Disrupted: Day 1

Word Count: 6,018

Summary of Events: 

Gwendolen was attending a party at her fiancé's home; after a dance she went for a walk outside and came in a different door, which led to her encountering a maid who told her that her fiancé had murdered his first wife. Ezra got up, had breakfast with his children, and headed off to work, dropping his children off at childcare on the way. Gwendolen's mother questioned her about her departure from the party and took her along to go ask her fiancé about things, during which Gwendolen began to panic, prompting her mother and fiancé to summon a doctor.

Excerpt of the Day:

""Come," Ambrose said, putting a hand onto her back gently and guiding her out of the room.

Gwendolen felt utterly powerless to resist him and instead obediently followed his guiding up the stairs and into a bedchamber that happened to be at the end of a long hallway.

"Here," Ambrose said. "Lie down."

His hold on her back tightened and his aid seemed rather rough and callous. His face was taut set and grim.

Once she was laid down he sat down beside her, legs crossed, back straight, his countenance frighteningly severe.

Gwendolen could feel her heart pounding. She was sure she smelled death. She was sure she was in the room which had belonged to Ambrose's first wife. She could see Ambrose rising to strike her.

A hand clamped over her mouth severely.

"Be quiet!" Ambrose snapped, his gaze livid.

Gwendolen struggled at the tightness of his hand over her mouth. She grabbed her hands around his arm and tried to pull it off, but Ambrose wouldn't release his hold no matter how hard she struggled against him.

She heard footsteps advancing down the hall. Ambrose released her mouth, took a deep breath, and sat down calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Gripping the sides of the bed, Gwendolen gasped desperately, trying to draw enough air into her lungs so as to catch her breath. She barely saw her mother walk in behind the doctor.

"If you'll excuse us Mr. Arnold," the doctor said. "I think it would be wise to lessen her distress by loosening her corset."

The doctor turned toward her dress, but Ambrose made no move to leave. He looked like he was almost eager.

Pausing, the doctor looked up. "Mr. Arnold."

Ambrose startled, nodded, and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Gwendolen felt her bodice loosen and then, much more blessedly, her corset. Taking advantage of the freedom, she gulped in deep breaths of air that caused her entire torso to rise and fall heavily.

The doctor felt her over gently.

"What is it?" her mother asked anxiously.

"I'm not certain yet Mrs. Devereux," the doctor said. "But so far it seems merely fright."

"But she was screaming in agony," her mother said.

"It could've been fright," the doctor said, keeping his gaze on Gwendolen as he probed.

"Of what?" her mother asked.

Gwendolen closed her eyes and continued taking deep breaths. She was sick with fright. She wanted nothing more than to be out of this room. This room in which the man who was — unfortunately — her fiancé had committed a more heinous act than she would ever have imagined.

But who would believe her? It wasn't likely that the maid's word would be believed, and who said she would even hold to her own story? It would be Gwendolen's word alone against everyone else. She was sure no one would be able to conclusively prove that Ambrose had done it, and his staff would be loathe to confess if such was the case."