Misleading The Marquis

28 - Gina Marie

It was a lovely cottage, oversized and homey... there were pieces of it that reminded Gina of the Manor. The coach engineer had located the place easily enough, not far from the edge of town. She'd instructed that he drive past it quietly at first, then park the vehicle a ways down the road, off the embankment in a thick of small trees. From there, despite her escort's protests, Gina had walked to the doctor's cottage alone.

Now she stood on their front stoop, feeling guilty and trembling ever so slightly. Here she might find answers... but would she like what she learned? Finally, she knocked. Maybe they wouldn't be home. But then within another milisecond, the door was opening.

The woman must be Cora's mother. She was beautiful, despite being twenty years Gina's senior. She had thick golden hair, huge ocean blue eyes and flawless procelain skin - she might've been a Saint's angel in a cathedral depiction. Gina felt her gut tighten at the thought that this was what Bane's first bride had looked like. No wonder he'd been so disappointed to lay eyes on her that day.

"Can I help you dear?" the sweet woman asked and Gina shook herself to attention.

"I - I - had some questions... for the doctor... " she explained quietly, her voice squeaking with the effort.

"Of course, dear," the woman declared, smiling wide and brilliant, "Please, come right in."

The inside of the home matched the outside. The rugs underfoot were worn, but clean, the wall hangings the same.

"Just this way," Cora's mother instructed, leading the way through the small home, as they passed various children ranging in ages from at least seventeen to one little girl who could not have been more than six, nor more lovely. Finally they reached their destination - or at least it appeared Mrs. Thorn had. It was a simple door, common, made out of plain wood, sanded down but hardly polished or painted.

"Here is our office," Mrs. Thorn explained, her smile warm, like a mother's would be. Gina only nodded her assent and proceeded ahead of her host into the small room that lie ahead.

It was furnished just as the other parts of the cottage, comfortable and comforting in all aspects. There were lights hanging over and examination table, mirrors, charts, a hand washing station, a weight conveyor, and various tools all hung just so on hooks against one wall. There, in the center of the room sat a man with white hair and mustache, spectacles on his nose as he bent his face toward what appeared to be the morning paper of Hamil.

"My dear we have a patient," Mrs. Thorn announced, and the doctor looked up at hte sound of his wife' voice.

"Oh my - and so young -" the doctor commented, probably to his wife, but it made Gina duck her head as if her own father was scolding her for walking the better part of a mile alone when the coach engineer had been more than happy to take her.

"I - I - just -" Gina began, but found she couldn't get past the dryness in her throat. What was she even doing here? With the dead girl's parents?

"Here, my dear," Mrs. Thorn said it gently, offering her a cool cup of water. Gina drank it down immediately.

"Now tell us - what's your name?" Dr. Thorn asked, as Gina took a seat opposite his desk, Mrs. Thorn sat beside her, almost as if to comfort her.

"My - my name is - " thinking quickly she said the first one that came to mind, "Louisa. Louisa Maytide."

"Well, Miss Maytide, what brings you to my office?" the doctor asked, peering over those spectacles.

"I - I - just had a few questions..." Gina began, wishing she hadn't began this venture at all now, "I just - I'm afraid that my... sister... might be... going mad..." she finished haltingly, gauging for the couple' s reaction. They didnt seem bothered at all, just sat waiting for her to continue. Feeling as though she were doing conversational acrobatics, Gina squeezed her eyes closed, trying to get it right.

"How would one - that is, a friend or a f-family memeber -" she added quickly, "How would one know if someone was... going mad?" she asked quickly, almost as if the faster she said it, the less afraid she would be of the answer. The doctor and his wife glanced at one another, and then Dr. Thorn began to tug at his very whtie beard that was attached to the mustache.

"Sometimes we would see lapses in judgement, behaviors that are out of character for our loved one. Other times it might be that they cannot remember things... what they were doing for the last hour... who has left their hairbrush out... why they've walked two miles down the road without a coat... does any of this sound like something your... sister... might be exhibiting?" Dr. Thorn asked queitly, still peering at her over the glasses. Gina gulped at the informaiton. She couldn't just blurt out that she was beginning to wonder if she was the one leaving black roses everywhere... if she was the one tormenting everyone because perhaps she'd fallen mad just like Ben...

"I - I suppose maybe she's been... forgetting things a little more lately..." Gina answered hesitantly, twisting and untwisting her hands in her lap as the two observed her quietly.

"Another symptom might be self harm in some form, a lack of appetite, nightmares that seem very real - does any of that sound... familiar?" Dr. Thorn asked, though Gina could tell he was much more interested in her answer this time.

"No," she said, feeling a bit of relief, the tension in her shoulders easing ever so slightly, "No none of those things has been happening," she confirmed more to herself than the Thorns before her.

"I see," the doctor answered, looking a little more relieved himself as he nodded in affirmation, "And one must consider... with no history of madness in one's family - it's highly unlikely that such an illness would befall a perfectly healthy and normal person such as your... sister."

"No, no family history," Gina bit out quickly, biting the inside of her cheek as she did so.

"Good, good," the doctor muttered, tugging at his beard once more.

"Were there any other symptoms that were concerning, my dear?" Mrs. Thorn asked gently. Gina tried to smile brightly, but felt as if she would faint.

"No - there's nothing else," she answered quickly, then stood, "Thank you so much for you help."