Xavier had evidently seen the same warning signs, for they arrived at the same time. Vic grabbed David’s coiled arm while Xavier snared Barns.
“What did I tell you?” she whispered.
David breathed in and out. “The bastard kept baiting me, acting as if I had the brain of a toad compared to him.”
“There’s a big difference between having a brain and using it. Barns claims he can remember anything upon reading it once, but I’ve yet to see his skill produce anything of value. Whereas, you may not recall everything you read, or you may, I can’t tell, since you read a great deal.”
David chuckled. His excessive reading had been a longstanding joke between them.
“However,” Vic said. “Your mind processes your readings in wonderfully creative ways. So in my opinion, your brilliance is far more productive and worthwhile than Barn’s. I mean look how you improved Richard’s life. Without the electric razor you built, he would have been too ashamed to move in with royalty. Whereas, Barns has yet to do anything but annoy people. I’m hoping to help him improve the usefulness of his trick, but so far it has borne no fruit.”
David smiled. “Thank you for restoring my equilibrium. If you don’t mind, I will take Claire and Maddy home now.”
“I don’t mind. I would leave too, only Gregory would kill me.”
“No, you have to stay, Sir Hamilton,” David said in a very good imitation of Gregory’s scold.
“That’s Vic, to you,” she replied in a haughty voice.
David had barely turned to secure Claire when a hand clamped on Vic’s arm. She turned to see who was mauling her now.
“Lady Haughton,” Vic said.
The old woman touched Vic’s face with her old hand. “Victor, I just wanted you to know you saved my life. I heard you when you told me I could not die because you had found Leslie and he would come live with me. I did see a light and I wanted to go to it, but your words kept me here.”
The old woman kissed Vic on her cheek. “You are a very fine young man.”
Vic smiled. “I’m glad I could help.”
As the woman left, Vic sighed. She hoped Connors was wrong about Tubs’ recovery. Otherwise, saving Lady Haughton hadn’t been worth the price. She was a lovely lady, but Tubs was worth far more.
Soon Xavier made his way to her. “Are you done with being praised and petted?”
“Am I allowed to go? By all means, let’s go. God only knows how many appointments Ben has made in our absence. You’ll be glad to hear Barns is going to handle the potpie case.”
“What potpie? Oh, the cat case. Yes, let Scotland Yard have it. However, I hope he knows he’ll need help. Cooks tend to have sharp knives and the skill to use them.”
The End
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An Author’s confession
Originally, Tubs died when he was shot. I could barely write the scene, due to my weeping. Once I finished the story, I ceased to write at all. I knew I had loved Tubs from early on, but it never occurred to me that killing him would result in me falling into a three-month mourning depression. In my real life, I had lost a lot of people in short order: a sister and a brother gone early in their lives, then my father died, then a neighbor that I saw as a second mom died. And now I had lost my faithful, heroic, selfless, fabulous Tubs.
It took me three months of sadness to realize, unlike all those other deaths, Tubs did not have to die. I had the power to save him. I decided his fate and I could change it. The book wasn’t published yet. He still could live!
So I erased the last two chapters and rewrote a happier ending. Some of you might say I copped out. But, upon saving Tubs, my depression left and once again I wanted to write stories. So I have never regretted saving the fabulous fellow. In doing so, I saved myself.
In book 7 Tubs will need Vic to save him yet again because he is bedridden and slowly dying, and the only one who can bring him back to his old self is Vic.
Sadly, she’s been avoiding him due to the guilt she carries over his weakened state.
OTHER BOOKS BY LIZA O’CONNOR
HISTORICAL
The Adventures of Xavier & Vic
Humorous, Late Victorian Sleuth Series
The Troublesome Apprentice
The Missing Partner
A Right to Love (a romantic spinoff)
The Mesmerist
Well Kept Secrets
Pack of Trouble
The Darkest Days
SINGLE HISTORICAL NOVELS
Untamed & Unabashed
Spinoff from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
CONTEMPORARY
A Long Road to Love Series
Humorous Contemporary Disaster Romance
Worst Week Ever
Oh Stupid Heart
Coming to Reason
Climbing Out of Hell
The Hardest Love
CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE
White Oak Mafia Series
Snarky, Romantic, Suspense Thriller
A Fortune to Die For
Unexpected Love — Coming Soon
Dance or Die — Coming Soon
Requires Rescue Series
Often Humorous, Contemporary, Romance/Suspense
Standalone books with a special twist
Even the strong can use a helping hand when life gets hard.
Saving Casey
Saving Molly – Coming Soon
SINGLE CONTEMPORARY BOOKS
Ghost Lover
Humorous, Contemporary Romance with Ghost & Ghost cat
SCIENCE FICTION
The Multiverse Series
Sci-Fi Soap Opera with humor, romance, and science
The Gods of Probabilities
Surviving Outbound
Surviving Terranue
Surviving Sojourn
Artificial Intelligence Series
Sci-Fi/Romance
Public Secrets
Birth of Adam
The Darkest Days (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 6) Page 26