Never Tell a Soul, Damon Priest

24. the asylum

Damon was having another chaotic breakfast with his family when suddenly, Clark, the butler, appeared, and in his most nonchalant, stiff mien, announced that Miss Gwen Halloway wished to have an audience with Damon immediately.

He was on his feet before the butler finished his sentence.

Gwen was pacing in the courtyard when he appeared. Her face looked distraught, her eyes red from crying. "What is it?" he asked as he strode toward the woman.

"They took her away!" Gwen said, suddenly hysterical. "Oh, Mr Priest! Please! What do we do?"

"Gwen, calm down," he said, taking hold of the woman's arms. "Who took her?"

"Doctor Mills and his men! They took her to Summerfield!"

"Summerfield?"

"An asylum. For the mentally ill. They believe she's insane. Oh, please, we have to do something!"

For a breath, Damon was stunned. Then he was in disbelief. Never had he thought her aunts would take it this far. "This is absurd."

"They're absurd. Of course, they'd do absurd things!" Gwen sounded angry now. Even looked furious. "Is there anything you can do? If no, then I'll go somewhere else to seek help."

"Yes, yes," he said. "I mean, yes, we'll do something. Let me think for a moment." He turned around, hands on his hips, to scowl at the ground.

"I don't think they've gone far. We can still make chase. Once she's inside Summerfield, it would be hard to take her out. They signed a contract with the institution. And contracts are not good. They're binding and—"

"Gwen, please, let me think," he said, raising a hand.

"But there's not much time!"

He sighed and stared at the woman. "Very well. Go to the other side of the hill. Call for the Vernons and come back here. While you do that, I'll get help."

"From whom?"

"From whoever I can. Now, go."

As Gwen rushed out of the courtyard, Damon let his head fall back. He cursed under his breath and returned to the breakfast room. Everyone around the table stopped whatever they were doing to stare at him, their faces already expecting horrible news.

His eyes landed on Harry. "I need help," he said.

***

The Vernons gathered inside the northern drawing room of the Abberton House. With them were Damon, Harry, Gwen, and the earl himself. The old man said nothing as everyone filled him in on what had been happening with the Withers.

"That's tragic," said the earl, gaze distant.

"We may still make chase before they reach Summerfield," said Matthew. His jaw was set firm like his older brothers. Even Stephen, who made fun of Matthew's unconventional ideas of how they could rescue their sister from their aunts, seemed ready to jump to his feet and do what Matthew suggested.

"It will be too late," said Gwen, eyes damp with tears.

Mr Vernon looked utterly helpless as he gripped his wife's hand. Mrs Vernon, on the other hand, surprised Damon. He expected her to panic, to be as desperate as her sons, but she showed none of that. She was tremendously calm.

"We'll talk to them," said Stephen, breaking his silence. He moved to stand, but his mother stopped him, saying, "No."

"What do you want to do, then?" Matthew angrily asked. "Let them take her away from us again, like how you let them years ago?"