Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Dorian gripped the rail at the front of the box, watching the horrific scenes unfold in front of him while his lovely music was beautifully rendered by the orchestra. As the scenes became more specific, he knew it was only a matter of time before everyone in the audience figured out who the actors were intended to portray. It was a satirical drama in its cruellest form.

While outraged at the use Charles Hooper was making of his lovely composition, he was unconcerned with the way he was presented. The people who stood to be most greatly damaged were the Temple family.

When he saw Lenora fleeing from the Temple family box, he knew he had to do something. “Wait here,” he muttered to Emma, brushing past her and the chaperone. He ignored the wide-eyed stare she gave him. It was clear she had also figured out the hideous game Charles Hooper was playing.

Charlie was backstage, watching the play from the wings. He smirked at Dorian as he came rushing up to him.

Dorian opened his mouth to scream at Charles, but the fellow held up a hand to forestall his protest.

“You’ve figured out my little joke,” he said. “Isn’t it marvellous?”

“No, it isn’t,” Dorian hissed at him, struggling to get his temper under control. “This is horrible. The Temples will be ruined. How could you do this to them?”

“Oh, Dorian,” Charles said in a soothing voice, “don’t you see? I’ve helped you. Did you want to be stuck here in Bath with the provincial Lenora all your life? Or with the lovely but insipid Emma? Just watch; I have freed you from both of them.”

“It was you!” Dorian snarled. “You arranged for Reuben to find Lenora in the library and for August to catch Reuben kissing her.”

“Well, yes,” Charles drawled. “I thought it was a rather clever bit of staging. And it worked, too. It got you out of Bath and into London, where you could coach musicians to play your wonderful music. Without me, it would still be languishing in your private study.”

Dorian shoved his face close to Charles, so close their noses were nearly touching. “You’ve been manipulating me, using me, just like Jonathan.”

“Oh, not like Jonathan.” Charles smirked again. “Not like Jonathan at all. Don’t take off in a huff, Dorian. You really need to see this next bit.”

Actor Reuben and actor Jonathan entered the stage from the orchestra pit. Actor Reuben plucked desperately at the other’s sleeve. “Do you have it?” he demanded. “I need it. I need it right now. I even turned on that poor, simple girl when she tried to help me. It is getting worse. I need more.”

“I’m sorry,” actor Jonathan said. “I must perfect the formula before I give you more. The last batch slew ten gutter snipes. I cannot give that to you, my almost son. Let me work with it a little more, and I will perfect it. Then we can do away with that simpleton who is pretending to be a doctor, and you can marry my daughter.

From somewhere above them, there was a scream and a crash, followed by a commotion.

Dorian stared at Charles in absolute horror. “He’s been poisoning people? Jonathan has been using hospital patients as experimental subjects?”

“All of my art is true to life,” Charles said. “After all, art is always modelled on life.”

“I have to stop him!” Dorian exclaimed. “I’ve got to contact the hospital administration. This cannot be allowed to continue.”

Dorian raced off the stage and around the walk behind the pit. He dashed outside, intending to get his carriage and hurry back to the hospital. He needed to find Jonathan, confront him, and put a complete end to this madness.

Instead, he nearly ran into a weeping Lenora, who was being comforted by Lady Iris, who had been in the next box.

“You!” she shouted at Dorian. “You did this! It is all your fault. You’ve ruined my family. And for what? So you could have an audience for your music?”

“No, no, Lenora, it wasn’t like that,” Dorian protested. “I never saw the script. I didn’t know, I swear.”

“How could you possibly direct your music and not know?” Lenora tore away from Iris and grasped him by his lapels, emphasizing each word with a hard shake.

The two of them were nearly bowled over by a white-faced Reuben, exiting the theatre in as great haste as his crippled form could manage.

Dorian made a grab for Reuben, but hampered by Lenora clinging to his lapels, he missed. “Stop,” he called out. “I need to ask you some questions about Jonathan.”

“Hang Jonathan,” Reuben shot back, limping away as best he could, “and hang you too for arranging this farce. You’ve brought down one of the greatest scientists in medical history. You have no idea what you have done.”

Lady Iris caught up with Lenora and managed to pry her hands loose from Dorian’s coat front, pulling her away. “Come away,” she soothed, “Come away. Nothing will be mended by making a scene.”

Iris managed to move Lenora back into the gathering crowd. Thus unburdened, Dorian turned about, intending to pursue Reuben.

As he turned, a police wagon sped by, moving as fast as its team of six fast horses could pull it. Two long-legged officers leapt from the wagon and ran pell-mell in an effort to catch up to Reuben’s slower carriage.

The carriage turned a corner and vanished with the constables in hot pursuit. Dorian turned back to where Iris was holding a weeping Lenora. “I did not know,” he said again. “I swear I had no idea. I rehearsed with the musicians, getting them note-perfect, but I never saw the actors perform.”

Lenora drew in a deep breath. “You promise? You swear you did not know what he was about to do?”

“I promise,” Dorian said, “Cross my heart and hope to die promise.” He made the childish gesture over his rumpled coat front.

“Oh, Dorian, it’s awful,” Lenora wailed. “How could I ever have been taken in by such a person? He exposed my father’s indiscretions. But what has Reuben in such a state? Why are the police pursuing him?”

“I’m not quite sure about Reuben,” Dorian said, “but I think that something Jonathan was giving Reuben was connected to the deaths at the hospital.”

Lenora and Iris both gasped aloud. “Say it is not so, Dorian,” Lenora protested.

“It’s in the play,” Dorian said grimly. “And Charles says the play is true to life.”

“That’s horrible! Mother warned me against gentlemen who are too perfect,” Lenora said. “Oh, Dorian! I don’t care a fig about Reuben. I never have, really. It was all just a game until that awful night in the library. His breath had this awful smell, but then August was there with you and Charles, and I was trapped. If I denied the betrothal, I would be seen as a loose woman. I would be just like my father.”

‘I know,” Dorian said. “It was stupid of me to suggest that we meet there where anyone could find you. It is my fault; I exposed you to the situation.”

“Where should we have met?” Lenora teased, recovering some of her equilibrium.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Dorian responded. “Under the dining room table? With the new Grecian styles, I think we could both fit under the big one with room to spare.”

Lenora giggled. It was a watery little giggle and slightly hysterical, but better than the passionate, angry tears of a moment before. “And we could have filched treats from the table above, just as we used to do.”

“Oh, Lenora,” Dorian said, holding out his hand to her as a comfort and support.

“Oh, Dorian,” she sniffled, taking his hand and allowing herself to be drawn towards him.

“I’m so sorry,” they said at the same time.

Dorian bent his head down, and then Lenora rose on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips.

Every thought he had went right out of his head. His arms went around her, and he embraced her gently. “I would never, ever knowingly expose you to such a scandal,” he said. “I feel like such an idiot for letting this happen.”

“Pssst,” Iris hissed at them. “People are watching.”

“The people be hanged,” Dorian murmured, but Lenora had already pulled back, stepping away from him. “See you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said simply. “I’ll look for you.”

“Thanks,” Dorian said. “I’ve got a few things to sort out tonight. Can I drop you off at home?”

Lenora shook her head. “I need to find my family and take care of them.”

August approached with Emma clinging to his arm and the chaperone trailing behind. “At least she remembers that she has a family. Did you even know that Emma fainted?” he demanded of Dorian.

Dorian felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. “No, I’m afraid I didn’t. But I need to find Jonathan and perhaps Reuben so I can learn just exactly what they were really doing.”

August nodded abruptly. “Good plan. I’ll take the ladies home, then.”

Sir Francis came roaring out of the theatre. “Outrageous!” he bellowed. “What were you thinking, Lord de Clare, to allow such a thing to be put on? We shall all be ruined. Ruined, I tell you!” he shook an admonishing finger under Dorian’s nose.

“Where is Mother?” Lenora asked.

“Inside, enjoying the show!” Sir Francis growled. “The nerve of the woman!”

“I’ll go find her,” Lenora murmured, making her way back through the crowd. Iris, August, and Emma trailed after her.

Dorian looked after her, torn between needing to seek out his uncle and Reuben and going after Lenora to comfort her.

“What are you waiting for?” Sir Francis growled at him. “Didn’t you just say you had criminals to catch? You can drop me off at home. I need to make notes in my manuscript on the behaviour of the human animal.”

“Certainly,” Dorian murmured, dazed by how things were working out. August was taking care of Emma, Sir Francis needed to make notes, and Lenora had collected herself and gone back to take care of her mother. And Iris … how the dickens did Iris fit into all this? “I’ll just drop you off and see if I can find everyone.”

“Excellent,” Sir Francis snapped. “Let’s get on with it, shall we?