Chapter 5
It must have been hours until Victor finally fell asleep. That was how Mayhew found him the next morning; splayed out, covers kicked aside, deeply asleep.
Mayhew robustly slammed into Victor's room, so as to wake him. He opened the curtain, and to his satisfaction, heard Victor's small indignant groan.
"Mayhew?" Victor moaned, shifting so that his face was squished into a gaudy pillow. "Mayhew… I wish you'd knock before you come into my room. I could get you really sick…"
Mayhew coughed loudly and pulled open the curtains on the large window. The daylight that illuminated the room required the assistance of a candle. It was gray as any day, and fat dark clouds pushed closer to the ground, threatening to unleash an unholy flood of rain.
"You've been cough in bed for almost a day cough Victor," Mayhew said. He walked over to the bed, and yanked the pillow out from Victor's reluctant, shaggy head. "Everyone's long gone now. Get up, you log, and cough eat something." He coughed again, and tossed the pillow on to the wooden floor. Victor groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm not hungry, M-M-Mayhew," Victor yawned, "I'm tired."
Mayhew trundled over to the bed and lifted Victor down to the floor. He stifled a cough as he started straitening the sheets.
"Where have my parents g-gone now? They're in the village… right?" Victor asked, shuffling over to the bureau to get his clothes out. "Why'd they leave?"
"I-cough- don't know where they slipped off to-cough- Victor. I think, they're off with the -cough- Everglotts, fixin' up your betrothal." Mayhew coughed again. "You gave the snobs some reason-cough- to rethink their promise-cough."
Victor looked abashed as he pulled his shirt on. "I messed up my betrothal?" He asked wide-eyed as he hopped over to Mayhew pulling his socks on. "Mayhew, did I really do that?"
Mayhew coughed and straitened Victor's collar. "No Victor. cough You didn't ruin your cough engagement. At least, cough I don't think you did." He coughed into his fist. Then chuckled at Victor's guilty, stricken face. "Don't worry about it." He said.
"I-I hope… I hope… I d-didn't…" Victor said looking at his feet like a scolded child. "Where's Scraps?"
Mayhew coughed into his fist. "He's outside waiting for you. That's cough why I came to get you. I thought you'd cough want some cough fresh air-" Mayhew coughed for a long time. Victor raised his eyebrows at Mayhew, wondering why anyone in their right mind would smoke. He vowed then and there to never pick up a pipe for the rest of his life.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Let's go." Mayhew said, and with that he and Victor left the room.
"Scrapsey-boy!" Victor cried delightedly as his dog leaped into his arms. Suddenly, Nell's voice popped into Victor's head, "Don't let that bloody mutt jump up!"
Mayhew coughed into his hand, "Feeling better?" He asked.
"Never better. And you know what Mayhew?" Victor laughed as Scraps leaped about, "I don't think I have to worry about marriage for a long while yet!"