It was a warm day for doing laundry, but the work needed doing and the women base were hard at it when Jacob entered the yard. The warm sunlight played of strong arms and warm necks as they toiled with the heavy, wet fabrics. Clotheslines were crisscrossing the yard; the sheets hung up to dry making it resemble a camp of tents. Down there, in between the buildings the air was still and stagnant, the soft breeze blowing higher up was not able to penetrate the fabric of the city. Jacob stole under the flow of water, rinsing sweat and dirt off his face. The shock of the cold water cleared his head after the trek through the city. He walked into the shade and started removing the hidden blade, unbuckling the straps securing the gauntlet to his wrist, while watching the women work.
Laundry was time consuming work, scrubbing each garment thoroughly in warm water, before carrying all to the washhouse for boiling. The doors were wide open, the heat emitting making it resemble the gates to hell. The boiled washings were carried in large washtubs from the washhouse, back into the yard, to the water post where Elisabeth was rinsing out soap and lye.
The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up, revealing her slender arms, toned by labouring all her life. Although the cold water was running down her arms, the work had her sweating. A few strands of her dark hair had escaped the braid and were clinging to her temples. The collar of her shirt was buttoned down and the sun was giving her skin a healthy taint. Even while doing the hard labour in the sun she was smiling and laughing with the other women. He felt a surge of warmth towards her. It was bliss for his heart to see her like this, healthy and strong, after nearly losing her. Her eyes met his, he had been watching her for a while, and someone had made a commented on it. The smile he sent her, gave her cheeks a pretty, red taint and brought sniggers from the other women.
Turning his attention to his own chores, Jacob found some of the blades needed sharpening and got up to collect the whetstone in his room. Back in the yard, he filled water in a small basin by the water post. Returning to the shade to sit down with his work, he felt her eyes on his back. He turned, walking backwards to the shade watching her. It made loose her focus, flustered at his attention.
Jacob sat back down in the shade. One by one, he took out the blades, checking the edges for snags, honing each one until they were gleaming and razor sharp. He was absorbed in the work, focusing on getting each edge perfect, until he noticed a change in the light. Elisabeth was standing in front of him. She had something on her mind, but was having trouble finding the right words. He continued his work, waiting for her to speak.
Finally finding the courage she needed she turned to him and said, "I want your permission to go outside." she finally said. He stopped honing for a second and watched her. He had been anticipating this for a while. When she had first arrived at the base, her focus had been to flee because she did not trust anyone. He had eventually won her trust, before that dreadful day when they were ambushed at Limehouse. When she lay injured she had sometimes slept uneasy, startled by sudden sounds outside or high voices. For a while, the base had offered the security she needed and she had been contented with staying there. Now she had found security within herself once more, and wanted to expand her horizons. The community of the base was not enough anymore.
"The others are going to the park later. I want to join them." She looked away, across the yard to where the women were still labouring.
"You know I cannot let you," he said squinting up, looking at her profile. The Templars were still her enemy, and she would still be in danger outside the walls of the base. He had no time to babysit her, and the best choice was to make her stay. The muscles on her neck tensed and she stood silent and thinking. He knew she would not give up that easy and waited for her to continue.
"You can't keep me here forever," she said and met his eyes. The flame of defiance he had seen before was back in her eyes. Her father's journal was recovered, and she saw no reason why he could not let her go.
"It is dangerous out there for you, Elisabeth. You know it. The others are Rooks, and just a mass of people to the Blighters and the Templars. You are the daughter of an Assassin. If you are seen, they will hunt you down."
Her eyes turned dark as he spoke. It was not what she wanted to hear. "If you do not let me leave I will go without your permission," she said quietly and held his gaze.
Her words sparked his awareness. He let go of the whetstone and got to his feet to face up to her. "What did you say?" he asked. There had been no shift in her eyes, and he watched her attentively, concern growing inside.
Her voice was low, but her words were clear and stern. "I will leave with or without your permission. I know how." Again, there was no shift in her eyes. She was telling the truth. A slight smile was playing on her lips, displaying her confidence. His mind raced. There was a fault in their security meaning danger to them all. Some detail he had not seen, which she had come across, and recognized as a way out.
"If there is a hole in our security, you will tell me." The menacing tone in his voice was not mistaken. His fist clenched hard around the hilt of the knife he had been honing. The security of the base was not something he took lightly, but if she believed herself capable of forcing him to let her leave, he would have her think again.
"Let me go and I will tell you," she said.
Damn her and her strong will! Anger welled in him. He shot a glance at the women working in the yard; no one had noticed the growing argument between them and he would rather they did not. With a flick of his wrist, he got rid of the knife, leaving it quivering in the wall. He would make her talk, but out of sight of the others. He grabbed Elisabeth's arm and pushed her through the door, up the stairs and into the office, closing the door behind him on entering. Turning her around to face him, he seized her shoulders and pinned her to the wall.
"I cannot believe you will risk the safety of the base for a walk in the park," he said. In her eyes, he saw a glimpse of doubt, but it was only a flash. She had made up her mind before she confronted him, and was going to follow it through.
"I am not," she said.
"You will tell me what you know!" He was all but shouting at her, angry at her selfishness and defiance.
"No!"
She was fighting him to break free. He pushed her back against the wall and held her in place. To his experience, most people would display some level of fear at facing his anger, but she did not flinch. She trusted him enough to know he would not hurt her, he reflected. Moreover, her will was as strong as his was in this, intimidation was not going to make her speak. Changing strategy, Jacob controlled his anger and willed his voice calm.
"I am not letting you go until you do," he said watching her intently.
Anger burned in her eyes as she once more fought to break free. She was no match for him, and still she did not yield.
"We can stay here all day, Elisabeth. I will not trade your safety for the safety of the base." The lopsided grin he gave her, only further fuelled her anger.
Again, she threw her weight against him, wrestling against his grip, to no use. To his satisfaction, he saw her anger was slowly turning to frustration. She had thought he would yield, that he would let her go to ensure the safety of the base. She clearly had anticipated a fight, but not one where he would wait her out. His strength was nothing she could match and she knew she was going nowhere. Still pinned to the wall she stomped her foot in the floor and let out a cry of frustration.
Then she gave up. She stopped struggling and looked away. "Evie is the key out," she said.
"What?" Jacob could not see what Evie had to do with it. His sister would never go behind his back and aid Elisabeth in escaping.
"Evie's coat. I was going to take it, next time she came, and steal out while you were busy. No one checks her face under the hood when she enters or laves." She paused. "I would return before you noticed, though."
He loosened his grip on her shoulders and his anger with her blew away. There was no danger to the base, and she had not risked their security for her freedom. However, she was right. Both he and Evie would come and go with the hood up, and no one would ask questions. She was the same height as his sister, and he could see her pull off the trick. The thought of it made his stomach churn. There was no risk to the base, but it would have been a dangerous venture for Elisabeth. Evie was a master Assassin, expert at stealth, hiding in plain sight, blending into crowds and staying out of sight. The Templars and the Blighters knew who she was, but she was able to move unseen through the city, and she could fight off enemies when needed. If Elisabeth had walked down the streets, dressed as Evie, in plain sight… Jacob felt sick at the thought.
Elisabeth was fighting off bitter tears, her face averted to the floor to avoid his eyes. She had hoped for a way out, and he had crushed that hope, brutal and quick. Her movement had always been restricted, both growing up in the orphanage and coming to the base, then she had spent long days confined to the sickbed. Working in the stagnant, hot air of the yard all day was just the last drop.
"It will not be forever, Elisabeth. The clues in the journal will help us end this, soon," he said softly.
She met his eyes again, and he saw the desperation in her. "I just feel like I can't breathe," she said. He felt for her. He could only imagine how he would cope if he was grounded like this. The least he could do was try to offer some relief to her desperation.
"Come on, I have something to show you," he said. Jacob guided her up the stairs, all the way to the attic. It was dark and baking hot, the dry dust slowly drifting off the rafters as they passed. She followed him through the darkness towards the stair under the open skylight. It was the access to the roof, frequented by the guards, but little used by the others.
The sun was still burning, but out on the roof blew a fresh breeze. Unobstructed by the buildings of the city, it was bliss after the suffocating heat down below.
Elisabeth let him lead her by the hand to the ridge, her long skirts unsuitable for climbing roofs. Standing at the top, she held on to his hand and closed her eyes for a while, enjoying the alleviation of the fresh air, before taking in the views. To the northeast, the towers of St. Paul's rose against the summer sky over the jumble of roofs, to the west the gap in the carpet of buildings revealed the flow of the Themes. Up on the roof there were no enclosing walls, just open air and miles of views. Jacob remained standing beside her, her hand still in his, watched her as she found relief in the open air and fell to peace.
"I know it's not what you want", he said, "but I need to make sure they cannot get to you, Elisabeth. If they did, I would stop at nothing to get you out, and it would endanger everything Evie and I have worked for."
She turned her eyes to watch her feet, and her cheeks went slightly red with embarrassment. "I did not mean to endanger your work," she said, "I would not want you to throw it all away for me." She did not understand.
"Elisabeth, I love you," he said quietly. She blushed heartedly and fell silent. "I don't expect you to return my feelings, but please don't leave. If they get to you, I will lose my mind."
He reached out and touched her cheek, the smooth, soft skin he had not touched since her fever broke, weeks ago. He had not meant to, but could not help himself. She closed her eyes for e few seconds, savouring his touch, and then she turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand. The kiss sent lightning bolts through his body and for a few seconds his mind went blank. She met his eyes. "I love you too," she said quietly.
There was a scuffling sound behind Jacob of someone walking up the stairs, and Mrs. Cutler emerged in the skylight. "Elisabeth, I need your assistance," she said sharply. Elisabeth let go of his gaze and carefully walked past him. Mrs. Cutler shot Jacob a stern glance, and waited for Elisabeth to pass, before following her downstairs. When they were gone, Jacob took a minute to pull himself together, and walked back down to finish sharpening his blades.
He lay in his bed, tossing and turning, not able to find sleep. The night was hot, but the heat was not the source of his trouble. During the evening, he had kept his mind in check by keeping himself busy, but in the dark, there were no distractions. He was thinking of Elisabeth, unable to get her out of his head. He saw her on the first day in the orphanage, defending the children against him and his men, and her face smiling and laughing, while explaining how she had escaped through the window of the doctor's office and walked right past them in the street. He remembered the feel of her body resting against him when he carried her upstairs and her touch as she kissed his cheek. He saw her working in the yard, her shirt buttoned down, revealing the smooth skin of her neck, and he felt the surge through his body once more, at the thought of the kiss she had landed on his palm. She had said she loved him.
He got up and rubbed his face. The worn hardwood was soft against his bare feet as he paced the floor, hoping the activity would help him focus. He had to get his mind in check again. He could not let his personal feelings get in the way of his missions. As he was now, it would be dangerous to go outside. He could not focus, could not rest or sleep. "This is what father meant," he thought.
A faint movement in the air alerted him as the door opened quietly, and someone entered his room. He usually slept soundly, and the guards would enter his room to wake him if there were trouble. However, this was no guard.
"Elisabeth? You should not…"
She broke him off. "If you meant what you said, you will not reject me. I do not care what the others say. I don't want to be alone anymore." She walked over to him on bare feet. In the dim moonlight from the window, he saw she once more was wearing his nightshirt. It reached to her knees, revealing her naked calves and feet. He felt a warm fog spread in his head.
His mind was already unsettled, and now her appearance was sending his senses reeling. He fought to get his mind under control, but when she put her hands against his bare chest and kissed him, all reasons for fighting it fell away. He answered her kiss and pulled her close to him, as he had wanted to for so long. Then he gave in to the needs of his body.
Afterwards, she fell asleep in the curl of his arm, her head resting on his chest, safe and contented. There was no shame between them, only love and trust. He lay awake for a while, feeling her chest rise and fall in deep, regular breaths of sleep, his mind once more composed and at ease. He loved this defiant young woman. She was not afraid of him, ready to fight him for her own opinion, his equal in strength, of will and heart, though not in physical strength. He needed her, as much as she needed him. Some might not approve of the way he had taken her, but Jacob did not care. He was not religious of nature and his way of life was too uncertain to delay living.
He was drifting off to sleep when a short knock on the door stirred him, and a Rook entered. "Jacob," the guard said, sensing he was awake, "There is no answer from Liz's room."
The guard on watch had checked on Elisabeth, as Jacob had asked, and gotten no reply. Now he was ready to aid Jacob in mounting a search for her. Jacob saw no reason to conceal her whereabouts; the base would find out what had happened soon enough anyway. However, he was thankful the darkness concealed his face when he answered.
"I know," he said quietly. "She is here."
The guard fell silent and Jacob could feel his smile through the darkness, as he bid good night and left. He held around the sleeping Elisabeth and kissed her hair. In the morning, the whole base would know, and the story would be the source of everyone's amusement. As he fell asleep, Jacob found it was a torment he could easily endure.