Chapter Text
It wasn’t a new situation Violet got to experience here, and therefore the feeling was the same. She felt disgusted. After a frightful moment spent on the backseat of Olaf’s car, squeezed between the hook-handed man and Klaus – whom she tried not to squash against the window – there she was, waiting in this office…with this horrible man holding her firmly by the shoulder, as he was giving a horrible smile full of a horrible eageress to a not horrible banker in front of them.
Violet knew Mr. Poe very well, whether it was his habit to cough endlessly in his handkerchief, or the fact that he had been pretty helpless helping the Baudelaires with the series of unfortunate events they had.
_ So, Mr Poe finally said, wiping off his moustache. You came for the Baudelaire fortune, if I am to understand this well.
Olaf nodded.
_ Coffee ? Mr Poe offered. I often take mine after dinner. Two spoons of cream, no sugar but a cloud of milk.
_ We’re in a hurry, Olaf interrupted by waving. We’re expected at the reception to cut the cake.
_ Indeed, you came… right after the ceremony, Mr Poe noted, blinking.
The banker stared at the odd couple in front of him. Violet was still wearing her itchy and stuffy wedding dress.
_ I must say, Violet, I was very surprised, he sighed. Getting married, so young and to your guardian. I thought your parents raised you properly enough so you’d wait before such a big step… and choosing the right man !
_ Mr Poe, Violet said in despair. Count Olaf is a horrible man ! He tricked us all to…
Olaf immediately held her against him and crushed her shoulder to shut her up.
_ Yeah, she’s a very naughty orphan, you’re damn right, he claimed, leaning towards Violet who turned away. But what to do, I just couldn’t let three orphans with an enormous fortune all by themselves on the street, that’s the kind of man I am…So where do I sign ?
Mr Poe opened his mouth to answer, but coughed again. Count Olaf rolled his eyes.
_ Why is he always like this ? he muttered to Violet.
She didn’t bother answering him. She had to do something to stop this. If it went on, she would end up stuck with Olaf for the rest of her life, while Klaus and Sunny would be thrown on the streets, or worse, killed. She promised her parents she would watch over them. No way she would break that promise.
_ Well, Mr Poe finally managed to say, I’m gonna get that file right away. If you’ll excuse me…
_ No, Mr Poe, please listen to me…
But, as usual, Mr Poe didn’t listen and went out of the office. As soon as the door closed, Count Olaf grabbed Violet’s arm.
_ I advise you to behave now. In less than a few minutes, I’ll be in charge of your fortune, which gives me the right to do whatever I want to you damn orphans. And rebelling isn’t gonna make me have mercy for you all.
Violet pulled away.
_ We’ll never let you touch our fortune, she retorted. You’re a criminal and we’ll not let you have it your way.
Olaf raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
_ You orphans are like cockroaches, he scoffed. You can’t admit defeat.
Violet frowned, but Olaf grabbed her by the shoulder, waving to illustrate the devastating future he had in mind for her.
_ But do not worry, he claimed. I can have mercy when I decide to, because that’s just how big my heart is… Now that you’re my wife, I’ll arrange for you to live with me forever in my house, and do all the chores for your loving husband.
Violet felt ready to throw up.
_ Ah… Sorry for the delay.
Violet shivered as Mr Poe was coming back with the Baudelaire’s file. Olaf immediately let go of her, eyeing greedily towards the file. The banker walked past Violet and the noticed his shadow. Immediately, she looked at the halogen floor lamp next to Mr Poe’s desk.
The wire was passing under the desk, where it was connected to the power outlet.
_ Now, I’ll explain the procedure to you, Mr Poe said.
_ I don’t need to know the procedure to spend money, Olaf interrupted, grabbing a pen and a peppermint candy. Just tell me where to sign.
_ I’m afraid, there’s some things we need to discuss first, Mr Poe answered. I mean, you came here so quickly, and unannounced, I didn’t have time to prepare everything properly. The Baudelaires’ parents insisted everything should be explained in details.
Olaf growled, but couldn’t do much except nodding in defeat.
Violet wasn’t listening. She was tying her hair up and her brain as she was trying to estimate the right angle to crush the halogen lamp right on Mr Poe’s boiling coffee cup. If she could pull the wire with her foot, it would be more discreet.
Her positioning wasn’t great, though. She was on Olaf’s right side, and the lamp was on the corner, on Mr Poe’s left side. She slowly removed her shoe and eyed under the desk. Olaf’s long legs were taking a lot of space. She had to go carefully so she wouldn’t touch him.
_ Paragraph 13 is also very important, Mr Poe was blabbing endlessly.
Count Olaf seemed really bored by this banker, but he has never been this close to get the fortune and was trying so hard to be patient. Violet took off her stocking and gently extended her bare foot under the desk.
After a moment of hesitation, she went under Olaf’s legs. Her toe rubbed against the wire. Violet squeezed it between two toes and felt her heart drumming. She only had one chance.
As Mr Poe was straightening up, she abruptly pulled the wire.
The Baudelaires had faw luck in their short lives. They weren’t lucky to have lost their parents in a terrible fire. They weren’t lucky to have met Count Olaf. They weren’t lucky enough to have saved Jacques Snicket, Aunt Josephine or Madame Lulu. They weren’t lucky enough to have the opportunity to prevent the Marvelous Marriage to happen.
But, for once, luck was on the Baudelaires’ side.
Luck was on Violet’s side while she was trying to stop an important contrat to be signed. Luck was on Klaus’ side as he managed to scare off the white-faced women by his knowledge about Tineola bisselliella, a scientific name for mites ; he made them believe their clothes were infested, and the two sisters started to scratch feverishly before becoming paranoid and rush to the nearest shop to buy new clothes.
Luck was on Sunny’s side, who subtly springled ultra-spicy chili powder on the hook-handed man’s hamburger and made him run to the nearest fountain.
Luck was on these two men at the corner of the street, who could intercept right on time a very fundamental dining-set before going to a vigourously fixed destination.
Yes, luck, indeed.
And when Violet’s pulled the wired, the halogen lamp flickered before falling on Mr Poe’s cup, spilling the boiling coffee with two spoons of cream, no sugar but a cloud of milk everywhere on the Baudelaires file.
_ Ah !!! Mr Poe screamed.
Olaf straightened up and his bright eyes stared at the lamp, then at Violet. He noticed her leg and smack her knee with anger. Violet jumped out of surprise as Olaf’s dirty nails were scratching the bare skin of her thigh. She knew he could feel her having goosebumps, but he was too busy growling in frustration as Mr Poe was vainly trying to clean the papers.
_ Ah… This is not right at all, the banker sighed.
_ It doesn’t matter, Olaf said roughly, I can still sign them.
_ Oh no no nothe bank will never accept them, Mr Poe retorted.
_ Then go find some other papers !
_ Well there’s a very standardized procedure, you see, and everything is very different now that the Baudelaires’ parents are dead. It will take days, some weeks at least.
Olaf’s face was distorted by rage. Violet was carefully avoiding his gaze.
_ Very well, he ranted.
And he stood up.
_ Get the papers, then. And fast. Because of your appointment, we had to leave our ceremony in a hurry, he claimed with a cold voice.
Mr Poe blinked, confused. Wasn’t it Olaf who showed up here without an appointment ? The count took all the peppermint candies, grabbed Violet’s arm and dragged her out of the office.
.
.
_ What the hell happened here ?
This was actually a relevant question, as Olaf saw the crimson face of the hook-handed man trying to hold a bottle of water and the two white-faced women wearing new clothes for no reason.
_ Sorry boss, the hook-handed man said. But the little brat’s hamburger was too spicy.
_ And we didn’t want to be eaten by mites, the two white-faced women added.
Olaf rolled his eyes as Violet stared at the empty car.
_ Where are Klaus and Sunny ? she claimed ?
_ Well, if the other bookworms decided to run away by themselves, that’s one less thing for me to do. Let’s go !
And Violet found herself, once again, on the backseat of the car, stuck between the window and one of the white-faced women. She wished her siblings were there, as they were heading back to Olaf’s house.
But after all, her brother only did what she told him to.
« Run away, Klaus… »
« Violet… »
« Go ! »
.
.
_ Surprise !
The high-pitched tone of Esme Squalor resonated in the hall. The financial advisor was opening a bottle of rhum, throwing the cork in the air like it was a champagne bottle.
_ The pirate style is in right now, she said, so I went to buy all these bottle. Champagne is so out.
Olaf rolled his eyes, as a shower of white confetti was thrown at them.
Esme’s smile finally vanished.
_ Where’s the fortune ? she asked.
Violet felt Olaf tightening his grasp. He pushed her forward.
_ As usual, those damn orphans ruined everything.
_ They’re just jealous because I have everything and they don’t have anything ! Cake-sniffers !
Violet knew all about Carmelita Spats now that she was following Olaf and Esmé around. The little girl, who was currently wearing a pirate-cow-boy-astronaut costume, was known for being a very annoying girl, a phrase which here means jumping aroung screaming « cake sniffer ! cake sniffer ! » while playing with a plastic sword.
_ Isn’t she adorable ? Esmé murmured. Anyway… I think I can put the rhum away…
_ No ! Serve the rhum ! Olaf retorted. I need to forget about this awful day.
The troupe cheered at the idea of drinking and hurried in the living room. Violet felt Olaf dragging her upstairs.
_ You know, I’m seriously thinking about cutting your legs so you would stop standing in my way, he spats, pulling her despite her resistance, but I have other things to worry about thanks to you.
He kicked the door open and threw Violet in the little room she shared with Klaus and Sunny
_ We could have been so happy, but since you ruined our honeymoon, I have no choice but to postpone it and fix your mess.
He switched off the light.
_ Time to sleep. You have a long list of chores tomorrow.
Violet walked fiercely towards him and grabbed his arm.
_ Klaus and Sunny didn’t abandon me ! she shouted. And I’s rather be dying on the street and being here.
But Olaf pulled away.
_ You’ll stay here until I get your fortune, he said, staring at her with a toothy grin. Your brother and sister abandonned you. Who else but me, your lovely husband, would accept to take care of you ?
And he slammed the door, leaving Violet alone in the dark.