Rabbit Hunt Part Three
Part Three -- Rabbit achieved! Not much to say about this one -- I just figured I might as well make it relatively easy on Victor to get his bunny. Though yeesh, lady, no need to say you were going to chuck it in the bin. . . Part of me kind of wants to give Lady Katherine's School For Young Girls a cameo in future canonical works, but I'm not sure where I'd fit it in. Maybe if I moved it to Sandford. . .
It really was impossible to miss Lady Katherine’s School For Young Girls – the sign out front was huge, and painted with gold letters. The front of the school was done up with garlands of evergreen and a large wreath, making it look very Christmassy. Let’s hope their spirit matches, Victor thought, forcing himself not to run to the front door. He was just so nervous and hopeful and worried all at once…
The woman who answered his knock was short, but very regal-looking, with her hair pulled back just so. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m certainly hoping so,” Victor said, resisting the urge to twiddle his fingers. “Were you visited by a Mr. Wilton Radcliffe recently? A rather heavyset man with a slight beard and glasses dropping off toys?”
“Yes, actually,” the woman said, frowning at him. “Though it was just the one toy – this terribly shabby-looking rabbit missing an eye. Told me it was abandoned by a former client of his, and he wanted it out of his life.” She fixed Victor with a steely eye. “Is it yours, then? Do you want it back?”
“Not mine, but it belongs to a dear friend,” Victor said. “And it wasn’t abandoned – he just took it for some reason. I have no idea why he felt the need to get rid of it now…oh, but it doesn’t matter. May I have it? I’m hoping to give it to her for Christmas, it would mean so much to her. I-I can pay you–”
“No need,” the woman said, holding up a hand. “I’m glad to be rid of the thing – I was thinking I would have to toss it in the bin. I don’t think it’s suitable for giving away.” Victor was tempted to say something about how callously she was treating the only thing Alice had left of her old life (besides the photograph of her family), but bit his tongue. He was so close now, there was no point in spoiling things.
The woman disappeared for a moment, then reappeared carrying the tattered old toy. “Here you are, young man,” she said, handing it over. “Go give it back to its rightful owner. Doubtless she’ll get more joy out of it than any of us will.”
“She will,” Victor said with a grin. “Thank you so much. A Merry Christmas to you.”
The woman finally cracked a small smile. “And a Merry Christmas to you, young man.”
“Thank you very much.” Victor hugged the rabbit close to him as he headed back to his cab. “Thank God he finally decided there was no point in keeping you around. Though I’ll always wonder what possessed him to give you away… .”
The woman who answered his knock was short, but very regal-looking, with her hair pulled back just so. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m certainly hoping so,” Victor said, resisting the urge to twiddle his fingers. “Were you visited by a Mr. Wilton Radcliffe recently? A rather heavyset man with a slight beard and glasses dropping off toys?”
“Yes, actually,” the woman said, frowning at him. “Though it was just the one toy – this terribly shabby-looking rabbit missing an eye. Told me it was abandoned by a former client of his, and he wanted it out of his life.” She fixed Victor with a steely eye. “Is it yours, then? Do you want it back?”
“Not mine, but it belongs to a dear friend,” Victor said. “And it wasn’t abandoned – he just took it for some reason. I have no idea why he felt the need to get rid of it now…oh, but it doesn’t matter. May I have it? I’m hoping to give it to her for Christmas, it would mean so much to her. I-I can pay you–”
“No need,” the woman said, holding up a hand. “I’m glad to be rid of the thing – I was thinking I would have to toss it in the bin. I don’t think it’s suitable for giving away.” Victor was tempted to say something about how callously she was treating the only thing Alice had left of her old life (besides the photograph of her family), but bit his tongue. He was so close now, there was no point in spoiling things.
The woman disappeared for a moment, then reappeared carrying the tattered old toy. “Here you are, young man,” she said, handing it over. “Go give it back to its rightful owner. Doubtless she’ll get more joy out of it than any of us will.”
“She will,” Victor said with a grin. “Thank you so much. A Merry Christmas to you.”
The woman finally cracked a small smile. “And a Merry Christmas to you, young man.”
“Thank you very much.” Victor hugged the rabbit close to him as he headed back to his cab. “Thank God he finally decided there was no point in keeping you around. Though I’ll always wonder what possessed him to give you away… .”