The girl's behavior was so bizarre it caused Xavier to wonder if she wasn't simply mad but not necessarily dangerous.  Though it was hard to deny the raw sexual appeal of her and he had the rather unusual experience of fearing for his own virtue for a brief moment.  He almost smiled at the thought of this small creature harming him.  Almost reflexively his hand went from her shoulder to her upper arm, gripping it tight enough to keep her from breaking away on him.  He had learned early on it was easier to keep someone close than to have to chase them.  She had clearly gotten under the fat man's skin but there were plenty of so called seers who claimed to speak to the dead, a clever act but as long as she wasn't extorting the fat bastard it wasn't exactly against the law.  But then she spoke his name, his full name which few in these parts would know.   It took him a few moments to realize she was having a conversation with herself, or at least so it seemed though the more he listened the more it seemed there was more than one voice coming out of her pretty little mouth.  Her words and tone were most unsettling but when she mentioned his parents, his grip tightened around her arm.  He didn't mean to cause her pain, though from the look of her it was likely she had felt worse, or at least it would be painful for a normal person of her size and stature, but she was far from normal.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(184, 49, 47)">"How dare you speak of my parents?" </span>He hissed low under his breath so few besides her would hear unless they were listening quite closely.  Xavier was not the most intellectual of men in the best of circumstances but his mind struggled to keep up with Dolly's rapid fire talk.  As she introduced herself he almost let her go to bow and reciprocate but instead he grabbed her other arm forcefully.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(184, 49, 47)">"Stop speaking of my mother!" </span>He could feel his anger rising, she was getting under his skin as well, but he was supposed to be in charge of situations like this.  As she asked him if anything was wrong he looked like his head might well explode right there.  His jaw was clenched and a vein was rising along one temple.  He thought his mind was playing tricks on him as her doll moved on its own to whisper in her ear.  He puzzled over her accusations, they were serious indeed but he knew not the details of this man's widowing and unless he was much more dangerous than he looked, it would be a matter for the constables.  Xavier ignored the fat man but shook Dolly with more force than he intended, nearly knocking the doll off her shoulder when she again mentioned his parents.  She knew too much she shouldn't, that no one knew other than he and his adoptive father.<br/><br/>The first time Xavier noticed the fat man since the conversation started was when he fell to the ground clutching his chest.  His mind finally took a moment to try to process what she was saying and what he was supposed to be doing here.  He didn't really think she was a witch, at least not until one of the bystanders went to the fallen man and said<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(97, 189, 109)">"He's dead."</span>The words hung there for a moment before the crowd began to murmur.  A woman screamed<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)"> "She really is a witch."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 204, 204)">Xavier's eyes focused on Dolly as if he were looking at her for the first time.  He had a million questions to ask her, but suddenly he knew what he had to do.  </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(184, 49, 47)">"No Miss Beaumont, we are not done here, not by a long shot."  </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 204, 204)"> He looked to the three constables who had gathered around the commotion.  </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(184, 49, 47)">"Bind her hands and best to gag her so she doesn't cast a spell upon you."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 204, 204)">  He told them, feeling himself foolish for not realizing her true nature earlier.  He held her until the bound her tightly, he even inspected their work.  </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(184, 49, 47)">"I'll be by within the hour to question her." </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 204, 204)">   He felt himself trembling slightly once he released her, he had never felt like this before.  Something deep within him said he needed to talk to this woman, not about the death of two wives, but two other deaths, long ago.</span>