Page 38 of The Lady and the Lion (Victorian Outcasts #9)

thirty-five

A fter a night of troubled sleep, Samuel rubbed the back of his tense neck. The nightmare had left his body sore and his heart cracked. He’d wanted to stay with Vivienne through the night, but she needed rest and quiet, and he might hurt her by accident.

“Preoccupied, sir?” Richard asked, helping him don his jacket.

“Yes.” He stared at his reflection in the wall mirror.

The suit Richard had chosen was one Samuel had worn on other occasions. Best fabric, Italian cut, and well tailored. He was the rich Mr. Lyon, but the reflection lacked something that morning. Murdock was in his life again, and the oppression of an invisible cage pressed against his chest.

All his confidence seemed to vanish, or maybe the nightmare and the fact Vivienne had witnessed it had undermined his strength.

But then again, to understand who he was, living as Lion Boy had been necessary.

A knock on the door distracted him. “Samuel?” Captain Jackson peeked inside. “William is back. We need to talk.”

Samuel nodded. “Thank you, Richard.”

The fact William hadn’t been caught breaking into Dr. Tucker’s office was a good start and a testament to the footman’s skills. He would never underestimate his footman again.

Samuel entered his study, forcing himself not to show his inner turmoil.

“You know,” William said in a smug tone, “I find it curious that you two fellas asked for my help after everything you told me. After all the scolding and reprimands. After all the?—”

“Yes, but what did you find?” Captain Jackson asked.

“Well…” William went to sit down, but the captain stopped him.

“You don’t sit down when Mr. Lyon is standing.”

Samuel didn’t care, but William needed some discipline.

“Shall I remind you,” the captain said, “that without Mr. Lyon you would be in prison?”

“Fine.” William scowled. “My apologies. So the practice is obviously active. Dr. Tucker goes there every morning and leaves only to visit his patients. He started over years ago. But I found something interesting in his account book and ledger.” He lowered his voice.

“Lady Huntington paid him generous sums regularly in the past years, and I’m talking about large sums of pounds. ”

Samuel shrugged. “And? He’s the family physician, and officially Vivienne was sick. What’s extraordinary about that?”

“No, sir. These were large donations and too big to be the doctor’s fees.

There were other toffs in his records, people who gave him hundreds of pounds as donations to build a clinic near Coventry.

I did a quick search, and I didn’t find any trace of any clinic being built anywhere.

No letters or contracts with builders, no layout of the building.

Nothing. It’s suspicious. My father was a builder, and building something requires many of documents and blueprints and fees. ”

The captain leant against the desk. “The donations would explain why Dr. Tucker didn’t want Vivienne to leave. When was the last donation from Lady Huntington?”

“Weeks ago,” William said.

“She hasn’t given him money recently,” Samuel said. “But the donations are legal.”

“Yes,” the captain said, “but if he poisons people to make them ill so that their families pour donations into his coffers to take care of them and to build a clinic that doesn’t exist, that’s fraud.”

Samuel nodded. “We have to prove he poisons his patients.”

“We should collect information on his other patients and find a pattern,” the captain said. “There must be other people who realise he’s a quack.”

“I volunteer to collect information.” William held up his hand. “I can sneak in and out of his office or into any patient’s house unseen. I’m happy to put my skills to good use.”

He smiled. “Good point.”

William beamed. Perhaps they’d found a way to keep the former thief happy while leaving innocent people alone.

“Samuel?” Vivienne’s voice came from the other side of the door.

He opened it. A hint of shame bothered him after how he’d left her bed last night. “I was about to search for you.”

She craned her neck towards the captain and William. “You’re busy.”

“My lady.” William bowed.

“Come in.” Samuel waited for her to be seated. “William discovered your mother made generous donations to Dr. Tucker.”

“Donations?” Her delicate eyebrows drew together.

“I don’t think so. Father and Mother discuss their donations together.

Father has never approved of Dr. Tucker.

He would never agree to donate money to him.

Even before knowing Dr. Tucker was a fraud, Father didn’t like him.

He and Mother argued several times about him. ”

“How can your mother get those sums then?” he asked.

“She’s always taken care of the expenses of the house. It would be easy for her to inflate the bills and set aside some pounds.”

“We’ll keep Dr. Tucker under surveillance,” the captain said. “Then, when we have enough evidence, we’ll strike.”

“So we have to wait?” Samuel said. “Hell, no. I’d rather go there and drag him out of his office.”

“And what will that prove? We need time and evidence.” The captain clapped his shoulder. “We can’t make mistakes caused by haste. William and I will take care of the doctor.” He smiled. “You spend some time with your new wife.”

Yes, but he was worried about that as well.

Vivienne glanced at him, and he tried to ignore the knot of anxiety in his belly.

When William and the captain left the room, he didn’t have any excuses not to face his fears.

“You’re nervous.” She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “We’re going to stop him. Don’t worry.”

He released her finger to sign. “I wish we could be quicker.”

“Some things require more time than others.”

He brushed a dark curl of hair from her forehead. “What would you like to do?”

“Can we take a walk in the garden? It’s a beautiful day.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I feel better. A few days without the poison, and I already feel stronger.” She straightened and jutted out her chin. “I could run a marathon.”

He laughed and offered her his arm. “Let’s go.”

He observed her as they went down the stairs. Her cheeks were a nice shade of pink. The dark circles around her eyes were almost gone, but above all, her eyes were a bright blue. Even her hair was less dull.

Again, bitter anger at Murdock poisoned his blood.

“We’ll have a proper honeymoon when you’re better.”

“The garden is lovely. I’m more than happy to take a walk there with you for now.” She rested her head on his arm, and energy rushed through him.

In the sunlight with her smile shining upon him, his nocturnal fears seemed silly, but his desire for justice grew stronger.

She paused to sit on the bench under the shadow of an oak tree. He perched on the edge next to her with his back straight and his hands on his knees. The collar of his shirt chafed his neck all of a sudden. So his fears were still there, after all.

“Why are you so nervous?” She touched his knuckles. “Is it because of last night?”

He shrugged, following the flight of a sparrow.

“You were used to telling me everything. Or do you stop talking to me because I’m your wife? Isn’t that a bit too early?”

He grinned.

“Don’t you trust me?”

That got his attention. He turned towards her, and her large eyes stunned him for a moment.

“I do. More than anyone.” But he also feared her opinion. More than anyone’s.

“We’re married, and we’re friends. You can trust me.”

He exhaled. Friends. He fiddled with his hands, searching for the right words. She didn’t prompt him to talk.

He moved his fingers slowly, his way to whisper. “Only the captain witnessed my nightmares. They leave me exhausted. I don’t want you to see me in that state. I don’t want to wake you up in the middle of the night and scare you.”

“And I want to help you, and there’s nothing you should be ashamed of. Had I been in your situation, I would have nightmares constantly.” She ran a hand through his hair with such tenderness that the tension riding his shoulders eased. “Will you sleep with me tonight?”

He nodded, under her spell and not at all sorry about that.

“Will you stay even if you have a nightmare?”

Another nod, although he was less confident.

She tangled her slender fingers through his curls. “Do you know what I was thinking this morning after I woke up alone?”

His mouth grew dry for some reason. “What?”

“You left without kissing me.”

A flare of heat spread from his chest through his whole body. He cupped her cheek and inched closer. Only a short distance separated his lips from hers, but he took his time. Her sweet fragrance of orange blossoms intoxicated him. The warmth spreading through him made him dizzy.

She tilted her head, allowing him to press his mouth against hers more easily.

A shudder went through him as he tried to deal with the rough energy overwhelming him; it was a primordial force, more powerful than the anger towards Murdock that had always dominated his life; sweeter than the sense of freedom he’d experienced once he’d realised he wasn’t Lion Boy anymore; more devastating than any blows he’d received.

He kissed her again, trembling from head to toe with a riot of emotions. After last night, he should control his feelings better, but the kiss was as shocking as the first one. The first one might have been the product of the spur of the moment, but this second one was deliberate.

She ran her fingers through his hair again and rested her hand on a sensitive spot on his nape.

Why the gesture made him shiver harder, he had no idea.

They opened their mouths at the same time, and the kiss turned quick.

Her tongue stroked his, sending his heart into a frenzy of beats. He liked it when she pressed herself against him or when her hand travelled from his neck to his chest. Matching the movements of her lips was natural.

He covered her hand with his, right over his heart, letting her feel how fast his pulse raced, only because she was kissing him.

They were both breathless and dazzled when they broke the kiss. Her sweet orange taste lingered on his lips.

He stared at her. His inner turmoil was reflected in her eyes. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with his heartbeat.

She lowered her gaze. “I understand I’m not pretty now?—”

“What? You’re as beautiful as always.” He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “I’m only concerned about your strength. We don’t have to rush.”

She leant into his palm. “Then I’m looking forward to getting better.” She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip, and he caught a breath.

He dipped his head and was about to kiss her again when loud voices came from the path.

“I really don’t understand why you have to be so stubborn!” Dobkins chased Captain Jackson along the gravel path.

“I’m not being stubborn. I’m showing common sense. Something you should try.” Captain Jackson strode onwards, hands in his pockets.

“I am showing a lot of common sense.” Dobkins came to a halt in front of the bench, her face flaming.

“What’s the matter?” Vivienne asked.

Captain Jackson scoffed. “Dobkins asked me, no, ordered me to teach her how to shoot.”

Samuel slanted a glance at the maid. “Why?”

“Protection.” Dobkins folded her arms over her chest. “With everything that’s happening, I would feel safer with a gun.”

“Safer? A gun isn’t a toy,” the captain said.

“That’s why I asked you to teach me.”

“No. It’s dangerous.”

“Captain,” Samuel said. “Perhaps you should consider Dobkins’s request.”

Captain Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose. “You, too? Since when do you approve of guns?”

“If you don’t help her, she’ll find someone else, and they won’t be as good as you at teaching her. She might get hurt. Under your guidance, I’m sure she’ll be safe.”

Dobkins winked at him.

The captain exhaled. “All right. But she won’t get a gun.”

“What’s the point of teaching me if I can’t have my own gun?” Dobkins asked.

“That’s the deal.” The captain offered her his hand. “Take it or leave it.”

Huffing, Dobkins shook the captain’s hand. “Let’s start.”

After they walked away, Vivienne said, “I can’t believe you agreed with Dobkins.”

He watched Dobkins and the captain walking away. “I think the captain and Dobkins will enjoy their time together.”