Epilogue
/ / TWO WEEKS LATER / /
"You must write or telephone," Phryne said, "at least once a week."
Orpheus grinned. "Of course Phryne," he told her. "And you must make the journey, perhaps for your birthday…?"
She smiled. "Sounds wonderful."
Orpheus was long overdue in his return to Sydney, and in a stark contrast to his arrival, he was being waved off by a small crowd of family. Phryne, her bruises faded, her eyes white once more, did not step far from his side. With her was Jack, standing back a little, happy enough to have shaken the man's hand at Wardlow, but there at Phryne's wish.
Jane stepped forward next. "It was so lovely to meet you, Uncle Jack." she said, wrapping her arms around the man's middle and resting her cheek to the buttons of his travelling coat.
Jack raised his eyebrows at Phryne questioningly but she simply shrugged and watched her brother hug her daughter.
"You should make the journey too, my girl," he told her. "Your cousin would be delighted to meet you."
Phryne doubted this, she had never had many good experiences with seven year old boys. But Jane would enjoy the trip all the same, it would be nice to see the bridge she'd heard so much about in the papers.
The young girl parted from her uncle and stepped aside. Aunt Prudence had expressed a very curt goodbye to her nephew the previous day, but she was not the last of the family in Melbourne.
Lolly stepped forward, tears beginning to well in the corners of her eyes.
"You will write?" she asked, dabbing at her eyes with her gloved fingers.
"Everyday, if it pleases you," Orpheus replied.
She nodded, then hesitating for just half a moment, she took another short step forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Goodbye, Father."
He smiled, bringing a hand to cup her cheek and wipe away a stray tear, "Goodbye, my darling."
Lolly stepped away. Jane offered her a handkerchief.
"You'd do well to keep that promise, Mr Fisher," Orpheus faced Mrs Baker with a kind smile.
"I shall write to you as well, if you'd like, Mrs Baker."
The older woman's stern glance cracked, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Do," she said, and she offered him her hand. He shook it with both of his, then kissed the tops of her knuckles.
"Thank you so very much," he told her quietly, "for all you have done."
She smiled and nodded, and the train beside them began to steam. A booming voice yelled along the station warning the imminent departure, and before he could leave Phryne flung herself into her brother's arms, no longer bothering to hide her tears.
"Come back again, Orphie," she whispered into his shoulder.
Orpheus held her tight. "I promise, Phryne."
He kissed her cheek and stepped from her embrace up into the train. Holding to the handrail he turned to face them all and waved for a moment. They all raised an arm and waved in return, Jack stepping close to Phryne's side and sliding a comforting arm over her waist. She leant into him slightly and continued to wave even after Orpheus had turned away and boarded the train properly, setting out to find his compartment.
The small party waited as the train left the station, and then slowly departed. Mrs Baker and Lolly went in search of a tram, and arm in arm Jack and Phryne walked with Jane back to the Hispano.
After taking Jane home, Phryne drove Jack to City South. They stepped out of the car and walked into the station together to find Constable Collins behind the desk, completely flustered as a young boy ran around the room in large circles, his mother berating Hugh for not being able to answer her demands.
Phryne raised her eyebrows at the scene.
"You do know this is a police station, young man, and not a playground," she remarked, and the young boy stopped in his tracks to stare at her in surprise. His mother too looked up, shocked to hear a stranger reprimand her son.
"He's bored," the woman insisted. "This man is wasting my time!"
Jack looked to Hugh who stared back in alarm, then sighed and stepped forward. "Perhaps I can help. Detective Inspector Robinson."
"Oh, thank heavens," the woman exasperated. "I'm Mrs Jack Fisher; I'm looking for my husband."
END
AN:And so it ends! I want to take the time to just say a huge thank you to all of you for reading and all your wonderful comments and words of encouragement. And also I'd like to mention again the help I had from my beta readers Sam and Gina, and earlier on in the process, Megan and Anne. You're all saints.