Sylvia bought two hats in different shades of gray, and Jack carried the boxes out to the carriage and bundled them into the storage compartment with the others. "Satisfied now, Cousin?" he asked Sylvia as he settled opposite us on the seat.
"Why are those women looking at us like we have two heads?" she said.
I followed her gaze to the woman who'd questioned Jack and her daughter. They did indeed eye us from beneath their hat brims. "You were right about them," I told her. "The mother wished to throw her daughter into Jack's path at any parties he might deign to attend."
Jack rolled his eyes.
"Yes, but why does she look as if she wants to run in the other direction to get away from us?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you say to her?"
"Nothing," he said. "I gave her my name and place of residence, that's all."
Sylvia flounced back into the seat and crossed her arms. "How could you?" One corner of his mouth lifted and her glare sharpened. "It's not amusing."
"I'm sorry," he said, sobering. "I know it matters to you. I just wish you knew that they don't matter to me."
"What doesn't?" I said. "I don't understand."
"Whenever we go anywhere, which isn't often, Jack likes to tell people where we're from."
"It's called introducing myself, Syl. It's what people do when they meet."
"Yes, but can't you lie? Why do you have to tell them we're from Frakingham?"
"Because we are. The sooner you come to accept that, the happier you'll be."
"I doubt I could ever be happy to be associated with Freak House."
Jack looked quite unnerved by her misery. "Those people aren't for the likes of us," he said quietly.
"You shouldn't let them bother you," I said to her. "I agree with Jack. They don't seem like the sort of people you'd want to be friends with anyway."
"That's easy for you to say. You and Jack are the freaks. I'm the freak by association. It's not fair."
Her remark cut through me to the bone. I'd thought we'd become friends of sorts, but to say something so offhandedly callous proved there was still an ocean of differences between us. She was right, of course. I wasn't normal. Now I knew I was also very much alone.
We arrived at Claridges, and instead of coming inside with us, Jack bid us farewell. "I'm going for a walk," he said.
"Where to?" Sylvia asked.
"Nowhere in particular. I need to stretch my legs."
"You've been walking all day."
"You object to me wanting to spend some time alone?"
"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."
Jack had indeed entered a narrow street through an archway. We paused at its entrance, then when we saw him walking up ahead, we continued on. The houses changed. They were smaller and squashed together like cold, ragged children. Their windows and stoops, however, were clean and those people still outside appeared to have somewhere to go, although there was hollow resignation on their faces.
I drew closer to Samuel. "Are you all right, Violet? Do you want to turn back?"
"No. I expected we would be entering one of the worst areas of London."