Author's Notes: *Hides from the killing glares* I'm so sorry, everyone! I wasn't able to update for such a long time because I was, admittedly, distracted… *cough* IwasbusywritingDraco/Hermionefics *cough* Ahem. I'm very sorry, guys! *goes on her knees and begs* I'm so, so soooorrryyyy!!!!
Anyways, on a completely separate note, yay! I just learned that my 'Writer's Ink' and 'Caught in the Middle' are both nominated for the 'Story that Made You Laugh' category… thank you to those who nominated my stuff! You guys are just great!
You all know the drill… the personal thankies are still at the bottom ;)
*Sigh* If this chapter is baffling you, blame me and my tired brain… this is quite different, actually. Hmm.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to 'The Lost World'. No profit is made, no infringement is ever intended.
Behold the Façade
Chapter Fifteen
Three days have passed since the tragedy that befell the elite society of London. The media, being the predator that it was, only fed on the story more; everyday, every newspaper in the country blared of nothing but the incident that occurred on the day that Lord William Roxton and his Lady Marguerite Krux was about to be wed. The bombing was just too delicious a piece to let go of, and every possible account about it was taken into consideration, every possible person connected to it was interviewed. Speculations about it flew rampant: was it due to some hideous prank, or perhaps caused by a jealous lover? Of course, the persons that were truly involved in it, the only persons that could definitely prove or disprove these theories were never solicited for their view on the matter, for both the Lords and the Lady Roxton were still recuperating from their brutal 'attack'.
Of course, the authorities were on their toes, trying in their best to get to the bottom of the incident. Based from their initial findings, it was as if the bombing was done as the sign of an impending revolution, and it was almost clear that there was no one else to blame but the revolutionaries themselves. As it is, the police were already apprehending their suspects…
The conditions of the victims of the explosion were constantly monitored and reported to the interested public. Now, almost everyone knows of Lady Victoria Roxton's slow road to recovery and Lord William Roxton's near brush with death. It was a miracle, really, that no one has yet seized of the fact that Marguerite Krux had mysteriously disappeared. This was kept strictly confidential between Lord John Roxton and his contacts. Even this bit of information was lost on his brother and mother, for this news would only upset her, and this news would only threaten him.
Two days have passed since they arrived on the hospital, and in these two days John wasn't able to fully concentrate on his treatments for he was too busy trying to locate Marguerite's whereabouts. Suddenly, the possibility of her being dead loomed even bigger than before, but he was still too stubborn to believe that, not until he could see Marguerite's dead body with his own eyes. Every single hospital within several miles from where they where now were already accounted for, and still, of Marguerite's presence there was still no sign. John tried to contact Jerome, but he was unsuccessful each time.
The older Roxton was slowly being driven to his wits' end.
"Damn it, Marguerite, where the hell are you?" he whispered. He had just finished talking to one of his contacts who had just informed him of another failure. John nodded at the head nurse, who had kindly allowed him to use the telephone of her station, and started to head towards his own room. He did not need his cane to move around anymore as he was stable enough to walk without the support of one.
He was mulling over other possibilities and ways of finding her when he suddenly found his path blocked by the little body of the girl that he 'met' days before.
"Good heavens, child, there you are!" John looked behind him to see a fairly young nurse scuttle towards him and the child. She threw an apologetic look at him before she took the girl by the hand. "I'm sorry if she's bothering you, Lord Roxton, but you see—"
John shook his head. "No, no she wasn't bothering me," he said to the nurse, before returning his gaze to the child in front of him.
She was staring at him again, in the way she was when he first saw her. The intensity of her soulful eyes was almost heart-wrenching. He quickly looked at her, frowned, then addressed the nurse once again. "Isn't she being given anything to eat?"
The nurse seemed taken aback by the question, much more by the vehemence that accompanied it. "Of… of course she is!" she told the Lord. "But… but she's the one who wasn't eating…"
John glared at her, sighed, and then said, "Is it possible that she be left with me, even for only an hour?" he asked.
The nurse was more than just surprised at the request. "With you, my Lord?" she asked. "But… but the child is mute! She cannot speak at all!"
"I don't believe she is." He told her, before he turned his gaze to the child. With a small smile to lighten his face, he asked her, "Do you want to come with me?"
The child was still for a moment, before she pulled her hand away from the nurse's and held on to John's.
He gripped at the delicate hand he held, and then said to the nurse, "We'll be in my room," he said, before they walked away.
*
"How is she?"
Veronica looked up from her sketch, and a smile immediately illuminated her face. "Ned!" She said, before she stood up and embraced her husband eagerly. "You've been away for too long. I've missed you!"
Ned returned her affection with as much love as she gave him. He could immediately feel all the other emotions temporarily abate as he basked in the feeling of her arms around him. "I've missed you too." He said. With that, he drew away from her and kissed her briefly on the lips.
She stared at him after that, worry creasing the fine lines of her brows as she took in his appearance. "Ned, what's wrong?" she asked.
He looked at her, then threw a glance at the sleeping form of Marguerite on the bed, and finally led his wife to another room by her hand. Veronica pulled away for a moment to set her drawings aside and to check if Marguerite was still asleep, before she went to where he was. When he had closed the door behind her, Ned asked, once again, "How is Marguerite?"
Veronica pursed her lips, knowing fully well that he was just stalling for time. "She's doing well," she said. "I've treated her burns and I don't think she'll ever have to worry about scars…"
Ned just nodded at that. His face looked very much troubled, as though he was trying to solve every question, every piece of puzzle in the universe. He quietly walked away from the door, pulled one of the chairs by the side of their bed and sat on it.
"Ned," Veronica said softly as she approached him. "Tell me, what's wrong?" She rested a hand over his shoulder, and she could feel all the tensed muscles that lied just beneath her fingers, just beneath his skin.
He released the breath he was holding, and then looked up, his eyes meeting the clear blues of his wife's. "I just came from Sir Challenger's, just as you asked me to," he began.
She visibly stiffened at the mention of the name. "I'm guessing he already knows about the list of casualties," she said.
Ned nodded, slowly at first. "He's enraged," he told her. "He demanded how on earth could all those people die without including any of the Roxtons with them. He demanded how on earth could have William survived such an explosion that was designed to kill him like that…" Malone raked his hands through his hair, and then gave a short laugh. "Challenger must have forgotten that I don't have any of his answers since I wasn't there when it happened."
Veronica gave him a mirthless smile. "Temporary lapses of memory… my, I didn't know Uncle George is becoming quite forgetful nowadays."
"That's not the only problem." Ned continued. "He's suspecting that… that Marguerite has something to do with all of this."
"Are you telling me that he's actually thinking that Marguerite deliberately foiled his plan to save William?" Veronica asked, disbelief very much apparent in her tone.
Ned stood up from his chair to face her. "He's convinced that she did." He said.
She blinked at him. "But… but that's not possible," Veronica told him. "I mean, the bomb exploded, didn't it? It was just sheer luck that those bastards lived through it,"
"But Challenger's looking at things a bit differently," said Malone as he raked his hands through his hair. "Apparently, the night before the wedding Marguerite came to him and pleaded to stop this incident from happening. She even went to as far as returning all of his payments to her just so she wouldn't continue with the plan."
"Yet she did, Malone," Veronica stated, unconsciously calling her husband by their last name. It always slips out like that whenever her emotions ran haywire. "She's bloody well resting with us because she did. What more proof could Challenger want?"
"The fact that William is very much alive and well is enough proof for him of her betrayal." Ned told her.
She looked at him sharply. "So what is he planning to do? Kill the girl?"
"He doesn't have her."
The silence that followed his declaration was almost too chilling to bear. Veronica merely gaped at him, her eyes filled with confusion and incredulity, her face filled with surprise and shock. "WHAT?"
Ned stared at his wife gravely. "He doesn't have Evelyn in his custody anymore."
A sharp intake of breath was heard in the room, but it didn't come from either Ned or Veronica.
They both turned to see Marguerite by the door, and from the look on her face they could tell that she heard Ned's last words.
To be continued…
To all you beautiful people who reviewed: (Hear me sing: I Love You, I Love You, I Love Yoooouuuu!!!!)
A. Windsor – Thank you for reviewing! And it's okay, you know ;p I'm very glad that you're back! (On that note, I'm very glad that I'm back as well… ;p)
LaddySammyMRoxton – Oh, you are bad, bad Sammy! ;p anyways, thank you for the review. I'm very glad you loved that chapter :) And yes, thanks to the vacation I just had, my ego's been deflated a bit, so… I command you to do your magic! Heehee!
AgentSteph – Ain't that the sweetest truth… heehee ;0 A happy ending? Me? Why would I do that? *flutters eyelashes innocently* Oh, but AgentSteph… you just have to find out for yourself, though I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. I'm that evil, you see… and, HEY! Thank you for the private message, it's the first I've received! Thanks! And I'm very, very, very sorry if I didn't post this chapter the day I told you I would… please forgive me!
TheChosenOne – OOOOOHHH!!! A Harry Potter fanatic like me! I read all five books already, and I have the two movies to keep me company… ;0 Oh, that Draco Malfoy. I could just gobble that Slytherin up! *winks*
Galxychld – Thank you for the review, hon! At first I was quite reluctant to write John's hysteria in there, since, well, I thought it was a bit much, but I'm very glad you liked it. And Veronica as bad as Challenger? Heehee, I'm twisted like that, twisting all the 'good' and making them really 'bad' ;0
Fab – I appreciate that you pointed that out :) But it was really necessary to have John temporarily 'forget' about Evelyn at that chapter (or at least in my opinion, it was! ;p) I just thought that somehow, in chapter fourteen all his thoughts are centered only in finding Marguerite. Thank you for your inputs, my friend! And keep them coming!
AerinBrown – *mouth drops open in surprise* Wha— I thought you liked William! You're his number one fan! Not that I blame you for turning your attention over to the more *ahem* gifted Roxton, but still!!! Oooohhh, vixen! *winks*
Greggo's Girl – You are quite queer, you know that, right? ;P But, oh, I like how you think! And yes, to answer your question, you are the only one who can picture an apricot break-dancing. It takes exceptional talent to do that, and you do it with ease. Niiiicccceeee!!! LOL!!!
Smiley – Yes, you were the first, and thank you for that! *flutters eyelashes innocently* What little reunion scene? I plan of doing no such thing… *WEG*
Margie – Yes, my dear. You are quite quotable, and quite accurate at that ;) I told you I'd be using that as my signature! Heehee. Anyways, thank you for the review, I can't seem to tire of hearing people telling me how *wickedly* evil I am… ;)
Mags968 – Don't worry about it, hon! And thank you for the review! And thank you for the inquiries! And I'm sorry about the withdrawal symptoms! And I'd stop with these 'ands'! :0
Angel LeeAnn – Hi there! Thank you very, very much for the wonderful reviews… I'm flattered! Thanks!
Enchanter – Hi to you, too! Thank you so much for the nice review, it means a lot to me! Thank you!