said finally.
“What’s your name?”
He appeared to be thinking about his answer, as if he, like Marnie, wasn’t too sure.
“Jonathan.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Jonathan. I’m Marnie. But I guess you already knew that.”
He didn’t reply but turned his head and then darted away.
A minute later, Alice entered the room carrying a tray loaded with food.
“Doctor Means said you were getting hungry and could have some soft food, so I had Cook fix you some scrambled eggs and toast.”
She set the tray on the bedside table and propped Marnie up on two fluffy pillows. The tray she placed across Marnie’s legs was carefully set with fine china and real silver.
“This looks lovely, Alice.”
“When you’re feeling poorly, it helps to have a touch of pretty to make you feel better,” Alice said as she took the napkin from the tray and spread it over Marnie’s pajamas. When she removed the silver dome covering the plate, the aroma caused Marnie’s stomach to growl in anticipation.
“Mm. This is delicious,” she said after the first forkful.
“Yes, Cook knows just how you like ‘em.”
Then she knows more than I do, Marnie thought.
Alice sat in the chair next to the bed.
“You’re doing a lot better. If you don’t think you’ll need me during the night, I’d like to go home and sleep in my own bed.”
Marnie stopped, fork mid-air, and stared at her.
“If you think you’ll need me, I’ll stay,” the older woman said as she hopped to her feet and smoothed the sheet covering Marnie.
“Alice, no. It’s just that I never thought about where you were sleeping.”
“I’ve been catching a few minutes shut-eye here and there in the rooms up on the top floor that the live-in help used in the old days. I can stay tonight,” she said determinedly. “You might need me.”
“No, Alice. You go on home. I’ve gotten up a couple of times by myself today, and I made it just fine. You go on home for the night.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
As Marnie finished the last few bites, Alice spoke again.
“Dr. Means said you can’t remember what happened to you, where you’ve been and all.”
Marnie leaned back and settled into the pillows.
“No, I can’t. In fact, I can’t remember anything at all.”
“Isn’t that something? Wonder why?”
“I don’t know. The doctor said I’ll probably remember in time, but it’s possible I might never regain my memory.”
“He’s having dinner downstairs with Mr. David and Miss Ruth. They’re all talking about what happened.”
“What are they saying?”
Alice looked evasively around the room and twisted the hem of her apron. “I didn’t stay. I don’t listen in on conversations in the house.”
“I didn’t mean that, Alice. I just thought you might have heard him say more than he told me about what might have caused my amnesia.”
“Well,” she said as she smoothed her apron flat again, “he said it was most likely a shock of some kind, but that you looked right run down—that’s what he said, ‘run down’—and was really sick, not pretending.”
“Not pretending to be sick or not pretending to have amnesia?”
“Not pretending to be sick. You’re really sick.”
“But I’m pretending to have amnesia?”
Alice shrugged her shoulders. “That’s what they’re talking about.”
“I’m not pretending. I didn’t even know my name until you called me Marnie.”
“Land sakes,” Alice said, her eyes growing wide. “Isn’t that something?” She leaned forward in the chair. “You didn’t even know your name?”
“No, not even that.”
“How did you get here, home that is, if you didn’t know who you was?”
“I found a receipt in my coat pocket that had this address on it, so I walked.”
“Where did you walk from? Was it far?”
“The first thing I can remember is I was standing in a park. I started walking, passing stores and a café. I kept thinking I would remember at any minute who I was and where I belonged, but nothing came to me. When I found the receipt and saw the street sign, I just started walking until I got here.”
“That was a long walk from City Park to here.”
“Yes, and I couldn’t have gone any further. If you hadn’t come out of the house when you did, I probably would have passed out before I made it up the front steps.”
Marnie was so intent on telling Alice her story she didn’t hear the footsteps in the hall and was startled by the deep, masculine voice.
“Alice, would you leave us, please?”
“Yes, sir.” She rose from the chair and picked up the tray that bridged Marnie’s lap. “I’ll just take this