Xavier nodded in understanding. “It is difficult to let people you care about take risks. I learned such when I took you to the club. Against my own better judgment, I allowed you to accompany me. Had Davy been your guardian, you would not have gone.”
“And if you had it to do over again?”
“I would not take you,” he admitted. “It has put a terrible strain on our relationship. I am only thankful it did not tear it apart.”
“Well, I am glad I’m my own guardian, for it revealed our assumptions were still wrong and I don’t understand why you will not allow me to pursue Charles K. and discover—” Victor stopped and glared at him. “You’re working the case without me!”
“I am your master,” Xavier reminded him.
“You are my employer and as such, should allow me to do my job. You gave me this case.”
“Yes, I am your employer. Thus, it is I who decides what you will do. After much consideration, I have decided to remove you from this investigation and that’s final.”
***
Vic knew exactly why he’d taken back her case. He wanted to protect her. But she didn’t need or want his protection. She was an adult and should be allowed to take risk equal to his. “Well, now I understand exactly how my sister feels and, when I return, I shall give her permission to share pleasure with whomever she has chosen.”
“Pleasure? Your sister is planning to physically engage with some man? Sex is nothing to trifle with Victor. It creates bonds, confounds judgment, and diminishes rationality. You dare not abdicate your duty in this matter. We have to determine who the man is, how far they have gone, and his intentions.” He leaned out the window. “Davy, turn the carriage. We are needed at Victor’s home,” he bellowed.
“Davy, continue to the lodge,” Vic yelled out. “I have to trust her. She is as competent as I, and I have to allow her to make her own decisions.”
“As competent as you! That is hardly a recommendation. I live in fear of the first young lady who smiles at you. For you are most ripe for picking just now.”
“I am no such thing.” Vic snapped in anger. “Just because I responded to you—”
“Even when you were not interested in loving a man? Even when you find the idea an abomination? Your response to me is strong evidence you are starved for love.”
“It does not mean anything of the kind,” Vic insisted. “And for the record I do not think it is an abomination, and my feelings towards you had nothing to do with starving for love.”
“Then how do you explain your attraction?”
Vic growled with frustration. “All right, if your ego cannot survive another minute without a stroke, I shall say it out loud. You are a brilliant, complex man who I both respect and wish to strangle in equal parts, which makes you a challenge. If I have a weakness, it’s my fondness of such. Unfortunately, you are also extremely handsome and your chest is just about the finest thing I’ve ever seen, and I would dare anyone, man or woman, not to be stirred by the sight of you in those silk sleeping trousers.”
***
Vic’s declarations confused and stunned Xavier. “Victor, if you have such strong feelings for me, why did you request we return to being nothing more than master/secretary?”
“Employer/secretary, and I already explained the matter. Without question you suit me. However, I will not suit you.”
Xavier huffed. Victor had never explained anything of the sort before or he would have already shot it down. “Should it not be my prerogative to determine who I want?”
“Normally, it would, but there are facts you do not know and so you must allow me to decide the matter.”
The boy’s declaration outraged him to such a degree he hardly knew how to respond. “Davy, why are we headed back to London?”
“You said to,” Davy replied from the carriage top.
“And Victor told you to ignore my order. Well, at least someone here understands I am able to make my own decisions. Now turn the carriage around and pick up the speed so we don’t arrive late.”
“This is one of those moments I’d like to strangle you,” Victor admitted.
“Trust me, my dear fellow, the feeling is mutual.”
Chapter 14
Xavier resisted any attempt to coerce Victor into revealing what the young man believed would make him ‘unsuitable.’ If he could do so without damaging their current relationship, he would have tried, but Victor was at least as stubborn as he and possibly more so.
No, it was well enough to know an explanation waited to be uncovered. Until this conversation, he hadn’t a clue there was anything standing between them other than moral repugnance. Victor’s declaration gave him immense hope. All Xavier had to do was discover the unsuitable fact and prove it didn’t matter in the least.
Neither of them spoke for the remainder of the three-hour drive. Xavier could at least console himself he had spent his time in useful speculation. Victor spent his time moping, grumbling, and kicking the opposite seat.
When they arrived at the lodge, Xavier climbed from the carriage and proceeded inside. Victor did not follow.
Once Xavier purchased the screens for target practice and the difficult pup had yet to show up, he lost his temper. “Damned nonsense!” he barked and sent a man to tell Victor if he wasn’t in the target room in one minute, he could consider himself dismissed
As he checked each screen, he regretted ever telling the boy he would not fire him. It disarmed him of one of his greatest weapons, for he was very certain Victor loved his job.
Three seconds before the deadline, the pup skulked into the room, his hands jammed into his pockets. As he raised his head and eyed the room, the tension fell from his face and he managed a smile.
Xavier pondered what caused the change in his attitude. Had Victor expected something other than a shooting gallery, perhaps a romantic room? Annoyed at the possibility, his temper flared. “Do you wish to shoot or not?”
Victor blushed and nodded.
“Come examine the screens. Contrary to your supposition that to shoot you merely need to point and pull a trigger, there are thousands of things that can go wrong. First of all, you should only shoot people intent upon killing you.” He partially unrolled the screen of a smiling woman, released it, and selected another depicting a pirate. “I really have to speak to Harmon about his character depictions. There are not many pirates wandering the streets of London these days. Anyway, you get the idea. Shoot the people trying to kill you, don’t shoot innocent bystanders.”
“I’ll try,” Victor muttered.
Xavier stared at him in shock. The boy knew he hated those words. “Why, you ungrateful scamp. I’ve a mind to leave and let you find your own damn way back to London. I am not out here for my edification. I am here for yours. If all you can do is tell me you’ll try, we might as well admit defeat and end this.”
“I’m sorry. I did not mean…it’s just you made it sound easy to discern between good and bad people and, furthermore, to discern if the bad person actually means to harm you. People are frequently not what they appear, and if you have had any input into the creation of these characters, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover the woman has a gun and the pirate a flower.”
Xavier smiled, for the pup was exactly right about the woman and only slightly off with the pirate. “Very good, Victor. People are rarely what they seem, and the nicest people, when pushed into a corner can become dangerous. And the hateful, foul-smelling pirate has only stolen a keg of ale—certainly nothing to kill him for.”
He led Victor to a black silhouette painted on the wooden wall. The wood in the top of the head and chest had been removed and Xavier placed a section of pressed cork into each.
“This is not what I expected,” Victor said. “Who practices shooting people?”
“Secretaries who fancy themselves investigators and have a desire to carry a gun and interact with criminals,” Xavier replied, and glared at the boy. “Your request for a gun, Victor, is no
minor issue. When you draw your weapon, you must be certain you are capable of firing it, for I assure you, the person on the other end will not hesitate to fire upon you. That is, unless you have misjudged your assailant and shot a school girl carrying her aging mother’s basket.”
“I am not criticizing the purpose of this place, for it suits my needs precisely. I am only surprised the police are not concerned about an establishment that teaches men to shoot other men…unless it was built for the police, but if it were, it would be for police other than the constables.”
“And that is all that will be said on the topic. You may have your secrets, and I shall have mine. It is not your concern why this establishment exists, nor who trains here. Only feel privileged you have two hours in this room to master the skill of marksmanship. Now, shall we stop wasting your precious time and begin?”
Xavier was pleased when Victor focused on his task. Whatever thoughts had plagued the boy’s mind in the carriage no longer held his attention.
Teaching Victor was both a joy and torment. Vic possessed remarkable eye to hand coordination, his attention to the proper stance and handling of the gun, perfection. Yet Xavier could not resist standing behind him and reaching around to correct the tiniest of errors solely for the pleasure of a moment of bodily contact.
“Victor, if I did not know you for an honest lad, I would say you lied to me about never having fired a gun before. In fact, I would accuse you of handling guns all your life.”
“But you know it is not true, for I would have claimed it so I could carry a gun and assist you in apprehending Aunt Maddy’s killer.”
Xavier chuckled. “As I recall, you did assist in his capture. I distinctly remember a loud sniffle distracting the man just when he was about to shoot me. Now let’s turn our focus on the screens. Unlike this cooperative fellow, true criminals rarely remain still. They charge, they run, they pull innocent bystanders in front of them; all in all, they are a most uncooperative lot. In addition, some of them are amazingly fast. For example, Mr. Schuhmeister.”
“Who?”
“Maddy’s murderer. One moment I had him safely under arrest and, within a blink of an eye, a gun slid out of his sleeve and into his hand. It was most impressive and quite undesirable. For the moment the gun appeared, the probability of my leaving the room without a bullet in my chest was only five percent.”
When Victor paled at his declaration, Xavier knew with certainty a lack of love was not the problem between them. He wanted to caress the pup’s cheek but constrained himself to a chuck beneath the chin. “Steady up, your sniffle came to the rescue. It’s always good to have a backup, especially a resourceful one. Don’t let the possession of a gun diminish your wits. A clever mind remains your most dangerous weapon.”
As he hung the screens, he explained to Victor the concept. He would be told some details about the case he was investigating, why he was here, and who he followed. At Xavier’s discretion, screens would unfurl. They might be of someone meant to harm him, or only an innocent bystander. They might appear one at a time, or all at once and Victor’s job was to sort them out and react with both speed and logic.
Excitement lit the boy’s eyes. Yes, his pup did love a challenge. Remembering Victor had also called him a ‘challenge’ gave him further hope. He placed his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “This is not a test most conquer on the first try. In fact, only one person has ever done so.”
Victor smiled. “Since I apparently cannot beat your record, I must content myself with matching it.”
“Impudent pup! I had been shooting for many years when I passed the test. You shall be lucky to succeed on your third try.”
When the keeper of the site, Harmon, slipped in to watch the show, Xavier walked back and stood beside the man as he lifted a paper and read the facts of the case. His recitation ended with a helpful lead. “Witnesses have seen a well-dressed man at all of the murder scenes. While he has strong alibis for two of the murders, the others he claims he was home with his wife. If the timetable remains the same, another young woman will die today. It is your job to ensure that doesn’t happen. Do you require a second read?”
“No, I’m ready.”
“Then let us begin.” Xavier and Harmon manned the board that triggered the screens to unroll then fly towards and away from Victor.
Five minutes later, the test ended, and Harmon and Xavier approached the screens to study the results.
Xavier pointed to the shot to the woman’s abdomen. “That’s a damn cruel place to shoot a woman, Victor. Stomach wounds are the worst. You would have been kinder to shoot her in the head.”
“She murdered twelve people and planned to murder me. She deserved no kindness,” his surly apprentice replied.
“You weren’t listening very well. I told you it was her husband we suspected of the murders.”
“Yes, but I have evidence to the contrary.”
Xavier winked at Harmon who gaped in shock. “And what is your evidence, impertinent pup?”
“Because she aims her gun at me, and her husband stares in horror, as if he’s thinking ‘dear God, not again’.”
Xavier wished to hell Harmon would leave, but the man was far too amazed to abandon the show now. “True enough. However, abdominal wounds, while painful as hell, can take hours to kill a person, so while you stand here gloating over your cleverness, the woman has lifted her pistol and shot you in the back.”
“I would not have left a weapon in her hand, sir, if for no other reason than her husband’s presence. Even though she was a monster, he clearly loved her.”
“Nonetheless, it was a bad decision to shoot her in the bowels. The heart or head should have been your choices.” He resumed his study of the other screens. “I see you avoided shooting the pirate.”
“Yes, but someone should arrest him all the same.”
“Why is that?”
“He is carrying dynamite, not ale.”
Harmon clapped. “You’re the first one to ever notice that.”
Victor stared up at Xavier with speculation, leaving him no choice but to cuff the boy. “I’m the one who gave the pirate his dynamite. Harmon spoke only about the other men who have come here to be tested.”
“I’ll be needing the young man’s name to put in the records,” Harmon said.
Xavier grimaced. Technically, he had not asked permission to allow Victor to train here. “You will do no such thing, for the young man has unfortunately failed.”
“Failed?” Victor and Harmon said in unison. The man sounding nearly as irate as Victor.
“Yes. This stomach shot is a botched affair and, despite your promises, after the fact, that you would have removed her weapon, in truth, you made no attempt to do so.”
“It’s just a paper screen.”
“And paper tears.” Xavier ripped the pistol out of the woman’s hand. “Had you removed the gun, I would have passed you, but since you did not, I declare you dead, sir. You have failed the test, and we are done. Out to the carriage, while I clean up this mess.”
For a moment, he feared Victor intended to refuse to leave, but finally the angry pup surrendered his weapon and stormed from the room. Xavier took his time taking down the screens.
“You were a bit hard on the bloke, don’t you think?” Harmon asked.
“It may save his life someday.”
“If he don’t just give up and resign his post.”
“He’s not a quitter. He’ll be over it by the time we return to London.”
“What office did you say he’s with?”
“I didn’t, nor will I. As far as you are concerned, I was the only one here.”
“Oh, I see. You couldn’t let him be listed in the records. You should tell him that. He’ll need all the confidence he can muster to be a spy these days.”
“I never said he was a spy in training,” Xavier chided.
“Course not... Why, he wasn’t even here. In fact, I have no idea what we are even talk
ing about.”
Xavier laughed and patted the old fellow on the back. “You’re a good man, Harmon, even if you have painted yourself into the story.”
“Noticed the pirate resembles me, did you?”
“That I was willing to overlook but when you gave the baby in the mother’s arms your face, you went too far. I want the child repainted before I come again, or I’ll shoot it myself.”
***
Vic propped her feet on the opposing carriage bench, creating dusty prints. Xavier would not enjoy sitting in filth. Her eyes narrowed as she pounded her feet upon the cushion until dirt covered the entire seat. Feeling justified with her revenge, she waited for her unjust employer to arrive.
When he opened the door, he gave her an apologetic smile, making her instantly regret her bad behavior. Before he climbed inside, she begged him to wait while she attempted to right matters. He ignored her request and sat beside her, placing his feet on the other side.
He thumped on the roof to signal Davy to head home. “I’m sorry I had to fail you, Victor. I had not actually obtained permission to bring you to the lodge and thus could not allow Harmon to write your name in the record books. Those slots are highly coveted, and believe me, all hell would have broken out if your name had topped the list.”
Now she felt even worse. “Thank you for telling me your reason, and I’m sorry for soiling the leather.”
“I assumed you wanted me to sit on your bench so you could rest your head on my chest and sleep a bit on the long drive home.”
He had no idea how much his idea appealed to her. She wiggled about. “This carriage seat is hard as a rock.”
When Xavier stretched his arm behind her, the promised comfort and warmth of his chest became too much to resist. She snuggled against him and closed her eyes, thinking nothing could be more wonderful.
Frowning, she recalled Claire seemed to think something was considerably more pleasant.
“Something wrong?” Xavier asked.
The Troublesome Apprentice (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 1) Page 9
