The Guardian Of Empires

6. Away from Huxley

The following day Maria woke him up, knocking on the door. The sun was already high above the horizon.

'Theodore, are you there? Wake up. George is back. He is injured.'

Theodore covered his face with his hands and moaned quietly.

The bustle overtook him, throwing him into a whirlpool, leaving no time to think.

Returning to the Italian front, George was wounded second day after Jeanne's funeral. The bullet went through his shoulder, but the doctors said it would heal, and he would be able to move his hand freely. Despite summer energy blooming everywhere, George was barely moving. He was as white as a sheet and needed treatment and cleanliness. He would be useless on the battlefield now. Maria and Tom were fussing over him. The rough bandage should be changed, and the wound dressed. Maria's big eyes looked even bigger, taking up too much space on her slender face. She had that puppy look when buttoning a fresh shirt on the wounded man's chest.

Theodore was glad he was in charge of lunch today, so he could escape seeing those anxious faces. "Would Jack come down for breakfast? He would probably wake up hungry." Theodore wanted to ask him how he was feeling.

Soon, Maria interrupted his kitchen solitude, carrying a tray with empty dishes from George's room.

'I'm starving. I should have a snack.'

'You're right on time.'

'Mmm,' she sniffed, 'pancakes.'

They heard the tavern's door opening. A loud voice asked:

'Where are all the workers?'

Theo and Maria hurried to the hall.

A thick man with a mustache and heavy dark eyebrows stood on the threshold. A slight belly protruded from an unbuttoned striped vest like a fat shield. Waves of a white shirt flowed around him and made the man look like a big cake with a serious face. It was Victor Borman. He was flanked by two attendants. They were looking around. As usual, the hall was empty at this time of day, especially since the hostess's death.

Borman saw Theodore and turned to him, ignoring Maria. Servants remained in their places at the door.

'Good day, Theodore. We need to talk.'

'Same to you, Victor. Okay. Would you like to have a seat?'

Borman narrowed his eyes when Theodore addressed him by his first name instead of "m'lord".

'No. I want to know where you were at seven this morning.'

'Why are you asking? Did something happen?'

'Answer the question.'

Theodore crossed his arms. He tried to stay calm.

'I was in my room, sleeping.'

'Who can confirm that?'

'I can,' said Maria. 'I heard him go to his room. My room is next to his. And this morning, I woke him up, he was sleeping.'

'What time did you wake him?'

'About nine.'

'Hence, between four and nine o'clock, you could have been somewhere else? Who can confirm your whereabouts during those hours?'

Theo became nervous. Jack was the only one who could do that, but if they proceeded to room №8, Borman would smell the opium, and then Tom would find out too. Maria stepped in again.

'I can confirm he didn't leave his room. I wasn't sleeping. I was busy in my room that night. I was sawing a dress for the autumn holiday. If Theo had walked out, I would have heard,' she was lying, though her eyes were wide open and looking at Borman with worry. 'I am sure Theo was at the hotel, m... m'lord.'