It occurred to Jenny, as she was washing up the breakfast things, that the Irregulars hadn't been round yet. Nor had Parker come to say hello. They'd been in Cardiff for a while, but with time travel surely that didn't matter.
"P'raps they think we're still away." She mused out loud to herself, drying her hands on a towel. Vastra had disappeared to her study, just off the Plant Room and, without an ongoing case, Jenny felt a little at a loss. She wandered distractedly into the yard, thinking to see Alice, perhaps go for a ride. There was no-one about in the yard either.
"Did we come back on a Sunday?" Jenny muttered, opening the stable. Alice snorted and whinnied at her. Jenny smiled. "Miss me that much old girl?" she whispered, stroking a hand down the horse's neck.
From outside came the sound of tuneless whistling that she recognised as Parker's son. She turned to greet him as he opened the door but his look of terror stalled her words. He stood frozen for a moment before dashing back out again. Jenny checked herself. No, she was wearing proper Victorian clothes again, not "jeans".
"Did I 'ave somethin' on me face?" she asked Alice before following him. The gate swung shut with a bang behind him. Feeling distinctly unnerved, Jenny went back into the house, swiftly checking her face in the bathroom mirror before going to find Vastra.
"Ma'am. This time travel stuff. It don't…make you scary does it? Like…someone would just drop everything and flee at the sight of yer?"
"It depends. Most apes find me terrifying."
"Yeah but that's just…" Jenny cut herself off. Well, it got Vastra back for "apes", she supposed.
"Quite." Vastra said dryly. "But no. If you're concerned that it would suddenly turn you into a gorgon…well not the type of time travelling we've done at any rate. Why are you even asking?"
"Parker. Junior. 'e came into the stables, saw me and bolted. As if I was a ghost… I din't die or nuffin' in the future? and now I'm a ghost in the past?"
"Well if you are, you are a very visible ghost." Vastra smiled, pressing a finger very gently against Jenny's nose.
"I ain't bein' funny!" Jenny knocked her hand away. "This is serious."
"Perhaps he had been drinking and was scared you'd caught him? Parker did mention his son had a weakness for it." Vastra shrugged. It wasn't enough of a mystery to interest the Silurian but Jenny was still unsettled. She wanted to see the Paternoster Irregulars.
"Well, anyway. The Irregulars ain't come round so I'm goin' out to see if I can catch up on anythin' we missed."
"Your little band of informants missed breakfast? Now that is unusual."
Jenny stuck her tongue out but Vastra always had her beat in that competition. The Silurian turned back to her book and missed Jenny's eyeroll.
"See you later then ma'am."
She'd barely flung her cloak round her shoulders and reached the front door when there was a loud banging and clattering at the back one. Darting into the kitchen, she was suddenly accosted from all sides.
"Miss Jenny!"
"Jenny!"
"Miss! You're back!"
"Miss Jenny!"
Even Parker was there, wide eyes staring at her.
Jenny held herself calm and still in amongst the clamouring throng. The most important thing right now, she told herself, is not to give anything away until you know what's going on.
She let out the breath she'd been holding. "Yes! Yes." she held up her hands placatingly. "I'm back. Arrived back last night with Madam."
"Where on Earth did you go?" Parker asked, his usual deferential manner dropped momentarily.
"Where was you?" Ada tugged at her sleeve.
"Was it NOT on Earth?" Jack asked, wide-eyed.
"Was it Below?" Cris shuddered.
"We couldn't find you!" Dotty tugged at her other sleeve.
"Not in all o' London!" Thrupp added.
"Well that would be because I was in Cardiff." Jenny spoke over the noise. Well it's not a lie, she thought.
"Cardiff?" Dotty frowned.
"Where's that?" Soljer asked.
"In WALES?!"
"In Wales again?" Parker raised his eyebrows.
"What was there in Wales to keep you away so long?" Thrupp looked dolefully up at her.
Now a distinct feeling of dread was beginning to fall on Jenny. "Was I away that long? It didn't feel like it." She said, once again speaking the absolute truth.
"Months and MONTHS Miss Jenny." Thrupp answered.
"Aye! You left in Spring and now it's SUMMER." Boggin told her.
"S'almost AUTUMN." Jack folded his arms, shaking his head.
"It IS Autumn really." Cris shrugged.
Months and months? Jenny felt a surge of irritation. Oh, but the Doctor had to get them back himself because he didn't want to risk de Carabas getting them lost in London Below, did he? They had to be back in this specific time because they had things to do, he said. Maybe nearly regenerating made him lose track. Maybe his TARDIS whatever that was couldn't tell the damn time properly. Whatever it was, when she next saw him, she was going to give HIM months and months.
"Miss Jenny?" Parker asked tentatively after a moment's silence.
"You alright miss?" Jack looked at her strangely.
She took a deep breath. "Yes. Well. We're back now, so business as usual. Sorry to be away so long, we didn't really intend to. Did you take the money out the pot like I told you to if I wasn't here? Did your wages get paid Parker?" Jenny tried to change the subject, in case the next question was what she'd been up to.
"Yes we did." Boggin rolled his eyes, as if they'd forget.
"It's nearly ALL gone though!" Thrupp said pitifully.
"Aye they did that. Nothing amiss on that front. Just concerned about where you and Madam was." Parker interjected.
"We ALL were." Ada said resentfully.
"Well then. Months and months. You must have a lot to tell me about what's been going on, ey?" Jenny tried to distract them again from her disappearance.
"Oh yes!" Dotty nodded.
"There's bin a murder." Boggin said spookily.
"TWO murders." Thrupp corrected him.
"These two women got killed." Cris told her, more helpfully.
"One got stabbed 39 times! Imagine bein' stabbed 39 times." Jack's face was a picture.
"Imagine havin' the energy to STAB someone 39 times!" Thrupp's face was two pictures.
"And one got slashed ALL over their body. Din't they Parker?" Dotty said ghoulishly.
"Well don't go an' tell Miss Jenny about that now ey?" Parker tried to hush her.
"Yeah but we gotta! The police are real worried. Cos Madam wasn't here. And they never caught no-one for that murder back in April neither so they reckon they got a proper killer on their hands." Dotty shuddered.
"I don' think they care tho cos all those women were just prostitutes. They just ain't tryin'." Cris shrugged.
A fresh feeling of dread swept through Jenny. "What was their names?" she asked, as casually as she could and held back a sigh of relief when none of them were Lettie. And then felt bad. Three women were dead. There was nothing to be relieved about.
"The last was the worst. They reckon whoever did was tryna get at her vitals like." Jack spat.
"S'dark times Miss Jenny. Makes a man glad you and the Madam are back. Bet the police will be too." Parker nodded seriously.
"Yeah we all know how much they rely on you really." Cris nodded.
"Well, me and Madam best be off down the police station then. Find out everything." Jenny tried to bustle her way through the crowd of irregulars. Vastra would need informing of this "months and months" situation as well as the run of murders.
"We can tell you everythin' Miss Jenny." Jack said reproachfully.
"Yeah the police don't know much about it." Cris shook his head.
"Well, they need to know we're back at any rate. And if you want some work, try tracking down Lettie Palmer. Should've set up shop again by now. She might know even more about it than you."
The Irregulars looked shocked. "Blimey." Jack whistled. "Now thas a lady to be respectful to then."
"Aye and make sure you are." Jenny nodded.
Chris beckoned the urchins out, leaving Jenny and Parker alone in the kitchen.
"Much else happened then?" she asked casually, not knowing quite how to dismiss him so she could find Vastra.
"No, not much Miss. We kept Alice in good condition, my missus came and aired the house and dusted. You should find it all just so." Parker nodded. "I don't let her walk alone now. Nor my son with his wife."
"What not even to the shops?" Jenny teased.
"Of course to the shops, Miss Jenny." Parker sighed patiently. "I meant alone at night." He tutted and went back out into the yard.
Jenny thought about Vastra, and all of her night time wanderings. Well at least I don't have to worry about her, she thought. If Vastra met a knife wielding maniac, she'd probably eat him.
But if someone was targeting prostitutes, then Lettie was suddenly high on her concern list, even if she was a house owner more than a street walker these days. And then there was her sister, and her unknown activities. If it wasn't safe to walk the streets at night, Jenny wanted to check in on her as well. She cursed that she'd already sent all the Irregulars off as she went to find Vastra.
Vastra was reading a newspaper whilst lounging in one of the two new wicker chairs that now stood in the Plant Room.
"Ah Jenny. They are quite excellent are they not? They must've been delivered whilst we were away. Although, according to this newspaper we've only been gone a day." Vastra flicked to the front to check the date and then frowned.
"Um…about that." Jenny bit her lip. "The uh… the Irregulars…"
"Oh they came round after all then did they?"
"Yes. And Parker. Um…I think that might be an old newspaper. Parker's wife probably stopped bringing them in after a few days." Jenny started twisting her hands inside her cloak.
The gesture did not go unnoticed by the Silurian.
"What is it? What did they tell you?" Vastra stood up.
"I think we need to go see the Inspector. Well you do. I've got to go check on Jess. Um. There's been murders you see. Three now. Two pretty bad ones. Violent like."
Vastra tutted. "We leave for only a few days…"
"No ma'am. I mean…it ain't been just a few days. More like…a few months."
Vastra sighed. "This, Jenny, is why I dislike time travel."
"Still. Makes up for the second go at Christmas." Jenny shrugged. "Gained months then, lost months now. I feel sort of caught up on myself." The thought cheered her.
"Hm. Well I suppose it evens out eventually." Vastra shook her head. "And it seems once more the hunt is on."
"I'll tell Parker to get the carriage out." Jenny turned to leave.
"Are you sure you won't accompany me to Scotland Yard?" Vastra asked in an innocent tone.
"Yes ma'am." Jenny glowered at her. "Besides, I really want to make sure Jess is alright."
Vastra nodded. "To business then."
Jenny felt strangely relieved as she watched the carriage rattle out the yard and set off purposefully to find her sister. They were back in London, back in 1888, there was a case to investigate. After seeing the future, riding dragons, wearing jeans and eating pizza, the normality of it was as grounding as the brutal murders were disturbing. Besides, she had every confidence Vastra would soon find the murderer and duly dispatch them, probably before the week was out. And then she and Vastra could both get on with doing this "big and important" thing the Doctor had talked about.
