When his mind discovered it, his heart sunk in despair. Her name was Collins. Her mother’s name was Carson. Which meant she had a husband.
“Of course she has a husband! Probably some damned fool who remains in London, bitter that his wife is not the mindless trinket he thought.”
Jacko sighed. Vic would know about the fellow. He hoped he was wrong about a husband. She might have simply refused to take her stepfather’s name, but Carson did not seem like a man who would allow such an insult. No, Alice Collins was married, and unhappily so, or she would not have made her desire so apparent.
But had she? She’d touched his arm on occasion, and sat near him when they needed to share the cutting board, but neither were sure signs of flirtation. More likely, they were only practical necessities. She may have felt faint when she rested her hand on his, when she had leaned into him before he bolted onto the carriage.
He smiled when he opened the basket, finding enough sandwiches to feed seven men. He needed to know about her husband. She was a very fine woman. He wanted to make sure she had a fellow who deserved her.
Chapter 5
Alice watched the carriage pull away. She waited to see if Jacko would turn for one last glance. He did not.
She replayed the last minutes of their conversation. What had she done to frighten him off? They had been getting along so well, as if they had known each other all their lives. And the sparks. Dear God, her body had never felt so alive and hungry.
Why had he bolted?
Was it because she said that sometimes females liked to lead?
She sighed in disappointment. He seemed so confident and strong. She had not imagined the idea of a woman leading would frighten him off. Well, better she discovered his failing now before she fell in love with the deliciously handsome and brave fellow.
She stared down the long empty drive. He had been so close to perfect. Why did he have to fear strong women? He should want an emboldened partner with a sense of humor. Who else would bring out his rich baritone laugh?
She returned indoors and hurried upstairs. Peeking in the guest bedroom, she smiled at the sight of her mother sleeping‒probably the first decent sleep she’d had in two months. Alice closed the door and returned downstairs.
She caught her butler yawning as he walked through the entry hall, unaware she stood on the steps.
“Thomas, go to bed. The house will manage without you for eight hours.”
He looked up, his eyes rounded in horror. “I daresay it will not.”
She continued downstairs. “Well, who cares? Let it fall apart for a day.”
Her butler sniffed. “You say that now, but later it will be ‘Thomas, where is the mail?’ ‘Thomas, why is the house full of dust?’ ‘Thomas, why is there no dinner?’”
Alice laughed at such foolishness. “I must object! I have never asked you anything of the sort.”
Nailing her with his steeliest glare, he arched his right eyebrow. “You have never asked me for the mail?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, yes, that I have. But no complaint of dust or fear of starvation has ever crossed my lips.”
“Because I am always here, ensuring the house is dusted and the meals are prepared!”
She gripped his arm before it could fly about in one of his fits of agitation. “You have trained the staff very well. Karen and Amy will continue to dust and May will continue to cook, even while you secure a few hours of much needed sleep.”
Thomas sighed. “Will you likewise take a few hours of much needed sleep?”
She wanted to explain she was too agitated to rest, but honestly, Thomas seemed more riled than she was, so that excuse wouldn’t help her cause. “Yes, I will.”
“Good, how many hours are you planning to take?”
“What does that matter?”
“Because I must take one less than you, so your mail will be found and placed upon the desk before you arise.”
Alice shook her head at his craftiness. She now suspected his yawn had been intentional just to trigger this negotiation. “If I sleep until two, do I have your word you will sleep until one?”
He glared at her. “Do I have your word you will truly sleep until two?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will sleep until one. However, be warned now, that I will order the servants to wake me if you are seen up before then.”
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Tyrant.”
He smiled. “Only when I must. I know you all too well. Once you get beyond tired, you resist sleeping. And don’t say otherwise. I’ve a whole lifetime of experience with this particular problem.”
Alice returned upstairs and went to her room. She had resisted sleeping before she moved to Litchfield, but given what happened on nights when Mr. Carson chose not to go out, she had good reason to wish to be anywhere other than her bed. However, Thomas did not know why she used to stubbornly insist she wasn’t tired. He knew of her beatings, but he never knew the worst of her abuse.
She locked her bedroom door and changed into her sleeping garment, a flannel, shapeless gown that covered her from neck to toes. She chose it for Mr. Carson. It disgusted him to such a degree, that sometimes he would leave without touching her at all. Other times he would beat her, but even the whippet was preferable to him pushing inside her, gasping in her face, his foul breath suffocating her with its poison.
“That is the past. I am in control now. I am in control,” she softly chanted as she rocked herself for comfort. She was strong. She remained in charge of her life, her home and Litchfield Estate. No one would ever take that from her again. Any man in her future would have to respect and admire her as she was, because she would never go back to her prior self.
Her heart twisted in pain as she recalled Jacko’s abrupt departure. Why could he not have been different? Why did he not want a strong woman? He was the first man who had ever stirred her desire.
Until today, she believed Mr. Carson had turned her permanently frigid. She thought it was just another part of her life he had stolen from her. But within minutes of meeting Jacko, she longed to touch his silky locks, and those muscular arms. His sultry, dark eyes filled with such humor and playfulness. They were pools of black water that beckoned her closer with a promise of delights unknown.
“Stop it!” she snapped. “He doesn’t want you. Just forget him.” She tossed back the covers, threw herself into bed, and glared at the ceiling.
How could she forget him? He was everywhere in her head. His musky smell, his baritone laughter, his playful words. He left no sense untouched.
“Oh, Victor, why could you not have brought Mother home instead? Would that I had never met the man!”
***
When Jacko arrived at Thorn’s office, Davy was out front, muttering beneath his breath while he readied a rented carriage. The poor man was so out of sorts, he barely managed to smile at the sight of Marybell leading their parade.
Davy quickly led his exhausted mare to her barn, apologizing to MaryBell for her hard night.
Jacko remained outside. Few criminals would be foolish enough to steal Xavier Thorn’s carriage. However, a rented one, left unattended, was a beacon for trouble.
Davy returned and glared at the rental carriage. “If you’d returned earlier, I wouldn’t have rented this piece of garbage.”
Jacko had never seen Davy so ill-tempered in all the years he had known him. “Marybell needed a rest. I tried to leave her, but she wouldn’t have it.”
Davy ran his large hand through his hair and then resettled the grey wool cap he always wore. “Glad you realized that. Xavier once left her in a gentleman’s barn. She broke out and tried to come home on her own, ‘cept some damn fool grabbed her. Didn’t take us long to locate her. We followed the path she would have taken home, with me whistling. I could hear her screaming a block away from the stables of Burn’s livery. They swore they didn’t know she belonged to anyone, but Xavier still put the fear of God in them. That’s why
we get cheap rates for renting carriages from them, but honestly, they should pay me to accept this old hag. I had to feed and water her, then give her a brushing. And the carriage is a pig sty.”
Jacko placed his hand on Davy’s back. “Sounds like the day’s already set against you.”
“You don’t know the half of it. Thank God, you returned in time. Vic intends to check out Wapping Basin ‘while the criminals sleep’.”
Jacko laughed at the absurdity to think Wapping Basin was ever safe. “Let me try to talk him out of it.” He had more than enough to do without worrying about the pup.
His searches yesterday afternoon and evening had proved fruitless. However, he still hoped the handsome reward he offered for information on the whereabouts of a one-eyed beggar might bear fruit. As word spread that he’d pay up to ten thousand pounds, he was certain to get information. Most would be false leads, but he hoped for one diamond among the coal.
When the pup refused to promise to stay in the carriage, he resigned himself to going with her. He had yet to tell Vic that Xavier was missing, but if she knew that, she’d be tearing apart London, and he needed sleep first.
Jacko entered the carriage, laid across a seat and draped his arm across his eyes. He fell asleep, but only for a second. Then he heard Vic’s angry voice outside the carriage.
“Davy, can you make Jacko go inside?”
“You don’t listen to me. Why should Jacko listen to me?
Evidently, Davy had lost his patience with the pup, for a moment later the carriage moved forward.
Jacko could hear Vic’s breathy curses as she ran alongside the carriage, finally catching the door and jumping in. Not surprisingly, the pup arrived out of sorts. Having no wish to be her next target, Jacko snored softly, hoping sleeping men would be left alone.
He woke when the carriage came to a halt and a street boy entered to give his report. Once done, Vic sent Barnacle back to his post and leaned out the door. “Davy, stop by Scotland Yard before we go to the docks.”
Jacko spoke at once. “Why?”
“I want to make certain Inspector Stone let poor Xavier out of jail.” She then laughed.
No doubt the pup imagined Xavier in jail, unwilling to break his disguise and declare who he was. Vic wouldn’t be laughing when she learned the truth.
When Davy pulled up at Scotland Yard, he gave Vic a lecture. “Do not admit to being out last night. Just ask about Xavier and leave.”
Vic sighed. “Yes, your grumpiness. Oh, but on the good news, we don’t have to check out the Beddingsome Club anymore.”
Davy sighed in relief. “Thank you, God!”
With his eyes still closed, Jacko spoke up. “Might want to hold off on the thanks to God, just yet.”
He could feel Vic’s glare on him again. “You are supposed to be sleeping. I need you rested tonight!” Her voice then softened in tone and volume. “I shouldn’t be long, but with Inspector Stone, you never know.”
***
A half-hour later, Jacko woke when Vic climbed in the carriage and kicked his leg with a sharp pointed boot. “Wake up, damn you.”
Jacko sat up. Upon seeing the fury in Vic’s face, he knew he had waited too long to mention Xavier’s disappearance. “Stone told you he’s missing.”
“You knew that?” Vic kicked at him again, but this time Jacko moved so the boot only marred his pants with mud.
“What good are you? First, you let poor Mrs. Carson get killed because you rescued the wrong woman, and now I discover you knew Xavier was missing and never mentioned it. Right now, I’m wondering how you ever managed to get Lady Anne safely to France last year.”
He had endured the kicks. He understood Vic’s anger about Xavier, but she went too far throwing Lady Anne in his face and blaming him for Mrs. Carson’s death‒and how the hell did the woman die? He had left her safe with her daughter just five hours ago.
Evidently, the pup realized she had stepped over the line. “I’m sorry about the Lady Anne comment,” she muttered.
“You are not forgiven. If not for my friendship to Xavier, I’d leave this carriage now and let you die from your own arrogance.”
“My arrogance? What about yours? You said you could save Mrs. Carson and now she is dead.”
“Well, she was alive when I delivered her into the arms of her daughter. Then I hurried back to continue my search of Xavier.” Jacko frowned. Something was off. If someone had killed Mrs. Carson after he left, how could Scotland Yard possibly know about it already?
Vic blinked in confusion. “Alice saw the woman you delivered?”
“Saw, kissed and hugged. Then, Mrs. Carson told me to contact her if I should ever need her help and to get a haircut.” His anger softened as he remembered Alice’s response. “Her daughter objected, stating a preference to my locks.”
Vic leaned back in his seat and sighed in relief. “Then the woman wasn’t Mrs. Carson.”
“What woman?” he snapped still angry about her verbal and physical attacks.
“Mr. Carson sent someone inside to kill his wife shortly after you stole her away. The assassin must have killed another woman who resembled her.”
Jacko still wasn’t following the pup’s logic. Xavier warned him Vic had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions without bothering the facts in between. “What makes you think the woman didn’t die by accident during the riot?”
“Because Mr. Carson identified the body and declared it to be his wife and Inspector Stone says she was murdered.” Vic sighed and looked up at Jacko. “He believes the riot was set in motion to distract the guards so the murder could take place.”
Jacko’s expression darkened further. “You didn’t tell him—”
“Tell him? And get myself interrogated again? Not a chance! Besides, he lied to me and told me Xavier was fine and now I discover you knew Xavier was missing? Does Davy know as well? Am I the only one sitting in the dark?”
Jacko sighed. “I found out yesterday. I knew saving Mrs. Carson was important, so I wanted to rescue the lady before letting you know about Xavier. I wasn’t certain how well you would function once you knew.”
Vic glared at him for his last statement.
His temper flared from lack of sleep and the sharp pain in his leg. “You said saving Mrs. Carson was critical, so I withheld news capable of knocking you off your game. I won’t apologize for it.”
“But we lost a whole day!”
“No, we didn’t. I spent the day sending out whispers of a large reward for information about the one-eyed beggar man.”
The rage left Vic’s eyes. “Did you discover anything?”
Jacko gave up his anger, as well. He was too damn tired to stay mad at the well-meaning pup. “Not yet. These types of things take time to float about. Now are you still interested in saving these girls, or shall we focus on your boss?”
Vic frowned. “Do we have any information at all to help us search for Xavier?”
Jacko shook his head. “All Stone would tell me is that he disappeared after he left you.”
“Well, that’s more than he told me,” she muttered.
“He’s afraid you’ll get yourself killed searching for him.”
Vic glared at Jacko. “He said that?”
Jacko nodded. He had no reason to protect Stone from the pup’s wrath, but he’d give it a try. “He has a great respect for your abilities. However, he thinks the person or persons Xavier pursued are more than you could handle.”
The compliment thrown in the explanation missed its mark. Vic’s agitation only grew. “Besides trying to keep me on the bench, are they doing anything to find him?”
“They have mounted a most impressive manhunt. In fact, the London docks have probably never been less deadly than just now. I expect one out of three men we see will be a Queen’s Man or Royal Rifle searching for Xavier.”
His statement caused Vic’s clenched fist to relax for a moment but then his hands pressed to his heart. “And yet, they can find not
hing?”
“Not yet. However, on the positive side, he remains alive.”
Vic jumped on his statement. “How do we know that?”
“Believe me, if he were dead, the culprit would have dumped his body somewhere in the open. The Royal Rifles are systematically searching every building in the London Docks and disrupting the smooth flow of criminal activities. No one wants this search to continue.” Jacko refrained from mentioning the possibility that they had dumped the body in the Thames before the Rifles arrived and began their searching.
Vic breathed out and rubbed his face with his hands. “Then until we have information, let’s stay focused on Mr. Robinson’s maids.”
The pup’s answer surprised and impressed him. Beneath all her eccentricities and rampant emotions, she possessed the same rational logical brain as Xavier. “You are indeed a worthy partner for my friend.”
Chapter 6
When they turned on to Lower Thames, Jacko spoke. “You’ll soon notice a drop in traffic, both on foot and in carriage. And along with that a significant drop in your safety. There are men about, but you probably won’t see them until it’s too late.” He pulled both his pistols from the shoulder holsters.
Vic frowned and withdrew her pistol and stared out the window.
Jacko pointed to the left window. “See the man lurking in the corner of the dilapidated building? He’s completely mad and will kill anyone coming within twenty feet of his home. And he’s the safest fellow you’ll meet here. We’ll pass Ransom Alley soon.”
“Can we drive up it?”
God, the pup was a magnet for trouble. “No. It’s just a winding footpath between the buildings. However, if Jonston took the women to line his pockets, then he went to Dragon’s Cloud.” Vic strained to see down the alley, and sighed as they passed by it. “Any chance of getting Davy to go back and stop?”
He laughed. “Not a chance in hell.”
Vic glared at him. “You and Alice would make the perfect couple. You could just follow me around and laugh all day long.”
A Right to Love: Romantic Spinoff From The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 2.5 Page 6