1907

"You're kidding!" Olivia laughed, barely aware that everyone in the coffee house was looking towards them, turning away theys gaze as their eyes met Jeremy's golden ones.

The rat seemed anything but intimidated from their evident distrust towards him: he just kept his attention focused on the girl sitting in front of him. It seemed he couldn't care less about them.

Jeremy Ratigan – or Ratchett, your choose – was definitely not the yelling kind. He didn't use to emit sounds with no meaning: he just wasn't a talkative person. Besides, there were some subjects he wasn't willing to talk about, and his past was usually one of those...but now he wasn't displeased by Olivia's evident interest about it. She looked really curious about his ten years of travelling: it seemed she had never been abroad before.

"No, I'm serious" Jeremy smiled "you really have to go to Germany to understand what a drunken German can do...do you mind if I smoke?"

"Not at all."

"Good" Jeremy lighted a cigarette and inhaled deeply, then he leaned back on the chair and released a cloud of smoke.

"I must admit your life has been quite interesting as far" Olivia said, her chin resting on her hand "when did you went to London?"

"Last week."

"And why? I mean...weren't you happy in Germany?"

Jeremy fell silent for a while, staring blankly at the smoke rising from his cigarette. He had came back to London to honour his father's death wish and think about the solution of that blasted riddle...and that was definitely not something he could talk about. And no, he wasn't happy in Germany. Nor he had been in France, Spain, Italy, Holland...he didn't recall to have ever been happy anywhere. He had often found himself missing his life in London's sewers. As a child he had missed it because in the London's underworld he had felt sheltered from the world outside. A birdie missing his safe cage.

Now he wasn't a child anymore, and he didn't need his anyone's protection...but still, he had never found any other place he could consider his home.

Olivia felt terribly stupid seeing his reaction. "I...I'm sorry, I asked without thinking" she said quickly "I had no rights to ask you such a private question."

He shook his head. "Nevermind, I was just a little thoughtful. I am the one who has to apologize. It has been very rude from me letting you wait for an answer so long. I'm in London to study chemical physics."

"It sounds terribly complicated to me" Olivia said, sounding impressed. Jeremy shook his head.

"It's not that difficult, you know. It just soundscomplicated, but you really don't need to be some sort of genius to..." he stopped, seeing the look on Olivia's face.

"Well, perhaps it can be a bit difficult to undestand if you're not good in scientific subjects..." he admitted.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Just a bit?" she asked ironically.

Jeremy extinguished his cigarette into the ashtray. "Alright, it's a terribly complicated subject and you must be very smart to study it" said with a grin "I just didn't want to boast too much about it."

She laughed, then she looked at him. "You're a student, then" she said "are you going to stay here in London for long?"

"I guess so, at least for the whole year. Now, what about you? I've talked about me for an hour, and I still don't know anything about you."

Olivia shrugged. "Well, there isn't much to say. I was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, eighteen years ago. My mother died shortly after my birth, and my father and I moved in London. I've lived in London with my father until I was eight, then..." she stopped for a moment, unsure, then she decided to not speak about the Diamond Jubilee accident: she didn't want to tell him about that dreadful experience "well, we moved in Scotland about ten years ago. We came back in London a couple of days ago."

"And what are you planning to do now?"

Olivia shrugged. "Well, I'm studying English literature at the moment. I would like to become a teacher, someday."

"I'm sure you will make a good teacher" he said, almost without thinking. She blushed slightly.

"Thanks" she said, then she looked out of the window and noticed it was getting dark "oh, my...what time is it?"

Jeremy looked at his poket watch. "It's almost seven."

"I have to go" she said, reluctantly getting up "it's late, my father will be worried about me. I told him I would be away just a hour or so..."

"I may accompany you home" he said, getting up "London can be dangerous when it's dark."

And trust me, I know – he tought.

"That's not necessary...I don't want to bother you any further."

"Hey, it's my pleasure" he said with a shrug "I insist."

"Alright, then. Let's go before it starts raining again."

1919

"Aww" Howard grinned sarcastically "sooo cute, I just love romantic stories...I think I need a handkerchief, ya know."

"You just need a blow on your head" Jeremy said dryly "now, as I was saying..."

"Hey, dad" his son interrupted him, pulling his red cravat "you know what? I'm sure I would have solved the riddle in no time!"

"Looks like modesty is not your strong point..." his father said ironically, straightening his cravat.

Howard Ratigan grinned. "Modesty is for losers. And I'm most definitely NOT a loser."

Jeremy looked at his son thoughtfully. "You know, you are much more similar to my father than I ever was."

"Oh" Howard thought for a moment "er...is this a compliment?"

"Maybe" Jeremy said with an odd smile "maybe so."

1907

"That's my home" Olivia said, gesturing towards the opposite sidewalk "well...I've been really pleased to know you" she held out his hand, feeling a little uneasy. She had actually enjoyed Jeremy's company a lot, and she found herself being unwilling to leave him now.

"It has been my pleasure" he said, shacking her hand. He exitated for a moment, then: "Listen...maybe we could...you know, meet again one of those days."

Olivia held back a smile.

Yes!

"I'd be glad to meet you again" she said "what about Tuesday at five o'clock? Same place."

"It's perfect" he told her "then...see you soon."

"Yes" she said in a whisper as he walked away "soon."

"Hey, dad" Olivia said, closing the door behind her "I'm home!"

"Oh, here you are" Hiram Flaversham said with a slight sigh of relief "where have you been? I was getting worried."

"Sorry, dad, I didn't mean to worry you, it's just..." she exitadet, to sure of how her father would have react knowing she had spent most of the afternoon with a rat.

"What?"

There's no reason to tell him about Jeremy. After all, nothing happened.

Nothing.

"It was raining hard, so I spent some time in a coffee house until the rain stopped" she finally said. It wasn't even a lie.

"Oh" Hiram seemed relieved "alright, then" he said as his daughter got into her room closing the door behind her.

Olivia put her coat off and sat on her bed. She looked absently at the book as her lips curled in a smile.

It's Friday. Just three days to Tuesday.

Just three days.

Her smile didn't fade as she opened her book and began to read.

Jeremy remained thoughtful for all the way to the boarding house he lived in.

Maybe I shoulnd't have asked to see her again. I should only focus my attention on that riddle, not waste my time like this. What's the use, anyway? She wouldn't have spent the afternoon with me if she had knew who I am.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, feeling the wind rushing over him.

On the other hand, I've got a lot of time to solve that riddle...and she's definitely not going to find out my true name.

But he was wrong on both of things.

1919

"But, dad" Howard interrupted him once again "why didn't grandfather just tell you everything instead of telling you that blasted riddle?"

"I guess he tought a child couldn't handle it" Jeremy said "he wanted me to find it out when I was mature enough to solve the riddle."

"Hmm...I don't know. What if you didn't solve the riddle at all, then? Didn't he think about this eventuality?"

"Well..." Jeremy didn't really know what to say.

Howard made a face. "Even though you say he was a genius, he still sounds kinda dumb to me."

Jaremy gave his son an annoyed glare. "You know, the only thing keeping me from squashing you like a fly right now is my instinct to ensure my bloodline's survival, little one..."