Author notes:
Thank you for all the great kudos and comments for all my stories but especially A Study In Scarlet. I loved writing that one.
I didn't think there was another story to tell until this one came along. And it was in a hurry, too! I think I wrote it in two weeks and have spent 2 or 3 weeks editing and proofreading. Many thanks to LynnyB who is a great second pair of eyes and helpful resource. She is also gracious with her compliments.
A few things to note:
There is technically assault happening in this story. By 21st century standards, it is a bit tame, but it would today be considered sexual assault. But in Victorian England, it was just plain assault and it was frowned upon. I did research on kissing and found some crimes that happened that I reference throughout that are TRUE!
Anyone who has triggers for such things may want to tread carefully or write me first for deets, or just avoid. I put a Mature rating on it for this reason.
Also, I spent a fair amount of time on the timestamps. They play a crucial role in the telling of the story. It's mostly chronological, but I sometimes jump a bit for dramatic effect.
All the places I've chosen are real places. They existed in 1899 and for the most part 1882. (I used a map here: . /map/14/-0.1186/51.5180/100/0 ). I have taken a few liberties- I've no idea if there were rose bushes in Russell Square and not sure if the statue in the Square was surrounded by hedges and a fence like it is today.
The title Heart Quake was chosen to reference what Lord Byron called a kiss in Don Juan.
It becomes very poignant.
Enjoy...
Monday, September 18, Russell Square, 9:15 am
Freddie practically skipped along Keppel street. It was after 9 am and she should have been almost at the School by now. She had overslept, having stayed up late to study her anatomy book a bit longer. But she was paying for it now. Thankfully, she didn't live far, and she could cut through Russell Square park to Bernard Street and then left on Hunter where the School of Medicine for Women was situated. As she entered the western entrance near the cabman's shelter, she picked up her pace a bit more. There were few people in the Square at this hour and she didn't mind appearing ruffled running in a dress to the other end of the Square. Normally she walked a bit slower so she could inhale the smell of the trees and the air of Autumn. But with classes beginning at 9:30 sharp, she had no time for such procrastination. She would have to enjoy the flora and fauna on her trip home at 4 o'clock, she thought.
She had just made it to the exit near Bernard and slowed her pace when out of nowhere a hand reached out and grabbed her left arm. Freddie had no time to react, no time to see who was attached to the hand as the face of a man came into her immediate view and was kissing her lips! It was wet and fast and before she could scream or defend herself, the man tore away to the southern corner of the Square. All she saw of him was dark hair and a long dark overcoat.
She was stopped in her tracks by this event and had to reach into her pocket for a hankie to wipe her lips. Now she was going to be late. She knew she had to report the incident but now was not the time. She returned the hankie to her pocket and in doing so she wrapped her fingers around the ring that she kept there. She took a deep breath and continued briskly to Hunter Street. The 'buster' would have to be dealt with later.
Wednesday, September 20, 4:45 pm, Mr. Henry Scarlet Detective Agency
Eliza had her pen ready to take notes from the two formidable women sitting in her office. She was struck by their very radiant energy from the moment they walked through her door. Mrs. Laura Cloughton and her daughter, Fredericka were seated in front of Eliza's desk. They were both well-dressed but did not behave haughtily. Mrs. Cloughton had an American accent, but her daughter did not. They were well-poised and while they were here to see Eliza for a serious matter, their faces friendly and almost smiling. Fredericka was barely 18 but showed an air of confidence that Eliza didn't usually see in women so young. Freddie had light auburn hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Her mother had darker auburn hair and flawless skin. They were both striking, and even more so sat next to each other.
"Tell me how I can be of service to you?" Eliza smiled, ready to record their statements.
Mrs. Cloughton nodded to Freddie, who was seated just in front of Eliza's desk. She was well-spoken and concise. "I was walking through Russell Square this morning on my way to school when I was suddenly grabbed from behind by a man and violently kissed on the mouth."
Eliza's eyes widened. It was not unheard of, to have a man kiss a woman without her consent, but it was a bit rare to have a total stranger do it.
"Did you manage to see his face?" Eliza asked.
"Well, now that's what's so perplexing. No. It was sudden. And I defended myself," Freddie said. Mrs. Cloughton made a slight grimace.
"How did you defend yourself?" Eliza asked, curious to envision this dainty young lady behaving in any way violent.
"I hit him with my school books, causing him to lose balance and stumble away. He kept his face turned from me and he ran out of the north exit of the Square."
Eliza raised an eyebrow as she wrote down her account. That must have been something to see, she thought.
"How did he grab you?"
"He put one hand over my eyes and the other hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. Then both hands were on my face and he kissed me. That's when I hit him."
"Can you remember any distinguishing clothes, sounds or smells while it happened?"
Freddie smiled. "Yes, of course. I've had the day to replay the event and I took the liberty to write down some things before I could forget them." Eliza also smiled and looked at Mrs. Cloughton. She very much liked this girl and her mother. Freddie reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded paper and a gold ring. She handed the paper to Eliza but held onto the ring and played with it.
Eliza noted the ring, but proceeded to open the note and read it aloud:
"-dark worn overcoat, black
-black cap
-smelled of fried pork and grease
-tasted of cigarettes"
"Well, done, Miss Cloughton, this could be most helpful." Freddie smiled and raised her chin.
Eliza stared at the ring in her fingers. "Forgive me, but your ring has caught my attention. It seems a bit large for your hand."
Freddie looked down at it and smiled wide. "It is, of course, it belonged to my father. He was a doctor. He died two years ago. I carry it with me to give me the strength of purpose and perhaps a bit of good luck as well." Her smile was genuine, but also a bit sad. Mrs. Cloughton put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and also smiled.
Eliza put down her pen and touched her mother's wedding band. "I understand fully, Miss Cloughton, I wear my mother's wedding band to keep her close to me. She died when I was young."
"I'm so sorry," Mrs. Cloughton said.
"It's alright. I still miss her of course, but I suppose, over time, you just learn to live with it." Eliza also smiled sadly.
The room went quiet as the awkward moment passed.
"Oh, Miss Cloughton, what time of day did this occur, specifically? You said it was morning?"
Freddie replied, and put the ring back in her pocket, "Yes, it was early, a quarter to 9. I leave the house to arrive for our school's 9:30 start time."
"And what school are you attending?" Eliza asked, pen-poised to record the detail.
"The School of Medicine for Women, on Henrietta Mews off Hunter Street," she said proudly.
Eliza looked up. A lady doctor! "You will become a doctor?" she asked, face wide with surprise and delight.
Both ladies beamed. "Yes. I wish to follow in my father's footsteps. He left enough money for us so that I could attend. I desire to travel to India and work with female patients there. They are not allowed to see male doctors and so the need for women doctors is high. I hope I can make a difference."
Eliza was speechless. Such ambition! She was not accustomed to seeing women, young ladies, in particular, want anything more than a husband and family to raise. How refreshing this woman is, she thought.
"That's remarkable, Miss Cloughton. I am most impressed. And we have something else in common, I am following in my father's footsteps, as this was his detective agency."
"Please call me, Freddie, Miss Scarlet," she said.
"Alright, if you will call me Eliza." Freddie nodded.
Mrs. Cloughton spoke up, "You no longer have either of your parents, Miss Scarlet?" Her face showed sympathy.
Eliza smiled uncomfortably. She always did when people asked about her father Henry. He'd been murdered earlier that year, and while she had always wanted to be a police officer, she had taken up his business mainly due to financial reasons. She had no other resource on which to rely.
"I do not," she said. "Again, it's something you learn to live with. But, I like to think he is with me at times here in the office. He would sit in that armchair and puzzle out his cases. I try to make him proud every day."
Freddie reached out and touched fingers with Eliza. "I understand completely, Eliza," she said.
The two women smiled fondly at each other. Eliza liked this woman and hoped that she could help her.
"Well," she said, letting go of Freddie's fingers, "I think I have everything I need to look into this. Did you report the incident to Scotland Yard as well?"
"The first one I did," Freddie said, looking a bit more serious.
"The….first one?" Eliza questioned, looking confused.
"This is the second time my daughter has been attacked by this man at Russell Square. I apologize, we were focused on today's event," Mrs. Cloughton said, "and I've been most disappointed at the police's indifference to our complaint."
Eliza's eyes widened. "What happened the first time? Freddie?" Her pen was poised to take notes again.
"It was this past Monday, just two days ago. I was half an hour late that morning and I found myself running through the square to make it to my classes on time. I had reached the other side and stepped through the gate toward Bernard Street when he grabbed my arm and kissed me. Then he ran off toward Southampton Row. I did not stay to see where he ran exactly, I wanted to hurry along."
"Did you report it to the police right then?"
Freddie looked a bit sheepish. Her mother also made a disapproving face. "No. I went to my classes. I wasn't injured, just...inconvenienced. I wasn't about to let some immature man stop me from realizing my goals. After school, I went home, told Mother and then we went to Scotland Yard to file the complaint."
The looks on both their faces then changed to one of contempt.
Eliza stopped writing. "What happened?" she asked, eyes wide.
Freddie took a deep breath. "The constable taking the complaint asked me what I was doing in that Square without an escort. When I told him I was on my way to medical school, he looked at me like I was insane. Then he kept asking for more details. Since I couldn't provide much to identify him-he had the long dark overcoat and dark hair, that seemed to frustrate him. Then he asked things like: Did I smile at him? Did I indicate to him that I wanted to be kissed? He even asked me if I had ever kissed a man before and if I could tell what was just a friendly peck and what was an actual assault. We were both so upset from the interview, that we both failed to recall the constable's name."
Freddie's freckled face had reddened and her mother had put her hand back on her daughter's shoulder. They were furious and holding it in with much effort. Eliza herself was equally furious. What constable would have done that? Honeychurch? She hoped he'd not been so thoughtless and unhelpful.
"And that is the reason we seek your assistance, Miss Scarlet," Mrs. Cloughton said. "My maid said she'd read about a lady detective and I hoped Freddie would be taken more seriously, especially now that it has happened a second time."
Eliza pressed her lips together. She knew the police could be disappointing, but this seemed spectacularly awful. She would have to enlist Detective Inspector Wellington's help on this.
"Well, your confidence in me is much appreciated. I will do my utmost to find the identity of this masher. I also have a friend at the Yard, someone in authority, I can have him look into this constable as well.
In the meantime, I do hope you can find transportation to your school."
"I will see to it to hire a cab for my daughter each day until he has been caught." Mrs. Cloughton said.
"I told mother I didn't want this man impeding me in any way, as I find the morning walk invigorating and helps to clear my head for the day's lessons. However, she insists I refrain from walking there for now," Freddie spoke with some determination in her voice.
The two ladies looked at each other. It was still a point in which they disagreed, that much was clear to Eliza.
"As much as I understand the frustration of letting a man impede my efforts, I must side with your mother on this, Freddie. He sounds unstable and your safety is more important."
Freddie looked disappointed for a brief moment but then nodded her assent. Mrs. Cloughton gave Eliza a nod of appreciation.
"If any other details come to light, don't hesitate to send me a message." Eliza stood and shook hands with both women.
Later, as Eliza sat making a list of ways to proceed with this case, she thought back to Freddie. She was poised and bright and obviously clever and very determined. She could easily befriend this young woman and spend an afternoon discussing topics of intellect rather than frivolity and gossip. She vowed to solve this case for them both.