A Right to Love: Romantic Spinoff From The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 2.5

by Liza O'Connor

  Holding to those happy thoughts, he continued to Litchfield, arriving at nine in the evening. Dom met him and held Wicked’s head while he dismounted.

  “Watch her nip,” Jacko warned.

  Dom ignored the warning and stayed focused on Jacko. “Miss Alice said you’re to come with me.”

  Jacko didn’t like Dom’s grim expression or tone. He glanced at the house, wishing Alice would come out, but when she did not appear, he followed Dom into the stable.

  He noticed straight off the basket and letter sitting on a square bale of hay. Dom nodded at it. “They’re from her.” He placed his hand on Jacko’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Jacko. You can stay here until your horse rests, but then you’ll need to be heading off. Speaking for myself, I’ll miss you.”

  Jacko frowned at the man’s words. “What’s happened?”

  Dom nodded to the letter. “I ‘spect the letter will tell you.”

  “What does it say?”

  “I didn’t read it, if that’s what you’re asking. But I know what it means. It’s how she ends it with a beau she don’t want no more.”

  Jack felt a knife pierce his heart. He turned to the barn door. He had to see Alice, to hear this from her own lips.

  Dom gripped his arm.

  “You can’t go to the house. She left firm instructions. Don’t make this harder for her than it is. If she could have told you in person, she would have.”

  He was just about to break the man’s grip and storm the house, but Dom’s last words stopped him.

  If she could have told you in person, she would have.

  It didn’t make sense.

  They had left on the best of terms. What could have happened in less than ten hours? And why would she write a letter instead of speaking to him?

  He could only think of one reason. The letter must say something so painful she could not voice it in person. She must have reconsidered his past‒the innocent people tossed into the ocean‒and concluded it was more than she could bear. She loved him, he knew that with certainty, but upon further contemplation, she must have discovered his past sins were more than even love could wash away.

  A numbness overcame him, deadening his every emotion.

  He pulled Wicked around to leave.

  “Don’t you want to rest your horse?”

  “No.”

  He wanted to cry out his heart, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to do so in front of an audience.

  Lifting the letter from the basket, he stuffed it in his vest pocket. He would read it later, once he returned to London, where he could numb his pain with rum.

  He mounted his horse and soared from the barn. Determined not to look at the house, he kept his eyes forward. He only slowed once he was off her property.

  Letting Wicked choose its own pace, he hoped his horse had the sense to wicker if it sensed trouble. His mind had more important matters to ponder.

  His beloved Alice.

  Because of his past, he was to lose his future. She must have realized she was too fine a person to marry a cold-blooded murderer. And he couldn’t argue the point. Deep inside, he had always known this.

  Knowing he would never touch her again was more than Jacko could bear. He turned his face up to the heavens and released a cry of agony as tears of pain streamed from his soul.

  Wicked picked up his speed, evidently hoping to escape the tormented creature on his back. Twice in the moonless night, Wicked stumbled and almost sent Jacko flying.

  Yet, his survival instincts held on, even though he had nothing to live for. What a cruel trickster was fate; to give him the woman of his dreams for one glorious night and then to snatch her away.

  How could this happen? She loved him. Gave her heart and body to him. He could not accept it was over. He would not! She was his soulmate. Whatever doubts she had, he would undo. He would show her it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but their love.

  He pulled Wicked to a halt, planning to return to Alice and demand to be heard. When he tried to turn the horse, Wicked reached back and bit his leg in protest.

  The acute pain made him focus on his sweat-lathered mount. He’d pushed the poor animal to the edge. There was no turning back tonight. His horse could see the lights of London ahead and wanted rest, food and water.

  “You’re right,” he said and pointed the horse to London. “You need rest, and I ammunition.” Before he faced Alice, he needed to read her exact reasons, and obtain the advice of his best friend. Xavier would help him form a response to confound and vanquish any argument Alice might have. He had to. Jacko would not survive otherwise.

  ***

  When he broke through the lines of guards that surrounded Xavier’s tenement, the soldiers looked worried.

  “Are you hurt, sir?” A soldier took hold of his sweat-lathered horse as Jacko dismounted.

  He hurt more than he thought possible, but in response, he shook his head and hurried inside.

  Tubs smiled at him when he approached. “Took care of that problem for you.”

  Jacko no longer cared who wished him dead. He opened Xavier’s door and noticed Xavier and Vic asleep on the bed. The sight of two people who could make love work against all odds felt like a knife twisting in his heart.

  He started to close the door, but Vic spoke. “Jacko, what’s wrong?” The pup sat up in bed, staring at him with worried eyes, her pants and shirt wrinkled beyond repair.

  “Nothing, go back to sleep,” Jacko whispered.

  “Who can sleep with a mystery afoot?” Xavier opened his eyes and glared. “Stop teasing my pup with early morning bones. Get in here and let him interrogate you.”

  Jacko entered and closed the door. “There is no mystery. I apologize for waking you. I was in the neighborhood…”

  “Bullocks, you were headed out to Litchfield this afternoon. What happened?” Xavier’s voice softened on his last words.

  Determined the bearer of a mystery would not escape, Victor jumped from the bed and snared Jacko’s arm, leading him to a chair. “Have you been to Litchfield and back again?”

  Jacko nodded.

  “On the same horse?” Vic pulled out his watch and studied the time.

  He nodded again.

  “Is it still alive?”

  Hoping it was, he nodded. He should have walked the horse. Just because he wished to die, didn’t mean Wicked had similar feelings.

  Vic hurried to him. “Are Alice and Mrs. Hamilton all right?”

  Jacko looked to Xavier to save him from this interrogation.

  “Vic. Perhaps you should go downstairs and check on the horse while I give Jacko a severe lecture on the proper treatment of his mount.”

  Vic rolled his eyes and growled. “I’ll go see to the animal.”

  Jacko waited until Vic left to speak. “Thank you.”

  Xavier studied him from his bed. “I gather upon further consideration the lady could not marry beneath herself.”

  “I believe her objection was my proclivity to murder.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Did she say that?”

  “No, but that has to be the reason.”

  “So you read the truth in her eyes?”

  Jacko rubbed his face. “I did not speak to her. When I arrived, a letter awaited me in the barn.”

  “A letter? That was damnably rude. May I see it?”

  Jacko dropped his hands and looked at Xavier. He was about to admit he had yet to read it himself, but perhaps it would be better if Xavier read it first. He could assess the situation with clear logic, unclouded by heartbreak. Approaching Xavier’s bedside, Jacko pulled out the letter. He flinched as Alice’s ring fell on the bed.

  Xavier eyed the ring, but snatched the letter before Jacko could change his mind.

  Jacko picked up the symbol of their love. He would place this on her finger, if it was the last thing he did. He would make whatever was wrong, right.

  Xavier set down the letter upon a quick scan of its content. “Did you read this?”
<
br />   “Not yet. But Dom gave me the gist of its content.”

  “Does this man dislike you?”

  “Worse. He pities me. Why?”

  “No reason, except he has grossly misread the lay of the entire landscape. Read the letter in its entirety and preferably before the pup returns and bites you for the mistreatment of your horse.”

  Jacko picked up the letter. God, he even admired her simple handwriting, so clear and precise.

  My dear Jacko,

  Mother and I have discovered a flaw to our initial plans. We cannot claim you to be a Spaniard if neither of us has recently been to Spain. Society is not so easily fooled. Nor are they forgiving to those who betray them with careless lies.

  For myself, I would have us married tomorrow and to hell with society, but I must consider my mother. She has born so much anguish in her life. I cannot bear to be the cause of further.

  So please indulge the charades necessary to make our meeting and then falling in love believable to women who have nothing else to do than gossip and judge.

  Our new plan is as follows: You will travel to Cadiz directly. (There is a ship leaving at four this morning out of London.) Establish yourself a residency−someplace fine enough to have guests for dinner.

  I will arrive in a week with Mrs. and Mr. Hathoway. (I must first teach mother how to run the estate in my absence.) Be at the museum on Monday the 7th at two and strike up a conversation with Mr. Hathoway. (He loves dinosaurs, so we will probably be near the mammoth exhibit.) I will ensure you get an invitation to evening balls and dinners. So see a tailor the day you arrive.

  After a week, you will invite us to your residency and, after dinner, ask me to marry you. Then we will all return to England to obtain my mother’s consent and marry two weeks after in our local church.

  I imagine you are by now rolling your eyes over this silliness, but it is necessary for my mother’s continuance in society, so I will endure, and I know you will do the same.

  I wish I could have told you all of this in person, but the Hathoways are here on a stopover to London and thus Dom has orders to secure you upon arrival and send you back to London once you’ve eaten and rested.

  I look forward to falling in love with you in Spain, Señor Bienora.

  With all my heart,

  Alice.

  Jacko read the letter once again, feeling as if he’d awakened from the blackest of all nightmares. “She still loves me!”

  “Yes, fortunately she has no idea how quick you were to think the worst of her. I hope you learned something important this evening, Jacko. When it comes to women, don’t presume you have a clue what’s going on in their heads. Sometimes you will be right on, but other times, you will miss it by a mile. And on important matters, never allow a third party to interpret the facts. Get them for yourself.”

  Jacko shook his head. “I was so certain when I was not welcomed into the house. And then Dom explained what the letter meant. She has evidently written letters before to get rid of beaus.”

  Xavier held up his hand. “I understand. And given your repulsion to your past, your response was most predictable. However, had you bothered to investigate further‒say, had you actually read the letter‒you would have discovered a different reason you were not invited in the house. If those people saw you, then this whole silly nonsense in Spain would be ruined.”

  Vic burst into the room and struck Jacko on the arm. “Unless you were escaping imminent death, you had no right to treat your horse so poorly.”

  Jacko backed away from Victor. “You are right and I will go to him now.” He glanced at Xavier. “All right if I ask Davy to take care of my horse while I’m gone?”

  Victor was not so ready to give up the fight. “Where are you going?”

  He smiled as he tucked the letter back in his vest. “Spain, probably for several weeks.”

  “Why?”

  “On a mission. I can say no more, except my ship leaves at four.”

  Vic glanced at the clock. “Wake Davy so he can take you. And don’t worry about your horse.”

  The pup must think his hard run was necessitated by his ‘mission,’ and he saw no reason to correct her.

  He nodded his appreciation to Xavier and hurried out to wake Davy.

  While he waited in the hall for Davy to dress, he now had the wits to recall the task he’d given Tubs. For Alice’s sake, he’d need to make it right with whoever had a beef with him. “So who is it that wants me dead?”

  “The druggist on Basin. Said he had no choice. You were running him out of business.”

  “I only insisted he actually sell people the drugs they thought they were buying.”

  “Yeah, well that meant he had to buy the drugs from other apothecaries, because he didn’t know a damn thing about mixing chemicals. If he tried, he’d probably kill half of the docks. Lucky for all, he practiced on himself first, so only one person died.”

  Jacko glared at the giant. “I didn’t ask you to kill him. I just wanted to know who he was.”

  Tubs shrugged. “I like to be efficient. Why go see a man twice when once is all you need?”

  This was the danger of hiring a murderer! “I wasn’t planning to kill him. I was just going to warn him off.”

  Tubs shook his head. “Some men don’t warn off. Some because they’re brave, and others because they are stupid stubborn. This one was stupid stubborn. He’d keep hiring assassins ‘til one of them got lucky. ‘Sides, I didn’t kill him for you. I did it for me. I rather like having friends, and I’m not inclined to give one up so soon.”

  Tubs smiled and scratched his stubbly chin. “Pete and his ma showed up after you left. He’s going to be working in the office now as a runner.”

  Jacko gave up his anger and held out his hand. Tubs had done him a favor. The last thing he’d want was worrying about assassins accidentally killing Alice. “Thanks for being my friend.”

  Tubs shook his hand and smiled his black hole of death.

  Thank God, he finally read the letter! She had not backed away, she had only looked forward to determine what they needed to do to ensure her mother’s happiness as well. Given how swiftly the woman had welcomed him into their home and lives, Jacko was more than happen to oblige her in this bit of play acting.

  In fact, the chance to woo the lady of his heart a second time, with certainty the feelings were returned, would be a delight par none. And the opportunity to romance her at his beautiful Spanish Villa…without doubt fortune was smiling down upon him.

  Chapter 17

  Cadiz, Spain

  ‘Jacon Bienora’ arrived in Cadiz, Spain with only the clothes on his back. Even that was more than he wished in this heat. He started to remove his jacket and remembered they hid his twin shoulder holsters and guns.

  Normally, he wouldn’t care if he terrified people walking on the boardwalks with his arsenal, but now he must. Future acquaintances might recall his lethal stroll off the boardwalks.

  Sweating profusely, he stepped into the first tailor’s shop he spotted. The door jingled upon entry and he heard the mechanical chugging of a sewing machine stop in the backroom. A short, but cheerful man in his forties stepped through the curtain. He smiled and spoke in broken English.

  “From ship north? Welcome. I am Señor Gomez, how may you help?”

  Jacko replied in perfect Spanish. “I just arrived from England. I fear I will die of heat before I reach San Fernando. Do you have a ready-made jacket I can purchase?”

  The man pulled a tape measure from his pocket and measured Jacko’s arm length and shoulder breadth. However, when he reached inside to measure the chest, he paused and frowned at the guns.

  Jacko took off his jacket and holsters, wrapping the jacket around them. “Sorry. I have a mistrust of sailors.”

  Señor Gomez nodded and replied in Spanish. “You are a wise man. At night these streets aren’t safe due to the trouble that comes in from the ships.”

  He measured Jacko’s chest a
nd waist.

  He then sighed. “I do have something that will fit you well enough, but it is for an Englishman who will expect it soon.”

  “Has he paid for it?”

  The man shook his head.

  Jacko pulled out his roll of money. “I have yet to go to a bank and exchange my currency, but…”

  The man smiled. “I accept English bills. Thirty pounds and it’s yours.”

  Jacko thought the man was a bit too happy about shortchanging his other customer. “May I see it first?”

  The man hurried to the back and brought out an off-white linen jacket.

  “There are pants, as well. Not yet hemmed to length but it would not take more than a half hour to fit them to you.”

  “And how much would that be?

  “Fifty pounds for both. If you wish a lighter shirt, I will throw it in for free.”

  Jacko eyed the man. “Am I so likable or is the Englishman so detestable?”

  Señor Gomez shrugged. “Well, I do like you. I do not get locals very often. And no, I did not care for Señor Baldwin. However, in this case, I can help you and still finish his order in time. He said he would be back next week for his suit. I can make another by then.”

  “Then let me try on the shirt and pants.”

  Señor Gomez peppered him with questions as he fitted the suit. He was most excited to discover he owned Tierra Rico. “My brother is your manager! He will be so pleased with your arrival. You have been gone so long that all your clothes will be out of fashion. I will make you fine clothes and bring them to you. Yes?”

  Jacko sighed. “The truth is I do need an entire wardrobe, suitable for socializing. Can you do that sort of thing?”

  “Indeed. That is what I mostly do. I’ll give you my best rate.”

  He hoped the man knew his styles, because Jacko had no clue what was in fashion now. Nor would his beloved Alice care a bit about his clothes. But she would arrive with a family friend and the lady’s husband and they would be all too attentive to such matters.

  Recalling the man had an interest in long dead animals, he made a mental note to locate the paleontologists excavating a mammoth on his land and question them so he didn’t look like a complete fool about the matter. Assuming the fellow and he got along, he would invite them to stay at his winery and visit the mammoth site, while he fell in love with their traveling companion. Alice’s plan was quite clever. While society would ostracize her, her mother, and their future children if she married a gypsy, marrying a wealthy Spaniard would be most acceptable.