Chapter Nine: Back at the Beginning

Author's note: One more and that's the end of the mass update extravaganza!

"I washed me face and 'ands before I come, I did." God, I hope he can't hear my heart beating. She smiled when she saw him give a start, and she could have sworn she heard him whisper her name.

"Where the devil are my slippers?" Ah, it was to be like that, was it? She would see about that.

Maintaining her regal composure, she stepped directly behind the chair he was slumped in and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Goodness, Professor, can you keep track of any of your belongings? Perhaps you should trace the path they made when I threw them at your head." He lifted his head to look up at her, his face obscured by his hat. She removed the hat, so she could better see his expression. To her dismay, his eyes were narrowed, and his face set in a familiar frown. It was enough to wipe the serene expression from her face.

"What ever are you doing back here?" He inquired, his tone cold and detached.

She backed away from the chair, defiantly lifting her chin. "I just wanted you to know that I've reconsidered Freddy's proposal. I will not be marrying him." She held her breath, waiting for his response.

"Oh? Well, what of it? Why the devil should I care who you do or do not marry?" He inquired, his back still turned to her. "If you can do without me, then why are you here, informing me of a decision that does not concern me in the slightest? Go live with your father, undoubtedly he is well-off enough to see to your welfare."

The very mention of living with her father again set a wild fear in Eliza's heart. She resisted the urge to tip the chair over, living contents and all, and rail at Henry for making such a suggestion. Somehow she managed to stay composed. "Yes, I suppose my father would be the very person to find me a husband, well connected that he is now. Perhaps Charlie Gibbs. He drives his own taxi, you know. I hear he's been widowed twice--but perhaps that was a mercy. His wives, they say, were so disagreeable that he was obliged to beat them mercilessly every day. But he is a self-made man, and that shows good character."

Henry rose from his seat so violently that it gave Eliza a start. With a growl of frustration, he crossed over to the fireplace, and stared at the grate, one hand clutching the mantle so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He was clearly attempting to not rise to her bait.

With a smile, she coldly continued. "Or perhaps Bill Wexler. He is a dustman, like my father once was. I can tell he is attracted to me. Did you know that once he paid my father one pound, just so he could take me to the back bedroom and talk to me in private? That was years ago, but I am sure his ardor hasn't waned a bit." She was revealing too much of her shameful past, but she didn't care. "Of course, I was such a shy thing back then that I responded by breaking a bottle over his head." She gave an airy laugh. "Oh. the beating I received for that little stunt! I was thrown out into the world with a boot print on my arse shortly after… but you are right, perhaps I should go back to my father's. Farewell again, old friend."

Now he was trembling with rage. Eliza gave him a nod that he couldn't see, and began heading for the front door once again. He was upon her in four quick strides, grasping a hand and pulling her to him. As a result, her face collided with his chest, and his arms closed about her, keeping her awkwardly smothered against him.

"Damn it, don't leave." Henry whispered hoarsely against her hair. He loosened his hold on her slightly to allow her room to lift head up. He was staring down at her, his expression unreadable.

They stayed like that for a long time before the sound of footsteps heading for the room caused him to push her away gently. They hastily gained their composure before Mrs. Pearce entered.

"A Mr. Freddy Eynsford-Hill to see you sir. The young man is frantic." Mrs. Pearce's face lit up when she saw Eliza, but she said nothing.

"Send him away! I've no time for the impudent pup," Henry replied tersely.

"Oh, I told him you weren't likely to want to receive him, but he is insistent. He said something about Miss Doolittle possibly 'doing herself in', and felt he ought to see you about it."

Henry turned to Eliza with a frown. "Eliza, you haven't 'done yourself in', have you?" His tone was joking. Eliza merely shook her head, and began a hasty retreat to the nearest adjoining room. "Where the hell do you think you are going?"

"He wants to see you," she replied without a backwards glance.

She heard him declare her 'a damned coward' as she closed the door behind her.

Henry Higgins was not a happy man. He had been happy moments before when she walked mercifully back into his life, and he had nearly buggered that up with his foolish pride.

He was quite sure he would have kissed the silly girl, something he had inexplicably wanted to do for quite some time, had Mrs. Pearce not interrupted them with news of Freddy Eynsford-Hill's arrival. Now he was face-to-face with his young rival, and the stupid pup was whimpering pitifully.

"Please sir, tell me you've seen her!" The boys hands were clasped together and raised in a pleading gesture.

"Seen whom, boy?" He enjoyed putting a sneering emphasis on the word.

Freddy either ignored the insult, or it had failed to register in his brain. "My beloved Eliza," he replied.

"I have seen Miss Doolittle, now that you mention it. She came running into this room mere minutes before you arrived, intent on giving you the slip. She can't stand you, apparently." Now Henry was being petty and childish, but he simply didn't care.

Freddy sputtered with disbelief. "Preposterous, sir! She agreed to be my wife; Mother and I were expecting her at my home ages ago to begin discussing wedding plans. When she didn't show--Oh, you must let me see her!"

"No!" Henry replied a bit too forcefully. He could see the boy was taken aback by the violence of his retort. "No, I will not allow that."

Freddy puffed out his chest, importantly. "And who are you to say so? If she were your granddaughter, or perhaps your ward I would back down graciously, sir. As it is, I have no idea what she is to you, but she is my fiancé, and I demand you let me see her!" This speech was given with the most insincere bit of confidence Henry had ever witness. Who was this boy who thought he could demand things in Henry's own home? Eliza's grandfather, indeed! Proper action had to be taken.

"She couldn't possibly be your affianced; she's mine." Where the devil did that come from?

Freddy laughed his irritating laugh and shook his head. "What a fine joke! Why would she agree to marry me then? And why was she storming out of your home last night pledging to drown herself? I stopped her attempt, and she repaid me by agreeing to be my wife!"

Henry felt a cold stab of guilt at Freddy's account of the night before, but he would not let the boy have the satisfaction of seeing his astonishment. "Oh that? Merely a lover's quarrel. Poor thing can't wait to be Mrs. Henry Higgins, you see. She was pressing me to move up the wedding date, and when I wouldn't relent. she bolted. Her agreeing to marry you was probably a spiteful trick to get my goat, but I assure you we've reconciled. The poor thing is indisposed with gratitude that I've taken her back is all."

Both men jumped when Eliza stormed into the room, cheeks crimson and eyes blazing. "What the bloody 'ell do you mean, your fiancé?" She shouted.

"Darling!" Cried Freddy, running to her with open arms. Eliza sidestepped him with some skill, and walked up to Henry, poking him hard in the chest.

"What are you on about, 'Enry 'Iggins? "

"Darling, why are you talking like that?" Freddy reached out and grabbed Eliza's arm, intent on making her notice him. Before Henry could protest, Eliza turned and slapped the boy as hard as she could.

"Get out of 'ere, Freddy! Can't you see I don't want you?" The boy's entire face went pale, save for the glaring red print that Eliza's elegant but strong hand had made on his cheek. He fled as if the hounds of hell were at his heels.

Henry rationalized that due to developments caused by Freddy's unwanted arrival, a continuation of their previous situation was not possibly. Especially because Eliza looked as though she would cheerfully slit his throat.

Henry cleared throat nervously. "So…"

"Why did you tell Freddy that we were engaged?" She inquired in a deadly calm voice.

For once Henry Higgins was at a loss for words. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes from her steady gaze.

"Henry, why?" She seemed to be calming down a bit, the manner of speech he had tirelessly drilled into her brain returning. It was becoming too much for him.

"You stupid girl, I was trying to get rid of him!" He could see she was confused. "He's a damned nuisance, and when I think of the both of you bonded in matrimony I want… I want to do something foolish and emotional, and I don't like being foolish and emotional! I'm not a woman, I don't revel in every erratic shift in mood like you seem to do!" There. He looked at Eliza expectantly. Let her strike at him, or scream like a shrew; he had been truthful with her.

"I knew you were jealous," she admitted. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Impudent hussy!

"Yes. Quite. Now here's a poser, Eliza; why did you pack a suitcase full of clothes when you fled last night if you were going to do a foolish thing like throw yourself into the river?" He smirked when she blushed. "Forget it. Just mind you don't entertain thoughts like that ever again," He had an undercurrent of seriousness in his tone. All joking aside, the thought of her set on killing herself frightened him. He doubted he would be able to bear her being permanently taken from his little world.

"Well, we've established that you are a jealous person; so much so that you chase off suitors of mine by inventing wild tales of marriage to me, yet you are not a marrying man. You do not want me to leave, yet it's improper for me to stay in this house when I am not married. What would you have me do?" By the end of her inquiry, Eliza was standing in front of Henry and had a hand resting over his chest, her eyes staring directly into his own. The looked unsettled him greatly.

"I believe you scared your own suitor off with that magnificent slap to his impudent face. I daresay you gave yourself away though, Eliza. Really, you can hold it together for royalty, but not for a common dandy like Freddy Eynsford-Hill?" He was trying like hell to keep the tone light. She was steering the conversation towards something frightening. Marriage. Damn her.

He started backing away from Eliza when her eyes narrowed. He narrowly avoided a slap to his chest. "Damn you, Henry Higgins, what would you have me do?" She cried. "Why can't you answer a simple question?"

"Simple? Hell! When is the question of marriage a simple one?"

"It should be simple! Do you want to be with me, or do you want to treat me like a treasured but uninteresting toy; something you no longer want to play with, but valued enough that you don't want the other children having a go?"

"I don't particularly care for the way you phrased that, Eliza. It sounds--"

"Apt?"

"No!"

"What then?"

"It makes you sound cheap, Eliza, and you are not cheap." His reply caused a gaping chasm of silence between the two of them. Neither wanted to speak or make eye contact with the other.

Eliza finally broke the silence. "It is apt all the same. You make motions towards showing me you want more than this arrangement we've lived under, but something always stops you. I can't be loved by you, yet, I can't be loved by anyone else either." Tears appeared at the corner of her eyes, and, not for the first time that day, Henry felt ashamed of himself.

"Eliza…" He trailed off, unsure how to proceed. Had he been a romantic fool, he would have thrown himself at her feet, his heart bloody, pounding and clutched in his hands raised toward her as an offering. "I did tell that boy that we were going to be married, did I not?"

She gave him a curious look. "Yes, what of it?"

"Well, undoubtedly he is at his mother's this very moment, sobbing into her lap over how you played him false and are, in fact, engaged to me." He cleared his throat. "Everyone knows society matrons like that can't keep their damned mouths shut. Soon everyone will think we are engaged."

"Yes, yes. It was a foolish thing for you to tell him, seeing as we aren't."

"Are we not?"

"I don't recall you asking me. Unless 'don't leave' is secret code for 'marry me'."

"I think the tone and manner in which I issued that plea was rather telling, Eliza; Involuntarily issued as it were," he added. She was being difficult. If he had to marry her to keep her, he would. Why make him say the words? He didn't relish getting on bended knee. What if he discovered a rheumatism and couldn't get back up? He would be humiliated in the face of Eliza's youth!

"You want to marry me?"

"If it means you won't marry Freddy, or any of the town drunks you listed previously, then 'yes'. I very much want to make you my wife, so Freddy the Moron, Charlie the Self-made Brute, and Bill of the Unfortunate Head Injury can't have you!" There! That was done with. The immense weight on his shoulders lifted. He had addressed the elephant in the room at last. Oh lord, now she was sobbing!

"Control yourself, woman!" He thundered. When that didn't work, he closed the distance between them and awkwardly took her into his arms, wincing as her tears began soaking his vest. "There now, Eliza, there now. What have I done to upset you now?"

"N-nothing," her voice was muffled. "I'm just happy, Henry." Another tragic fault in women. If they were so damned happy, why immediately turn to tears as a means of expressing it? Her tears made him dreadfully uneasy. He needed to do something.

Her mouth tasted salty from the tears she had shed, but still absolutely heavenly. Initially, her whole body went rigid as a board when his mouth descended on hers, and he was afraid that the intrusion was unwelcome. He nearly sighed when he felt her body relax against his, and her lips soften and part slightly. He would not try anything daring, not for her first kiss. Let it stay sweet, with only a slight promise of what was to come. There was a heady thought. Eliza Higgins. Hmmm.

When they parted, Henry planted one more kiss on Eliza's forehead, and then ventured a glance. Her cheeks were a pleasing pink shade, and her brown eyes were sparkling.

"Bloody 'ell."

Yes, he felt he would quite enjoy having her as a wife.