Whispers of Bedlam Asylum (Sigmund Shaw Book 2) by Mark C. King Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mark C. King
the cold – and now from nerves. Her hair and clothes were dripping onto the floor and the warmth of the room now seemed to remind her more of how cold she was. If the constable was truly bringing tea, it would be most welcome.
There was no clock in the room, but she imagined that he was only gone a few minutes before unlocking the door and returning. He wasn’t alone, a second constable with him and, blessed man , he had a cup of tea. Handing it to her, he said, “Miss, for you.”
She took it with a smile, but didn’t say anything. The warmth of the cup almost hurt her hands. It was wonderful. She raised the liquid to her mouth and took a blissful sip and felt the heat flow down her throat. The comfort it provided rejuvenated her confidence and hardened her determination.
The two constables sat on the other side of the desk and the first one asked, “Now, Miss, what is your name?”
Charlotte had spent a little bit of time giving thought to this very question. She could not use her own name, on the odd chance of being recognized, but she did not want to deviate too far and be caught in the lie. She decided upon Charlotte Caine – her maiden name. “It is Charlotte Caine, sirs.”
“Thank you Miss Caine. Now, tell us, why are you here?”
“You brought me here, your Lordship,” she said with a touch of anxiety.
“No, no, Miss Caine, I meant here at Waterloo Train Station. Why are you here at the station? Do you have a train to catch?”
Charlotte looked around a little and started to show a little agitation in her face – an occasional spasm of her eye mixed with quick movements of her cheeks and lips. The impression that she was hoping to give was that reality was trying to break through her fantasy. She did not answer the question.
After some thirty seconds or so, the second constable, a round man with black hair and a ruddy face, asked, “Miss Caine, where is your home?”
This was the question she was waiting for. This was going to be her door to Bedlam. After hearing the question, she shot a most serious look at the round constable and started to give her head quick shakes to the right and left. Then, dropping her tea to the floor, she held up one hand toward the two men and said, quietly at first, “No. No no no.” Then louder, “No, please no!” Finally, she hugged her arms around her, stared at the desk, and continually mouthed the words ‘no’.
The two constables looked at each other, uncertain with how to proceed. Their expressions were what Charlotte was hoping for, a mix of pity, worry, but also had an unexpected touch of fright. She tried to put herself in their position and concluded that dealing with a person that was not rational, that was unpredictable, could indeed be a frightening experience. If her plan worked, she would be living with many such ones.
The first constable broke the silence and said, “Miss Caine, we can take you to the police station-”
She interrupted him by mumbling the word, “Bedlam.”
By the look on their faces, both men must have understood, but the first one asked, “Could you repeat that? Did you say Bedlam?”
Without looking at them and keeping up her agitated gestures, she mumbled a little louder, “Bedlam.”
The round constable stood up and looked at his blue-eyed partner and said, “Too right. I think our dancer here escaped.”
His partner nodded silently, clearly astonished at how this was turning out. The round man continued, “It is a wonder she didn’t hurt herself, or freeze to death. Let us hope she has not hurt anyone else.”
“So what do we do now?” The first constable asked.
“Simple. We take her back to Bedlam.”
7.
Sigmund pulled his top hat tight to his head, praying the wind would not blow it off down the street again. The walk from his home to Harry’s stable was a short one, but short is relative in the heart of winter. Putting
There was no clock in the room, but she imagined that he was only gone a few minutes before unlocking the door and returning. He wasn’t alone, a second constable with him and, blessed man , he had a cup of tea. Handing it to her, he said, “Miss, for you.”
She took it with a smile, but didn’t say anything. The warmth of the cup almost hurt her hands. It was wonderful. She raised the liquid to her mouth and took a blissful sip and felt the heat flow down her throat. The comfort it provided rejuvenated her confidence and hardened her determination.
The two constables sat on the other side of the desk and the first one asked, “Now, Miss, what is your name?”
Charlotte had spent a little bit of time giving thought to this very question. She could not use her own name, on the odd chance of being recognized, but she did not want to deviate too far and be caught in the lie. She decided upon Charlotte Caine – her maiden name. “It is Charlotte Caine, sirs.”
“Thank you Miss Caine. Now, tell us, why are you here?”
“You brought me here, your Lordship,” she said with a touch of anxiety.
“No, no, Miss Caine, I meant here at Waterloo Train Station. Why are you here at the station? Do you have a train to catch?”
Charlotte looked around a little and started to show a little agitation in her face – an occasional spasm of her eye mixed with quick movements of her cheeks and lips. The impression that she was hoping to give was that reality was trying to break through her fantasy. She did not answer the question.
After some thirty seconds or so, the second constable, a round man with black hair and a ruddy face, asked, “Miss Caine, where is your home?”
This was the question she was waiting for. This was going to be her door to Bedlam. After hearing the question, she shot a most serious look at the round constable and started to give her head quick shakes to the right and left. Then, dropping her tea to the floor, she held up one hand toward the two men and said, quietly at first, “No. No no no.” Then louder, “No, please no!” Finally, she hugged her arms around her, stared at the desk, and continually mouthed the words ‘no’.
The two constables looked at each other, uncertain with how to proceed. Their expressions were what Charlotte was hoping for, a mix of pity, worry, but also had an unexpected touch of fright. She tried to put herself in their position and concluded that dealing with a person that was not rational, that was unpredictable, could indeed be a frightening experience. If her plan worked, she would be living with many such ones.
The first constable broke the silence and said, “Miss Caine, we can take you to the police station-”
She interrupted him by mumbling the word, “Bedlam.”
By the look on their faces, both men must have understood, but the first one asked, “Could you repeat that? Did you say Bedlam?”
Without looking at them and keeping up her agitated gestures, she mumbled a little louder, “Bedlam.”
The round constable stood up and looked at his blue-eyed partner and said, “Too right. I think our dancer here escaped.”
His partner nodded silently, clearly astonished at how this was turning out. The round man continued, “It is a wonder she didn’t hurt herself, or freeze to death. Let us hope she has not hurt anyone else.”
“So what do we do now?” The first constable asked.
“Simple. We take her back to Bedlam.”
7.
Sigmund pulled his top hat tight to his head, praying the wind would not blow it off down the street again. The walk from his home to Harry’s stable was a short one, but short is relative in the heart of winter. Putting
Similar Books
Death in the Valley of Shadows
Deryn Lake
Talking Heads
John Domini
Coletti Warlords: Vexing Voss
Gail Koger
![Bowles, Jan - In Debt to the Dom [Guilty Pleasures 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)](https://fs.free-books-online.org/437138/thumbs/152x264/bowles-jan-in-debt-to-the-dom-guilty-pleasures-1-siren-publishing-classic.jpg)
Twisted Agendas
Damian McNicholl
Gull Harbor
Kathryn Knight
New Species 09 Shadow
Laurann Dohner