I had Jonathon escort Victoria to the infirmary. The possibility of being seen with her was far too dangerous for both of us. We had decided that her story would be quite simple: Scared by Hector's actions, she fled to the infirmary. Being soaked to the skin, the nurses would offer her dry clothing and a bed for the night. It was believable, as long as Hector hadn't bothered to check the infirmary before her arrival. As luck would have it, he hadn't.

After an hour passed, I too went to the infirmary, under the pretenses of checking on Victoria's father. When I entered Mr. Dearborne's room, Victoria was sitting at his side clad in what appeared to be one of the nurse's uniforms. Her face blushed when her eyes found me.

"Good morning, Constable Crane," Mr. Dearborne said, sorrow in his eyes.

"Good morning," I answered, doing my best to look confused. "Is everything all right?"

"You needn't pretend, Constable. Victoria has told me everything." He took his daughter's hand in his. "I understand that this is the only way to save her. I place all of my faith in you."

My body relaxed and I walked closer to both of them. "She will live a good life, sir, I promise you that. The position I am taking in Philadelphia will provide more than enough for me to give Victoria anything she wishes…"

Victoria smiled, "I wish only for you, Ichabod."

I was foolish to let myself get caught up in the moment. "And it will be my pleasure to provide you with a lifetime of…"

"What in God's name is going on in here, Victoria?" Not one among us knew if Hector had heard anything we said – however my presence within two feet of her was surely enough to rile her husband. "Where have you been?"

With newfound confidence, Victoria stood and spoke. "I've been here since last night, Hector. I could not bear to stay in that house with you acting as you were."

Hector raised an eyebrow, realizing that a doctor and nurse had entered the room. "And just how was I acting?"

"Like a madman!" Victoria shouted. "What possesses a man to treat a woman, who lives her life as his servant, the way you treat me?"

Hector walked toward his wife, a smile on his face. "My love, you must be fevered from running about in the storm last night…"

"Stay away from me! They all know, Hector. All of them!" She lifted her sleeve, exposing her bandages. "What do you think I told them when they tended to my wound? That I made a gauche mistake in the kitchen?"

"Are you trying to say that I caused your injuries?" Hector asked, appalled.

Tears fell from Victoria's eyes, but I believe they were tears of anger, rather than sorrow. "Had I not moved, I would be dead," she whispered. "You were aiming for my heart!"

My stomach twisted. Why had she not told me?

"Perhaps it is not fever that is upon you, wife, perhaps it is madness!"

"Witnessing another man bestowing compassion upon me is not a reason for me to cease existing!"

I then understood why she hadn't told me. Had Hector succeeded in making his target, I would have been the cause of her death. The thought made me ill and I had to hold the edge of the bed to keep my balance.

"He is not worthy of comforting you!" Hector said, pointing at me.

"And you are? That is, if you ever chose to do so? You are an animal! A filthy, disgusting…" Her words were cut short as Hector's hand made contact with her face.

Despite the man's advantage on me in both height and weight, I felt my body moving rapidly towards him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Victoria grab a bottle from a nearby shelf before she disappeared from the room. I punched Hector squarely in the jaw, causing him only to laugh before he sent my body into the wall…I passed out.