So this chapter will provide a bit of a depature. There will be two new POV's introduced, those of Gavin, and Jane. I couldn't think of any other way to do it, so here we go. I think there's only going to be about 3 or 4 more chapters after this, and then on to the sequal! When I started this, it was only going to be one story. Best laid plans of mice and men, I suppose.
(London, 1923)
"Oh no..." Matthew said, shaking his head. Just when it seemed that things were finally going to turn out for Mary and Bert, something else happened to them.
Michael nodded. "By the time she came back to herself, Bert was gone. She hurried back to the park to find Robby and Olivia, thinking that perhaps he might have passed that way, but he didn't. All of them, including Adam, returned to our home but Bert had left, taking all of his belongings with him."
"He did?" James asked, leaning in even more. This story had so many twists and turns in it, it could be a radio serial!
"He did. Everything except for a scarf which Jane was mending for him." Michael sighed. "She asked around but no one could remember seeing him and she was beside herself. Ellen, our maid, kept insisting that he had jumped in the river until Mother finally told her to be silent. Robby suggested that perhaps he had gone to a hotel so he and Olivia and Adam went to go make inquires, but they came back at about nine with no sightings of him. It was decided that they would try again in the morning, but my sister wasn't having any of it."
"She sounds like a strong girl." Davey chuckled.
"You could say that." Michael laughed. "She rushed out into the night without so much as a coat or gloves to keep her hands warm. I tried to go after her, but lost track so all we could do was wait for her to come home and also hope that Bert would come back too. Mary told the sweeps what was happening and word was passed along to look for both her and Bert."
(London, April 3rd, 1917)
Jane Banks strode briskly down the street toward the Thames. She couldn't just sit at home when no one knew where Bert was! He had become a sort of older brother to her and Michael over these last few months and she had to do everything she could to make sure he was found, or at least in a warm place for the night.
She became chilled rather quickly and wished that she had thought to grab her coat from the chair in her bedroom, but finding Bert had taken over all of her thoughts.
Shivering slightly, she rounded a corner to find a group of men clustered around a small fire in a barrell. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she skirted around them and kept heading toward the river. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up though, and she hurried as footsteps started to follow after her.
She cursed her stupidity in not allowing Michael to catch up to her as she tried to find an area where she would have room to double back and hopefully lose whoever it was that was following her.
But the footsteps were joined by others and fear stabbed through her as she realized that she was being pushed toward a certain area. They had done this before, and she had fallen right into their trap.
Gazing around frantically, she found a small piece of wood leaning against a wall and hefted it into her hand. It would be better than nothing if it came down to it. But she knew she wasn't strong enough to fight off more than one person and more footsteps joined the others that she heard.
She closed her eyes for a moment, praying that it would be over quickly.
"Well 'ullo ullo pretty girl." a voice jeered from behind her and she glanced over her shoulder. A man was leering at her and her jaw tightened. He was definitely what her father would call "an unsavory type".
She didn't answer and other voices joined in from the shadows, jeering and calling her all manner of insolent names. Jane swallowed and gripped her stick tightly.
"Don't be unfriendly." the man said, sauntering forward as she reached the wall of an old warehouse. She was surrounded and they all knew it.
"Stay back." Jane said warningly.
The men laughed and their leader paused, assessing her. "Cor,you got a bit of spirit. I like that in a woman."
"Then go find someone dumb enough to have you." she snapped, knowing as soon as the words left her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say.
"You've got a fighter there boss." someone called and he smirked wickedly.
As he approached her, Jane knew that this might be one of the last things she saw but before she could do anything, a dark figure swung down from the rooftop and knocked the man over the head with a broom.
Straightening, he held the broom at a threatening angle and the other men paused, clearly not wanting to attack someone who had dispatched the other man so easily.
"Leave her alone." the sweep ordered sternly.
A couple of men came forward though and the sweep turned to Jane. She had seen him before and Michael had teased her about her eyes lingering on him for too long. His brown eyes were usually full of laughter but tonight they were grave. "There's a rope ladder behind me." he said through tightly closed lips. "Get over there now."
She immediately obeyed the command in his voice as her rescuer threw several boxes in the way of the men's progress. Pulling herself up desperately, she yelped as she felt a hand grip the rung below her.
"S'just me, Ms. Jane." the sweep said comfortingly. "Up you get so we call pull this up behind us."
Scrambling up, Jane watched as he pulled the rope ladder up, cutting the men off from following them.
"Let's get you home." he said calmly, motioning for her to follow him. As she did, she began to shake as she realized just how close she had come to becoming another sad story in the paper. She tried to get ahold of herself but a small sob escaped her and the sweep stopped immediately.
"You're okay now.' he said softly, putting a comforting arm around her. "No one's going to hurt you."
It was rather improper of her, but this strange, handsome man was the only one with her and she wound both arms around him, leaning on him as she tried to regain control of her emotions.
He hugged her, humming an old tune that Jane knew she'd heard somewhere before and she closed her eyes. It was strange, but she felt at home with this sweep, whoever he was.
Blushing slightly, she pulled away and he released her. Studying her, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her. "You'll catch your death of cold up here."
Looking at his hands, the sweep pulled off his right glove and handed it to her. Puzzle, she slipped it on as he moved to her left side. Smiling bashfully, he curled his right hand around her left. "This'll keep both our hands warm this way." he explained as he hefted his broom onto his left shoulder.
It was a sweet gesture, one that she appreciated and she squeezed his hand as they began to walk along the rooftops toward home.
A noise from in back of them made them both freeze and they turned to see one of the men almost on the rooftop.
The sweep put his hands on her shoulders. "Ms. Jane, you need to keep going. I'm going to draw them away so they don't find out where you and yours live, all right? Go left at the blue house with the rooster on top and keep heading straight. That'll put you at your house soon enough."
"But..." she protested and he shook his head impatiently.
"There's no time." he hissed as he took off his other glove and placed it on her hand. "Get going. And if you see any other sweeps, tell 'em that Gavin sent you."
So that was his name. Could this be the Gavin that Bert had spoken of so often?
Acting quickly, she kissed his cheek. "Hurry, Gavin." she whispered before darting away into the darkness, hoping that he would be safe.
Gavin made sure she was out of sight before leaping to another roof. "Oy! Ugly!" he taunted as the man finally rolled onto the eaves. "Got here too late, mate!"
The brute growled and the chase was on. He led them all over the warehouse district, almost getting cornered by a couple but they hadn't expected his swift right hook.
Finally losing them for good, Gavin rubbed his hands over his arms as he hurried toward Cherry Tree Lane. His hands were half frozen, but the place on his cheek where Jane had kissed him was still warm. Or at least it seemed so to him.
As he walked, her found himself humming a cheery tune and wondered at himself. Could all of this be because of her? He had often laughed at other blokes who carried on about girls but it seemed that he finally knew what they were talking about.
Hopping over the last ledge, he found a delegation of sweeps waiting there for him. "You'd better go inside." one of them told him. "Young Ms. Banks is awful upset you aren't back yet."
Nodding, Gavin went down and through a window that Mary Poppins had left open for them so they could report to her. Inside the room, he found both her and Jane weeping. Mary was holding one of Bert's scarves and Jane was clutching his jacket. "What's all this about?" he asked kindly?
Jane's head snapped up and before he knew what was happening, she had launched herself at him, nearly rocking him off of his feet. "Gavin! You're all right!" she cried.
Mary seemed to regain herself a bit. "Jane! Really!" she admonished. "You can't go just flinging yourself at a man like that!"
It seemed that she was beyond caring, which was fine with him for the moment. He allowed himself to rest his cheek against the top of her head before stepping back. "She's right, it isn't proper." he sighed. "And I don't want your father to go not liking me before I even have a chance to visit tomorrow."
"You're visiting tomorrow?" Jane asked softly.
He nodded. "Provided your father and mother don't mind me coming by to see how you're getting on. You had quite a scare tonight."
She smiled and Mary did as well before she motioned to the window. "You'd best be on your way, Mr. Brown, and if you see Bert, please tell him that we're worried."
Gavin frowned. "Didn't you check his house?"
Mary stared at him. "His what?" she asked faintly.
"His house. He signed the papers on it this morning. He was going to take everybody round after dinner tonight to go see it."
"He has a house." she repeated and Gavin glanced at Jane, who shrugged. She wasn't able to explain Mary's behavior either.
"Yes, he has a house. A little white house, two stories, with a porch and a backyard with a nice tree in it." Gavin added.
"A house. He has a house." Mary muttered to herself and Gavin shook his head. Taking a piece of paper, he made a little map and wrote down the house number before handing it to Jane.
"Make sure she gets that in the morning." he chuckled before heading over to the window, one leg swung over the sill.
"I will. Take care, Gavin." Jane replied.
"Since you asked so nicely, I will." he grinned before popping himself up onto the roof. All in all, it had been a good night.
Mary was in a state of shock as she allowed Jane to steer her to her room. Bert had a house? And he hadn't told anyone about this?
Anger bubbled up inside of her as she undressed and sat down on her bed. He had kissed her and bought a house without so much as a word! What was he thinking? It would serve him right if she didn't even go looking for him tomorrow. Let him worry like she had most of today!
Closing her eyes, she tossed and turned until she fell into a fitful slumber. As she slept, she dreamed.
The day was bright and clear with the sun shining overhead. There was a bundle in her arms, but she couldn't make out what it was. Before her, a house was visible and she immediately loved it. It was simply designed but obviously well cared for. Cheerful flowers were scattered over the yard in small beds and a small fence was around the front.
A man was walking in front of her and she knew it was Bert from the crutch under his arm. As they approached the house, the front door swung open quickly and a little boy of about three years of age came racing out. "Daddy!" he called joyously.
Crouching down, Bert scooped him up with practiced ease in his left arm before straightening up. As he did, she could see the child's face and something inside her melted away. The boy had dark, straight hair much like her own, but his face was all Bert, even down to the goofy smile and twinkling eyes. She knew in her heart that this little child was their son.
"Hullo Jerry." Bert said lovingly. "Have you been good for Uncle Gavin and Aunt Jane?"
The boy nodded rapidly and Bert chuckled as he walked up toward the house with little Jerry cradled in his arm. As the door swung open, everything faded, leaving her with the certain knowledge that if she did not go and seek Bert out tomorrow, she would forever lose him, as well as their son.
Opening her eyes, tears were flowing but she made no move to stop them. It seemed as though tomorrow was going to be the point on which everything hinged.
Pushing back the covers, she thought back to what she had seen. She and Bert had a son. And his name was Jerry. And apparently things had gone well for Gavin and Jane. So perhaps...perhaps it wasn't so crazy to think that this could work. The wind had sent her dreams before and they had all come true. So she would go to him, even if it was the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her life.
There was no point in sleeping so she got out "What The Sweep Saw" and lost herself in the world of Royce and Bertie.