A Cure for the Blind

Chapter 42 - Our Remains

Chapter Forty-Two

Our Remains

“I don’t want to believe it… I feel… completely destroyed, utterly crushed.”

Victor was sitting in Preshea’s very small, but very cozy living room, his hands supporting his head. He was tired, devastated, angry, disappointed and, mainly, hurt. He had never known he could feel so betrayed.

He had just finished telling everything about Ethel to Preshea. He had come to her house, feeling too lost, too repulsed and furious at his sister to stay in the same building as her. He had slept in Preshea’s couch, though he never actually rested. He showed up too disturbed and devastated to talk the night before and Preshea was quick to understand – she simply handed him a pillow and a few blankets.

Victor couldn’t cry though. He guessed he was too exhausted for even that. He had way too much on his mind already, what with Amos still alive, Julius’s unfair death, the mysterious disappearance of Patrick Peterson, the mysterious murder of Lewis Jackson, Nicholas Skeffington going insane, Selina missing for most of the day, Jonathan Hazenberg breathing down his neck, Garret’s last words playing on his mind without a break… But Ethel’s confession… That was too heavy to bear.

“I understand why…” Preshea replied, sitting on the table in front of the couch and holding a mug with hot coffee. She was trembling, shocked at Victor’s revelation. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” Victor lifted his head from his hands and looked at his long-time friend, completely defeated. “I’m afraid I might never be able to look at her again.”

“Victor… she’s your sister,” Preshea replied with a merciful smile, as if that fact was the only answer he needed.

“And she killed my mother.”

His cold reply made Preshea retreat her eyes from his for a few seconds.

“I know, but… You have to forgive her. You love her, you need her.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that,” he answered with painful honesty. “I wish I could, but I don’t think I can.”

“It’s still a fresh wound. It will heal.”

“I hope so, yet I can’t help but doubt it, much to my despair. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have a tendency to hold very strong and old grudges.” He smiled bitterly.

“Yes, but… this is Ethel we’re talking about.”

“I know, that’s why I’m so broken. If she was anyone else, she would be dead by now.”

Preshea shivered at what he said, but otherwise chose to ignore it. “Does Selina know?”

“I can’t tell her. It will ruin her. She will know, eventually, but not right now.”

He stood up and passed by Preshea’s seat to stare at her window, trying to make some sense out of everything that was running through his exhausted mind and broken heart. His eyes widened at the sight he had once he got there though. What he witnessed momentarily erased all the other thoughts from his mind – including even Ethel’s supreme act of treason.

Right beneath Preshea’s window, a most unusual pair was having a very serious and apparently deep and enthralling conversation. Lady Lenora and Detective Jonathan Hazenberg talking was definitely an odd sight and it certainly felt out of place. Victor couldn’t remember ever hearing any of them even mentioning the other. In fact, Detective Hazenberg had been in the Skeffington’s mansion more than once while he was there, and though he always talked to or about Sir Amos, Jack, Nicholas and Julius, never once did he talk to or about Lenora.