Unnatural Habits
Jack
When Jack came out of his office and saw Rosie there, he wasn't sure how to react. He knew the depth of his disillusionment ran deep. He could only imagine how Rosie was feeling with her Father and her Fiancé involved in such a heinous activity. He thought George might be able to turn Rosie to him as he had seen him do when they were married. He saw the revulsion on Rosie's face and knew that she, like him, was struggling to take it all in. He glanced at the door and saw Phryne there, but knew he had to make sure Rosie was going to be ok. He went to Rosie to offer some words of comfort. As he reached her, Rosie was turning to leave, but she broke down with such emotion that he was overwhelmed. He was concerned for her and he took her in his arms to keep her from falling and let her sob her heart out on his chest. He was only vaguely aware that Phryne had left the station. He spent a lot of time comforting Rosie and letting her talk. It was late when he left her in the care of her housekeeper with strict instructions for her care.
It was very late, but he wanted to see Phryne. He needed to explain and he needed to see her. He sat in the car for a number of minutes debating on whether to try to see her to explain. Should he walk up or should he wait? He thought of all that they had been through and knew he had to see Phryne tonight. He knocked softly on the door; loathe to wake anyone if the household was in bed. He knocked again and waited, wondering if he would get to explain to Phryne what had happened with Rosie, and then there she was opening the door, a look of surprise on her face.
He slipped into the foyer before she could say anything; before she could slam the door in his face. Jack's response to her question about his whereabouts and Rosie was a very brief "I was". He hadn't come to discuss Rosie, but knew that he had to try to explain why he had been with Rosie when Phryne had been held captive and nearly killed. His heart thudded with need to make sure she was still firmly a part of his life. "Is it too late?" he asked not certain of her response. He heard Phryne's softly spoken "Never", and he relaxed a fraction, beginning to realize that perhaps she understood. He explained that he had never seen Rosie like that, and that the emotion and shock had overcome her, and he had to make sure she was not going to have a nervous breakdown before he left her. He heard Phryne tell him, her voice soft, but full of reason, that Rosie had needed him and that she expected nothing less. "Jack, you are the man who always does the right thing, the noble thing". As she said the words she closed the distance between them. He was standing against the wall, mesmerized by her acceptance of his need to comfort Rosie. He looked deep into her eyes, and ground out "Not always Miss Fisher". He moved almost imperceptibly toward her and saw Phryne's deeply blue eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise and a slight smile touch her lips.
Suddenly Aunt Prudence appeared and immediately noted that it was very late for the inspector to call. Jack agreed with her and became business-like again and stammered out an explanation about clearing up a detail of the case, internally cursing the woman's timing; he had been seriously contemplating kissing Miss Fisher! "I am glad we were able to clear up that detail." Phryne stammered slightly when responding, but she played her part well he was glad to see, and Aunt Prudence finally seemed satisfied. Jack felt the loss of the connection to Phryne and tried to get it back as he was leaving by bestowing one of his subtle smiles upon her and trying to communicate what he was feeling with his eyes. He didn't want to go. Phryne gazed back at him, transfixed, her navy blue eyes full of something he couldn't quite define. "Until our next murder investigation then" she said, breaking the spell. "I look forward to it" replied Jack. He felt discombobulated, and felt he needed to explain further. "The investigation, not the murder". He was drawing out the moment in order to stay as long as possible in the presence of the enigma that is Phryne Fisher. "Of course" she said, smiling at him. "Jack" she said as she walked to the door. "Miss Fisher" Jack responded with a slight smile. As the door closed behind him, Jack's step was lighter, and he was thinking about the brief interlude, marveling at her understanding, wondering about kissing her and wishing the baby had not awakened.
Phryne
Phryne was not totally surprised to see Rosie as she came out of Jack's office where they had been interrogating Rosie's father. Phryne heard Rosie huff and hiss in anger. Phryne could understand. When she got to the door, she turned to observe the situation. As the men escorted Commissioner Sanders out of Jack's office, the Commissioner paused wanting to speak to Rosie. Phryne exchanged a look of grave understanding with Jack, as the man approached his daughter. She saw Rosie confront her father and was impressed that Rosie was able to call him out on his part in the slave trafficking. She also understood that Rosie was a little jealous of her relationship with Jack. Jack, she saw, was clearly devastated by the turn of events. He had she thought respected George Sanderson, perhaps even saw him as less of a father-in-law and more of a father figure. She also knew from previous discussions how strongly Jack had felt about the marriage bond and how he would not have pursued a divorce, so she was not totally surprised when he stepped toward Rosie. When Rosie turned and fell into his arms Phryne was struck by the depth of her emotion and grief. It was when Jack reached out to Rosie and pulled her into his arms, whispering words of comfort that Phryne left the station. She couldn't witness it. She could understand his actions, but she couldn't watch him comforting Rosie as he had comforted her at Janey's graveside. It made her heart ache with emotion she was unable to define.
Phryne faced additional excitement when she got home. She was exhausted by the events of the day and sickened by the depth of Sidney Fletcher's depravity, but a new baby greeted her wrapped in a white blanket. "Are they always this red?" she asked Aunt P, distaste evident in her tone. To Phryne's horror, Aunt Prudence responded in the affirmative!
Phryne excused herself, changed into her nightgown and robe and went down to the parlor. She wondered if Jack would come to discuss the case and have their customary nightcap given all that had happened and the lateness of the hour. She had grown to enjoy this time with Jack where they reviewed and thought about what could have been done differently for each case. Sometimes they played checkers, but it was his presence that she craved, so it didn't really matter what they did as long as they were together. It was getting very late, and Phryne decided that Jack was not coming. Rosie had too strong of a hold on him she thought with a touch of bitterness. Shocked by her emotional response, she reminded herself, Jack is a noble man. He would do the right thing by Rosie, and it was clear that Rosie needed him. She couldn't help but wonder with a melancholy sigh how long Rosie would be his priority.
As Phryne climbed the stairs she heard a soft knock at her door. As she turned toward the door, the knock cam again; she opened the door slightly and Jack slipped in looking apprehensive. As Phryne shut the door, and to cover her surprise, she said "I thought you were with Rosie?" "I was" he answered. "Is it too late?" he questioned. "Never" she responded with a look of concern for him. She heard him beginning to talk about why he was so late – she realized she had to put a stop to it. She didn't want him to feel guilty. "Rosie needed you, Jack Robinson, the man who always does the right thing, the noble thing." She needed to convince him of this point so she moved closer to him as she was wont to do anyway. Did she hear him correctly? Had she heard correctly? Did Jack Robinson just say "not always Miss Fisher" and move ever so slightly toward her? As she was staring into his eyes, Aunt Prudence came through the foyer to check on the baby, successfully breaking up the moment by commenting on the late hour. Phryne wanted to stamp her foot in frustration, but she controlled the impulse.
Then Jack began talking about a detail of the case to provide a reason for his visit, and Phryne's spirit's rose. She quickly responded in kind. With a suspicious look Aunt Prudence kept watching them, but thankfully the baby cried again, and she went through to the parlor. Phryne said a quick prayer of thanks for the presence of a newborn – surprising her. Phryne didn't want Jack to leave. They had been so close in that moment before Aunt P interrupted, but now Jack had moved away from her toward the door. She felt bereft. He turned to look at her, the emotion she saw causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She tried to say everything in the look she gave him back. She knew they didn't have much time, so she said, "Until our next murder investigation then." And Jack replied "I look forward to it". He paused, slightly embarrassed, then he said "the investigation, not the murder". Phryne responded with an "of course" and she smiled at him. She came across the foyer to let him out the door, holding his gaze and savoring it. "Jack" she said. "Miss Fisher" he responded tipping his head slightly and giving her that slightly sardonic half smile that she had come to appreciate so much in their sparring matches, and he left.
As she shut the door behind him, she could not help but smile as she leaned against the door. Jack had left Rosie to come to her, and the significance of that was not lost on Phryne. She would go over the details of this interlude many times until their next case, savoring each glance and each word they had shared. She was so glad that he hadn't given her up entirely after Gertie was killed as he had threatened, her mind wandering back to the Katz murder and how Beatrice had used the column to ground herself, and how in the face of Jack's rejection she had done the same, resting her head against the cool marble, trying to get her equilibrium back. They had managed to find a way to move forward, and tonight had emphasized to Phryne that Jack did not want to give her up. Their waltz was truly becoming "slow and close" and she wanted to see where they would go next. She basked in the feelings that were bubbling through her. He had come to her. Jack had come to her, the woman who confused him, drove him crazy, caused him trouble at work and who drove much too fast, but with whom he couldn't resist doing what they do best together. She was still smiling slightly as she climbed the stairs, humming "Always" under her breath.
Rosie
Rosie couldn't believe it. She couldn't wrap her mind around the concept, but Jack had left her. Granted they were no longer married, and he had seen her safely home and held her while she sobbed out her disillusionment and grief, but still, what was he thinking? She was the one who should be in control she thought with a huff. As she sat there pondering the dreadful turn of events, her thoughts inevitably turned to Miss Fisher. She couldn't bring herself to like Miss Fisher. She knew Miss Fisher had tried to be friendly with her, had discussed a case with her in fact, and Phryne had been very sweet to her on the other occasions their paths crossed. It was obvious Phryne Fisher had been able to reach the post war Jack in a way that Rosie had not. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't really tried. Fletcher had taken her heart while Jack was away at war even though absolutely nothing inappropriate had happened between them.
Fresh tears welled in her eyes at the thought of Sidney Fletcher. What was she going to do? The situation was just devastating, and she needed Jack. He was her cast-off husband true, but in these moments of contemplation and anger she really needed his strong "always do the right thing" presence to anchor and strengthen her.
He would never have divorced her. She knew this, and she knew that Jack had always been faithful – he was Jack after all. She realized as she sat there huddled on the couch that her desire to be Jack's girl had been completely fizzled out for years; that is until she had caught Jack in such an intimate act with Miss Fisher at the football game. She had risen to cheer the team and glanced back to see Jack and Phryne in such a moment of total intimacy; Rosie was unable to look away at first. Jack was placing his Abbotsford team scarf around Phryne's neck and pulling her toward him to put the knot in it. The gesture was not untoward, but so gentle and what caught Rosie in that moment was the look she saw pass between the two of them and the slight smiles that they both wore. It was as if they were the only two people in the world. Rosie had turned quickly back to the game and her fiancé, her emotions in turmoil. She was absolutely not jealous. She was the fiancée of Sidney Fletcher; Jack Robinson meant nothing to her heart.
Her thoughts, in her overwhelmed state, were running a mile a minute as she thought that Jack had never bestowed such a look on her. Yes, it was all Miss Fisher's fault, all of it, Rosie reasoned spitefully in her mind. Jack would never have questioned her father before Miss Fisher came to play detective. He certainly would not have left her in this state of shock and confusion prior to Miss Fisher's influence.
She began to cry again, as the thought bloomed in her mind again that Jack had actually left her; of his own free will and choice. He had been patient as she worked through the worst of her emotions, but as she calmed down a bit, she could tell that he was itching to leave. He was fidgeting with his hat and looking everywhere but at her. He told her he was sorry many times in the hours that they were together, and Rosie knew that he was. Jack had looked up to her father, wanted to be like him. Even in her overwrought state she realized that Jack had a lot of disillusionment to work through as well. She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, but she still couldn't get her weary mind to accept that he had gone and gone for perhaps the last time. He had left her in a time of distress, probably for that woman, that Miss Fisher. That realization more than any of the other events of the day caused her to burst into tears again, contemplating just how alone she was because Jack had left her.