thirty-eight
Vivienne’s belly seemed filled with crickets when she walked up the steps to the front door of her parents, Dobkins following close behind.
After Samuel had found signs of an intruder, the urge to catch Dr. Tucker had grown. And she wanted to do something useful for her new family.
Before knocking, she took a good look at the house where she’d spent some miserable years for no reason other than a fraud who had taken advantage of her innocence.
She knocked on the door.
The footman who opened it froze for a moment before holding the door for them. “My lady.”
Vivienne stepped inside. “Is my father home?”
“I’ll tell him you’re here.”
“I need to talk to my father first, then will you tell my mother I'm here as well? Give me ten minutes with my father, then tell my mother.”
“My lady.” The footman bowed while the butler appeared and greeted her warmly before he led her and Dobkins to her father’s study.
While they waited, Dobkins insisted on standing in a corner, pale since the morning’s incident.
“Don’t be so upset,” Vivienne said.
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me, even after we found evidence I was right. Someone was lurking in the garden.”
Vivienne exhaled. “Nothing happened, and panicking won’t help.”
“I lost my temper, but I was frightened.”
The door opened, and when her father entered, she ran to him. “Father!”
“Darling.” He hugged her before taking her by the shoulders and studying her face. “I say! You look so much better, rosy and full of energy.”
“I am. And look at my new gown.” She twirled to show him how she’d put on some weight. “Can you see the—Father!”
He was swallowing hard, his eyes shining with tears.
She nodded at Dobkins who left the room.
“I’m so happy, but also I’m so angry with Dr. Tucker.” He sucked in a deep breath and composed himself. “Superintendent Johnson said they don’t have enough evidence to arrest him. I’ll move heaven and earth to get that thug behind bars. He took advantage of our pain for his gain. He tortured Samuel. He must be locked up.”
“About that…there’s something I need to tell you.” She glanced at the door. “Apparently Mother made some generous donations to Dr. Tucker.”
He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. “It’s not possible. I would never approve…” He touched his forehead. “She gave him money without telling me. She lied to me.”
“I’m afraid so,” she said when he started to walk towards the door. “I understand you’re angry, but I must ask you to rein in your anger for a moment. I’m here to talk to Mother about Dr. Tucker and understand if she knows where he is.”
“Since they’re accomplices,” he completed.
“Right now, I need her to tell me everything. Let me handle the conversation.”
He nodded and sat on the sofa, beckoning her to do the same. “I made so many mistakes with you.” He hunched his shoulders as if tired. “I let your mother suffocate you and deceive me. What has our family become? We haven’t spent happy days together in years. Your mother rarely sees her grandchildren, and we argue more than we talk. Adele’s death destroyed us, instead of making us more united. I hope you’ll forgive me one day.”
“I’m sure we can be the strong family we’ve always been again. Mother will see reason once Dr. Tucker is brought to justice with evidence of his crimes.”
He seemed to age ten years in a second. “When my Adele died, I lost my wife, too. I lost myself, too. I was too focused on my own pain not to see what was happening. I think…” He paused and lowered his gaze as if feeling shame. “I think I didn’t want to see it. And even when you fell sick, my fear and dread of going through that pain again made me weak. I should have followed my instinct and order Dr. Tucker to leave.”
The door opened, and he fell silent.
