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

by Liza O'Connor

  “I’m working on it,” he replied with a grin.

  Vic grinned, too. “Casey has his eye on Diane.”

  The nursemaid. She was a comely buxom lass who by her occupation, should already have a child and a husband. He realized he had never questioned Gregory as to why a woman with her own family would run off and feed someone else’s child.

  Vic sobered and faced him. “Diana lost her husband and baby during the harsh winter of 94. Cannon has done a fabulous job of distracting her from misery. Since Casey was hired on, she even laughs.”

  Casey frowned. “I’m just afraid she’ll leave before she opens up her heart again.”

  “Leave? Leave why?” Xavier demanded.

  Vic shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Nursemaids do not normally stay on forever.”

  “Mine did,” he said.

  Vic rolled her eyes. “Well, Gregory does not approve of servants without duties. I hope once Cannon moves on to devouring small game, Diana will be trained for a new job within the house. He keeps such a lean staff, there are always things to do.

  ”That’s true,” Casey agreed. “Last week, he had me carting in firewood.” Then he added, “He didn’t make Davy help.”

  Vic spoke before Xavier could. “Yes, but you are young and healthy. Davy is so old he naps in the carriage instead of eating.” She then smiled at Xavier. “In fact, we should let Davy continue to sleep and I’ll drive the carriage.”

  “Since when do you know how to drive a carriage?” Xavier asked.

  “Casey taught me. He says I’m a natural.”

  Xavier looked at Casey and the fellow cheerfully nodded.

  “I would like to see this new skill of yours,” he said. “So until Davy wakes and discovers you’ve absconded with his life-long job, I will sit beside you and assess your driving for myself.”

  “Casey, finish eating before Xavier changes his mind,” Vic insisted.

  Less than five minutes later, they departed the inn with a large basket of food which Casey placed inside the big carriage. Vic and Xavier climbed onto the driver’s bench of the Xavier’s vehicle. Determined not to wake Davy, she quietly coaxed tired Marybell into a sluggish walk.

  Xavier, however, did not appreciate the pace. “At this speed, it will be nightfall before we arrive…oh wait, we won’t arrive since brigands will set upon us at dusk.”

  “Nonsense, Tubs and Richard will come to our rescue. Which reminds me. Richard probably doesn’t know how to shoot a gun, so we’ll need to teach him. You did a fabulous job with Ben. Jacko said he’s never seen a finer aim.”

  Xavier snorted. “I gave the boy a short half-hour lecture and he proceeded to shoot the centers of cans placed so far in the distance, I couldn’t even see them.”

  “So he has excellent eyesight. That’s good to know.” She frowned. “Hold on, it takes more than great vision to shoot far distances.”

  “It does. Something which normally requires years of practice.”

  She snorted as she recalled his father had gone to prison for hunting on a gentry’s land. “His father must have taught him.”

  “That is my belief. Is it possible that Richard’s father did the same?”

  Vic sighed. “No. The bastard left the moment he saw his furry son, insisting it wasn’t his.”

  Xavier frowned. “How would Richard know that? Surely, his mother wouldn’t tell him such.”

  “She did, but Richard had left her no choice. When he was sixteen, he declared he was leaving to find his father.”

  “Any idea what we are to do with him?” Xavier asked.

  Vic grimaced. “Not sure yet. I didn’t have time to discover his skills. All I knew was hunters, within my sight, searched for him, and if they came within two hundred feet of the barn, they would have smelled him…Oh, he hides very well,” she added, pleased she had found a valuable skill.

  “Not if they have noses evidently,” Xavier grumbled.

  “He only smelled because he hadn’t bathed in six months. Since we cut off most his fur, removed the mats, and got him a bath, I’m hopeful he doesn’t stink anymore.”

  “Why don’t you know?” Xavier challenged.

  “Because I went to bed early and he was gone this morning.”

  Xavier sighed heavily. “I apologize for making you so sad you were compelled to go to bed early. The damn case had us both off our tempers.”

  She nodded in agreement. “I suppose it will always be that way when criminals…or inspectors go after members of our family.”

  “Bloody hell!” an angry voice yelled from inside the carriage.

  “We’ve been caught, pup. Might as well pull Marybell to a halt, if she’s actually moving. I cannot tell.”

  A moment later, Davy climbed up Vic’s side of the driver’s seat and ripped the reins from her hands. “How dare you run off with Marybell,” Davy yelled.

  “We just wanted you to have a bit more sleep,” Vic said.

  “I may never sleep again, in fear you’ll steal my horse the moment my eyes close.”

  Xavier climbed down, pulling Vic with him.

  “I didn’t hurt her. She’s barely moved at all,” Vic insisted.

  “That only proves you had no idea what you were doing,” Davy snapped.

  “Enough!” Xavier barked. “The pup did a fine job teasing Marybell into a painfully slow stroll. You have no reason to lose sleep, Davy. The horse wasn’t going anywhere without you. She only works for you.”

  He then pulled Vic inside the carriage and wrapped his arms around her. “Have you ever made love in a carriage?” he whispered in her ear.

  She ceased her struggles and relaxed. “No. But today seems a good day to learn, what with there being many hours before the brigands arrive.”

  Chapter 20

  Upon arriving home, Vic introduced a clean shaven Richard to her staff. God only knows how many straight razors Jacko lost to the task, but it did make the wolfman’s introduction less stressful.

  The pups took right to him, which prompted Geoffrey to give him the responsibility of watching over them both. Vic thought that a fabulous idea. Neither would mind when he grew furry again. However, she did want to prepare him for his task, for those two would take quick advantage of his ignorance.

  “They should only be taken out on a leash. The one with the big head, Cannon, needs to wear knee and hand pads. Keep a watch or Cannon will use those opposing thumbs to release their body leashes. And they’ve not yet settled on who is Alpha, so be ready to intervene before blood flows.”

  For anyone else, her warnings might have made them look for a new job. Richard just smiled, exposing his brown teeth. She would have to set up an appointment with her brother-in-law to have Richard’s teeth fixed.

  Tubs evidently didn’t like the way Richard was looking at the pretty nanny, holding a massively large baby. He moved beside Sara. “This is my wife and boy.”

  “Ham’s part of the pack too…or will be once he starts crawling. He’s just four months old right now,” Vic glanced at Sara to verify that. Honest to God, the boy was nearly the size of Cannon who had recently turned one.

  Tubs gathered the boy into his giant arms. Now Ham looked more like a one-month-old baby…and Sara a small pixie. Tubs still looked like a sad giant.

  “Ben has requested your arrival to the office the moment you return,” Gregory warned.

  Assured Richard was fitting into the pack of pups, Vic and Xavier crossed the street and entered the office.

  “Thank God, you’ve arrived!” Ben yelped and ran to Xavier, holding the appointment book. “Everyone and their uncle have made an appointment. I was certain you would have Jacko released and returned within a day so I allowed clients to make appointments in advance, but then their appointments arrived and you weren’t here, so I reviewed Vic’s past initial interviews and performed the meetings myself.”

  He physically cringed, as if expecting to be attacked.

  Poor Ben had nearly lost his life las
t year at the hands of a jealous street urchin who grew up to be a mass murderer. However, in the efforts to find and save him, Vic had discovered Ben’s marked up copies of Sherlock Holmes stories from the paper and deduced his desire to be a detective.

  She patted his back. “Well done, Ben. Did you take proper notes and type them up?”

  The boy opened his eyes in shock, smiled brightly, and hurried back to his desk, extracting nearly a half inch of paper.

  Xavier grabbed the top sheet and read it.

  Curious, Vic grabbed the next sheet. The questions were very good ones, and the responses were the typical half-truths clients provided.

  “I like the questions, very insightful,” Vic said.

  Xavier thwacked her on the head. “You should since I’ve heard you ask them a thousand times.”

  Vic ignored him and picked up another page. Xavier grabbed the next one from the pile.

  “Wait you are mixing them up,” Ben complained.

  He grabbed the pile and began writing numbers on the top of each page. Halfway through the pile, Xavier complained. “I can’t make heads nor tails of what the clients want to be done. One moment they are talking about a museum and the next they are complaining about moaning sounds coming from the closet.”

  “I’ve a missing pet,” Vic added.

  “What?” Xavier ripped the page from Vic’s hand and then tossed it back to Ben. “We do not take missing pets.”

  “But that is the only one I’ve been able to solve…or, at least, I think I have.”

  “We do not take pet cases!” Xavier bellowed.

  “You’re just worried Doyle will get wind of it,” Vic scolded Xavier.

  “That is precisely what I fear.”

  Vic placed her sheets on Ben’s desk. “How many cases do you have here?”

  “Five, but two requests are for information on companies we already have on file.”

  Xavier frowned. “You didn’t tell them that, I hope”

  “No, but I did promise them you’d reply within the week…which ends today.”

  “Give me the names?”

  “I’m sorry, it’s been so hectic, I can’t remember.”

  Xavier opened his mouth, no doubt to yell at Ben, but the boy saved himself by adding, “…but I placed the two reports on your desk so you could address them first thing.”

  Vic smiled at the boy’s response. “Well done, Ben. Xavier, go review the companies to see if we need to update them while I review the other three cases.”

  “Two!” Xavier snapped. “We do not take pet cases.” He stormed to the door, then stopped and turned to the boy. “Except for taking on a pet case, you have done an excellent job in our absence. I am most pleased.” He paused and grumbled. “Just get rid of the one we don’t handle.” He then stormed into his office and closed the door.

  “Let me see all three,” Vic said sitting on the corner of Ben’s desk.

  He gathered a pile of paper from the bottom of the stack. “This is the forbidden case. Start with that while I put the other two back in order.”

  “In the future, only give Xavier one case at a time, most time-critical first.”

  Ben opened his mouth, but Vic cut him off. “Placing the files on his desk was an excellent move.”

  Vic grew silent as she scanned Ben’s investigative notes. “Well, this doesn’t look good for the cat.”

  The young man shook his head.

  “But since there may be fraud and possibly health issues involved, you are off the hot seat for taking a pet case. And excellent observations. You’re going to make a fine investigator.”

  Ben responded with his cheery smile that both Xavier and Vic had grown very fond of.

  Only when she set down the cat mystery, did he hand her another.

  The British Museum curator, Dr. Powers, had requested help on a misplaced Renoir sketch. According to Ben’s notes, the sketch went missing within a locked room accessible only to employees. No one had gone in or out of the room without being searched by a guard, yet the sketch was missing. Additionally, there was no indication of a break-in.

  “This sounds fun,” Vic admitted.

  Only upon Vic giving up the museum case, did Ben give her the final one.

  Ben described the old woman as ‘one foot in the grave’.

  “Ben, while I appreciate the humor, Xavier expects us to be professional when describing our clients.”

  Ben leaned over her shoulder. “Oh, I didn’t say that. That’s how the woman described herself. That’s why I have quote marks around it.” He then smiled. “I rather liked the old woman, although it did seem as if she hadn’t slept in a year.

  “How so?”

  “Well, she had heavy, dark pouches beneath the eyes; she often forgot what she was saying and what I had asked during the interview, and she must have yawned a hundred times.”

  Vic scanned the notes. “What exactly does she want us to do? You don’t seem to have pulled it out of her.”

  Ben sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t. I almost asked her flat out, but I wasn’t sure of our policy, so I told her I was not certain we could help, but I would let her know in a few days. A few days would end today.”

  “And what do you think she wants us to do?”

  “I believe, but did not confirm, but I think…if you read between the lines…and keep in mind how tired she was…”

  Vic slapped him on the arm with the notes, then set them on the desk. “Ben, you are as bad as the client. Get to the point.”

  “I believe she has a ghost and wants us to get rid of it so she can sleep at night.” He grimaced as if expecting to be hit again.

  “Well, that’s interesting,” Vic said and took back the notes, sitting down to read them in detail, now that she had a clue to what the woman was trying to say. When she finished, she smiled at Ben. “I believe you are correct. Mrs. Haughton has a ghost.” Vic sighed with happiness. “I am so glad to be back in London.”

  Ben nodded, probably pleased they’d returned before he was expected to actually solve the cases.

  “So, I’ll stop by Mrs. Haughton’s house today and scope matters out.”

  “But ghosts only come out at night,” Ben replied.

  “I’ve never met a ghost, so I’m thinking it’s more likely someone else living in her house.”

  Ben thumped his head. “I should have asked her about everyone on her staff.”

  Vic nodded. “You’ve much to learn, but I agree with Xavier. You’ve done a fabulous job on your own. Now to the missing cat case—”

  “Close it and return the money,” Xavier barked as he entered the room. “Come along, Vic. Both of these files require updating.” He paused and looked at Ben. “You did not provide either client with their report I hope.”

  Ben shook his head.

  “Well done, Ben. Remind me after you close the cat case that I’m giving you a raise.”

  Chapter 21

  Xavier rushed across the street, with Vic running after him.

  “Xavier, I think the cat case has merit.”

  He snorted and entered their home and yelled to the empty hall. “Casey, we need the carriage at once. Tubs, we need you too.”

  Tubs and Davy ran into the hallway, one still demoralized, and the other quite angry. “Why are you calling for Casey? I am your driver!” Davy yelled.

  “Because Marybell is in no condition to take me, Tubs, and Vic all about town. Now stop behaving like a jealous wife and go to bed. I have worn you out and you need sleep.”

  Davy opened his mouth to object, but his tired brain must have realized Xavier was correct, for he turned around and headed to the servants’ area.

  Unfortunately, Tubs remained demoralized.

  Once in the carriage and on their way, Xavier asked for a briefing on the two other cases.

  “The missing cat case has merit because of multiple acts of fraud and health issues,” she claimed.

  Tubs rubbed his temple and muttered. “It’s
the smoked eel all over again.”

  Vic patted his knee. “Excellent work, Tubs. Even down in the dumps, you are still a valuable employee…although you did promise to be a happy employee when I hired you.”

  Xavier sighed. “I have no idea what the bloody hell either of you is talking about, but you do need to pull yourself up, Tubs. One grumpy driver is all I can bear. When I lectured Ben on taking a missing cat case, did he fall in a hole of self-flagellation? No. He came up smiling the moment I complimented his other achievements.”

  Xavier sighed heavily when Tubs made no reply or improvement of mood.

  “Do I really need to go through every impressive thing you’ve done?”

  Tubs remained quiet.

  “Vic, we’ll take turns. I’ll start.”

  He leaned back in his seat and sighed. “You jumped onto a boat and rescued both Vic and me from certain death by a knife-wielding pirate. You did leave Vic’s imaginary little brother on board…but I’m willing to overlook that.”

  Vic smiled and squeezed Xavier’s hand. “He was a horrible brother anyway,” Vic said and grinned at Tubs. “You took a bullet for me when I insisted upon talking to the owner of a fake factory about his bonds.”

  Xavier nodded. “You killed the most dangerous spy that has ever threatened our family and England.”

  Their list went on until they reached Xavier’s destination. “I will go in alone. Vic, I want your employee in a better mood by the time I return because you think better when everyone is in a good mood.”

  She gripped his arm before he could escape. “Hold on, I still require further training on financial matters.”

  “You do, but cheering up Tubs is far more important than your training. What if he’s glumly staring at his feet when someone tries to cleave you in two with a butcher knife?”

  She released Xavier’s arm and let him go, sighing heavily as she slammed back in the seat. “He’s got a point. No point in training me if I’m going to die soon because you are too mad at the past to protect me in the future.”

  Tubs’ brow furrowed at her comment, but he remained sullen and silent.

  Annoyed by his stubbornness, she propped her feet on his chair. “I can see why you are so mad at yourself for making a mistake. God knows I don’t make mistakes, like getting you shot because I wouldn’t just accept your word the factory was a fake. Or when I accused the butcher of passing off eel for smoked herring and you had to take away the butcher knife from him. Or when I ran onto a boat to stop it from leaving, putting both me and Xavier in danger. Nope. I never make mistakes.”