For Better Or Worse

I had
Jonathon escort Victoria to the infirmary.
The possibility of being seen with her was far too dangerous for both of
us. We had decided that her story would
be quite simple: Scared by Hector’s actions, she fled to the infirmary.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Being soaked to the skin, the nurses would
offer her dry clothing and a bed for the night. It was believable, as long as Hector hadn’t bothered to check the
infirmary before her arrival. As luck
would have it, he hadn’t.

After an
hour passed, I too went to the infirmary, under the pretenses of checking on
Victoria’s father. When I entered Mr.
Dearborne’s room, Victoria was sitting at his side clad in what appeared to be
one of the nurse’s uniforms. Her face
blushed when her eyes found me.

“Good
morning, Constable Crane,” Mr. Dearborne said, sorrow in his eyes.

“Good
morning,” I answered, doing my best to look confused. “Is everything all right?”

“You
needn’t pretend, Constable. Victoria
has told me everything.” He took his
daughter’s hand in his. “I understand
that this is the only way to save her.
I place all of my faith in you.”

My body
relaxed and I walked closer to both of them.
“She will live a good life, sir, I promise you that.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The position I am taking in Philadelphia
will provide more than enough for me to give Victoria anything she wishes…”

Victoria
smiled, “I wish only for you, Ichabod.”

I was
foolish to let myself get caught up in the moment. “And it will be my pleasure to provide you with a lifetime of…”

“What in
God’s name is going on in here, Victoria?”
Not one among us knew if Hector had heard anything we said – however my
presence within two feet of her was surely enough to rile her husband.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Where have you been?”style="mso-spacerun: yes">

With
newfound confidence, Victoria stood and spoke.
“I’ve been here since last night, Hector. I could not bear to stay in that house with you acting as you
were.”

Hector
raised an eyebrow, realizing that a doctor and nurse had entered the room.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “And just how was I acting?”

“Like a
madman!” Victoria shouted. “What
possesses a man to treat a woman, who lives her life as his servant, the way
you treat me?”

Hector
walked toward his wife, a smile on his face.
“My love, you must be fevered from running about in the storm last
night…”

“Stay away
from me! They all know, Hector.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> All of them!”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She lifted her sleeve, exposing her
bandages. “What do you think I told
them when they tended to my wound? That
I made a gauche mistake in the kitchen?”

“Are you
trying to say that I caused your injuries?” Hector asked, appalled.

Tears fell
from Victoria’s eyes, but I believe they were tears of anger, rather than
sorrow. “Had I not moved, I would be
dead,” she whispered. “You were aiming
for my heart!”

My stomach
twisted. Why had she not told me?style="mso-spacerun: yes">

“Perhaps it
is not fever that is upon you, wife, perhaps it is madness!”

“Witnessing
another man bestowing compassion upon me is not a reason for me to cease
existing!”

I then
understood why she hadn’t told me. Had
Hector succeeded in making his target, I would have been the cause of her
death. The thought made me ill and I
had to hold the edge of the bed to keep my balance.

“He is not
worthy of comforting you!” Hector said, pointing at me.

“And you
are? That is, if you ever chose to do
so? You are an animal! style="mso-spacerun: yes"> A filthy, disgusting…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Her words were cut short as Hector’s hand
made contact with her face.

Despite the
man’s advantage on me in both height and weight, I felt my body moving rapidly
towards him. From the corner of my eye,
I saw Victoria grab a bottle from a nearby shelf before she disappeared from
the room. I punched Hector squarely in
the jaw, causing him only to laugh before he sent my body into the wall…I
passed out.