For Better Or Worse

As soon as
the world stopped spinning around me, I took note of what I had landed on – the
aforementioned body. I registered that
there was no scent, therefore I knew that the unfortunate soul was not deceased,
however, he certainly was not in the healthiest of conditions.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I sat up, rubbing at the lump that was
forming on the back of me head, and tried to rouse the man.

“Sir?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Sir, are you all right?”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Well, of course he was far from all right,
but what else was I to ask? He was
terribly brd and and I noticed that some of his clothing was thick with blood.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “S-sir?”
His eyes fluttered, attempting to open.

“Help…me…” His voice was very hoarse and his breathing
shallow.

“Yes, yes,
of course.” I ran up the stairs as
quickly as I could and grabbed the first two men I saw.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “There is an injured man at the bottom of
the stairwell, I need your help to bring him up.” The men assisted me and we were able to get him to the infirmary,
which was, thankfully, very near by.
Once there, several nurses and Dr. Peter Kindell attended to him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Both my job and curiosity kept me at the
infirmary until the man was conscious and coherent.

When I was
allowed to speak with him, my day became…complicated.

Dr. Kindell
came out to find me. “Mr. Dearborne will
see you now, Constable Crane.”

“Mr. Dearborne?”
I asked, my stomach twisting.

“Yes,
Constable. He would like to speak with
you.”

A noise
that could have belonged to a small, frightened animal escaped my lips, then I
followed Dr. Kindell. Mr. Dearborne sat
upright in his bed, his face swollen, but his eyes bright.

“Constable
Crane?” he whispered.

“Yes, sir.”

“I cannot
thank you enough for saving my life.”

“You are
quite welcome. I must ask, sir, are you
Phillip Dearborne?”

“Yes, I
am.”

“Your
daughter has been quite concerned about you, sir, she came…”

He
struggled to sit up further. “She’s
come to you?”

I
nodded. “For the past several
days. May I ask what happened to…”

“Father!”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I heard Victoria’s voice behind me.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I could not bring myself to turn around for
fear of seeing her husband.

/spa/span>“My darling
girl,” Mr. Dearborne said, smiling as best he could. “How did you know to come?”

“Abigail
Hallingsworth is a nurse here, she sent for me. Father, I thought you dead.
What on Earth happened to you?”

I noticed
that Mr. Dearborne paused before answering his daughter.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I believe that I happened upon the wrong
place at the wrong time, my dear.
Common thieves seemed quite adamant about taking the valuables I had on
my person.”

“So many
days ago? Oh, Father, it must have been
terrible! It’s been so cold and…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Victoria turned and looked at me.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She looked so different from all of her
visits. The forlorn look in her eyes
had disappeared and her lips were drawn into the most beautiful smile I had
ever seen. “Constable Crane, you
found my father?”

I could
feel the heat in my face growing stronger with every passing moment.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Yes, Mrs. Wintergrace.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I managed to stumble upon him…”

“Quite
literally,” Mr. Dearborne chuckled.

“I am not
quite sure how to thank you, Constable.”

“Seeing a
smile on your face is more than I could ask for, Mrs…”

“Victoria,
please, Constable. I do enjoy to being
my own person at times.”

Victoria
was noticeably more at ease in her father’s presence. I understood where her bruises were from, but I also understood
my place – it was not in the midst of her affairs. On each occasion that I had seen her, Victoria seemed to be the
epitome of a damsel in distress, but at that moment, and with that one lone
statement, I knew that there had to be more to her. “Ichabod,” I said, feeling foolish as soon as I did.

“Pardon?”
she replied, her smile still present.

“You
needn’t call me Constable Crane. Though
I suppose you will no longer be seeking my assistance or…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I regretted the words that I let leave my
mouth. She>She would have to think me odd
for saying them – at least that is how I thought she would react.

“Ichabod,
you have been a true gentleman in this matter.
You could have easily turned me away when I came to you.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She stepped closer to me and kissed my
cheek. “I am forever grateful.”

I tried in
vain to swallow the lump that formed in my throat, but before I could succeed,
Mr. Dearborne had once again spoken up.

“Victoria,
dear, I fear that I will be here for a day or two. Would you be so kind as to bring my robe for me?”

Victoria
kissed her father’s forehead and smiled at him. “Of course, Father. I
will be back as soon as I can.” With a
final nod in my direction, she left.

“Constable
Crane, when my daughter came to see you…was she alone?”

I
understood where this conversation was headed.
“Yes, she was.”

“Was she
all right? I mean to ask…style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Aside from worry, was she in good health?”

“She was
not ill, sir.”

Mr.
Dearborne looked down at the blankets that were covering him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Was she injured?”

“I fear
that I have ruined my daughter’s life.”
His voice was distant. “Have you
met her husband?”

“Yes, I
have.”

“And that
is why your throat looks as it does?”

“Pardon?”

“Constable
Crane, you have bruises on your throat.”

I had
unfastened the color of my shirt after carrying Mr. Dearborne to the
infirmary. I had not given it another
thought. “I…Well, you…”

“He is a
monster, Constable, and I gave my daughter to him.”