Elizabeth had no idea what was going on. She looked around the room she was in and realised that this wasn't her old bedroom. Instead, it was much larger with a four-post bed, covered in a floral quilt with numerous pillows. There was a wardrobe and a dresser made out of expensive mahogany wood. The window peered onto a park, but Elizabeth couldn't open it and she thought that she was almost three floors up. The carpet was plush under her feet and the chandelier in the middle of the room illuminated the intricate patterned red wallpaper.
She had tried to pull on the doorknob, but she was failing miserably. Nothing was happening and the door wasn't opening. Shaking her head back and forth, she paced the room and looked around for something that she could use to get out. She didn't entirely understand what her parents were plotting, but she had to admit that she was scared. She was scared of her own parents. She realised how bad that sounded.
Sinking onto the bottom of the bed, she pushed at the red skirts around her, the swathes of material catching around her legs as she made the movement and huffed loudly, frustration taking hold of her. Looking down to her lap, she glanced at the engagement ring on her finger and wondered what Laszlo was doing. Had he called the police? Were the police going to help him? Her wandering mind came to a halt when she heard the door push open.
Looking up, she saw her mother walk in, closing the door behind her. Elizabeth's cheeks tinged red with anger at the sight of the woman and her teeth clenched firmly together. "What are you doing?" Elizabeth demanded from her mother.
"Calm down, Elizabeth," Josephine encouraged her.
Elizabeth scoffed loudly, her arms flapping by her side as she stood up. "Calm down?" she demanded from her mother. "How can I calm down when I have quite clearly been taken against my will and I have no idea what is going on."
"And that is why I am here," Josephine said to her and she went to sit down on the end of the bed as her daughter continued to stand, hands on her hips. Arching her brow, she waited patiently for her to say something. "You see, we have run into quite a predicament, Elizabeth."
"And how is that my issue?"
"Because you can help us get out of it," Josephine said and she laced her fingers together in her lap, one leg folding over the other. "Your father has lost the money that we were given when you married Jacob."
Elizabeth's brows arched on her forehead at that piece of information. "I thought that you had been in charge of the finances?"
"I had been," Josephine responded, "but you understand what your father can be like, Elizabeth. You remember what it was like living with him…and your sister…well, she does not write and we have no contact with her. She is somewhere in England with her wealthy socialite husband."
"Good for Sally," Elizabeth retorted, remembering her sister on the day she had told her that she was leaving for good. Elizabeth had actively encouraged her to go.
Her comment annoyed her mother, the older woman's lips pursing tightly and her eyes narrowing. Elizabeth tilted her head to the side, waiting for her mother to continue telling her what she had planned.
"And we…do you remember Mr Rosen?"
Elizabeth scoffed. "Of course," she said to her mother. "He was always hovering around me when I was courting Jacob. He…he was quite horrifying."
"Well, it is his house we are currently in," Josephine said and Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You see, Mr Rosen never married. He found himself too caught up in his work. You know that he is a lawyer, don't you? He courted…and drank…but he never married. However, he has expressed a willingness for things to change in his life."
Shaking her head, Elizabeth let out a hollow laugh. "Tell me that this story is not going where I think it is going," Elizabeth pleaded from her mother, her gaze dark and her throat clenching in apprehension.
"He does not care about what happened between you and Jacob," Josephine said to her daughter and moved to her feet. "He is willing to marry you, Elizabeth. He is willing to make an honest woman out of you."
"And how much did he offer you for me?" Elizabeth wondered, looking at her mother with disgust. "Because I know what you and father are like. You both do nothing out of the kindness of your hearts. What is in it for you?"
Josephine coughed into her fist and looked around, having the decency to look ashamed for a moment. "He has offered to clear your father's debts," she said and Elizabeth rolled her eyes to the ceiling, nodding her head and feeling rage build up in her stomach at hearing her. "And he will take good care of you and provide for us. Why can you not see that this is for the best?"
"Because he is much older than I am, for one," Elizabeth said, holding a finger up. "Secondly, I do not love him. I am engaged to another," she held another finger up. "And, thirdly, I am carrying Laszlo's child. I am pregnant with another man's child."
"We can work things out," Josephine moved to stand up, her dress falling down to her feet. "The police…well…Mr Rosen has informed them that there is no need for concern. They will not come looking for you, Elizabeth."
"And you think that Laszlo won't?" Elizabeth retorted, her brows arching on her forehead. "Do you honestly think that he won't try and find me? Besides, you cannot keep me locked up forever. Eventually I will have to go outside and when I do, the chances of me staying anywhere near you, father or Mr Rosen, are slim."
"And that is why we will keep you hidden until you have accepted this," Josephine said.
Elizabeth laughed again. "Then you will be waiting forever," she said to her mother.
"You need to understand, Elizabeth, that this is for the best. Your reputation will be restored…we will be debt free again…I know that you might claim to love Doctor Kreizler, but love is not the be all and end all. You will see that."
"No," Elizabeth shook her head. "You're wrong."
"Would he love you if you were not so fair and naïve?" Josephine asked from her daughter and Elizabeth felt as though she had been slapped in the face at her comment. But she didn't know. She knew nothing about them. Moving to stand inches away from her daughter, Josephine arched her brow on her forehead and continued talking, a taunting tone to her voice. "He only loves you because you're weak, Elizabeth. Men like women who bend to their will and no doubt you bent to his…spread your legs…entrapped him…because that is our main weapon as women, Elizabeth, what is between our legs."
Elizabeth bit down on her tongue and she could taste blood from the force. She turned on her heel and moved off in the opposite direction, footsteps loud and her hands going to her hair.
"You have no idea," Elizabeth said and looked out the window for a moment before throwing her head over her shoulder and glaring at her mother. "You might have married father for money and status, but I am not you. I love Laszlo and if you think that will ever change then you're deluded."
Josephine's lips tightened together again and she looked down her nose to the ground. Moving to pick her gaze up after she had regained her thoughts, she looked back to her daughter and sniffed.
"You'll come around," Josephine said confidently.
"No, I won't," Elizabeth retorted. "And you are forgetting that I am having his child. You cannot simply pretend that I am not pregnant."
Josephine said nothing then. She moved her arms over her stomach and Elizabeth saw her look away, an expression on her face that was unreadable. She felt her brows furrow together on top of her forehead and a chill ran down her spine. Her eyes widened and she took a slow step back towards her mother, her heart beat quickening.
"There are ways to handle unwanted pregnancies," Josephine simply said to her.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No," she said, hand going to her stomach as she shuddered at the thought. "No…you cannot…"
"There is a doctor who will be visiting the house tomorrow to discuss your delicate condition and how we can take care of it," Josephine said and she ran her hands over her skirts, nodding her head firmly to herself, almost as though she was trying to convince herself that this was the right decision.
"You cannot do this!" Elizabeth snapped loudly.
"It is for your own good," Josephine promised her. "You cannot afford to have a child, Elizabeth, not now…you…the procedure, we have been assured, will not ruin you."
"You're not taking my baby!" Elizabeth roared and she moved towards her mother, the rage inside of her finally boiling over. She stormed forwards, rushing to the door and barging past her mother. She tugged the door handle and moved to the hallway, but she didn't get far.
"I heard screaming and I thought it would be best for us to come up and see what was happening."
Standing on the top of the staircase, Elizabeth saw Michal Rosen. He looked almost like he had done when she had last seen him. He was dressed in a smart fitted navy suit with white shirt and blue tie. He was tall with broad shoulders and dark black hair that was slicked back on the top of his head. His eyes were green, a dark colour that glimmered menacingly. He was clean-shaven and wrinkles had formed on his forehead.
"Mr Rosen," Elizabeth said to him as she saw her father on the step behind him. "I know that my parents have told you about their plan, but there has been a mistake."
"Oh, I doubt it," Michal said to her. "You see, I am content with their plan. You knew how I felt about you all of those years ago."
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I didn't," she said to him. "I didn't know anything like that. I never thought that you cared-"
"-I wouldn't say care," Michal said with a shake of his head, moving closer towards her. "But you were very attractive and I had considered asking for your hand before Jacob beat me to it…and now, well, I am in need of an heir and your mother has been very persuasive in assuring me that you are able to provide me with that."
"No," Elizabeth said firmly. "I can't…I'm engaged to someone else."
"Yes, crazy Kreizler," Michal chuckled and looked back to her father. "Is she serious?"
"She's simply being foolish," he replied to him with a shake of his head. "She has been living with him and has become infatuated with him. I am certain that it shall pass."
Elizabeth's mouth gaped in disbelief. She tried to find words for a few moments, but she was struggling. Were these people all so insolent?
"I love him," Elizabeth said and she wondered just how many times she needed to say it before it became accepted. Or would it just fall on deaf ears? "And I am expecting his child, Michal. I am pregnant. Did they tell you that?"
His silence spoke volumes. He rocked back and forth on his heels and he shrugged. He looked cocky. He looked overly confident and Elizabeth realised that he was as deranged as her parents were.
"The doctor promises me that you should be able to conceive once the bastard in your stomach is taken care of," Michal said to her and she shook her head, fear taking hold of her at the words he was saying to her.
"What is wrong with you?" Elizabeth asked from him. "Why are you doing this? You could find any other socialite in New York to marry. Why me? I am nothing special. I am no one."
"Because I have always found you to be quite enchanting, my dear Elizabeth," he said and moved to run his hand along her cheek, thumb pressing along her cheekbone. "And Jacob got to you before I could, but not anymore. Don't worry. You'll be well taken care of. I'm not like that monster."
"I'm struggling to see a difference," Elizabeth retorted.
She knew she had angered him when he moved his hand and gripped hold of her forearm tightly. She fought in his grip as he twisted her arm behind her back and she swore that he might actually be able to break the bone. He pushed her back towards the bedroom, her mother standing out of the way to let them pass. Elizabeth continued worming around in his hold, snapping loudly and trying to free herself from his hold.
"You just need time to accept this. I understand," Michal said and he pushed her onto the bed. She gasped for breath before pushing herself back to her feet and rushing to the door, but he was already shutting the door on her. She yelled loudly, slamming her fists against the wood and demanding for them to let her out. She wouldn't give up. There was no chance that she was ever going to give up.
…
"Her parents were the ones who took her, yes?" Sara checked.
She had changed into a black skirt and a white shirt, her hair still in a bun at the back of her head. She had been in the process of preparing for bed when Laszlo had called for her, telling her that it was an emergency and he needed her help. She had gone to his home without any hesitation. And now she was sat in the armchair, leant forwards as Laszlo paced in front of her, hand under his chin and eyes set in front of him.
Cyrus was sat on the couch with Charlotte next to him, his hand on her shoulder as he tried to offer her some comfort. Stevie was loitering in the doorway, wondering what would have happened if he had simply just stayed with them. Would Elizabeth still be there?
"Yes," Laszlo said with a nod. "And I called the police, of course. They insist that they are looking into this, but we both know that they cannot be trusted…not if Byrnes is involved and her parents have somehow gained his favour."
"And you do not know where they went?" Sara asked him. "Did they not say anything? Did they not give any clues?"
"They…they had found out that she was pregnant," Laszlo said, closing his eyes and replaying the scene in his head, fighting through the pain of his bruised ribs and swollen cheeks. "Her father said that he would not let her have my child…but…they said nothing else."
"It's a start," Sara promised him. "We need to gather as much information as we can on the Johnsons…visit their home…find their friends…talk to their staff."
Laszlo nodded. He agreed with her on that. They had to discover everything they could to try and help them.
"What can you tell me about her parents, Laszlo? Any information will be greatly appreciated," Sara said and she reached for her notebook in her pocket, pen in her hand. Laszlo sunk down to sit at the piano bench, hands clasped together as he bent forwards.
"Her father was a gambler," Laszlo said, remembering everything she had told him from their time together. "He could be quite volatile and often took part in fights…betting on himself…she married Jacob because her parents offered her to him…like she was a piece of meat."
Sara noted the way Laszlo's hands clenched into fists as he placed them onto his thighs. She could see the anger in his face and she understood why he felt that way, but at that moment in time, anger would do them no good. Anger would not bring Elizabeth back to him.
"And her mother?" Sara asked, trying to get Laszlo's mind back on track.
His gaze moved back to her. "She took up work as a maid after they lost their fortune," he said. "She worked for the Martins family and that is where Jacob met Elizabeth. Her parents…Jacob agreed to see them right when she married him. She had no dowry…nothing…but his family was wealthy enough for them not to care."
"And why now?" Sara questioned. "Why would they come for her now?"
Laszlo shook his head, hand running along his chin one more time. "I do not know," he said to Sara.
"And they know that she is pregnant," she spoke. "But if they have come for her now then there must be a reason why."
"Money," Laszlo guessed, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes were wide and wet, Sara able to see the pain in his face as he went to stand back up. "Her mother came here and tried to persuade Elizabeth to leave with her the other month. She wanted her to find a new suitor…to restore her reputation…but her parents have always been more interested in money. They simply used their daughter for their own benefit."
"And you think that they plan to marry her to someone else? But who? She is engaged to you and carrying your child," Sara said.
"Someone who clearly does not care about that," Laszlo said.
"Well, it is a theory," Sara agreed and placed her pen away once more into her notebook. She stood up and left it in her pocket before standing across from Laszlo, hand going to his upper arm. "I will find where her parents live and we will go from there."
Laszlo could only incline his head before he left the room. No one went after him. He stormed up the staircase and headed towards their bedroom. He knew that he had to be strong. He had to find Elizabeth and bring her home. She was still alive. She was out there and waiting for him. But at that moment in time, he just needed to be alone. He slammed the door closed and tossed his papers from the top of his dresser to the floor, letting them fall around him before he looked to the bed and saw her nightgown sat there. He stumbled towards it, joints aching. Sinking onto the mattress, he picked up the gown and placed it to his nose, inhaling her familiar scent for a moment. He closed his eyes and vowed to do everything in his power to bring her back.
…
John Moore wondered exactly what was going on when Sara called for him the following morning. He had met her at 808 Broadway, finding her upstairs and surrounded by packed boxes and furniture that was covered in cloths. She was only just moving into the premises, but already she looked at home with a bottle of bourbon on her desk and photo frames. Peering up and over to John, Sara stood up as her friend removed his hat and looked alarmed.
"Is everything alright?" he asked from Sara. "You sounded worried on the phone."
"Because I am," Sara said. "Elizabeth has gone missing, John."
"Elizabeth? Laszlo's Elizabeth?"
"She is her own person, John," Sara retorted.
"Yes, of course, you know what I meant," he said with a shake of his hand, coming to terms with what she was telling him. "What do you mean she has gone missing? We saw her less than twenty-four hours ago at dinner."
"Laszlo returned home with her and her parents were waiting for her. Her father beat Laszlo rather badly and they took her somewhere," Sara said. "I was hoping that you might be able to work some of the connections that you have to find out more about her parents."
"Yes, of course," John said with no hesitation.
"I have already been to the family home this morning, but the maid informed me that the Johnsons have not been home in over a week. I do not know if she was lying, but a girl I interviewed…well…Mitsy…I have asked her to stay outside the house and report back if she sees anything suspicious."
"Good idea," John concurred with her.
"And Laszlo seems to think that they would only take her for money," Sara declared. "And I suppose that it makes sense. Have you heard anything about the family and their finances?"
John shrugged. "Not recently," he admitted. "With my grandmother gone, I try not to involve myself in gossip, but Violet might know something too. But they cannot have gone far, can they?"
Sara shook her head. "I would have hoped not," she said.
"And Laszlo?"
"What about Laszlo?"
"How is he holding up?"
"He is holding up fine."
His voice suddenly entered their ears and John spun on his heel to see Laszlo walking in. He noted his split lip and his swollen, bruised cheek. He was also limping, leaning on his cane even more than usual. He was dressed in a green suit, tie slightly askew against his chest and collar not entirely straight.
"Laszlo, should you be here?" Sara questioned.
"Where else should I be?" Laszlo wondered back from her. "So long as Elizabeth is missing, I intend to help try and find her."
"I'm sorry, Laszlo," John said to his friend, a hand going to his shoulder. "Sara has told me what happened. I'm going to see if I can find anything out about her parents…any rumours or gossip…"
"I appreciate it," Laszlo said back to John.
"Anything," John said and lowered his hand to his side.
"I have one of my girls watching their house, but their maid claims that they haven't been there in days," Sara said. "I do not know if she is lying, but I wasn't intending on trusting her. Regardless, if you think that they have taken her because of money worries then perhaps it is worth visiting some of the places where her father used to bet."
"Those places are quite dangerous, Sara," John said.
"Well, I will not be going alone, will I?" Sara responded. "Besides, I can handle myself."
"Well…if you want to know the best places then I can tell you," John said to her.
"Please," Sara said. "Laszlo and I can go and look into them and you should go to work and try and use your contacts…see if there is anything that we might be missing."
"Agreed," Laszlo said, wanting to leave and start investigating before too much time had passed. He hadn't slept the night before. Instead, he had sat awake and tried to remember everything that Elizabeth had told him about her life before she had come to him. He needed to know if there was something that he was missing, but he wasn't entirely certain. And at that moment in time, he needed certainty.
…
Laszlo looked around the empty pub, wondering just what went on in the place in the evenings. He had gone with Sara to one of the four establishments that John had told them about where men fought and engaged in betting. The first two had proven to be fruitless. They had failed to find any information.
"Daniel Johnson?"
The owner of the pub asked, stood behind the bar and wiping down the surface with a cloth. He was a small man with several missing teeth, a long beard and greying hair on the top of his head. His suit was ill-fitted and the top few buttons were undone, revealing a wrinkled neck and hairy chest.
"Yes," Sara said to him. "Have you heard of him?"
"Might have," he shrugged, tossing the rag to the side as a woman moved around and adjusted stools under tables.
Sara huffed and Laszlo realised what the man was trying to gain. He moved his hand into his pocket and reached for his wallet. He didn't hesitate to set down a fifty-dollar bill on top of the surface. The man reached for it, but Laszlo placed his fist down on top of the paper, shaking his head.
"You can have this when you tell us what you know," Laszlo said. "So speak."
The man sighed and stood back on his heels, arms folding over his chest. "Johnson is a regular here," he said to them. "He stopped coming for a while, but recently he's been dropping in. He's not as fit as he used to be…kept getting beat…losing money…rumour has it that he owed certain people money."
"Who?" Sara questioned.
"Goo Goo Knox," he said to them. "But you don't want to be getting involved with a man like him. He's leader of the Hudson Dusters."
"Where can we find him?" Sara pushed.
The man snorted loudly. "Did you not hear me?" he demanded from her. "I said that you don't want to be getting involved with him. You'd do well to stay away. Besides, we haven't seen him round here in the past week. We had money on whether or not Goo Goo had caught up with him or if that fancy man he brought here had paid his debts off."
"What fancy man?" Laszlo wondered, brows knitting together.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked from Laszlo who huffed loudly, but reached his hand back into his pocket and withdrew another note from his wallet, pushing both of them in his grip towards the man who admired them, folded them up and placed them into his jacket inside pocket.
"He came here the other night with some guy. They asked where Goo Goo was, but he was busy that night," he said and reached for the rag again, wiping another spot he had missed on the bar. "We figured he must be some accountant or something to help him pay his debts."
"And what did he look like?"
He shrugged. "Tall with black hair…no beard…pretty lean…I can't remember much more after that…but he did have a fancy folder in his hands with some kind of engraved symbol on it."
"Can you remember what it looked like?"
"Just some letters…MR…must be his initials or something?" he shrugged.
"MR," Sara repeated and looked to Laszlo. "Did she mention anyone who had those initials?"
Laszlo shook his head. "Not from memory," he said to Sara. "But there were many people who she was associated with…I…I cannot remember all of them…not right now."
"Then I need you to think," Sara said. "And we should return to the office and see if John has found anything out."
"Yes…" Laszlo agreed and they left the bar without giving the owner another look. He had already taken enough money from them. Well, from Laszlo. Coming outside, Laszlo walked with Sara, but once they were near the office, he insisted on going his separate way. He needed time to think and to try and remember if those initials meant anything.
"I have a confession."
"Oh?" Elizabeth questioned from Laszlo, turning onto her side so that she could look at him. She tugged the quilt up to her chest and Laszlo remained on his side, his hand running along her hip underneath the quilt, his fingers tickling her bare skin as his eyes flickered around her face, seeing the content, sleepy smile there. Her eyes were focused on him and her lips were swollen from kissing him.
"I have never been with another woman," he said to her, his hand reaching up her hip, skimming her side until it tangled into her hair at the back of her head. She continued smiling and shrugged.
"You didn't need to tell me," she said to him. "It doesn't make a difference to me."
"I just…I sometimes wonder if I do not please you-"
"-Hey," she interrupted him, moving her finger to his lips, shaking her head. She shifted closer to him, her chest brushing against his, her forehead pressed to his. "Don't talk like that, Laszlo. I do not care…and…well…you don't need to worry about pleasing me. You're a natural at it."
"You're not lying?"
"Can you not tell when someone is lying?" she asked him back, a teasing tone to her voice.
Laszlo chuckled, but nodded. "Usually, yes, but when it comes to matters of an intimate nature, I confess that I am not entirely certain. Plus, I have heard about women who fake their pleasure to please their husband…almost soothe their ego."
Elizabeth scoffed, a dark chuckle escaping her lips and she nodded. "That is very true," she promised him. "But it is not something that you have to worry about, Laszlo."
"That makes me feel better," Laszlo confessed, "but promise never to lie to me. My ego can handle the truth."
"Oh, your ego could," she continued to taunt him, pressing a swift kiss to his lips. "But I promise. Besides, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"And…is that because…" Laszlo trailed off and Elizabeth arched a brow in his direction, wondering what he was thinking. She adjusted her hand against his cheek, stroking along his bearded chin and waiting for him to continue talking. He took a moment to look down, his hand running back along her neck and dancing along her collarbone. "Well…you do have previous experience."
"I…well…I suppose so," Elizabeth agreed with him on that. "But none of that means anything to me, not now."
"And as sweet as that it is of you to say, I still wonder," Laszlo said and Elizabeth sighed, but nodded her head.
"I have been with Jacob," Elizabeth said to him. "And most times, I never wanted to be with him. I despised him, but I was his wife and I had a duty. Before Jacob…there was only a few other men, but we were never intimate. They were simply drunken fumbles outside of parties and galas when my parents still had money."
"And that is all?"
"That is all," Elizabeth promised him, moving to rest on her back, hair fanning out around her. Laszlo watched her look up to the ceiling before glancing back to him again. "And none of them meant anything…none of them…I never cared about anyone before like I care for you."
"I know," Laszlo said to her. "It just…I wonder if things would have been different if I had been one of those eligible bachelors back in the day…if I had known you before Jacob."
"No point in dwelling on it, Laszlo," Elizabeth said to him, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't know if we would have gotten on when I was younger. I was foolish…wanted that handsome, charming gentleman who whispered sweet nothings into my ear."
"And I could not have been him?"
"You refuse to write me a love letter," she reminded him, moving so that she had him on his back and she sat in his lap, legs either side of him as he managed to sit up, his body pressed tightly to hers. "So, I think the chances of you whispering sweet nothings to me when I was younger are quite slim."
"Perhaps so," Laszlo said, his hand running into the ends of her hair that fell down her back. "So, tell me, how many men were lining up to woo you?"
"Oh, I don't know," she shrugged, lacing her arms around his neck. "There was nothing serious, just the occasional flirting with some lawyers…doctors…even an accountant."
"And none of them ever took your fancy?"
"I was young, Laszlo," she said to him. "I enjoyed the attention, but no, there was never anything serious…well, not on my part. Donald Jacobs…Michal Rosen…they were all just men who enjoyed flirting, but they were never serious."
"But I do wonder what it would have been like if I had been there," Laszlo said to her. "If I had gotten to know you instead of holing myself up alone with my books and dinners."
She shrugged. "You think that you would have been my knight in shining armour?" she questioned from him and he picked up on her taunting voice. His lips arched at seeing her as he ran his hand down her side, shifting so that her hips were firmly pressed against him, the quilt twisted around their bodies.
"That would imply that I would have honourable intentions, my dear Elizabeth," he confessed and she shrieked loudly as he moved them so that she was pressed back onto the mattress, letting him fall in between her legs. He took hold of her thigh, hauling it upwards and around his hips as her other leg mirrored it. "And right now, my intentions are anything but honourable," he whispered and leant down to kiss her once more as she laughed against his lips.
…
"I asked Violet if she knew anything," John said to Sara as the two of them stood in her office together. Sara had told John that Laszlo had gone off, needing time to think and try and remember for himself if there might be something they were missing. "She said that the Johnsons were still accepted in the good graces of society, but she had heard whispers that they were having money problems."
"That would confirm what we discovered at the pub," Sara agreed with him, sitting down at her desk and reaching for the glass of bourbon she had poured.
"She mentioned that Josephine Johnson had been asking her friends about eligible bachelors…playing it off as nothing more than intrigue for a friend's daughter, though she never said which one."
"I imagine she meant it for her own daughter," Sara said.
"I imagine so," John agreed and went to sit down on the other side of the desk. He removed the cloth from the chair and tossed it to the side before sinking down. "So, what did you discover at the pub?"
"Daniel Johnson has been visiting the pubs and gambling," Sara confirmed to him. "He owed money to some notorious gang apparently. On the last night he was in there with another man with the initials MR, or so we think. They were engraved on a folder he carried according to the owner."
"MR?"
"Yes," Sara sipped on her alcohol once again before placing the glass down. "Laszlo wonders if she had ever mentioned someone with that name before. Can you think of anyone? Can you think of anyone from the four hundred with those initials?"
John's head rolled back and he shrugged. "Not off of the top of my head," he said to her. "But I can do some digging around to see if anyone matches that description."
"Michal Rosen."
For the second time that day, Laszlo's voice interrupted their thoughts. He stormed into the room, still looking dishevelled, but he had purpose. His strides were long, his cane hitting the floorboards with force.
"Michal Rosen?" John questioned, standing up as his friend finally stopped walking and looked between the two of them. "The lawyer?"
"Are you certain, Laszlo?" Sara wondered, also moving to her feet.
"No," Laszlo said. "I am not certain, but I remember his name. Elizabeth mentioned him before…a man she used to…well…she said that he used to show her attention."
"It's possible," Sara nodded her head. "If he has the same initials then it is a start. We can always rule him out if it is not true and there is something else that we should consider too…I did not want to bring it up, but it is something that we have to consider."
"What is that?" John asked.
But Laszlo shook his head. "I do not want to think of it," he said to her.
"And I understand that, but it is something else that we need to look into…to see if she has been taken somewhere…or a doctor who performs such procedures."
"I cannot think that," Laszlo said, taking a deep breath.
"Can someone please inform me what is going on?" John asked, exasperated as Laszlo looked away and out of the window. Sara took it upon herself to speak instead.
"Her parents knew that she was pregnant and her father said that she was not to have the child…and if…if they intend to marry her to someone else…then she cannot be pregnant," Sara said and John's mouth gaped, hand going to his throat.
"My God," he whispered. "You do not think…they…surely they cannot do that."
"I do not know," Sara responded.
"And that's why we need to find her," Laszlo interjected.
"We will," John said confidently.
"We'll find Rosen." Sara declared. "And maybe we might get to the bottom of this."
...
A/N: Not sure if anyone is still reading/interested, but would be great to know what you think - links to season 2 coming up soon!