He stroked her hair and smiled. “I awoke hearing curses towards a flat-nose fur ball. Since I fail to resemble such a description, I deduced by your shredded and bloodied state that you had encountered a Persian cat. I must also assume that Mrs. Eaton chose to ignore my advice and gave the cat some enticing jewelry to wear.”
“A diamond and sapphire collar worth twenty thousand pounds.”
Xavier looked surprised. “And the thief left the cat alive? What was he thinking?”
Vic sighed. “Well, this was not a very smart thief. I am sorry to say he was one of the servants I asked Mrs. Collins to place in good homes. His attempt at theft resulted in one very angry bejeweled cat hiding beneath the bed in his servant’s quarter, some serious bite marks on his hands and a slash across his very handsome face.”
Xavier’s eyebrow rose. “So what did you do to this ungrateful scoundrel?”
“When I confronted him with the cat’s presence in his room, he insisted the cat had entered his room on its own accord and that he had obtained his injuries trying to remove it.”
Xavier’s right eyebrow rose an inch. “Did he tell the butler he had found the missing cat?”
“Oddly, he told no one. Also, he attempted to hide his injuries and when I asked, lied, claiming he received them from a barberry bush in the garden. However, Mrs. Eaton doesn’t tolerate any thorn bushes.”
Xavier stroked her cheek. “My poor pup, you must have been most put out with such incompetent thievery and lies.”
“I was, indeed! Do I truly look gullible enough to believe such nonsense?”
Xavier shook his head. “Not to me. I saw your incredible intelligence from the very start.”
Vic rewarded him with a kiss for his compliment. When Xavier tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled away. “You know what Dr. Connors said—we cannot do anything to stimulate your heart rate.”
Xavier sighed. “Then continue with this ridiculous case.”
“While I did not believe his absurd story, I feared Stone might say the presence of the cat in his room insufficient proof for his arrest.”
Xavier nodded. “Stone can be quite troublesome like that.”
“Fortunately, before I tackled the cat beneath the bed, I searched his room for anything else he might have stolen and hid away until he could sell them on his day off. I found a silver letter opener, a gold plated napkin ring and small cross belonging to a maid.”
He chucked her under her chin. “Well, done, Victor! And did you call Stone?”
“Actually, I thought he still might resent being called out for the theft of a silver letter opener worth five pounds, so I requested Sergeant Meyers. I figured he might know the boy and be more apt to believe the cretin had attempted to steal the cat’s collar.”
Xavier leaned back on headboard. “Wise decision. You probably saved yourself a blistering scold about wasting the Chief Inspector’s time.” He rolled his eyes to heaven. “God knows, I’ve heard it enough.”
“Then this will surprise you. Meyers and Stone showed up to arrest the boy. When I explained my evidence, Stone said he intended to charge the fellow for the theft of the collar as well, since it was in his room.”
“On the cat…”
“Didn’t matter. It was in his room.”
Xavier’s brow furrowed. “Are you certain the man was Stone?”
Vic chuckled. Her partner was finally returning to the man she loved. “I was amazed at his cooperative nature, until I remembered I had warned any thieves not to apply for jobs, because if they stole from these good families, I would track them down and Stone would send them to prison. I think perhaps he wished to send a message to the other servants that my threat was genuine.”
Xavier caressed her face with clear admiration. “No doubt, you’ve nailed it. Stone is probably worried he’ll have a hundred cases of theft on his hand if he doesn’t send a harsh message to the remaining servants.” He chuckled as a thought occurred to him. “So have you told Gregory he let a thief slip though?”
“Not yet. He’s going to be devastated. I was thinking about waiting to see if he tries to side with Claire on her damnable plan to marry you, and then use the revelation as a distraction.”
Xavier lost his smile as if doused with cold water. He took her hand in his. “Don’t waste such a fine bullet on such an absurd target. If my clear and adamant refusal of her ridiculous proposal was insufficient to end this nonsense, tell him I would lock Claire in a closet the first time she scolded me.” Xavier’s voice betrayed aggravation, pain, and fatigue.
Anger raged through Vic. “Claire came here and proposed to you? After I told her not to?”
“She did, and I turned her down flat. I have my true love, and I want no one else.”
His words soothed her anger and earned him a kiss on his forehead. “I have to finish dressing. We’ve a new client at seven.”
Xavier scowled. “Why did you accept such a late appointment? What’s it about?”
“The appointment book says ‘Lost luggage.’ Why is everybody losing things?”
Chuckling, he pressed her hand to his lips. “Well, they’ve come to the right place. No one is better at finding things, pets, or people than you.” Then after a pause he added, “And trouble.”
She pulled away and went to the closet. Picking out one of her fashionable high collared silk shirts, she slipped it on. “That’s just the nature of our business.”
Once she buttoned and tucked her shirt, she returned to Xavier and kissed him once more. “Shall I come up after my interview so that you can mentor me away from trouble?”
He stroked her cheek. “Please do.” Despite his attempt at a smile, pain etched into his face.
“Should I call Davy for you?”
He breathed heavily. “I’ll call him when I need him. But right now I wish to ponder why lost luggage requires our attention at such a late hour in the day.”
Chapter 26
When Vic finished her interview with the lost luggage client, she went upstairs to peek in on Xavier. Upon finding him deep in an opium-induced dream, she sighed with disappointment. This case needed her partner’s insight before proceeding. The client withheld some critical detail during the interview. She could tell by the guilt in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to tell her what he hid.
Besides, this hadn’t proved to be a good day for solving cases. She studied her arms. Her thousand wounds itched like the devil. Perhaps a bath would make her feel better.
***
When she arrived home and asked for a bath to be prepared, Mrs. Yarrows pulled her into her room for a private discussion. “The house is all in an uproar and I’m hoping you can soothe matters over.”
Vic inwardly groaned. All she wanted was a bath, no problems, nothing lost, just a warm bath!
“What’s happened?” Mrs. Collins probably told Claire about the thieving servant, and her busybody sister then told Gregory about his blunder.
“Miss Claire has broken it off with Jonas—all because he couldn’t learn chemistry to her liking.”
“I believe the matter is a bit more complicated than that.”
Mrs. Yarrows pressed her hands to her chest. “Then she knows? Victor, you must intervene on Sara’s behalf. She feels safe here. Please don’t let Claire punish her for this. Sara did not purposely steal Jonas away. They have tried very hard to resist their feelings. You cannot let Miss Claire return my poor niece to the streets.”
Vic blinked several times, as she took in Mrs. Yarrows’ words. “First of all, let me assure you that I did not save Sara so anyone could toss her willy-nilly into the street. Sara has a place in this house for as long as she wishes. If Claire has a problem with that, she may leave and establish her own home, but I am the eldest, and I run this household.”
Doubt was all too evident in Mrs. Yarrows’ eyes.
“I know I allow Claire to have her way on most matters, but in this situation, I will stand firm. Neither Jonas nor Sara will leave o
ver this nonsense. In fact, I think they make a very fine match.”
For Vic’s open and compassionate attitude, Mrs. Yarrows rewarded her with a bone-breaking hug. “Thank you! You have no idea how I’ve worried.”
Vic wiggled out of her embrace. “I’ll talk to Claire while I’m here tonight. However, I doubt she broke it off with Jonas because of Sara. I believe they have simply grown apart as they’ve matured.”
Mrs. Yarrows nodded in agreement. “Poor Jonas. He has been most miserable. He still loves Miss Claire. Always will, I imagine. However, that love is of a servant to a goddess. With Sara, he feels the love a man to a woman, where he is the master.”
Vic frowned at the word ‘master,’ but otherwise understood what Mrs. Yarrows meant. With Claire, he had to be the submissive boy. With Sara, he could be a man.
“Tell them to make no confessions of their feelings just yet. I need to find someone for Claire, so she won’t resent Jonas’ quick rebound and good fortune.”
***
Claire was more than happy to assist Vic with her bath, given all the troubles she had to share. However, before she focused on her miserable life, she did take time to scold Vic on her battle wounds.
“I cannot believe Mrs. Eaton’s cat caused all these scratches. What were you doing to the poor creature?”
Determined not to tell Claire about Gregory’s mistake, and thus losing her bullet for future use, she answered in a half-truth. “I merely tried to coax it from beneath a bed and hold it in my arms.”
Claire stared at her as if she were mad. “And when the cat swatted you the first time, why did you persist?”
Vic held to her half-truths with determination. “Mrs. Eaton believed the cat to be lost. I wished to deliver it to the woman and make her happy.”
“And look at you! I swear, Vic. Sometimes you have no sense at all. If you want a cat to come out from under the bed, then soft words and a bowl of milk are much better enticements.”
Vic sighed and bit her tongue. She had tried gentle persuasion before she resorted to brute force. Unfortunately, the damn thieving servant had terrorized the feline to the point that not even sardines held the Persian’s interest.
To end the scolding, she turned the topic. “Let’s talk of you, instead. Have you decided what to do with yourself since Xavier refused your asinine plan that I had already refused on his behalf.”
Claire tilted her head in her superior manner. “You did not refuse on his behalf. You refused on yours, because you did not want me to marry Xavier.”
“That is true, and yet, you still went behind my back and proposed marriage to him!” Vic yelled, feeling her initial outrage return two-fold.
“Yes, I did. I felt you were being very selfish. You cannot marry him. So what do you care if I do?”
“Nobody is marrying Xavier!” Vic slapped her hand upon the water causing a tidal wave to splash onto Claire.
“God! You are such a child!”
Vic was about to retaliate and repeat Xavier’s plan to lock her in a closet. Then she saw the tears streaming down her sister’s face and all her anger dissipated. “Claire, why are you crying?”
“I don’t know. I am just so confused. I thought I knew what I wanted, but everything has changed since you met Xavier.”
Finally, Vic understood what tormented her sister. “You want an equal partner. Not a servant, nor a master, but a relationship of mutual respect and interests.”
Claire looked up at Vic. “Yes. Now do you understand why I want to marry Xavier?”
All her understanding died a quick and angry death. “No, Claire. I do not understand why you wish to marry my equal partner. I will, in fact, never understand that particular desire of yours, and if you persist in stating it aloud, we will cease to be friends. Am I making myself clear in this matter?”
Claire looked like a statue of stubborn righteousness.
Vic leaned forward and glared at her sister in fury. “I don’t care if you think me selfish. All you need to understand is that I’m serious. Xavier is mine and only mine. And I will hate anyone who tries to take him away from me.”
Claire rose and dramatically tossed herself onto the settee in the corner, far out of the reach of splashes of water. “I have broken it off with Jonas.”
“Good. That means the both of you can get on with your lives and find more compatible partners.” Vic leaned back in her tub.
She sniffed. “You never liked Jonas.”
“That’s not true. I think he’s a fine fellow. I never liked Jonas pretending to be my manservant and honestly, I never liked the two of you together. I thought it a bad match on both sides.”
“How’s that?”
“It prevented him from becoming a man, and has turned you into a…” Vic paused, searching for a nicer phrase than ‘nagging shrew.’
Claire glared. “A what?”
“A domineering personality who might be challenging for most men to endure.”
“You don’t have to be so hateful.”
Vic sighed in exasperation. “I’m not trying to be hateful, Claire. You asked for the truth and I told you. Men do not like being bossed and scolded.”
“So I’m to mew and simper, then?”
Vic couldn’t imagine such a thing. “A surprisingly large number of options exist between mewing and dominating. What we need to do is find you a man who is already in the middle and then you can work hard to become a woman who can compromise.”
She looked outraged at Vic’s statement. “You mean give in, submit to a man’s will.”
“Yes, on occasion. That’s the definition of compromise. You both state your views and if you fail to reach an accord, then someone gives. Sometimes the man gives way, and sometimes the woman does.”
“You are wrong. The woman must always give in such cases.”
Vic growled in exasperation. “Since you must always be right, I will concede your view. In Claire’s world, the woman must always give way.” Vic nailed Claire with a stern glare. “So you need to decide if ‘giving in’ to your husband’s wishes is a fair price to have children and a normal life.”
“But a husband with the same interests…” she added.
Her words alerted Vic her sister was on the edge of a breakthrough. “Yes, a relationship of mutual respect and interests.”
“Do you really believe another such man exists?” Claire asked, plucking the velvet on the settee.
Vic chose to ignore the not-so-hidden reference to Xavier and just answered her question. “Yes, Claire. I am certain of it. And I will keep my eye out for such a fellow.”
“You haven’t found him thus far.”
Vic heard the resentment in Claire’s voice and lost her temper. “I have never looked for such a man. Why would I when you had your heart set on Jonas? Had I done so, you would have accused me of trying to break you and Jonas apart.”
Vic stopped yelling and calmed herself. Claire needed her help, not scoldings. Once she settled her temper, she continued. “However, matters have changed. You have come to the realization Jonas is not your future, and now I can offer to help you find a true partner in life, unless you make me so angry I disown you instead.”
Vic didn’t wait for a response to her last threat. She took a deep breath and sunk beneath the water to enjoy a moment of blissful silence.
Eventually, the need for air required her to return to the surface. Claire waited near the edge of the tub. She leaned over and kissed Vic’s head. “I love you. You are the very best older brother a girl could have.”
Before Vic could muster a response, Claire left the room. Vic leaned back, feeling a great sense of achievement. Now all she had to do was find Claire a husband who would respect and admire her intelligence and wish to discuss science and chemistry all day.
Vic frowned. Where on earth would she find such a fellow?
Chapter 27
When Vic returned to the office, bearing food from Mrs. Yarrows, Davy smiled. “He’s reading
more of your cases.”
Upon passing the food off to Davy, she knocked and then entered Xavier’s inner sanctum. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
He looked up from her case notes. “I don’t have time. If I’m to get through your long pontifications, I need every hour of the day.”
“I sent Davy, Ben, and Mr. Tubs upstairs with some bouillabaisse. Would you like some?”
Xavier returned his attention to her notes. “No, feed the hired help before your half-dead master.”
She laughed. Despite his grumpiness, he did look much better. “Employer, and Davy said you had already eaten.”
“Yes, I had my gruel for the day. No need to worry about me.”
She leaned forward on the desk. “If you tell me now, I can probably retrieve you a bone or two.”
Ignoring her offer, he scowled at the papers in his hand. “I hope these notes are a work in process and not your final report.”
“Why?” She sat on the edge of his desk and tilted her head so she could read her notes and ferret out what offended him.
“Because when I compare them to your initial notes, I find you have left out half the information.”
“That’s the summary. The reason it’s called a summary is because it only contains the key points.”
“But you left out key points! You don’t even mention Barnacle’s work. How am I to decide his pay? According to this summary, he shouldn’t receive a shilling.” Xavier then picked up her field notes. “And yet, this indicates he put his life in danger.”
“Sorry, I’ll be certain to include everyone’s contribution in the future. And to that point, I don’t think you are paying Barnacle enough.”
Dropping her notes, Xavier looked up in outrage. “The ungrateful scamp! Is he complaining?”
“No, I am.” She told him how Barnacle stole sconces for future meals.
He waved her concern off. “Old habits. So he found himself a girl did he? I’ll have to deduct a bit for that.”
“Deduct? Barnacle obtained valuable information from the girl. I think he deserves a raise.”
Xavier chuckled. “So you think he should make more than you?”
The Missing Partner (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 2) Page 21
