sitting position, but it was difficult due to her wrists tied behind her. “Did she say anything to you?”

“Just that you looked quite ill and needed fresh air.” Adelaide sat with her back against what appeared to be a shelf.

Her wrists were also tied behind her. Perhaps they were in the back room of the clock shop.

She looked at Mary through the gloom. “She told me to help get you outside. Once we were on the pavement, she ushered you toward a carriage. I questioned her, said I was going to fetch the inspector, but she said if I wanted to see you alive again, I’d get into the carriage with her.

Then she dumped you on the floor and waited for me to climb in.

” She shook her head. “She laughed and said it was naught but a game, and that the inspector would come soon enough.”

“Well, drat.” Mentally manipulating her friends. The young woman wasn’t quite right in the head. “It’s not your fault, Addie. Clearly, Miss Madison has gone slightly mad.”

“I should have been more aware. The inspector is always telling me not to let the things that don’t matter distract me from what’s right in front of my face.

In this case, the murderer was in disguise the whole time, masquerading as my friend.

” She sniffled. “I’m so stupid!” Another sniffle sounded.

“I couldn’t leave you, Auntie. Theresa had this wild, deranged look on her face, and I was quite frightened.

” Tears sounded again in her voice. “If nothing else, you and I can work together and get out of here.”

“Your loyalty and concern are admirable, of course, and I appreciate I’m not alone, but where is here?” Mary’s heartbeat raced in her veins while cold fear twisted down her spine. Was this where Miss Madison would kill them both?

“It’s a shop. I caught a fast glimpse of a brass placard over the door that said, ‘Madison’s Clock Repair,’ but then I was prodded inside and thrown on the floor.”

“Where is Miss Madison right now?” A quick glance through the gloom didn’t reveal the young woman, and that made everything even more ominous.

“I don’t know. Once she locked the door behind us, she disappeared. Perhaps went upstairs? I was more concerned about you.”

“Well, let us not panic. Bright would tell us to keep our emotions at bay and to think with our heads, not our hearts.” That was easier said than done. “Can you slip your bonds?”

“No. As soon as we came into the room, Theresa surprised me by binding them together. She never said a word while she did it. Merely muttered about this being the ultimate game of cat and mouse.”

More and more disturbing. That must have been how Miss Madison had been able to pierce the base of the skull on her victims. Subdue them with enough laudanum so they wouldn’t fight back—except that first girl, but then, she supposed there might have been a learning curve—tie their wrists with what felt like a satin sash so it wouldn’t leave bruises, and then do the deed.

“This is my fault.”

“No, it is not. None of us could have known what type of person Miss Madison truly was.” If her tone was a tad harsh, Mary didn’t care. It was needed in this moment.

A half-stifled cry came from Adelaide. “What are we going to do?”

“Not panic, first of all.” Mary tugged at the bonds on her wrists, but the knots wouldn’t budge. “We’ll find our way through.” The sound of footsteps against wood drifted to her ears. “I think she’s coming back.”

“What should we do?” Fear echoed in Adelaide’s whispered inquiry.

“Nothing, yet, but we’ll know when the time comes.”

“How?”

“Think like the inspector.”

Oh, how she hoped that was true. Deep down, and not that she would admit this, she missed Gabriel, for her life had been in jeopardy before.

He’d always been there to rescue her at the last minute, but how would he even know where she and Adelaide had gone?

Was he even now still waiting in his study for her to bring the girls down?

Then a door opened, and the faint scent of a honeysuckle perfume was carried on the air preceding Miss Madison’s arrival. Why had she not noticed that before, especially after Gabriel had told her what Miss Hopewell had said when she escaped?

Because, like Adelaide, there had been far too many distractions this week.

“Ah, Mrs. Bright, you’re awake. How disappointing. I guess you didn’t drink enough of the laudanum earlier.” At some point, the young woman had removed her masquerade mask.

The unexpected flair of a match hurt Mary’s eyes since they had become used to the darkness. As Miss Madison lit a candle, golden light immediately danced throughout the room to cast eerie shadows on the walls.

“Why did you feel the need to drug me in the first place?” She might not have the ability to use her hands, but she could use her voice.

“How else was I to entice Adelaide into the carriage with me?” With a shrug, Miss Madison moved the candle to what Mary could see now was a stout wooden worktable.

Her dull, dark hair didn’t gleam in the light, but there was high color in her pale cheeks.

Good heavens, she was enjoying this! “She wouldn’t have come without an incentive, and since she’s so attached to you, I used you as motivation. ”

“Why are you doing this?” Adelaide asked in tears. “I thought we were friends, Theresa.”

“Friends?” The other girl laughed while she moved a small leather pouch toward her over the top of the worktable.

“We were never friends, Adelaide. Be honest with yourself. Weren’t you just tolerating me because I stood on the outside of your friends’ group?

Because you didn’t know what to say to me?

So you felt sorry for me and eventually included me. ”

“That’s not true. I honestly did like you, wanted the best for you.”

“No, you pitied me.”

“But I—”

“I despise being pitied!” Her outburst echoed through the chilly room. “And I hate being looked down upon.”

Adelaide huffed. “Is that why you’re so cross all the time? And present the world with a negative air?”

“As if you would know anything about it.” Miss Madison shook her head.

“You, who are everyone’s favorite friend, society’s darling, the beauty of the Season, and everyone loves you, hmm?

” As she spoke, she withdrew a few things from the pouch—a small hammer that was no doubt a tool her father used in repairing clocks, a couple of brass clock pins, a brown bottle of what probably contained laudanum, and a folded white handkerchief.

“You are exactly the young lady everyone expects, everyone wants to see, everyone hopes they could be.”

“There is nothing wrong with that,” Mary murmured as she eyed the things on the table with cold dread dripping down her spine.

“Of course there isn’t, but in a world that is flooded with many such young women, what chance does someone like me have in landing a man, or attracting a male who might wish to court me? In such a crowded pool, no one would ever see me .”

“What does that mean? I don’t understand,” Adelaide said while she focused on Miss Madison’s actions with wide eyes.

“You probably don’t because everything in your life has come easily.

Not only are you society’s fair-haired darling, but your family dotes on you.

Including Inspector Bright.” Miss Madison’s gaze fell on Adelaide’s necklace as she took a silver teaspoon from the pouch and then laid it next to the brown medicine bottle.

“No matter what I did, no matter how clever I was with my notes left on the bodies, he still did see me as a worthy opponent.”

Mary frowned. “Did you do all of this merely to gain notice from Inspector Bright?” If so, that was quite dark indeed.

“Of course not.” Miss Madison’s tone was waspish. “There are other things at play here, but once the inspector landed on the case, that was mere good fortune.” Her grin seemed macabre in the dim light. Then she focused again on Adeliade. “And it wasn’t just you that had such luck in life.”

“You speak of the four girls you kidnapped,” Mary said, and it wasn’t a question.

“Very good, Mrs. Bright. Obviously, your quick mind is what initially drew the inspector’s notice.

” With a sound of disgust, she shook her head.

“At least you have the brains to see the whole of my story without taking it as a personal affront.” Miss Madison slid a glare to Adelaide.

“Truly, Adelaide, it’s nothing personal.

I only need to make certain I have a fair chance.

There are only so many eligible men, you see, yet my competition is quite large. ”