Page 67 of The Bride Wore White

Chapter 30

Someone entered the darkened room.

“Gilbert?” Clara Dover struggled to focus on the footsteps. It wasn’t easy. She had a pounding headache. “Is that you? She’s alive. How can that be? You said she would die in the fire.”

“It’s unfortunate that Miss Ryland survived, but it’s a complication, not a disaster,” Maud Hollister said. She moved to stand over the bed. “The main goal was achieved.”

Not Gilbert.Clara stared up at the shadowed face of the woman whose unfailing loyalty and silence had been purchased years ago on the installment plan.

“What are you talking about, Maud? I don’t understand. Where am I?”

“The Burning Cove hospital. After you set fire to Mr.Wingate’s house, you tried to throw yourself off a cliff into the sea. You have a severe concussion.”

“I did not cause the fire,” Clara said, annoyed by the inaccuracy.“I was there to witness the death of that witch. Where is Dr.Flood? I must speak with him about my last vision. Something was wrong with the interpretation.”

“He is back at the villa talking to Rollins and your daughter-in-law. He is explaining to them that you need to be committed to a psychiatric hospital.”

“No.”Panic shot across Clara’s nerves. “They can’t do that. I won’t allow it.”

“You tried to murder two people by setting fire to the house in which they were sleeping. The choice your family faces is whether to let the police arrest you for arson and attempted murder or have you quietly put away in a private asylum and hope that Jack Wingate doesn’t press charges. I’m sure Rollins will be able to purchase Wingate’s silence. Everyone responds to money. It’s just a matter of finding the right number, isn’t it?”

“Stop talking like that.”

“Just think about how many people you bribed and paid off over the years,” Maud said. “And we all kept quiet, didn’t we? Don’t worry, I doubt you’ll go to prison. Regardless of whether or not Wingate takes the money, I’m quite sure you will end up in an asylum, and that’s what matters.”

“Shut up. This has gone far enough. Tell Rollins I want to see him. Immediately.”

“Rollins and Ella were here earlier,” Maud said. “You do remember who Ella is, right? She’s the woman who married Rollins. Poor thing. She’s tried so hard to please you. I could have told her she was wasting her time.”

“I insist on talking to Rollins now.”

“He’s busy deciding where to send you for your so-called rest cure.”

Clara moaned, trying to think clearly. “I must speak with Rollins about the company.”

“He’s going to have his hands full trying to save your empire after word gets out that you had to be institutionalized.”

“They can’t put me away. I am not insane.”

“Always a difficult thing to prove,” Maud said.

“Damn you. Call Rollins immediately and tell him to come back to the hospital. I must speak with him. He doesn’t know how to handle the press. I have to tell him what to say.”

“Don’t worry, your son already knows what he has to do. Over the years he paid much closer attention to Dover Industries than Gilbert ever did.”

“He doesn’t have Gilbert’s talent.”

“Gilbert never had any talent,” Maud said. “He was a spoiled, violent little boy who grew into a spoiled, violent man. He died a well-deserved violent death. The world is better off without him. No one misses him except you.”

“That dream reader murdered him.”

“And you tried to murder the dream reader,” Maud said. “But you failed, and now you will spend the rest of your life in an asylum for the insane.”

“You hate me so much? After all I’ve done for you?”

“I hate the entire Dover family. I have dreamed of vengeance all these years, and slowly but surely I am seeing my dream come true. That monster you married died first. Yes, I know I did you a favor when I put the poison in Copeland’s soup, but I took pleasure in my revenge. We stood over him and watched him die. We made sure he knew that both of us had murdered him and that no one would ever find out. Remember how he pleaded with us to send for a doctor?”

“Yes, yes, I remember. He deserved it. Copeland was a brute.”

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