Losing You, Chapter 4
May. 30th, 2012 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crossover_chickYeah, sticking with "Losing You" at the moment. Anyway, here's Chapter 4 in the saga of "wrecking Victor's life:"
Chapter 4
March 11th, 1875
Burtonsville, England
6:39 P.M.
February passed by in a bit of a blur for Victor. His parents hired the best people money could buy to locate the Everglots – even though she now thought Victor might have an unnatural attraction to corpses, Nell was still determined to have her high society match. Every day was spent by them all waiting and wondering if this would be the day the missing nobles would finally be found.
Of course, Victor had less time to wait and wonder than his parents. After the fiasco with Pastor Galswells, William had also been spending his money hiring psychiatrists to “have a look at you and see what’s wrong.” Victor had tolerated the first one, an elderly man named Dr. Wilson who’d recently retired from a long career at Rutledge Asylum. Dr. Wilson seemed to have a knack for making people open up, and after some initial reluctance, Victor had told him the whole story. The man had seemed fascinated by Victor’s account of the Land of the Dead, asking all sorts of questions and even laughing at a few of the funny parts. He hadn’t believed him, of course – Victor hadn’t expected him to. It was too much to ask that someone who hadn’t been there to believe the tale, especially since he could no longer depend on the rest of the village to back him up. But Dr. Wilson was understanding and kind, and didn’t say one word about evil undead. And his final report gave Victor a little hope – he’d told William and Nell that, while Victor had apparently suffered some sort of hallucinatory episode, said episode appeared to be completely harmless. “In my professional opinion, he shows absolutely no tendencies toward necrophilia. I think the episode was simply brought on by extreme stress over his arranged marriage – it was his way of dealing with some of his fears. From everything I can see, he’s perfectly fine now. I think you can safely leave the issue alone – he’s not hurting anyone, and I can’t see him bringing it up in casual conversation. We’ve sent patients back into the world in worse states than him.”
Nell had promptly told the doctor he had no idea what he was doing and thrown him out. The following professionals were a lot less forgiving of Victor’s “delusions,” and Victor had eventually refused to talk to any of them. It was infuriating, really, that his parents were bound and determined to get him to admit to being ill when he wasn’t. He wasn’t delusional, and he certainly wasn’t a necrophiliac! Why couldn’t his parents have just taken Dr. Wilson’s diagnosis and left him alone? He knew better than to bring this up outside of the village – did they think he was stupid?
On top of all of that, Pastor Galswells had not let up on the whole “damned” business. He seemed to consider it his right to spread the news that Victor Van Dort was an evil necromancer destined for Hell as far as he could. Victor hadn’t been let into the church since the pastor’s visit to the Van Dort mansion. Victor didn’t really care about going – he could pray in his room without being harangued – but the rest of the village certainly did. They started avoiding him in the streets, looking away if he tried to make eye contact and returning his greetings with only the briefest of nods. A few had even accused him of trying to drag the whole village down into the depths of Hell. It seemed that most of them were far more inclined to believe the Pastor Galswells version of events than what they themselves had experienced. And that was even more infuriating than what his parents were doing. William and Nell, at least, had the excuse of not having been in town when the dead rose. But Victor had seen all these people enter the church, arm in arm with their dead loved ones. How could they turn around and say Victor had been raising demons to witness his unholy union with a corpse? To Victor, it felt like a slap in the face – not to him, but to the dead Downstairs. How dare they accuse their own friends and relations of being devils? Especially after the dead had been so happy to see them? It turned his stomach to think of how his friends Below would feel if they knew what was happening Above.
What kept him going through it all was the hope he’d see Victoria again. That they’d find the Everglots, convince them that marriage was still a good idea, and he’d be allowed to take their daughter for his wife. He thought about what married life with her would be like – they’d have a house far away from it all, where they could live in peace and quiet. He’d teach her how to play the piano, so he could have a memory of sharing a duet with her too. They’d talk about how they couldn’t believe they were the children of their parents. He’d tell her more stories of the Land of the Dead, and she’d believe him and tell him it sounded like a wonderful place to spend the afterlife. He’d draw and she’d sew and they’d be happy. And when they had children, they’d name their firstborn daughter Emily (or maybe Emma, if naming her so directly after the corpse bride made Victoria feel strange). Imagining that life, that peace, helped him keep his sanity, even as it made him more and more anxious to find where the Everglots had gone.
“Where is that man?”
Victor looked up from his biscuit to see his mother scowling in the direction of the door. “It’s not like William to be late! It’s terribly rude! Not something that would be tolerated in the upper classes at all!”
“I’m sure he h-has a good reason,” Victor said.
“Hmph. He had better.” Nell sipped at her tea. “Otherwise, he’s going to get an earful and no mistake. Victor, be careful not to get crumbs all over the carpet.”
The door of the sitting room suddenly burst open, and William darted in, grinning from ear to ear. “Nell! Victor! We’ve finally done it!”
“Done it? What was so important that you were late to tea?” Nell demanded, glowering.
“We’ve found them!”
The anger disappeared instantly from Nell’s face. “Found them? Found the Everglots?”
“You know where they are?” Victor added, feeling a rush of hope.
William nodded, holding up a paper. “One of our men finally tracked them down. They’re residing in the countryside, at some old estate none of them have been to in years. We nearly passed it by, it’s been closed so long, but this fellow thought it was worth a look – and there they were!”
“Fantastic!” Nell cheered, now smiling just as brightly as her husband. “Finally, we can go and have a proper chat with them! And hopefully we can convince them that Victor’s not going to have another episode. You’d better not, anyway,” she added, glaring at her son.
“I have no intentions of m-marrying any more corpses by accident,” Victor said, massaging his forehead.
“I’d feel better about that if you were taking your therapy seriously.”
“I don’t need therapy, Mother. I have no – u-untoward intentions toward d-dead bodies. And I would g-gladly never speak a word about Emily again in y-your presence if you’d just d-drop the matter.”
“Hmph. We’ll see how you do with the Everglots first.” She turned back to her husband. “How soon can we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning – I’ve already told Harland to be ready to leave right after breakfast.”
“I knew I kept you around for a reason,” Nell said, pleased. “Let’s finish our tea, and then we can pack.”
***
The next morning, they were off, headed for the ancient summer home of the Everglots. The trip was a long and boring one, with not much in the way of scenery, conversation, or amusement. Victor spent most of it staring out the window, switching between excitement and worry. Finally, he was going to see Victoria again! At least, if the Everglots were open to visitors. . . . But surely they still needed his parents’ funds to stay solvent! Then again, if they hadn’t contacted them by now. . . . But Victoria would be happy to see him! She’d help argue their case! Of course, God knew if the elder Everglots would even listen to their daughter. . . . But at least they knew that the uprising of the dead had actually happened! Yes, and what good did that do him in their case? He forced himself to take a deep breath. He was getting too worked up – he just had to concentrate on the fact that he was this much closer to seeing Victoria again. But would he be allowed to marry her?
Finally, after five long days on the road (broken up by short meals and nights at inns), they arrived at the house. The place was smaller than Victor would have thought, and was in need of some repairs, lots of landscaping, and a fresh coat of paint, but seeing it made his heart lift. Now was the moment of truth. Now they’d discover if a marriage between the two families was indeed still in the cards.
Nell glared at him over her fan as they parked outside the front door. “Don’t you dare mess this up,” she warned him. “Stand up straight, don’t fiddle with your tie, and don’t say a word unless you’re spoken to, got it?”
“Yes Mother,” Victor said.
“Good.” The three exited the carriage and went up to the door. Nell gave the bellpull a hearty yank while Victor and William stood to the side. Victor clasped his hands behind him tightly to stop them from fidgeting. Please, please. . . .
The door opened, revealing the familiar figure of the Everglots’ butler, Emil. He glared for a moment, nose in the air – then his eyes went wide as he registered who it was standing on the doorstep. “What – what are you--”
“We’re here on a friendly visit,” William said, pouring on whatever charm he possessed. “Do you think we could talk to your employers for a bit? I think we’ve got some business that needs ironing out, heh heh.”
“Ah – I’ll – I’ll announce you,” Emil said after a moment. Victor noticed the man’s eyes kept flicking back to him in particular – like he was especially baffled to see him standing there. He couldn’t figure out why, though. “The Lord and Lady are, um, in the drawing room. . .do you have a card?” he added, managing to regain a bit of his snooty air.
“Yes, right here,” William said, reaching into his pocket and pulling one out. “Had them made up just the other week.”
“Very good. Do come in and wait here.” Emil stepped aside, allowing them into the small room that passed for an entrance hall. They waited in a cluster near the door as he pattered down the hall.
Moments later, there was a loud “Who?” that could only come from Finis Everglot. The Lord and Lady themselves appeared shortly afterwards, staring at the newcomers with wide eyes. Victor noticed once again they seemed particularly surprised to see him. “What – what are you doing here?” Finis demanded, gaping.
“Please, Lord Everglot, we just wanted to talk to you,” William said, putting on his brightest smile. “About the wedding?”
“Wedding?” Maudeline repeated, arching an eyebrow.
“You did promise your daughter to our son,” William pointed out, still smiling. “Maybe you forgot when you, ah, left?”
Maudeline and Finis managed to get a hold of their wits again. “We didn’t forget,” Maudeline replied icily. “The fact that you think we would still want to join your family to ours after what your son tried to do--”
“That’s all done and over with, Lady Everglot, we swear,” Nell cut in, doing her best to grin. “We’ve had all the best doctors in to have a word with him. I promise you, he won’t be giving into any – urges – again.” Victor bit his lip to prevent himself from protesting that he didn’t have any urges.
“Doctors? You’d have been better off locking him in the basement and throwing away the key!” Finis boomed, glowering at Victor. “I’m tempted to have Emil fetch me musket!”
“Shall I, sir?” Emil said, looking almost eagerly at his employer.
“Now, now, let’s talk like civilized people, shall we?” William said, holding up a hand. “No need for violence. We know our son’s gone through a bad patch--”
“I never knew the middle class to be one for understatement before,” Maudeline snapped. “Your son nearly drove my husband and I out of our minds with what he did. I have never been so frightened in my life.”
“I’m sure he’s sorry,” Nell said, with a significant look at Victor.
“I am indeed,” Victor nodded, glad for the chance to speak up at last. “I never meant for you two to get in the middle of that. Nor did I intend to scare everyone out of their wits. I – I thought they’d all appear right in the church. . . .”
“Ugh, Victor, don’t bring up that mess again,” Nell said, shaking her head. “Lord and Lady Everglot don’t need to be reminded about your sickness. We’re terribly sorry for his behavior. Hadn’t the slightest idea he was like that. He’s always been a little odd, granted, but I always thought it was just because he seemed terrified of everything. Wet his combinations regularly when he was a boy.”
“You mentioned,” Maudeline said, wrinkling her nose. Victor blushed and lowered his eyes to the floor. Why did his mother have to bring up that?
“Yes, well – as we said, he’s getting help for his problems,” Nell continued, undaunted. “He won’t bother you with talk about corpses and brides and all that nonsense anymore, will he?”
“Never,” Victor promised. “Not a word.”
“That won’t stop us from thinking about what he did!” Finis said, stabbing his finger at them. “We left that village to try and get away from such horrible memories! We’ve lost a house thanks to you, Master Van Dort – and we only just kept our butler! The only reason he agreed to stay in our employ was because we were leaving!”
“Yes,” Emil nodded, glaring at Victor. “Your insistence on dragging the dead out of their graves nearly cost me a very good position.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Victor held up his hands. “Please, Lord and Lady Everglot, you’ve got to believe that I’m sorry! That I never wanted to hurt anyone in any way!”
“That’s not what we’ve heard Pastor Galswells is saying,” Finis retorted. “He declared you damned.”
“I – I – it won’t h-happen again, I assure you. I’ll never speak of it in f-front of you, never t-tell another soul. . . .”
“That won’t change the past, will it? Won’t change the fact that you ruined a perfectly good reception with your – activities!”
Victor felt a flicker of anger. “P-perhaps, but given that the new groom you c-chose was prepared to k-kill your daughter for her nonexistent money. . . .”
“Yes, we’ve heard about Lord Barkis,” Maudeline said, sighing. “Trying to make himself rich at our expense. . .fool. We don’t blame you for his death, at least. And we’re glad to be rid of him if that’s the case.” She glared at him hard. “But don’t think that we’re willing to forgive you for anything else! You made us look like fools, and you caused the ruin of our old manor! We can never return to Burtonsville – nor would we want to, after what you’ve done!”
“Nobody says you have to,” William said soothingly. “We can work out all the details right here. And I’m sure we can come to some agreement. . .I’ve plenty to convince you with,” he added temptingly.
“No, you don’t,” Finis said shortly. “It’s ridiculous for you to think that we’d want your tainted family joined to ours in any manner.”
“And besides,” Maudeline added, tone cold and final, “you’re too late. Our daughter is already married.”
Notes:
-->Dr. Wilson was a surprise addition to this chapter. Initially I had planned to keep all references to "Alice" to the very end of the story, but the idea of Alice's old doctor seeing Victor just tickled my funny bone.
-->I figured I'd cut Victor a small break here and have him not be blamed for Barkis's death. Victoria told her parents straight-out that her husband had committed suicide, so they're not sparing much thought for him.
-->Some of the inspiration for where the Everglots fled to comes from a fanfic called "Wedding Night" where Victor and Victoria spend their honeymoon at an Everglot estate -- a lot bigger than this one, though.
-->Although I'm in the "Victor and Victoria name a daughter after Emily" camp, I always thought Emma would be a good compromise. Starts off the same, but also gives the daughter a bit of individuality too.
March 11th, 1875
Burtonsville, England
6:39 P.M.
February passed by in a bit of a blur for Victor. His parents hired the best people money could buy to locate the Everglots – even though she now thought Victor might have an unnatural attraction to corpses, Nell was still determined to have her high society match. Every day was spent by them all waiting and wondering if this would be the day the missing nobles would finally be found.
Of course, Victor had less time to wait and wonder than his parents. After the fiasco with Pastor Galswells, William had also been spending his money hiring psychiatrists to “have a look at you and see what’s wrong.” Victor had tolerated the first one, an elderly man named Dr. Wilson who’d recently retired from a long career at Rutledge Asylum. Dr. Wilson seemed to have a knack for making people open up, and after some initial reluctance, Victor had told him the whole story. The man had seemed fascinated by Victor’s account of the Land of the Dead, asking all sorts of questions and even laughing at a few of the funny parts. He hadn’t believed him, of course – Victor hadn’t expected him to. It was too much to ask that someone who hadn’t been there to believe the tale, especially since he could no longer depend on the rest of the village to back him up. But Dr. Wilson was understanding and kind, and didn’t say one word about evil undead. And his final report gave Victor a little hope – he’d told William and Nell that, while Victor had apparently suffered some sort of hallucinatory episode, said episode appeared to be completely harmless. “In my professional opinion, he shows absolutely no tendencies toward necrophilia. I think the episode was simply brought on by extreme stress over his arranged marriage – it was his way of dealing with some of his fears. From everything I can see, he’s perfectly fine now. I think you can safely leave the issue alone – he’s not hurting anyone, and I can’t see him bringing it up in casual conversation. We’ve sent patients back into the world in worse states than him.”
Nell had promptly told the doctor he had no idea what he was doing and thrown him out. The following professionals were a lot less forgiving of Victor’s “delusions,” and Victor had eventually refused to talk to any of them. It was infuriating, really, that his parents were bound and determined to get him to admit to being ill when he wasn’t. He wasn’t delusional, and he certainly wasn’t a necrophiliac! Why couldn’t his parents have just taken Dr. Wilson’s diagnosis and left him alone? He knew better than to bring this up outside of the village – did they think he was stupid?
On top of all of that, Pastor Galswells had not let up on the whole “damned” business. He seemed to consider it his right to spread the news that Victor Van Dort was an evil necromancer destined for Hell as far as he could. Victor hadn’t been let into the church since the pastor’s visit to the Van Dort mansion. Victor didn’t really care about going – he could pray in his room without being harangued – but the rest of the village certainly did. They started avoiding him in the streets, looking away if he tried to make eye contact and returning his greetings with only the briefest of nods. A few had even accused him of trying to drag the whole village down into the depths of Hell. It seemed that most of them were far more inclined to believe the Pastor Galswells version of events than what they themselves had experienced. And that was even more infuriating than what his parents were doing. William and Nell, at least, had the excuse of not having been in town when the dead rose. But Victor had seen all these people enter the church, arm in arm with their dead loved ones. How could they turn around and say Victor had been raising demons to witness his unholy union with a corpse? To Victor, it felt like a slap in the face – not to him, but to the dead Downstairs. How dare they accuse their own friends and relations of being devils? Especially after the dead had been so happy to see them? It turned his stomach to think of how his friends Below would feel if they knew what was happening Above.
What kept him going through it all was the hope he’d see Victoria again. That they’d find the Everglots, convince them that marriage was still a good idea, and he’d be allowed to take their daughter for his wife. He thought about what married life with her would be like – they’d have a house far away from it all, where they could live in peace and quiet. He’d teach her how to play the piano, so he could have a memory of sharing a duet with her too. They’d talk about how they couldn’t believe they were the children of their parents. He’d tell her more stories of the Land of the Dead, and she’d believe him and tell him it sounded like a wonderful place to spend the afterlife. He’d draw and she’d sew and they’d be happy. And when they had children, they’d name their firstborn daughter Emily (or maybe Emma, if naming her so directly after the corpse bride made Victoria feel strange). Imagining that life, that peace, helped him keep his sanity, even as it made him more and more anxious to find where the Everglots had gone.
“Where is that man?”
Victor looked up from his biscuit to see his mother scowling in the direction of the door. “It’s not like William to be late! It’s terribly rude! Not something that would be tolerated in the upper classes at all!”
“I’m sure he h-has a good reason,” Victor said.
“Hmph. He had better.” Nell sipped at her tea. “Otherwise, he’s going to get an earful and no mistake. Victor, be careful not to get crumbs all over the carpet.”
The door of the sitting room suddenly burst open, and William darted in, grinning from ear to ear. “Nell! Victor! We’ve finally done it!”
“Done it? What was so important that you were late to tea?” Nell demanded, glowering.
“We’ve found them!”
The anger disappeared instantly from Nell’s face. “Found them? Found the Everglots?”
“You know where they are?” Victor added, feeling a rush of hope.
William nodded, holding up a paper. “One of our men finally tracked them down. They’re residing in the countryside, at some old estate none of them have been to in years. We nearly passed it by, it’s been closed so long, but this fellow thought it was worth a look – and there they were!”
“Fantastic!” Nell cheered, now smiling just as brightly as her husband. “Finally, we can go and have a proper chat with them! And hopefully we can convince them that Victor’s not going to have another episode. You’d better not, anyway,” she added, glaring at her son.
“I have no intentions of m-marrying any more corpses by accident,” Victor said, massaging his forehead.
“I’d feel better about that if you were taking your therapy seriously.”
“I don’t need therapy, Mother. I have no – u-untoward intentions toward d-dead bodies. And I would g-gladly never speak a word about Emily again in y-your presence if you’d just d-drop the matter.”
“Hmph. We’ll see how you do with the Everglots first.” She turned back to her husband. “How soon can we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning – I’ve already told Harland to be ready to leave right after breakfast.”
“I knew I kept you around for a reason,” Nell said, pleased. “Let’s finish our tea, and then we can pack.”
The next morning, they were off, headed for the ancient summer home of the Everglots. The trip was a long and boring one, with not much in the way of scenery, conversation, or amusement. Victor spent most of it staring out the window, switching between excitement and worry. Finally, he was going to see Victoria again! At least, if the Everglots were open to visitors. . . . But surely they still needed his parents’ funds to stay solvent! Then again, if they hadn’t contacted them by now. . . . But Victoria would be happy to see him! She’d help argue their case! Of course, God knew if the elder Everglots would even listen to their daughter. . . . But at least they knew that the uprising of the dead had actually happened! Yes, and what good did that do him in their case? He forced himself to take a deep breath. He was getting too worked up – he just had to concentrate on the fact that he was this much closer to seeing Victoria again. But would he be allowed to marry her?
Finally, after five long days on the road (broken up by short meals and nights at inns), they arrived at the house. The place was smaller than Victor would have thought, and was in need of some repairs, lots of landscaping, and a fresh coat of paint, but seeing it made his heart lift. Now was the moment of truth. Now they’d discover if a marriage between the two families was indeed still in the cards.
Nell glared at him over her fan as they parked outside the front door. “Don’t you dare mess this up,” she warned him. “Stand up straight, don’t fiddle with your tie, and don’t say a word unless you’re spoken to, got it?”
“Yes Mother,” Victor said.
“Good.” The three exited the carriage and went up to the door. Nell gave the bellpull a hearty yank while Victor and William stood to the side. Victor clasped his hands behind him tightly to stop them from fidgeting. Please, please. . . .
The door opened, revealing the familiar figure of the Everglots’ butler, Emil. He glared for a moment, nose in the air – then his eyes went wide as he registered who it was standing on the doorstep. “What – what are you--”
“We’re here on a friendly visit,” William said, pouring on whatever charm he possessed. “Do you think we could talk to your employers for a bit? I think we’ve got some business that needs ironing out, heh heh.”
“Ah – I’ll – I’ll announce you,” Emil said after a moment. Victor noticed the man’s eyes kept flicking back to him in particular – like he was especially baffled to see him standing there. He couldn’t figure out why, though. “The Lord and Lady are, um, in the drawing room. . .do you have a card?” he added, managing to regain a bit of his snooty air.
“Yes, right here,” William said, reaching into his pocket and pulling one out. “Had them made up just the other week.”
“Very good. Do come in and wait here.” Emil stepped aside, allowing them into the small room that passed for an entrance hall. They waited in a cluster near the door as he pattered down the hall.
Moments later, there was a loud “Who?” that could only come from Finis Everglot. The Lord and Lady themselves appeared shortly afterwards, staring at the newcomers with wide eyes. Victor noticed once again they seemed particularly surprised to see him. “What – what are you doing here?” Finis demanded, gaping.
“Please, Lord Everglot, we just wanted to talk to you,” William said, putting on his brightest smile. “About the wedding?”
“Wedding?” Maudeline repeated, arching an eyebrow.
“You did promise your daughter to our son,” William pointed out, still smiling. “Maybe you forgot when you, ah, left?”
Maudeline and Finis managed to get a hold of their wits again. “We didn’t forget,” Maudeline replied icily. “The fact that you think we would still want to join your family to ours after what your son tried to do--”
“That’s all done and over with, Lady Everglot, we swear,” Nell cut in, doing her best to grin. “We’ve had all the best doctors in to have a word with him. I promise you, he won’t be giving into any – urges – again.” Victor bit his lip to prevent himself from protesting that he didn’t have any urges.
“Doctors? You’d have been better off locking him in the basement and throwing away the key!” Finis boomed, glowering at Victor. “I’m tempted to have Emil fetch me musket!”
“Shall I, sir?” Emil said, looking almost eagerly at his employer.
“Now, now, let’s talk like civilized people, shall we?” William said, holding up a hand. “No need for violence. We know our son’s gone through a bad patch--”
“I never knew the middle class to be one for understatement before,” Maudeline snapped. “Your son nearly drove my husband and I out of our minds with what he did. I have never been so frightened in my life.”
“I’m sure he’s sorry,” Nell said, with a significant look at Victor.
“I am indeed,” Victor nodded, glad for the chance to speak up at last. “I never meant for you two to get in the middle of that. Nor did I intend to scare everyone out of their wits. I – I thought they’d all appear right in the church. . . .”
“Ugh, Victor, don’t bring up that mess again,” Nell said, shaking her head. “Lord and Lady Everglot don’t need to be reminded about your sickness. We’re terribly sorry for his behavior. Hadn’t the slightest idea he was like that. He’s always been a little odd, granted, but I always thought it was just because he seemed terrified of everything. Wet his combinations regularly when he was a boy.”
“You mentioned,” Maudeline said, wrinkling her nose. Victor blushed and lowered his eyes to the floor. Why did his mother have to bring up that?
“Yes, well – as we said, he’s getting help for his problems,” Nell continued, undaunted. “He won’t bother you with talk about corpses and brides and all that nonsense anymore, will he?”
“Never,” Victor promised. “Not a word.”
“That won’t stop us from thinking about what he did!” Finis said, stabbing his finger at them. “We left that village to try and get away from such horrible memories! We’ve lost a house thanks to you, Master Van Dort – and we only just kept our butler! The only reason he agreed to stay in our employ was because we were leaving!”
“Yes,” Emil nodded, glaring at Victor. “Your insistence on dragging the dead out of their graves nearly cost me a very good position.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Victor held up his hands. “Please, Lord and Lady Everglot, you’ve got to believe that I’m sorry! That I never wanted to hurt anyone in any way!”
“That’s not what we’ve heard Pastor Galswells is saying,” Finis retorted. “He declared you damned.”
“I – I – it won’t h-happen again, I assure you. I’ll never speak of it in f-front of you, never t-tell another soul. . . .”
“That won’t change the past, will it? Won’t change the fact that you ruined a perfectly good reception with your – activities!”
Victor felt a flicker of anger. “P-perhaps, but given that the new groom you c-chose was prepared to k-kill your daughter for her nonexistent money. . . .”
“Yes, we’ve heard about Lord Barkis,” Maudeline said, sighing. “Trying to make himself rich at our expense. . .fool. We don’t blame you for his death, at least. And we’re glad to be rid of him if that’s the case.” She glared at him hard. “But don’t think that we’re willing to forgive you for anything else! You made us look like fools, and you caused the ruin of our old manor! We can never return to Burtonsville – nor would we want to, after what you’ve done!”
“Nobody says you have to,” William said soothingly. “We can work out all the details right here. And I’m sure we can come to some agreement. . .I’ve plenty to convince you with,” he added temptingly.
“No, you don’t,” Finis said shortly. “It’s ridiculous for you to think that we’d want your tainted family joined to ours in any manner.”
“And besides,” Maudeline added, tone cold and final, “you’re too late. Our daughter is already married.”
Notes:
-->Dr. Wilson was a surprise addition to this chapter. Initially I had planned to keep all references to "Alice" to the very end of the story, but the idea of Alice's old doctor seeing Victor just tickled my funny bone.
-->I figured I'd cut Victor a small break here and have him not be blamed for Barkis's death. Victoria told her parents straight-out that her husband had committed suicide, so they're not sparing much thought for him.
-->Some of the inspiration for where the Everglots fled to comes from a fanfic called "Wedding Night" where Victor and Victoria spend their honeymoon at an Everglot estate -- a lot bigger than this one, though.
-->Although I'm in the "Victor and Victoria name a daughter after Emily" camp, I always thought Emma would be a good compromise. Starts off the same, but also gives the daughter a bit of individuality too.
