The Darkest Days (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 6)

by Liza O'Connor

  “I doubt Elwood will ever marry now. He adored Daisy,” Alice said.

  Vic leaned forward. “A girl like Nora has no concept of true love. She believed she could seduce any man with her comely body and that was love.”

  Xavier cleared his throat to return attention to him. “So with the help of her brother, they knocked Elwood unconscious and took him to the cabin the boy had been staying at when not acting as a courier between Sean and the team. She foolishly ordered her brother to deliver the message Elwood had been given.”

  Vic added, “This is Nora’s fourth major mistake.”

  Xavier’s eyes widened. “Is that why you shot her in the leg, for gross incompetence?”

  It wasn’t, but she had no intention of sharing her true reason. Even Tubs had thought her silly when she’d shared the truth.

  Vic stood up. “And then she kills Ott after he’s told Xavier everything, placing the blood soaked robe in the kitchen help’s room, another mistake, since now we just needed to find who had reason to be mad at Thomas and Jenna. I already had collected the information and thus, we knew it was Nora.” Vic paused and frowned. “By the way, there was a bowl of milk on the floor in the cabin, so you might be able to save the kitten if someone gets there before a fox does.”

  Pete smiled. “I got it and gave it back to Jenna. And she kissed me on my cheek.” He pointed to his dimple on the right side.

  Jacko was so proud of his eldest son. His true mother may have been heartless, but her sister Maggie, whom the boy believed to be his mother, raised him well enough that he didn’t break, not even when Maggie was murdered.

  “Then the case is solved. The kitten was rescued and saved. We can go home,” Xavier declared.

  “So you don’t think we need to know about Barns being poisoned by Mrs. Hanson?” Alice asked.

  “Not really,” Xavier stated. “I would have mentioned it if she were still here, but Stone took her away, so you’ll need to find a new housekeeper, perhaps not from London.”

  He stood. “Everyone wishing to return to the city, go pack your items and be in the carriages within one hour.” He then glanced at Cannon and Arroo seated at Vic’s feet. “Not sure why you brought them, but find their nanny and get them in the carriage.”

  “They helped find the murder weapons and cloak,” Vic snapped. “And if you are mad at me, then take it out on me, not the pups.”

  Jacko whispered to Alice. “Grab the one least likely to bite and let’s remove the pups from the room before they are scarred for life.”

  Alice grabbed Arroo, leaving Jacko to snare the growling Cannon. “Pete, come on.”

  Davy, Casey, and Tubs wasted no time in following them. Soon Xavier and Vic were the only ones in the room, both angry, but neither willing to start the fight.

  Chapter 15

  After eyeing each other for several minutes, Xavier sat back down and massaged his temples.

  “Do you have a headache?” Vic asked.

  “No, I have a partner who I evidently don’t know as well as I thought.”

  She sat next to him. “That’s not true.” His words hurt enough to force an explanation. “I didn’t know about Tubs’ brother until today. And we had already set an agreement that he wouldn’t help his brother out of any future trouble without coming clean to you first.”

  Xavier sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “Then you had no intention of ever telling me about Tubs’ brother. You place your loyalties to him over me?”

  She stared at him in shock, now understanding why he was so angry and hurt. “No!” She left her chair and knelt before him, placing her hand upon his knees. “Please don’t take it like that.”

  He laid his head back, his eyes remaining closed. “The facts are rather simple, Vic. You kept a vital secret from me.”

  “I didn’t think it was a vital secret. I saw it as Tubs’ secret of shame from his past. And as long as it stayed in the past, it wasn’t my secret to share.”

  “I take issue with your claim as well, but let’s pursue the matter. When Stone declared Tubs the mastermind, you knew…knew precisely who S. Tubs was, yet said nothing.”

  “Stone’s evidence was ridiculous. I wasn’t about to betray Tubs’ secret when it wasn’t needed to prove Stone wrong.” She leaned into his legs. “Xavier, it wasn’t my secret to share. Once the connection became relevant, I intended to encourage Tubs to tell you, only he did on his own.”

  “True. Tubs did not disappoint me,” Xavier agreed.

  “But you believe I did,” she softly stated as she fought back the tears welling from her pain. This was worse than their occasional fights…far worse.

  “There is no question. We had an agreement: no secrets between us.”

  “But it wasn’t my secret. It was Tubs’. Are you telling me that you have shared with me every secret that has been told to you? That I know all of what you and Stone discuss in private? And you’ve never withheld items in your past from me?”

  Finally, he opened his eyes. “I have failed to share certain items from the past, but they have no relevance to the present.”

  “And your conversations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs?” she challenged.

  “That is different. There will always be matters there that must remain unspoken.”

  “Not because you don’t trust me to keep a secret, but solely because they are not your secrets to share.”

  “Yes.”

  She sat back on her heels. “This was the same for me.”

  “The difference is Tubs works for me.”

  She almost reminded him that Tubs was her employee, not his, but decided it would only make him angrier, and she did not want to worsen matters. She wanted him to forgive her. “I told him before he saved his brother in the future, he would have to tell you his secret, and then you would decide what was to be done. So in my perspective, until that happened, this was Tubs’ personal secret.”

  She looked at him with wet blurry vision. “Please, can we not put this behind us?”

  “Not even an apology then?” he asked, hurt and betrayal screaming from his quiet words.

  “I am very sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention. And had Tubs not already shared his secret, I would beg him to do so. But if you are asking me to admit I was wrong, I cannot do it. If I thought I was wrong in keeping this to myself, I wouldn’t have kept it.”

  “So the next time, you’ll do the same?”

  She sighed heavily and pushed herself up. “I would, just as the next time you talk with Barns’ father, you won’t tell me what is said, even if it happened to be about me or Barns because it isn’t your secret to share.”

  She left the room before she burst into tears. Needing someplace to cry, she ran outside and hid behind the barn. Sobbing so hard that her nose stopped up, she had to open her mouth to breathe. Eventually, her crying jag ceased, even if the pain remained raw and vitriol within her heart.

  With soft gasps of air, she tried to dry her eyes with her sleeves.

  “Are you hurt?” a low gravelly voice asked.

  She hurt so much, she didn’t even care someone had seen her crying. “I’ll live.” Maybe…if Xavier forgave her.

  “Shall I call someone from the big house?”

  “No.” She focused on the woodshed where the voice came from. It was too dark to even see an outline of a person.

  “But you’re hurt,” he insisted.

  “Not physically.”

  “Oh…you’re sad.”

  Vic nodded.

  “Did you know Daisy?”

  “No.”

  “I thought perhaps that was why…She was very kind, even to me. I gave her a puppy once.”

  Vic sniffed. Even with her nose clogged the wretched scent of the wolfman made itself known.

  Now Vic wanted to wretch.

  “You’re Richard, aren’t you?”

  “How did you know? We’ve never met…wait…you’re the lady who unlocked my cage in that horrible place an
d told me how to escape.”

  Vic nodded.

  “Well…thank you for trying to save me.”

  Vic frowned. Why did he make it sound like she failed? He was here, so clearly she had saved him.

  “Saving you was the only good thing that happened that night, so why are you declaring it a failure? You’re clearly alive and out of Bedlam.”

  “Not for long. They think I killed Daisy and now everyone is trying to shoot me. Every time I try to find food, someone fires a rifle at me.”

  “No. We found the killer and told the farmers who it was. You should be safe now.”

  “No…they’re still planning to kill me. You can see them searching the woods by the Berger farm. I guess they need to rid their village of all evil creatures so nothing like this will happen again.”

  A few moments later smoke rose over the trees. “There goes my cabin, not that I’ve been able to use it much. I barely spent a month in it before people decided it was theirs. It’s not as if I could argue the matter. I’m not even considered human.”

  Vic was going to protest his claim, but realized he said ‘considered human’. She couldn’t disagree. Here she was moping about because Xavier was upset with her for keeping Tubs’ secret when this poor man had the most hellish life in existence.

  She stood up. She might not be able to change Xavier, but she damn well could make Richard’s life better. “Would you like a bath?”

  “What?”

  “A bath. Would you like to take a bath in the big house? Saving you was the only good thing that came out of that night, and it seems if I want to retain my good deed, I need to take you home with me. However, and I don’t say this to be rude, but you really need a bath before we all crowd into a carriage together.”

  “Who is we?”

  “Well, there’s Tubs. You know him. Bald giant who would bring you food.”

  “Yes, I like Tubs.”

  She was about to mention the tall lanky fellow who pointed out his escape hatch from Bedlam but realized Xavier would probably choose to ride with the nursemaids and the pups in the other carriage. “It will probably just be the three of us.” She looked to the horizon, watching the smoke billowing up from the trees. “I need to let Jacko know his idiot farmers are likely setting the woods on fire. You want that bath or not? Either way, you’re coming with me. I’m having a real bad day. I need to rescue someone to keep the day from being entirely horrible and that rescue is going to be you.”

  Richard, appearing far worse than he had in Bedlam, stepped out from the shadow. His brown, five-inch fur was matted with twigs, leaves and hay, permanently woven into the hair clumps. He wore nothing but a dirty strip of linen around his genitals and waist. God, he’d been better off in Bedlam.

  “I’d really like a bath,” he smiled.

  She held out her hand. After several seconds, he gingerly placed his hand in hers and she led him around the barn. The first thing she noticed was that Xavier’s carriage was already gone. He’d left without her.

  She focused on Richard because otherwise the pain of his departure would overwhelm her.

  She led him up the front steps and opened the door without knocking.

  A soft female gasp caused Richard to attempt to pull away from her. She turned to the gasper, shocked and disappointed to discover it was Alice.

  “Vic, he left without you?” Alice ran to her and pulled Vic into her arms. “I thought he was merely blustering. I convinced Tubs you had gone with him. I had better let Casey know not to leave.”

  “Actually, I have a more important favor to ask. Richard needs a bath.”

  “Yes, he does,” she agreed and kissed Vic on the forehead. “You are so special,” she whispered and then stepped back.

  “Thomas.”

  The old man rushed in. “I don’t know where the odor is coming—” he stared at Richard.

  “Will you please prepare a bath for Richard at once,” Alice asked. “He can use our tubs…I suspect one bath will not be sufficient. And provide him scissors and razors then give him one of Jacko’s suits to wear. The brown wool suit should be warm.”

  Vic was impressed. Thomas hadn’t made one objection. He just took his orders and marched upstairs.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Richard stated.

  “You look very thin. When is the last time you ate?”

  “A week ago…”

  “Then we’ll start you on food that is easily digestible.” She turned to Vic. “Take Richard up to my bathroom. I’ll let Casey know you are still here.”

  While Vic normally hated to be bossed about, she was so grateful to Alice for being kind to Richard, that she just nodded and led the fellow upstairs.

  When she and Richard entered the bathroom one of the maids screamed and fainted. Thomas scolded the unconscious girl for her foolishness and ordered the other two to drag her out.

  Thomas looked at Richard. “My apologies sir, I thought I had trained them better, but this week has been a disappointing revelation to the standards I expect.”

  Vic patted his back. “You did your best, Thomas. Those two girls were just evil. And while you and I are most annoyed at the girl for screaming, I’m sure Richard is just relieved no one is shooting at him. Eh, Richard?” She smiled at Richard, hoping he would help cheer up Thomas.

  “Sir,” Richard said. “Since my mother died, I have never been treated better than these moments in the big house. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  Richard’s kind words rallied the old man. “The first bath is nearly ready. However, if I may suggest, removal of the mats will probably enhance the bathing process.”

  Vic agreed. “Sit on the divan, Richard and I’ll cut off as much as possible.”

  Cutting out mats proved harder than Vic ever imagined. The mats went right to the skin, and several times Richard jumped when she stabbed him with the sharp pointed scissors, but he never asked her to stop.

  Thomas left and returned with a tray of soup. “I realize you are very hungry, but try your hardest to consume this slowly. Otherwise, your stomach will probably throw it back up. If that happens, do not be concerned. I will simply clean it up and we shall start again.”

  Vic continued to cut hair as he ate, cautioning him to slow his eating when his starvation made him forget. “I’m sorry I failed to check up on you after I got you out of Bedlam, but I had no idea where your cabin was. The first I realized you were here was when I smelled you by the old mill.”

  He paused in his eating to reply. “How did you know it was me?”

  “I recognized your odor, although it is a great deal stronger now than when you were at Bedlam.”

  He nodded. “They used to dunk me in a solution of bleach.”

  “I’m sorry they did that. You didn’t belong there at all. But I should have asked you where you were going.”

  “I’m ashamed to admit this, but the truth is I wouldn’t have told you. The ladies that came there were crueler than the men.” He frowned. “Are you male or female? When you unlocked my cage you were—”

  “In disguise.” Vic had forgotten she was dressed as an actress that night.

  “A very good disguise. If not for your voice, I would have never recognized you today.” He chuckled. “I thought it most odd a female could open locks. What do you do when you’re not saving people?”

  “Solving crimes. My partner…” At least, she hoped Xavier was still her partner…No! She could not think like that. “Xavier Thorn and I are the finest investigators in England.” He flinched as she cut into his skin. “Sorry, but these mats are down to the root.”

  “It feels wonderful to be rid of them. Although I worry I might freeze to death without them.”

  “You probably will if you don’t come home with me and live in a nice warm room of your own.”

  “Why would you invite me to your home?”

  “Because you deserve a better life and I think I can help you find it. I know a
very smart doctor. He may have solutions other than constantly shaving your body, to remove or lessen the hair. If that doesn’t work, I have a friend who is very good at creating devices. He might be able to make some sort of power driven shaver to speed matters along. And being among pleasant people and friends is always a good thing.”

  “Do you think Tubs will come and visit me?”

  “I daresay he will. Tubs and his family live with me.”

  Richard sighed with what Vic hoped was happiness. However, when his boney shoulders began to tremble, Vic realized he was silently crying.

  “Here now. Why the tears?”

  “Because my life has become unbearable, with everyone wanting to kill me, and just like the last time it had been so untenable and I wished to die, you show up and save me.”

  Vic patted his less furry back.

  “I need to check on Tubs and Casey. You should jump into the first bath while it’s still warm. I’ll have Thomas check on your progress and assist with your backside which is in great need of a scrub.”

  Thinking Vic male, Richard dropped his filthy loincloth and entered the tub. Fortunately, the matted fur kept Vic from seeing more than she wished. She couldn’t find Tubs or Casey anywhere in the house and ran to the front door, worried they’d left without her.

  She pressed her head against the wood. Maybe that would be best. Honestly, she didn’t have the heart to live in the same house with a man who hated her. Maybe Alice would let her stay her for a few weeks, or however long it took Xavier to come to his senses.

  But she couldn’t. Richard needed to start a new life. If he stayed here, the damn villagers would probably set fire to Alice’s beautiful home.

  God, she hated stupid people.

  Her head still rested on the door when it smacked her hard and sent her flying to the floor. A moment later, a soot-covered Jacko stared down at her. “Vic, what are you doing here? Where’s Xavier?”

  Tubs pushed his way in and past Jacko, kneeling down beside her. “Are you hurt?” He rubbed her forehead.

  The pain was nothing to the one in her heart, but she was not going to cry in front of Jacko.