[A/N: Hi, hi! I hope everyone enjoys this short story! Alice, from the knitting circle in A Tight Knit Group, makes a reappearance here, but this story can be read as a standalone. Happy Reading!]
William headed to Eliza's office whistling tunelessly. He had had a good day, his men had closed quite a few cases the past week and Superintendent Mathews was very satisfied with their work.
William wanted to take Eliza out to dinner to tell her all about it. He stopped short a few feet from her front door. A young woman was sitting on the step to her outside office door, sobbing. William approached her and knelt down, "Ma'am, are you alright? Are you hurt?" She looked up at him, face red and puffy, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I... I'm... I'm fine..." She sobbed. William handed her his handkerchief, thinking she looked vaguely familiar, but he was having trouble placing her.
"Are you here to see Miss Scarlet?" He asked. She nodded. "Do I know you? I recognize you…" William trailed off. She nodded again, "Yes, I'm Alice, we met briefly when you came to meet Eliza for dinner, after our knitting circle."
"That's right." William said, the memory of her was vague at best. "Eliza should be here soon, come with me, I can let you in." William helped her to her feet and searched his pockets for the spare key to the office.
"Do you often work with Eliza?" Alice asked curious. William smiled, "Only sometimes, occasionally we have cases that overlap and we partner up." "Oh. She told us you are an Inspector, is that correct?" He nodded as he opened the door and gestured for her to proceed him through, "Yes, Chief Inspector, Scotland Yard. William Wellington." "Alice. Alice Silver." She said as she headed up the stairs, William trailing behind her. She waited at the top platform for William to open the office door, and once inside, William sat at Eliza's desk and Alice paused, before taking a seat, to look at the photograph hanging on the wall of a young Eliza with Henry.
"She's so young here. Is that her father?" She asked William. "Yes, Henry. She took over the agency after he passed." "Oh." She hesitated and sat across from William. "She's good at this isn't she? She had helped Sarah, the haberdashery owner." William smiled and nodded, "Yes, she's quite brilliant actually. But don't tell her I told you, she'll let it go to her head." Alice laughed softly.
The doorknob rattled and Eliza came in, "William, did you let yourself in again... oh hello Alice! I'm so sorry for being late." Alice shook her head, "No, no, I was early, the Inspector found me outside and graciously let me in and has kept me company." William moved to rise so Eliza could sit at her desk but she waved at him to stay seated. She saw Alice had looked like she had been crying and thought sitting next to her might put her more at ease.
"Would you like a glass of water Alice?" Eliza asked. "Yes, thank you Eliza, I appreciate it." Eliza filled a glass from a nearby pitcher, handed it to Alice, and sat down in the chair next to her.
William spoke up, "Would you like me to leave? I don't want to intrude." Alice shook her head, "Please stay, perhaps a man's perspective will help." Alice took a deep breath and began telling them her story.
"I had met Nat, Nathan Burns, three years ago. It was love at first sight. I didn't believe in all those romantic cliches at the time, but the moment I saw him, I knew he was the man I wanted to marry. He told me he felt the same. We had a long engagement, he was just starting out as an accountant at Price and Co., and was hoping to get promoted, so we could have a modest wedding, and perhaps lease a nice house." She took a break here to blow her nose daintily.
"Everything was wonderful at first, we aren't wealthy but we had some modest savings and I began to plan the wedding. That's when everything started to go wrong." Several tears ran down her cheeks and she sniffled. " As I grew more excited, he grew more and more distant. We had gone from seeing each other every day to him avoiding me, his excuses were that he was busy with work or too tired from work. I... I think he... I think he's stepping out on me." She said this last part in a rush, as if afraid to say it out loud.
William leaned forward leaning his chin on his clasped hands. "Are you sure that he really isn't just tired from work? It can be very draining and stressful. Sometimes it's easier to just be alone and close oneself off after a particularly difficult day." Eliza looked over at William. They had been having dinner quite frequently, and he would discuss his day with her, but she never stopped to wonder if he was more stressed than he was letting on. Especially with his added duties from his promotion to Chief Inspector.
Eliza turned her attention back to Alice as she answered William's question, "I think he has a mistress because... well..." she lowered her voice a bit, "We've kissed. I know it's not proper but that first time... it had been so special." Alice said, wiping a tear from her cheek, a faint smile on her lips. "The cherry blossom petals were falling down around us, and he kissed me so lightly, with so much love in his eyes. It was a wonderful first kiss, I couldn't have asked for anything better." Then her expression darkened, "And now... he won't touch me or kiss me... he moves away..." She let the sentence trail off.
William shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't realized, back when he was a teenager, that a first kiss should be special and romantic. He let his mind wander to his memory of that day...
"Father! It's Skip! Please, come quickly!" Eliza had shouted from the front of their house. She was crying so hard, she could barely see. "Is he alright?" She had asked, hesitating to check, and afraid of hearing Henry's reply. Henry ran into the street to check on their dog. "Lizzie," He finally said, "don't look." He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to turn her away but it was too late, Skip lay on the ground, motionless, with a pool of blood forming under his head. She gasped and tried to go to him, but her father blocked her.
"Lizzie, don't, please, there's nothing you can do for him it's too late." He told her. She sobbed, turned away, and ran towards the nearby park, passing a confused William, who had been coming from the other direction. "Sir?" William asked Henry. "Oh, my dear boy, Lizzie's dog has been hit by a carriage. I have to put him down, he's suffering." Henry's hand shook as he took out his gun. Tears were running down his face. William felt terrible, he knew how much Henry and Lizzie loved that dog. "Could you please go check on her? She is incredibly distraught." "Of course." William said, already running after her, a loud bang echoing from the street behind him.
William quickly found Eliza, she hadn't gotten too far. She was weeping under a tree. William knelt down next to her and gingerly touched her shoulder, "Lizzie? I'm so sor..." Before he could finish, she flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck sobbing. "Er... there there." He said. He rubbed her back but it didn't seem to be comforting her at all. He was at a loss as to what to do. "He was such a good dog, why?" She asked plaintively. 'Why indeed?' William thought bitterly. She looked up at him. She was still beautiful, even with her face all red and tears running down her cheeks. William cupped her face with one hand and wiped the tears away with his thumb. He hated seeing her sad. It broke his heart.
She had started to hiccup and sniffle. He wanted to smile but he knew she wouldn't take that well so he just held her. "I am sorry, I know you loved him." She nodded, "He got away from me when I opened the door, and then the carriage came out of nowhere. I...I wasn't fast enough." Fresh tears started to stream. "Aye, it wasn't your fault, it was an unfortunate accident." William said. 'Good thing she wasn't fast enough, she might've been hit by the carriage too.' The thought panicked him. If something should ever happen to her... Without really thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
Her lips were warm and soft, he felt a soft pressure in return, as she tentatively kissed him back. And then suddenly, in the sharpest of contrasts, he felt a hard 'whack' across his face. He fell backwards on to the grass, startled. "How DARE you!" She shouted at him and stormed off.
In a daze he realized he had just made a terrible mistake.
He had been so relieved that she hadn't been hurt by the carriage that had hit her poodle, or whatever the blasted dog was, that he had kissed her unthinkingly, but now, after hearing about Alice's first kiss, he realized that, perhaps, he had deprived her of a moment that should've been magical, And perhaps she wouldn't have slapped me. He thought bitterly.
William's scowl must've been evident, for Eliza looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head slightly and she shrugged and looked back at Alice. "Alice," Eliza said putting her hand over hers, "I promise you, if your fiancé is up to something we will figure it out and put your mind at ease." Alice sniffled and nodded, "Thank you. Both of you. If it helps at all, he usually takes dinner at The Brown Stallion pub." She reached into her purse and handed Eliza a photograph. Alice and a handsome man wearing spectacles were side by side smiling happily. Alice rose from the chair, "It's getting late, I should head home. Oh, I have the first half of your fee." She said reaching into her pocket and handing Eliza some coins. Eliza stood and took the proffered money. She walked Alice to the door, "I'll see you at the knitting circle next week, but we'll also be in touch when we have an update."
Alice's footsteps faded as she headed down the stairs. Eliza sighed and sat across from William. He looked at her, "We?" He said with a wry smile on his face. Eliza smiled at him, "I was using the royal 'we'. Unless you do want to help me...?" William grinned, "Actually, I am curious to see how this turns out, although..." "You think he has a mistress?" William shrugged with a frown, "It's the most obvious answer, but, as you keep relentlessly reminding me, I shouldn't just accept the easiest answers." He held Eliza's gaze intensely. Eliza flushed and looked away, rummaging in her pocket. She took out the money that Alice had given her and held out half of it to William. He looked taken aback.
"Eliza? What on earth?" He asked baffled. "You said you'd help, since we're equal partners in this... here's half of the fee." He chuckled, "I'm not taking your money." Eliza didn't move, she still kept her hand out. "Eliza, seriously? You don't have to..." Then he thought about it. "Very well, thank you." He took the coins and pocketed them.
"I forgot to ask, why did you come by in the first place William?" She asked him. He paused thinking, "I actually forgot... ah yes, I had a good day, I had wanted to tell you about it over dinner." Eliza smiled, this would be the third day in a row that they would be having dinner together. She enjoyed spending time with him, and she realized, with some surprise, as for the evenings they didn't spend together, she would wait with anticipation for the next day to catch up with him.
"Come, let's have dinner at this Brown Stallion Pub and see if we can find our man there." William rose and went over to the hat rack to retrieve Eliza's hat and held it out to her.
"This wasn't what I was expecting." William said looking at the pub. It was a rowdy and noisy venue. Eliza looked up at William. "We might be a tad overdressed..." He shrugged, "We can always say we're from out of town and got lost... want to pretend to be Scottish?" He asked with a chuckle, "Aye, I think that's a grand idea." Eliza said in a perfect Scottish accent. William looked surprised, "That's pretty good!" She grinned, "I spend enough time with you, I think I can do a passable job, no one looks very sober in there anyway." "Here goes nothing!" He said and opened the door and the sound of live music flooded their ears.
"Oi, table for two, for me and my lady!" William shouted at the waiter. The waiter nodded and gestured at William to follow him. They were shown to a small table at the back of the pub. William slid in next to Eliza rather than sitting across from her. She gave him a look. William grinned, "Is that look for me sitting next to you or for calling you my lady?" She laughed, "Both!"
The waiter came back, and they ordered quickly, then scanned the room for a man who looked like the man in the photo Alice had given them. The food came, but there was still no sign of him. "So William, what was your news... wait, is that him?" She nudged him with her shoulder and tilted her head to the bar. William squinted, "Aye, I think so... he seems to be alone." The man was hunched over a drink, he didn't look like he was waiting for female company. "I don't get the impression he's waiting for anyone... he looks..." William almost said that he looks like him, after he's had a fight with Eliza. "Sad." Eliza finished for him. Absently she put the fork in her mouth for a bite. "Should we speak to him, or follow him?" She asked. William paused to think about it. "Let me go talk to him, I'll pretend to order another drink. Wait here. If that's okay with you?" Eliza blinked, they were few and far between, but William had begun to ask her opinion before taking action. "Yes, yes it is, it's a sound plan." William smiled and pat her hand quickly and headed to the bar.
Eliza sat back with a faint smile on her lips. Maybe he's learning, when he asks first, we have no reason to argue. She chuckled at the thought, and watched him lean over at the bar, next to Nat.
"Two whiskies please. Scottish, neat." William told the bartender. He turned to Nat, "Lady troubles? I know that look." Nat laughed bitterly, "Yes and no." He groaned and put his head down on his hands. William turned around casually to look at Eliza, he nodded slightly and turned his attention back to Nat. "Want to talk about it?" Nat turned his head to look at him, bleary eyed and miserable. "I lost the wedding money. All of it. All the money my poor Alice worked so hard to save up for, so we could have a wedding and a home. I gambled it all away. I was so greedy, so greedy wanting more. For us." William blinked. That wasn't at all the response he was expecting. Looks like Eliza's right, there's always more to a story.
"Did you talk to your fiancé about it?" William asked him. Nat shook his head, "I'm too ashamed, I can't even look at her without feeling this huge guilt. And... and I think she knows something is wrong." William nodded, "Perhaps you should try talking to her. Women and their imaginations, she could be thinking Lord knows what." Nat looked at William, "And you have first-hand experience with these things?" William shrugged, "I've had my fair share of affairs but..." He turned to glance at Eliza. Nat followed his gaze, "When you meet the right one, eh?" Nat said with the hint of a smile. "Aye, it changes everything." William said softly. "Have you been together a long time?" Nat asked curious and happy to be changing the subject. "17 years." Nat blinked, "Wow." William chuckled.
"Perhaps I should talk to Alice... I was hoping to win back the money but I have nothing left to gamble with. I even used my own savings..." He groaned again. William pat him on the back, "Talk to her, if she loves you she'll forgive you, she'll help you through this. If you can't trust her now and she can't trust you in return, how can you give your vows, your oath, with a clear conscious?" Nat nodded, "Wise words. Thank you." "How did you lose the money anyway? Cards?" William asked. Nat shook his head, "No, boxing." "Boxing? Really?" "Yes, I bet on a sure fire boxer... but I think he threw the fight... it was the oddest thing. He was doing fine, then suddenly he was down." Nat shrugged, "I guess that happens." "Hmmm..." William mused noncommittally. "Anyway, thanks, I'm going to talk to Alice before I lose my courage." Nat stood up, but stumbled and fell onto someone. "Oh, sorry..." A huge, hairy man turned around. Nat gulped. "You made me spill me drink..." The man said softly, a current of anger underlying the words. "I'm... I'm so sorry... I can buy you another one..." Nat said stammering. "I don't want another one. I wanted THIS ONE." He roared and the whole pub went quiet. Even the music had halted.
William stepped between them. He was loathe to say he was a police officer, in this kind of setting it would only bring trouble. "Look sir, I'm sure we can find a way to settle this." William said. Never thought I'd be the voice of reason. "Oh-ho, who's your fancy friend here?" He said eyeing William up and down. He spat at him. William's ire began to rise, his temper flaring dangerously. Eliza was trying to make her way over to them, she was trapped behind a ring of spectators, but she kept pushing through them. She knew William's anger would cloud his judgement, and he had difficulty backing down from a fight.
William was breathing deeply, trying desperately to hold onto the last vestiges of his calm. "Afraid of a fight are you? Like your friend here?" The man taunted him. Eliza finally reached William and pulled on his arm, "William," she said, still with the Scottish accent, "It's not worth it, let's go. Please." "I'm not worth it eh?" The man said with an evil chuckle. "Trust me, I am, and after I beat him up, I'll show you what a real man is capable of." Eliza sighed, Oh, no.
"No one speaks to my lady that way!" William shouted and punched the man in the nose. "Ow." William said shaking his hand. He had broken it a while back and, though it had healed, punching something hard wasn't the best of ideas. The man roared in anger and made a wide swing at William. He ducked and punched him in the ribs rapidly. The both went off balance, and William pushed him onto a table. The crowd cheered, the man pulled William by the hair, William grunted and kicked him in the knees, he went down with a cry of pain. William was about to punch him in the face again, when strong arms pulled him back. "None of that now," the owner said pulling one of William's arms, while the bartender grabbed hold of his other one. "Out you go now!" William, Eliza, and Nat found themselves unceremoniously dumped onto the street.
"William! What were you thinking! He was twice your size, if not more." Eliza said. She took William's right hand in hers, "Are you trying to break it again?" "I can take most things, but not someone insulting you." She sighed. Nat had finished dusting himself off and came over, "Ma'am, I know it's not my place to say, but please don't be too hard on him, he was very kind to me, and if he hadn't stepped in... that man probably would've killed me. I'm not much of a fighter." He said gesturing at his body self-deprecatingly. He was a tall man, but very thin, with a bookish air.
"I'm Liz." Eliza said changing her name slightly, on the off chance he would recognize it. "This oaf is Bill." Nat held a hand up in a half wave, "Nat. Thanks Bill for helping me out, and for the advice." Eliza looked at William. William giving advice... I wonder what he had said. "Nat, before you go, where did you go for this underground boxing match?" William asked him. Nat hesitated, "Don't go, you really don't want to lose your money that way." William shook his head, "Naw, I just want to check it out." Nat shrugged as if to say, don't say I didn't warn you, "It's at the alley next to the blacksmith's on Reade Street. There's a metal door, knock three times rapidly and the password is Bright Times. But they don't always let new people in without a recommendation." He hesitated, "I'd have to go with you..." William nodded, "Let me talk to Lizzie for a moment." Nat nodded and William took Eliza's arm and guided her out of earshot from Nat.
"William, what on earth are you thinking of doing?" She said in hushed tones. He grinned widely, "I'm going to box and win back their wedding money." Eliza was silent for a moment and then broke out into a loud laugh, tears of mirth streaming down her face. When William didn't say anything she looked at him, "Wait, you were serious?" He nodded, "Why not? I used to box, I can hold my own." Eliza frowned, "You could get badly hurt." William smiled slightly, "Why Lizzie, are you worried about me?" She slapped him lightly on the arm and glared at him. "I'll be fine, I really want to help them." She sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing with him. "Fine. But I am not happy about this." She said crossing her arms. William grinned again, "I need a favor." "Yes?" She asked curious. "I'll have to take off my coat to box, I want you to take my gun and badge ahead of time. Open your purse." Eliza opened her purse between them. William glanced at Nat he was looking at them waiting for them to finish.
"I don't want him to see the gun and panic, slid it out carefully and put it in your bag." Eliza stepped a bit closer to William and slid the gun out of his side holster and put it in her bag. "You'll have to take my holster off too." He said. "How?" She asked, "It's wrapped around you." "Aye, reach up, pretending we're having a romantic moment." He smiled at her annoyed look, "C'mon, there's a buckle at each shoulder, undo them and if you reach behind me it'll slide off."
Eliza was annoyed so she decided to tease William, Let's see who will be more uncomfortable now... she stepped even closer to him and, ever so lightly, ran her hand up and over his chest to his shoulder. William's eyes widened in surprise at the touch. She took her time undoing the buckle. Then she slid her other arm around his back and undid the second buckle with one hand. She was so close, William could smell the floral scent of her hair. She could feel his breathing deepen. She looked up at him, his eyes were half-closed, and his gaze was intense. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She thought.
The holster slid down and she caught it from under his coat, behind his back, and deftly slid it into her purse. They were standing very close now, she could feel his breath by her ear. "Badge, inside top left coat pocket." He said huskily. She slid her right hand over his chest again and felt his heart pounding under her palm. She found his badge and dragged it over his chest and then slid it into her now bulging purse. "Lord Eliza." William whispered in her ear. He had closed his eyes and she could almost sense that he was fighting with himself to resist touching her.
She stepped back and coyly smiled at him. He opened his eyes slowly, she could tell he was trying to regain his composure. He gave a crooked grin, "I'll get you back for that." She looked startled but then shrugged, "We'll see." They walked back to Nat. "I'm going to box and win your money back." Nat's jaw dropped. "Really? Why?" William shrugged, "I feel bad for young lovers just starting out. Don't these boxing things usually let newbies fight at some point near the end? The odds are never in their favor but, we can win back more money that way and I think I stand a good chance." Nat grabbed William's hands, "Thank you Bill, you have my most sincere thanks. Even if this doesn't work I appreciate your help sir." William smiled, "Don't worry, it'll work."
A few hours later, William was registered to be in the last fight of the night, and Nat was pacing nervously back and forth. William had used the money Eliza had given him, and some of his own, to place a bet on himself. With the odds set as they were, he could win back more than enough for Nat, and perhaps even a little extra.
William pulled off his coat and waistcoat, he was glad Eliza had taken his gun and badge. They stood out slightly, but most people thought they were a moderately affluent couple looking for a thrill. William, having taken off his shoes, was bouncing on the balls of his feet, an excited, and slightly nervous energy, coursing through his veins.
He shook out his shoulders and rolled his neck and then began to pull his suspenders down and unbutton them. Then he undid his tie, collar, and began to unbutton his shirt. "Bill," Eliza said, "are you planning on fighting shirtless?" He grinned, "Aye, hanging around with you is becoming costly for my wardrobe." She sighed, and was about to retort, but her attention was distracted by him undoing the final two buttons, and his shirt fell open. He shrugged it off, and Eliza had to admit to herself, that he was quite impressive. Muscles rippled over his chest and arms, even as he made the slightest of movements. She had measured him once, in his undershirt, to knit him a cardigan, but seeing him bare chested was quite different, and she realized she wanted to touch him, to see what he felt like, when he had nothing on.
William glanced over at Eliza and noticed her staring at him. He winked and she turned bright red and pretended to fix his clothing over the back of a chair. William went over to her, "Lizzie." She straightened and found herself inches from his bare chest. She looked up at him trying to stop herself from blushing. "Yes?" "Here," he said reaching for the things in his pants pockets, "Hold onto my wallet and keys." He patted his pants, "I think that's everything." Eliza wordlessly took them and placed them in her purse. William realized she was being unusually quiet.
He wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable because he was half dressed, or because she was concerned about his wellbeing. "Lizzie," he said low, "Are you alright?" She met his gaze, "Yes, I'm fine." She hesitated and said very softly, "William, please be careful." He smiled and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Of course."
"And next up is Billy... the BEAST!" The MC called out loudly. "I believe that's me they're calling." William said looking over at the ring. "I'd better go up to scratch." He said turning back to Eliza. She was fidgeting slightly, as if fighting an internal battle. One half must've won, and she came to a decision. Quickly, before she could lose her courage, she placed her hands on William's bare chest, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek. She stepped back and walked to the edge of the ring to get a better view.
William stood there shocked, it felt to him that the warmth of her hands had left an imprint on his chest. Slowly a smile made its way across his face and he touched his cheek lightly where she had kissed him. This is turning out to be a very good evening.
Maybe this wasn't such a great idea... he thought as he got punched in the gut again. William was trying his hardest, but the man he was fighting against was made of steel, every blow reverberated through his body. He didn't think he'd be able to move tomorrow. He groaned as he got hit in the face and stumbled backwards. He leaned over and spat blood but refused to go down. The referee called for a time out and William went to the stool in his corner and drank some water.
"Bill, BILL!" Eliza called to him. He looked over at her as she approached the ropes, "His left knee, he favors it, and his hip and right shoulder, aim for those spots." She said low in his ear. He nodded tiredly, "I'll try." Eliza sighed frustrated, it looked like William was losing steam and motivation. "William, if you win I will kiss you again, and trust me, it won't be on the cheek this time!" He looked at her and she saw determination return to his eyes. He reached out his hand and she took it and squeezed firmly. The bell rang.
It seemed to have worked, William had gained a second wind, and came back with a vengeance, punching and kicking in the spots Eliza had told him to. His opponent was tiring and, with one last cry, William punched him hard in the jaw. His opponent stood still for a moment and then fell over backwards. William roared and the referee held his arm up, "And The Beast has won!" The crowd went wild and Nat and Eliza were jumping up and down in excitement.
William stepped out of the ring. Nat had gone to collect their winnings, Eliza approached William with a towel and handed it to him. She could tell he was running on his last reserves of adrenaline, and that he would most likely crash soon. He threw the towel around his neck, "So, when do I cash in that kiss you promised me?" He asked happily. "Well, I'll give you two options. You can kiss me now, all sweaty, and with your lip bleeding, or..." "Or?" "Or I give you an IOU for this kiss and you can cash it in whenever you'd like." He chuckled and began to wipe the sweat from his hair with the towel. "I'll save it then. For when you least expect it." Eliza swallowed with trepidation, but also with a tinge of excitement.
Nat came running up to them with bills and coins in his hands. "I made back the money, the odds were stacked so much against you that we made more than I had lost! Here! Bill, this is your share, and Lizzie this is yours from the bet you placed after." He hesitated, "Bill, are you sure it's alright for me to take a share? You did all the work. I really don't deserve it." William placed a hand on Nat's shoulder. "Consider it a wedding gift. Besides, my share is more than the initial amount I had bet. Please, don't worry about it at all." Nat nodded gratefully, tears appearing at the corner of his eyes. "I truly can't thank you, both of you, enough. If you ever need an accountant, my services are at your command. I'm going home to Alice now. I'm going to tell her everything, I don't want to start off our marriage with lies. I hope she loves me enough to forgive me. Thank you!" With that last show of gratitude he ran off.
William looked around, everyone had trickled out, he and Eliza were the last people standing there, other than a custodian sweeping up. William finished drying himself off and Eliza handed him his shirt. "Do you want your waistcoat and coat?" She asked. He shook his head, "No, we'll get a carriage home and I'll go bathe, I don't want to ruin them with sweat and blood." He stumbled slightly. Eliza caught him with an arm around his waist. His body felt very warm, even through his shirt. He placed his arm over her shoulders, "Is it alright?" He asked hesitantly, "I think I need help walking." "Of course, it's fine. Let's go get a carriage." With her free hand she gathered their things and they headed outside.
Thankfully, they found a carriage quickly and they got inside. William leaned back and sighed. "That was fun, but I'm not ready to do that any time again soon." He chuckled. "Eliza, did you place a bet on me?" He asked. She shrugged, "I had faith in you winning." He grinned. They pulled up to William's house first, Eliza handed William his things and he leaned on the carriage door. She reached out and gently cupped his face in her hand. She lightly ran her thumb over his bruised lip. She felt him smile. He pressed her hand to his cheek and turned his head to kiss her palm. "Goodnight Eliza." He said and headed inside.
"Lizzie, where were you? Do you know what time it is?" Ivy asked. "I was so worried about you! I was going to contact Inspector Wellington!" Eliza smiled, "I'm fine Ivy, I was with William, we were working on a case. It was fun!" "Fun? You look disheveled! Where were you?" Eliza looked down at herself, her dress was wrinkled, her hair had started to come down, and she smelled like alcohol and sweat. She laughed "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! Goodnight Ivy!" She kissed Ivy on the cheek and headed upstairs.
"We can't thank the two of you enough!" Alice said happily. She and Nat were sitting across from Eliza in her office. William was sitting in a chair he had pulled up next to Eliza. "When Nat came home and told me what had happened I had a feeling it had been the two of you behind it!" Nat was grinning widely, "Thank you William, for your advice, I told Alice everything." He looked over at her, "No more lies. No more secrets. I promise Alice, I'll never hurt you again."
She nodded, tears in the corners of her eyes. "I love you Nat." "I love you too." William cleared his throat. Alice laughed, "Sorry, we're being mushy, making up for the last few weeks! We should get going, we have so many wedding plans to make!" They stood up and held hands.
"We'd love it if you two would like to attend our wedding." Alice pulled out an invitation from her purse and handed it to Eliza. "And here's the remainder of your fee!" She dropped some coins into Eliza's palm. "Thank you again." Eliza came around from behind the desk and hugged Alice. Nat shook William's hand and they left.
Eliza sat back down at her desk, William stayed in the chair next to her. The looked at each other and smiled, "This was a much nicer case than solving a murder!" William said. "I agree!" Eliza made two piles of the coins and pushed half of them to William. "You truly insist I take half the fee?" She nodded. "Very well, then I insist..." he said pulling out his wallet, "that you take half my winnings." He held out a few bills. "What? Why? You did the boxing." He nodded, "Yes, but if it wasn't for you, having the case, I wouldn't have won it in the first place." She scowled. William laughed, "Eliza, take it, pay Rupert back, buy a gown, even if you refuse to take it, it will still go back to you." She looked at him quizzically, "I'll just end up buying you dinners." She nodded, "Then keep it, and buy me dinner." He grinned, "Very well." He returned the money to his wallet and put it away.
Eliza began scribbling something on a piece of paper. He leaned forward to look at it but she waved him back. She wrote something with a flourish and then handed it to him. Curiosity thoroughly piqued, he took it.
For William,
I owe you one kiss. Not on the cheek.
To be redeemed at your discretion.
-Lizzie
He burst out laughing. "I almost don't want to redeem it, just so I can keep this note!" He took out his wallet again and carefully placed it in one of the sections inside. "You're really going to wait to use it?" Eliza asked. He nodded, "I won't make the same mistake twice." Eliza was perplexed, "What do you mean?" He shook his head with a smile, "Nothing, don't worry about it. Now, I'm starved and I owe you around four dinners with the winnings. Would you like to dine together tonight?" "Hmmm..." She pretended to think about it. "Alright, Ivy went to her mother so I do need to fend for myself anyway. She was very cross with me for returning home so late yesterday." William stood and held out his hand to help Eliza up, "Well, then I will have to be more conscious of the time and have you home at a decent hour." "But remember William," Eliza said stepping close to him, "She's not home tonight..." She stepped back and let go of his hand to retrieve her purse and hat. William stood there stunned, as a warm feeling spread through him.
The wedding was beautiful. It took place in the backyard garden of a large estate. Alice looked gorgeous, and the couple looked incredibly happy. William and Eliza sat side by side as the couple gave their vows. "For better or for worse..." the priest quoted. Still watching the ceremony, William reached over, and tentatively put his hand on top of Eliza's. Without looking at him, she turned her palm up and interlaced her fingers through his. He gently squeezed her hand and she squeezed his back.
"Lovely ceremony wasn't it?" William said as he started working on his second piece of cake. He had taken off his coat and had untied his bow tie and had opened the top two buttons of his shirt.
Eliza was staring at him astounded, "William, you ate three plates of food, drank more wine than I could even keep track of, and you're on your second piece of cake now? Where do you put it?" He chuckled, "I'm thinking of having a third piece..." She hit him lightly with her napkin, "You will not, you'll make yourself sick!" "You'll take care of me, in sickness and in health, and all that." He replied while she shook her head, "I promised you one kiss, and you're quoting wedding vows to me?" He laughed, "Come, dance with me, otherwise I will eat another slice." He stood, she took his proffered hand, and he proceeded to lead her away from the dance floor.
"William? We're going in the wrong direction." "No, this is perfect." They were in a smaller garden surrounded by jasmine trees, and rose bushes winding around trellises and arbors. William pulled Eliza close to him, he wrapped one arm around her waist and held her other hand over his heart. She in turn placed her free hand around his neck. The stood close, and swayed lightly to the sound of the music, faintly reaching them from the dance floor.
"Lizzie, I... I owe you an apology." She looked at him confused, "What did you do? We've been together all day and haven't had one argument. Yet." He smiled, "It's for an old trespass, for kissing you when we were younger." She looked surprised, "You're apologizing now? 16 years later?" He nodded, "Alice had me thinking, I never should've kissed you back then. Your first kiss should have been magical, in a beautiful setting with someone special."
She stroked his cheek gently, "Perhaps the setting wasn't ideal, but you have one thing wrong." "Oh?" "It was with someone special. William, I only ever wanted to kiss you, but your timing was terrible, and I felt like you had taken advantage of my sorrow, during a moment I was feeling very vulnerable. I was so angry after that and..." she took a deep breath, "I did lie to you, I enjoyed the kiss very much. So much so, that it scared me, and I slapped you." He blinked, "Why were you scared?" "It felt so nice." She said in a rush, "You felt so good, I felt so safe in your arms, I was frightened by my emotions, and I took it out on you. So I owe you an apology too."
William was surprised. He had cared deeply for Eliza from the moment he had met her, he had never once thought that she might feel as strongly for him as he did for her. He gently removed a flower that had fallen on her hair and sighed. "I wish I had apologized sooner." She shook her head, "I don't. I don't think we were ready to be with each other back then. I think we'll be much better together as the people we are growing to be now." He nodded, "You are brilliant and wise." He pulled her close and hugged her, "I'm so lucky." He whispered in her ear.
He pulled back just slightly, "Lizzie..." She felt him reach for his wallet. She put her hand on his arm to stop him, "Keep the IOU William, let's make this kiss our second first kiss." He smiled, and moved his hand to her face and tilted her head up. He leaned forward and softly rested his lips on hers and kissed her gently. Hesitant at first, then gaining confidence, she kissed him back, wrapping both her arms around his neck, keeping him close.
It was a chaste kiss, almost an exact replica to the one from all those years ago, but for William it was the most amazing kiss in the world. He could only hope Eliza had felt the same.
They broke apart and gazed into each other's eyes. She trembled slightly. "Are you cold?" He asked her. She shook her head, "No, no, it's not from the cold." He smiled. "Was the kiss okay, are you alright? I'm hoping you enjoyed it, since I didn't get slapped this time." She laughed. "I did, so much so that..." but before she could finish, a drunk couple stumbled upon them.
"Oh, sorry mate, didn't mean to disturb you." The man said grinning. He had his arm around a woman who was hanging onto him. "We also snuck off, someone ate all the cake!" William muttered something unintelligible and Eliza laughed. The moment, somewhat broken, made William check his pocket watch. "It's getting late, I should get you home so Ivy won't worry." Eliza nodded and they headed back to the estate, hand in hand.
A couple of days following the wedding, William was sitting at his desk, reading through a case file, when there was a knock at his door. PC Honeychurch came in hesitantly, "Sir, I have a message for you. From Miss Scarlet." William eagerly snatched it from him and Honeychurch quickly left before William could find something to shout at him about.
Dearest William,
I am amending the original IOU. I think it will serve us both for the best if, instead of one kiss, it becomes unlimited kisses, whenever either person desires.
Lizzie
William reread the letter, his smile growing with each re-reading. After realizing that some time had gone by, and his work was piling up, he carefully folded the note and placed it in his wallet along with the other IOU.
Then he opened the top drawer of his desk and removed a small box and opened it. Inside, on blue velvet, rested the simple band of intertwined white and yellow gold strands, supporting at its center, a modestly sized diamond. William held it up to the light and it sparkled. He read the newer inscription inside. E & W.
Perhaps she'll ask for this back sooner than I had thought. He closed the box, but instead of returning in to the drawer, he placed it in his inside pocket and pat it gently.