A Madness So Discreet (27 page)

T
he wind whipped the pages in her hands as Grace stood on the west turret, the familiar handwriting of her sister no longer sending spikes of fear through her heart.

Dearest Fair Lily—

I worried that you would not know where to find me, but you are truly magic. Living with Aunt Beth is rather nice. I found a kitten in the garden, and she let me keep her. She has a saucer of milk each night and sleeps on my pillow. Aunt Beth says I can visit Mother on the seaside if I would like, but I think sand is itchy. She says that Father is gone and I will not see him, even at the beach. I am sad, but I pet my kitten at night and she purrs. I look for your letters and I know I am not alone.

Write Back—

Alice

P.S.—My kitty's name is Grace.

Grace's mouth twisted into a sad kind of smile as she moved on to Falsteed's letter.

Dearest Grace—

You'll see by the enclosure that your sister is in the best of care, and that you are remembered. It may not surprise you to learn that I have a new neighbor here in the darkness. He had words with Heedson and your name came up, earning him a spot among the forgotten. I do not regret to inform you that he has a certain smell about him, one that my nose treasures above all others. I haven't told him yet, as he seems to be under some stress. Someday I'd love to see your shining face again, and learn how this gift was delivered to me.

Yours—

Falsteed

“Grace!” The trapdoor flew upward, Thornhollow emerging from the stairwell. “I thought I might find you up here,” he said, catching his breath. “Janey was half-frantic searching the grounds for you, when I remembered that you'd never returned the turret key to me.”

“You never asked for it,” Grace said.

“Good news?” he asked, gesturing toward the pages in her hand.

“Yes.” She smiled. “All.”

“Excellent!” He smacked his hands together. “Now, I'll have to tear you away from happiness and this stunning view to come to a murder with me.”

“Of course,” Grace said, folding her letters. “Give me one moment?”

“A moment only,” he said as he descended the stairs, his voice floating in his wake. “There's fresh blood spilling, Grace. And we must see which way it flows!”

Grace shook her head at his words, glancing down as she put the folded letters in her pocket to see a note scratched on the back of Falsteed's.

One more word, if I may. The original meaning of the word asylum is, in fact, “protection.” I hope you have found it to be so in your bright surroundings, as I have found my own niche here in the dark.

Grace leaned against the railing, her gaze taking in the rolling grounds, Elizabeth's silhouette by the lake, Thornhollow's carriage rolling to a stop in the roundabout, and Nell's empty chair beside her.

“Indeed I have,” she said, her scars flashing brightly in the sun. “I am Grace Mae, and I have come home.”

The history of insane asylum medicine is not pretty. Even the well-intentioned sometimes caused great harm through ignorance, and in the worst cases, harm was caused for the sake of harm.

That being said, if a person was unfortunate enough to be declared insane in the 1800s, there were plenty of institutions that treated their patients with respect. The Athens Lunatic Asylum in southeast Ohio was one such place and is the basis for the asylum where Grace and Thornhollow live.

This asylum—popularly called the Ridges—gets a lot of unwanted attention for its supposedly paranormal aspects and not enough credit for its original intentions. Now it is owned by Ohio University and used as both art gallery and office space. You can visit the asylum today and see the original woodwork, staircases, and mosaic floors by touring the Kennedy Museum of Art, located in Lin Hall.

Although the patient wards are off limits to the public due to the major renovations necessary to keep the building safe, a walking tour of the outside of the asylum is sometimes offered through the Athens County Historical Society. You can visit their site at www.athenshistory.org for more information. If you're interested in learning more about the asylum Grace calls home, definitely check out
Asylum on the Hill: History of a Healing Landscape
by Katherine Ziff.

Like so many things, truth can be stranger than fiction. Nell's alligator was indeed quite real, although I adjusted his time period a bit. You can see pictures of the affectionately named Jim Crocky at http://media.library.ohiou.edu/cdm/ref/collection/archives/id/867.

Bringing this novel together took me to some dark places emotionally, mentally, and even physically. There were a lot of people who followed me there—sometimes in all three ways.

First, thanks needs to go to my acquiring editor, Sarah Shumway, who saw the potential in a dark piece and encouraged me to go with my gut. On the heels of that, I need to thank my new editor, Ben Rosenthal, who dove right into my darkness without flinching. I also must thank my amazing agent, Adriann Ranta, who had the experience of fielding an unscheduled phone call from me for the first time on this one. I believe she's still recovering.

Everything I produce goes through practiced authors before I put it before anyone else. For this one, I owe R. C. Lewis, Kate Karyus Quinn, Lydia Kang, Megan Shepherd, and Demitria Lunetta, who all responded to a somewhat panicked and time-sensitive email from me, complete with a weighty attachment.

Lastly, I need to thank people who spend time with me in real life, and sometimes suffer for it. First to my college pals, Amanda, Mel, Erin, and Debbie, who listened to a rambling diatribe about lobotomies on our way to see the Royal Shakespeare Company. I also need to include the people who deal with me on a daily basis—whether it's a good day or a bad one.

And finally, thanks to my family and boyfriend, who understand that a writing cave is a solitary place and love me anyway.

Photo credit www.amyparrishfineart.com

MINDY MCGINNIS
is the author of
Not a Drop to Drink
and
In a Handful of Dust
and is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English literature and religion. Mindy has visited historic insane asylums, but they let her leave. You can visit her online at
www.mindymcginnis.com
.

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In a Handful of Dust

Not a Drop to Drink

A Madness So Discreet