I have a sports injury :(
So I have time, sorry about the new story, I know I have to finish two others but I felt like it.
Valentine
Dot was standing in her nightgown on the stairs. The slamming of the front door had startled her. So she left her room to sneak to the front door. What Dot saw was not an accidentally slammed front door. She saw Miss Phryne leaning against the closed front door. She looked down and sniffed slightly. The urge to speak to Miss Phryne was stronger than simply going back to her room to forget everything.
"It's ok."
Dot heard it softly from Miss Phryne's mouth and was surprised by her fragile voice. Both did not have eye contact. Miss Phryne was still looking down and did not move.
"You can go back to your room," said Miss Phryne, sniffing in a tear-suppressed voice.
Dot did not know what, but her inner feeling told her it would be wrong to go back to her room and let Miss Phryne alone. As Phryne noticed the Dot was still standing on the stairs, she looked up with a tear-stained face in shock.
"Is the police car still at our door?" Dot asked quietly and avoided the Inspector's name.
"No!"
"OK!" Dot nodded and pulled Miss Phryne into her arms. Phryne lost the fight with her tears and leaned into Dot's protective hug. Mr. Butler pretended he did not hear about all this. which was difficult for him but important for Miss Phryne. Dot did not talk to anyone about Miss Phryne's tearful collapse last night. He never took place and a police car never stood in front of the house.
Phryne did not blame Jack, it was not her nature. Their fresh relationship made them both haughty and both fell deeply.
Both began to distance themselves and it was unavoidable that everyone in the coming weeks got an idea of what might have happened. Everyone wanted to know, but no one dared to ask them.
The wildest stories were invented. From an illegitimate child to betrayal, you could hear everything on the street. However, nothing was right and Phryne and Jack did not tell anyone.
"Good morning, Miss," Dot said as she happily entered the kitchen with a bunch of flowers.
"Morning, Dot," Phryne said with a smile, looking at the flowers in Dot's arm. "Are the flowers from Hugh?"
"Yes, Miss. No matter what you said to Hugh, he's more attentive now, if that's even possible. The flowers are still beautiful. Do you want the flowers? "Asked Dot with the full vase from yesterday.
"No," said Phryne. "because they are your flowers." Dot nods and understands what Miss Phryne wanted to tell her. "I would do anything for you, Miss. I would even forbid Hugh from coming here, just so you will not be reminded of the Inspector."
"That's nice of you Dot, but not necessary, you do not need to limit your love life because of me."
"We do not have a love life yet, Miss," said Dot shyly, looking into the bouquet of flowers in the vase.
Phryne started to grin. "My sweet Dot, he sends you flowers. That's love."
"Are you sure," Dot asked with red cheeks. "Absolutely, Dot, your relationship is precious, more precious than mine." Phryne said with sad eyes.
"No, Miss. Your relationship with the Inspector was something very special." Phryne looked at Dot. "Was, is past and therefore no longer part of my future."
"I feel uncomfortable," said Dot and quickly grabbed the vase on the table.
"Why ? "
"Because I'm happy and you're not."
"Enjoy your young love as long as possible," Phryne said. " Because there will be times when you will break or grow."
"Does that mean that your love for the Inspector was not strong enough?" Dot asked with wide eyes. "No, our love was strong enough, only our imagination and our haughtiness let us fall deeply."
"And ..." Dot asked.
"And, what?" Phryne asked.
"I feel that you wanted to say something else, you just broke off." Dot said.
"You are almost better than me." Phryne said with a smile.
"I'm learning from the best and I will bring the flowers to my room now. " Dot looked at the bouquet of flowers with red cheeks.
"Morning, Inspector," Hugh said cheerfully with a grin on his face. Jack sat at his desk and looked up at Hugh.
"You look happy, Collins." Hugh nodded proudly. "I gave Dottie a bunch of flowers."
"I hope a big one." Jack said.
"Yes, bigger than he should be, but Dottie gave me a smile for it. Tomorrow I'll give her flowers again. Just to see her smile. "
"News?" Jack asked.
"No, only Miss Fisher and I are now friends for life."
"An incredible alliance." Jack said and looked through his paperwork.
"I had an argument with Dottie, Dottie started to cry and I left the house like a coward." Jack looked up, thinking of his own quarrel with Phryne. He still had that sound of broken glass in his ear and Phryne's voice shouting at him.
"Inspector?" Hugh asked confused, eyeing the Inspector wide-eyed. Hugh did not know much, rumors were the only thing he heard. "Is everything okay, I can stop talking about Dottie." Jack put down his pen and looked at Hugh.
"Why does everyone think I'm an invalid?" Hugh was serious during his answer.
"Because you broke up with the best woman in the world. That was inappropriate, sir.
I apologize." Jack could not be mad at Hugh because it's the truth. He just disappeared from Phryne's house that night, without saying anything, without saying goodbye.
Jack cleared his throat, "Who says we're broke up?"
"It's hard to talk about a relationship when you're not in touch with each other."
"Collins!"Jack said, pointing to the door. "One more thing, sir," said Hugh in the doorway. He could not shock Jack.
"Inspector, sir, you can take anything from Miss Fisher, just not your love. Miss Fisher is different ... "
"I know!" Jack said. Jack was shocked by Hugh words. Phryne was indeed different.
"Do you all know what happened?" "No, sir, there are only rumors."
"Does Phry ... I mean Miss Fisher, did she say something?" Hugh was still standing at the door shaking his head while the phone started to ring. Excuse me," Hugh said quickly, Jack nodding.
Jack leaned back, thinking of his quarrel with Phryne. The allegations were a lie and every time Jack closed his eyes, he saw Phryne's eyes, full of tears but did not have the permission to run down her cheeks.
It was amazing what everything was in this little body. Phryne was not to blame, she just defended herself, he knew that and could not be angry with her anymore. But he had this one case. A woman who had a husband and 4 lovers and the wife was so cold and selfish and played with the hearts of men. He just threw his annoyance on Phryne. He was sorry, but Phryne distances herself from him and he had to accept that.
"Hugh, I'll be right back!" and Jack hurried through the door. Hugh had no opportunity to say anything and merely nodded.
Mr. Butler opened the door and looked at the Inspector. Jack was not sure if Mr Butler knew anything about it.
"Miss Fisher, you have a visitor!" and nodded to the inspector. Was he just friendly or just polite? Jack wiped his wet hands on his pants and stood in the open doorway.
"Jack ?!" he heard Phryne's voice, it was more a question than an invitation to her house.
Phryne stood at a safe distance from Jack by the stairs and just looked at him. He saw dark circles under her eyes, which she tried to cover, but they were still there, visible to everyone.
"I have to talk to you." Jack said, swallowing at the door. Jack knew, if he did not start, nobody would start.
"... Because you are not able to love! " Jack heard his own words in his ears as he shouted at Phryne that night and Phryne stared at him. This look will eternally pursue him in his dreams.
"You have already said everything!" Phryne tore him out of his thoughts and left a brutally sore wound.
"... you play with the hearts of will-less men to then throw them in the dirt ..." Jack heard his own voice in his ears and had to swallow. "I didn't mean any of those things, Phryne," Jack said and saw tears in her eyes.
"When I left you that night. I hoped you'd ask me to stay." Phryne looked away and put her arms protectively around her body.
"You did not given me a chance." Jack just nodded and knew that she was right, he left her no chance to say something as he hurried out of the door.
"You were cruel ,brutal, scathingly. But you did not defeat me. " Said Phryne and just looked at Jack sadly. "Words are a dangerous weapon, Jack."
"I'm so sorry about us ..."
"There is no us." Phryne interrupted him and Jack looked into her sad eyes. He knew that she was lying. A tear ran down her cheek. Jack could say so much to her now, promise so much, give so much, but it did not reverse that night. He had destroyed Phryne's trust it was lying on the floor in shards in front of them. But neither tried to pick it up. Both just stared at the shards of their ruined confidence.