A Jane Austen Encounter Read Online Free PDF

up here runs to Gay. That will take us back to Queen Square.”
    The route also took them past the Jane Austen Centre. “Look, there’s still a light on in Claire’s office.” Elizabeth pointed to a small window above the door. “Goodness, she’s working late. No wonder she was so pleased to have your help.”
    Richard stopped and regarded the bright blue door and shiny brass fittings with a frown. “Wait here.” Elizabeth startled at the sharpness of his words.
    Richard bounded up the steps and pushed at the wooden door with one finger. It swung open. Behind it, the interior glass-paned door stood ajar, with one of its panes broken out. “Richard, wait!” If something was wrong, they should call for help. Elizabeth started to reach for her cell phone, then remembered it didn’t work in England. They planned to buy an English mobile, but hadn’t done it yet. She followed Richard, stepping over the broken glass on the entry floor.
    He paused at the foot of the stairs. “Claire? Are you there? Is everything all right?” He called as he went upward.
    There was no reply. “Claire!” Elizabeth added her voice to her husband’s on the theory that if a miscreant were lurking at the top of the stairs this would give him time to conceal himself so he wouldn’t have to hit Richard over the head. She knew she had always had an overactive imagination, but clearly, something was wrong.
    “Claire!” Elizabeth heard the anxiety in Richard’s voice as he crossed the landing to the director’s office. “Oh, no.” He dropped to his knees with a soft groan.
    “Elizabeth, find a phone. Call the police. I think it’s 999 here.”
    Surely the nearest phone would be in the office. She sprang forward, but stopped at the sight of Claire sprawled on the floor, a trickle of blood staining her pale hair.

Chapter 4
    “THE ROYAL UNITED HOSPITAL,” Muriel Greystone ordered the taxi driver the next morning after collecting Elizabeth and Richard at their lodgings. They had barely had time to eat the sumptuous cooked breakfast included with their room and Elizabeth would have loved to linger over another cup of tea and slice of toast slathered with marmalade, but that was not to be.
    Dr. Greystone began quizzing Richard on the events of the previous evening, causing Elizabeth to relive it all in her mind—the arrival of the efficient emergency services and their questioning by the polite young police officer—when the fierce academic declared, “Silly girl. I can’t imagine what she thought she was doing, letting herself get hit over the head. Good thing you found her, though, I must say.”
    It was fortunate Muriel’s rapid-fire questions were aimed at Richard because Elizabeth was left speechless. Richard did his best to answer the inquisition, although he knew virtually nothing of what had happened. His patient answers, though, filled the time as their taxi drove the route which, to Elizabeth’s surprise, was several miles west of Bath. She had imagined the hospital would be just on the outskirts of the city.
    Past a busy roundabout, which the driver executed with greater ease than Richard seemed to be having navigating Muriel’s grilling, Elizabeth caught her breath as the taxi made a sharp turn around a nasty bend on a steep hill, then dashed past a race course on a narrow, downhill road into a village signposted “Weston.” On through the village, they finally arrived at the hospital. Elizabeth was glad they could be dropped at the main entrance and avoid the busy parking lot.
    At the reception desk, Muriel demanded that they be taken to Claire Cholmley. The blue-uniformed nursing sister, however, was impervious to Muriel’s sharp tones and made them wait several minutes before leading them down a long corridor to a room lined with beds. Claire sat propped against pillows in the one nearest the door, a few blond locks straggling below the white bandage wrapped around her head. She gave a wobbly smile of welcome to