[Hope Chest 01.0] Mesmerist

by Pam McCutcheon

  “It’s all right,” Gina said bracingly. “Wouldn’t your mothers want you to help Mr. Manton with his lectures?”

  The girls exchanged doubtful looks as Drake watched in amusement. They didn’t know it yet, but they were doomed. Once Gina had the bit in her teeth, there was no stopping her.

  “I’m not sure . . .” Chloe said.

  Gina turned to her, obviously sensing a weakening. “Think how thrilled your mother will be when you tell her that you helped him with the demonstration. “ She let that sink in a moment as Chloe wrestled with the idea. “And Mr. Manton might even be able to help you. Let’s see, you said you want to be a famous hostess some day, is that right?”

  “Yes,” Chloe said eagerly, and Drake knew she was hooked. “Just like Mrs. Drummond back home. She has the most wonderful literary salons. Everyone is just dying for an invitation to them. I want to be just like her.”

  “And what does your mother say about that?” Gina asked gently.

  Chloe’s enthusiasm faded. “She thinks I’m too silly,” she said in a small voice. “I—I giggle when I’m nervous.”

  “Well,” Gina said, shooting a triumphant glance at Drake. “I think Mr. Manton can help you with that. Can’t you?”

  “Yes, I believe I can.” How odd. The resourceful Gina had not only managed to unerringly pinpoint Chloe’s most pressing need, but it was an area he could help with as well.

  Gina assisted Chloe to the chair at center stage, and Drake reassured the nervous young lady with a smile. “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit.” And he might even be able to help her develop a bit of confidence as well.

  Unaccustomed to having an audience when he worked, Drake was unsure how to proceed. Finally, he decided he would just have to ignore the others on the stage. Facing the seated Chloe, he said, “Now, this is a very simple—”

  “Wait,” Gina said. “You’ve got your back to the audience. They need to see both of you.” She rushed forward and adjusted their positions until she was satisfied, then nodded and moved away again.

  His concentration broken, Drake tried once again to ignore them and focused on Chloe. “As I was saying, this is a very simple procedure.” He explained that he was going to put her into a somnambulant state and make suggestions that would help her be more like Mrs. Drummond.

  Now eager to cooperate, Chloe nodded impatiently.

  Holding up his forefinger, Drake asked Chloe to concentrate on it.

  “Wait,” Gina cried, shattering the mood again. He glared at her. “What is it now?”

  “Don’t you have anything more dramatic to do this with, like a crystal or a spinning mirror?”

  Loath to break the rapport he had achieved with Chloe, he excused himself and drew Gina aside.

  Speaking in a low voice, he said, “I cannot work like this. Continuous interruptions do nothing but disturb the harmony I achieve with the patient.”

  “But I need to coach you on how to do it better.”

  “But you don’t need to do it while the session is in progress. Why don’t you just watch, then discuss my technique afterward?”

  Gina seemed annoyed at losing the upper hand, but said, “All right. But try to remember you have an audience to convince and act accordingly, okay?”

  He nodded, knowing she really was trying to help. He went back to Chloe and reestablished his rapport. He didn’t have any of the gewgaws Gina set such store by, but keeping her strictures in mind, he used a technique he had found useful before, waving his hands in a hypnotic pattern while keeping his gaze fixed intently on the subject.

  Gina murmured her approval and he spared one admonitory glance for her before finishing his instructions to Chloe. Chloe proved to be an excellent subject, quickly sinking into the desired state. He informed her that she had nothing to be nervous about, and had no desire to giggle, then paused. How could he imbue confidence in her while putting on the sort of show Gina wanted?

  Ah, he had it. Calling Gina and Letty over, he told Chloe that she was a poised and confident hostess, every bit as accomplished as Mrs. Drummond. To prove it, she would now host a literary soiree and treat everyone on the stage as her invited guests until he uttered the word “desist.”

  The change in Chloe was remarkable. She shed her nervous giggle and uncertainty, and immediately became confident and poised. Offering Gina her hand, she said, “How do you do, my dear? So glad you could come.”

  Turning to Letty, she said, “And you, Miss Biddle. So nice to see you.”

  Letty stammered and blushed, and Chloe patted her arm reassuringly, apparently emulating the dowager she admired. “Now, now, dear. No need for shyness. We’re all friends here, aren’t we? Do come in and meet the others.”

  Then, turning to Drake himself, she said, “And of course, Mr. Manton. Our honored guest.” She linked her arm through his and drew him in to the “soiree” with an arch look. “My, you will be popular with the ladies. Come, let me introduce you.”

  Bemused by the success of his suggestion, Drake allowed her to draw him in and introduce him to Gina and Letty. Then, spying Scruffy next to Gina, Chloe said, “And who is this gentleman?”

  Letty stifled a giggle, but Gina, game as always, hesitated for only a moment before saying with a grin, “This is my . . . cousin, Sir Reginald Scruffington the Third. He’s . . . visiting.”

  “How charming,” Chloe exclaimed when Scruffy shook hands with her. “And how are you enjoying our fair city?”

  Apparently realizing she was addressing him, Scruffy barked a sharp retort.

  Chloe appeared somewhat taken aback, but retained the aplomb of a premier hostess. “I see,” she murmured.

  Letty broke into giggles, and, feeling the demonstration had gone on long enough, Drake halted it by saying, “Desist.” Before he brought Chloe entirely out of the mesmeric state, he said, “When I snap my fingers, you will come out of the trance and remember everything that has happened while you were under. Ready?”

  He snapped his fingers and Chloe blinked, then raised trembling fingers to her lips. “Oh, my. Was that me?”

  “It was indeed,” Drake confirmed with a smile. It was always gratifying when he could help his patients.

  “Does that mean I can do that from now on?” Chloe asked.

  “Not yet,” Drake admitted. “But the more sessions you have, and the more you believe you can do it, the better you will get.”

  Her beaming smile was his reward. It did his soul good to be able to help a young woman who reminded him so much of the happy child Charlotte had once been.

  Chloe’s expression turned puzzled. “But who was the small dark gentleman with the horrible cough?”

  Letty giggled and pointed to Scruffy. “Him. Sir Reginald Scruffington.”

  “That’s Sir Reginald Scruffington the Third,” Drake reminded her, and the girls went into peals of laughter.

  “Oh, my,” Chloe exclaimed with admiration in her tone. “You did tell me to regard everyone on the stage as a guest. But if I could see a little dog as a man, you are a true mesmerist.”

  Buoyed by his success, Drake glanced at Gina who had been strangely silent during all of this.

  “Chloe’s right,” she said. “See, all you have to do is give the audience a little demonstration, make it fun and maybe jazz it up a bit more, and you’ll have them convinced.”

  So she was still on that road, was she? “I don’t know. One small success—”

  “Oh, yes,” Letty exclaimed. “My turn, now?”

  Giving him an I-told-you-so look, Gina smirked and said, “Yes, I think it is.”

  Drake frowned. “Miss Harrington was easy, since we knew what she wanted. But Miss Biddle . . .”

  “Oh, but what Letty wants is obvious, too.”

  “What’s that?” Drake asked, and Letty appeared to be wondering the same thing.

  “Letty wants to be able to stand up to her mother and to finish a sentence without blushing. Isn’t that right, Letty?”

 
; The girl naturally colored at that, but said, “Oh, yes. If you could—”

  Yes, he rather thought he could. Unable to turn down the opportunity to help another young woman and fulfill his promise to Charlotte, Drake agreed and Letty beamed.

  She succumbed as easily as Chloe, and he led her through a confrontation with her mother, Gina acting as a totally convincing Mrs. Biddle. Under mesmeric control, Letty managed to assert herself without being rude or disrespectful and acquitted herself admirably. Even Gina seemed struck by her success.

  When he brought Letty out of the trance and enjoined her to remember the experience, she immediately blushed, bringing both hands to her flaming cheeks. “Oh, did I do that?” she breathed.

  “Yes, you did,” Gina confirmed. “And good for you!”

  Letty turned back to Drake. “And if I have more sessions—Then I can—Mama—”

  “Indeed you can,” Drake said with a smile.

  “So,” Gina said briskly, “we have two excellent candidates for the demonstration in your lectures. Which one shall we use?”

  Letty and Chloe exchanged glances. Both obviously wanted the chance, but their upbringing wouldn’t allow them to say so.

  He knew he was going to hate himself for saying this, but, flush with his success, Drake blurted it out anyway. “Why not both? It would be more convincing with two subjects.”

  The girls beamed and exchanged joyous glances. Even Gina said, “Good idea.”

  “If their mothers approve, of course,” he added. Their faces fell.

  “I don’t know. . . .” Chloe said.

  Letty concurred. “Mama won’t—”

  “Sure they will,” Gina said bracingly. “All you have to do, Letty, is tell your mama that if you don’t, then Chloe will, and she’ll get all Mr. Manton’s time and attention.”

  A ray of hope appeared in the clouds on Letty’s face.

  “And you do the same, Chloe,” Gina admonished. “That ought to do the trick.”

  Chloe giggled. “Yes, it should. Come on, Letty. Let’s go ask.”

  Excited by the idea, they hurried off, leaving Gina and Drake alone together.

  “Well,” Gina said. “I’m impressed. You really were able to help them.”

  “Thank you. So is it your turn now?” Perhaps once he had her under his control, he could finally discern why she was so eager to get him to leave the resort.

  She grinned. “Not a chance. Besides, in their excitement, I guess they forgot they were supposed to chaperone us.”

  He glanced at the dog, resting patiently with his head on his front feet. “Well, there’s always Sir Reginald.”

  He won a smile from her, but it was short-lived. “I don’t think the Major would consider him sufficient chaperonage.”

  “Perhaps not.” Taking a leaf from Gina’s book, he moved closer until the magnetic fields of their bodies intersected, eliciting a vibrating tension so intense he could feel it.

  Ah, heady stuff. As Gina swayed toward him, he stroked her cheek and said softly, “You know, we wouldn’t need chaperones if you would just agree to marry me.”

  She turned bright red and averted her gaze, just as he’d expected. “You know I can’t,” she said, pulling away. “And we’re not supposed to be alone like this. I’d better go.”

  “All right, but one more thing,” he said softly.

  “What’s that?” she asked with an apprehensive glance.

  “You were right—about the demonstration I mean. Before, I don’t think either girl believed in the benefits of mesmerism at all. Now they both do.”

  She smiled. “Now maybe you can admit that I might be right about the rest?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” he drawled.

  She laughed, evidently relieved at the change of subject. “Well, I have to admit I was surprised as well. You did an excellent job of helping those two through their fears.”

  “Thank you. But you give me too much credit. The only reason I was so successful is because you helped me see what they needed in the first place.”

  Gina fairly glowed with his praise. Calling Scruffy to her, she turned to leave, saying, “I’d better go now.”

  He nodded, but couldn’t resist calling after her, “All right, but this just proves it.”

  She turned back for a moment. “Proves what?”

  “That we make a great team.”

  Gina just shook her head at that sally and was off and running once again. Drake grinned. He was going to have to help her with that habit. Someday, she’d never feel the need to run from him again.

  Chapter 9

  Drake peered through the curtain from backstage, assessing the crowd that had come to hear his second lecture. If they had attended the first one, they were in for quite a surprise. Over the past month, he had found himself incorporating many of Gina’s suggestions. He’d made only one little change at a time, but once she was through with him, the new lecture no longer resembled his original one in any way.

  It was now far more showy than he had ever anticipated, but after seeing Chloe and Letty’s reactions, he had decided it was necessary to have a little “jazz” as Gina called it. He had felt a little self-conscious and silly at first, but the more he tried her suggestions, the more they seemed to work.

  And from somewhere within himself, he found he even enjoyed the theatricality. Besides, he couldn’t deny the benefits. Already, Chloe and Letty’s mothers seemed a little disconcerted by their daughters’ newfound confidence.

  The girls themselves, on the other hand, were his best advertisement. Word of mouth, Gina called it. They had spread news of his talents far and wide throughout the resort and the results were plainly visible—every seat in the small theater was filled.

  “Isn’t it great?” Gina asked from behind him. “Standing room only.”

  Drake nodded. Granted, his lecture was far more interesting now, but was it effective? Would he be able to draw the sort of patients who could use his help?

  “Are you nervous?” she asked.

  “No.” Not in the way she meant. He knew it all backward and forward—he just wasn’t sure it would do any good.

  “I’ll just warm them up, then, okay?”

  “All right.” This was one of the parts he wasn’t so sure about. Gina had explained the necessity of “warming up” an audience, and though he had bowed to her greater knowledge, he wasn’t certain it was quite . . . proper.

  Oh, there was nothing improper about her act, but somehow it didn’t seem dignified to follow a performing dog. At least he had convinced Gina she must wear the bright blue dress instead of the spangled circus costume she had wanted to wear.

  As Gina entered the stage, Scruffy at her heels, the audience quieted. Smiling, Gina said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my distinct pleasure—”

  She broke off as Scruffy, on cue, tugged at her hem with his teeth. She glanced down at him and pretended to shoo him away. “As I was saying—” But Scruffy interrupted her again, tugging even harder.

  There were a few titters of laughter and Gina glared down at Scruffy in mock exasperation. “What’s the matter?”

  Scruffy answered with a sharp bark which generated more laughter.

  “I see,” Gina said, glancing toward the wings. “He’s not quite ready yet. Is that what you were trying to tell me?”

  Scruffy’s head bobbed up and down.

  “Well, then,” Gina said. “I guess we’ll just have to keep them entertained for a few moments. Would you like to show them a few tricks?”

  When Scruffy signaled his agreement, the audience applauded and Gina put him through his paces. To the uneducated eye, it appeared Gina was showing off Scruffy’s wide range of talents, but Drake knew the real demonstration was Gina’s skill as a trainer. She made it look effortless, but he knew how much time she had spent making her hand signals unobtrusive yet still visible to the smart little dog, and how much time she had spent practicing to get it just right.

  About f
ifteen minutes later, Scruffy stopped what he was doing and looked toward Drake, uttering a sharp bark.

  “Oh, is he finally ready?” she asked, making a show of looking relieved.

  Again, Scruffy nodded and the audience laughed. “Well, that concludes our little entertainment then.”

  The crowd gave her a big round of applause and once they quieted, Gina gave a sweeping arm gesture and cried, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce Drake Manton, Mesmerist Extraordinaire!”

  She grinned at him as she left the stage and enthusiastic applause greeted his arrival. Well, it seemed she was right once more. Now he knew what she meant by “warming up” the audience. Scruffy’s tricks had certainly made them receptive.

  Eschewing the lectern, he gave a brief explanation of what he was about to do, then called Chloe from the wings. Using slow, hypnotic passes of his hands, he put her under, then demonstrated how very suggestible she was in this state. She was unable to “see” someone standing right in front of her, greeted Scruffy as her long-lost brother, and drank vinegar with every evidence of pleasure, believing it to be lemonade.

  He did the same sort of thing with Letty, and was gratified to see no sign of boredom in this audience. Instead, they appeared to be hanging on his every word. Quite different from his first lecture.

  But once he had brought Letty out of her trance and excused the girls and the dog, a man yelled from the audience, “Ah, it’s all hooey. You trained them girls to do that, just like the lady trained that dog.”

  From his rough dress, the man who accused him appeared to be one of the townspeople who had come to attend the lecture. Surrounded by his friends, he obviously felt brave enough to challenge Drake.

  Drake had anticipated this accusation, and so had Gina. Maintaining his aplomb and ignoring the doubtful expressions of the audience, Drake said, “Though these two young ladies have certainly been cooperative, I assure you everything they did was under the influence of a mesmeric trance. I did not train them to do anything.”