Felicia Read Online Free Page B

must think me incredibly stupid,” Felicia said, “but I must confess that I cannot recall ever having heard your name before.”
    “As you cannot recall your own, I feel no insult about your lack of recognition of mine.” Dr. Ross laughed and Felicia smiled hesitantly at the joke. “Anyway, your thanks should go to Lord Umber for rescuing you, and to his mother, the dowager, for insisting that you stay until you have recovered sufficiently to resume your journey.”
    “But…but how long will it take for me to remember?” Felicia asked, determined to know the worst.
    “It may take a few days or a few months. You must also face up the fact that it is entirely possible you will never regain your memory.”
    Felicia looked at Dr. Ross in horror. “Never! I could not bear it!” Her frail body shook with her effort to control herself. “Never to know who I really am! Oh! Please say that it cannot be so!”
    Realizing that he had been too harsh, Dr. Ross attempted to calm her. “There, there. I only mentioned that as a possibility. But I have great faith in my ability to cure you.” He smiled down at her with such cheerfulness that her fears vanished.
    “What is this cure you speak of?” she inquired.
    Dr. Ross hesitated. He always found it difficult to explain the method of treatment he had studied under Anton Mesmer. “It is somewhat of an experiment, really. You see, your amnesia could be caused by several factors, and I first have to ascertain whether they are emotional or organic. To do this, I will put you into a trance and ask you some questions.”
    “A trance?” Felicia queried, her natural intelligence making her take an interest despite her unhappiness. “What is a trance?”
    “It is a sleeplike state during which you will appear to be unconscious, but you will be able to answer my questions. If the primary reasons for your amnesia are organic, you will be cured in a very short time. However…should they be emotional…I cannot even hazard a guess…” He paused to suppress the excitement he felt. “ … because you will be the first patient I have treated for such amnesia.” There, it was out—and he waited for Felicia to complain.
    Exhilaration surged through him as he realized that she was not protesting. “But I cannot stay here,” she pointed out. “I cannot impose on the hospitality of strangers.”
    “You must not regard it so,” Dr. Ross said emphatically. “In fact, you could be of great assistance to me. The dowager is in sore need of a companion, and I will suggest to her that you would suit admirably.” There was simply no way he was going to let this opportunity out of his grasp. Indeed, his motives were not entirely selfish. The dowager was in need of distraction, since most of her illnesses were imagined, brought on by ennui. If, Dr. Ross reasoned to himself, she had someone else to think about, it was quite conceivable the lady’s health would improve.
    “You are too kind, sir,” Felicia said gravely. “But I do not think I can accept such charity. You do not know anything about me and, for all you know, the dowager and I would not suit.”
    “Nonsense, my girl. Absolute nonsense. ’Tis not charity I am proposing, but a good position that will pay well. Now, excuse me while I go and make the arrangements.” He rose and was out of the room before Felicia could object further. However, his enthusiasm was infectious, and almost against her will Felicia felt a sense of optimism. There was no denying it would be quite unthinkable for her to go off to this Mrs. Barton in Manchester knowing nothing about herself but that her name was Felicia Richards. She resolved to write to Mrs. Barton and explain the predicament she found herself in. Maybe this information would persuade Mrs. Barton to keep the position open until she recovered. Having decided on this plan of action, she felt much better and even managed to smile at the consternation her letter would probably cause Mrs.