Chapter 6
The next morning arrived with a burst of sunshine that Miss Fisher felt radiated from deep inside her as she eagerly pushed back her cocoon of silken sheets and rose much earlier than usual.
"Morning, miss, did you sleep well?" Dot knocked softly on the door before entering the boudoir with a breakfast tray. "Mr Butler sent this up so you'll be well fortified for your journey. I've also packed enough for the journey and extra for your stay."
"Thank you, Dot, what would I do without you?" her miss replied with one of her bright smiles. "And, yes, I actually did rest well for the first time in a while. And thank you again for looking after everything. And, despite what I just said, it means a lot that you've chosen to stay here with Jane whilst I'm away."
"It's my pleasure, Miss Phryne!" Dot was quick to reassure her as she added a few final items to Phryne's small trunk. "I agree that it would be much better for us to remain here at Wardlow and keep an eye out on things. We'll be fine, especially with the constables standing guard." Phryne hid her smile at the younger woman's comment since the lady detective knew that a certain constable had requested extra guard duty shifts.
"I have no doubt of your own abilities to defend the fort either, Dot," Miss Fisher confirmed as she slipped into her carefully chosen outfit for the day. "In fact, I'm counting on them."
"Thank you, miss!" Her companion beamed from the lovely praise before excusing herself to see to the rest of the preparations. "If there's nothing else you need at the moment, I'll just go check with Mr Butler that everything else is in order before you're off."
Phryne thanked her companion, and then picking up the steaming cup of tea Dot had just poured, she stepped over to the windows overlooking the front of the house and peered outside. Nothing and no one seemed out of place. She couldn't help smiling to herself when her eyes swept over the square across the road and allowed the memories of her nocturnal encounter there with Jack to pleasantly distract her from all concerns of stalkers and reporters for a few delicious moments. Her household knew that she looked forward to updating him with all that they had managed to uncover thus far about the press allegations. Secretly, she hoped to uncover a lot more of this elusive and mysterious man once she had finally caught up to him.
"You won't be the only one to enjoy some fishing, Jack Robinson," she promised out loud before heading downstairs.
~oOo~
It all happened in a rush, but not a single detail was missed by the unobserved onlooker, soon as the dark ornate door of 221B swung open. The young girl wearing a pretty sundress that matched her happy expression was the first to exit the mansion. She strolled down the front pathway together with the butler who accompanied her to the fine vehicle that he had pulled up to the front of the house a few minutes earlier. The lady of the house sauntered out shortly after, dressed in another of her usually ostentatious ensembles complete with an enormous hat that sprouted long, waving feathers, most likely to shield her from the unusually warm day. Wearing dark sunglasses today, she nodded towards the current constable standing guard by the gate before stepping into the back of her motorcar. She then turned towards her ward who was laughing at some tale she was regaling the manservant with who then closed the door securely after his mistress was settled. He then climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out into the street with his passengers, most likely for another shopping jaunt somewhere ridiculously frivolous and expensive. A few minutes after they had turned a corner, another motorcar edged out from an alleyway and crept after them in the same direction.
The onlooker waited another minute or so before making their way towards the back and side of the house, glancing at all the windows. Bending down to inspect a shoe, they peered towards the house again just in time to catch another figure emerging from the back gate. It seemed to be one of the cabbies who were frequently about the place. Still pretending to fiddle with a shoe buckle, the observer eventually rose to an upright position at the right moment to watch the cabbie pause before jumping into the familiar black motorcar that stopped at the kerb briefly to collect his partner. The bystander remained still and in deep thought before changing course and quickly crossing the road away from the lady detective's abode.
~oOo~
"Are you sure you don't want me to give you a lift, miss?" Bert frowned slightly after helping Phryne out of the cab before heading for the boot to unload her things. "It's not far from here, I reckon."
"No, not at all, Bert, I insist you head back to Melbourne sooner rather than later," Phryne replied as she looked over at the holiday cottage she had booked for a few days. It was only about a half hour's drive from where Cec and Alice were staying for the week. And judging from the map she had acquired of the area, it was well within walking distance of a notable collection of other cottages (and a certain fishing hut) frequently favoured by the upper middle class seeking to soak in the peacefulness of the breathtaking surroundings.
"Only if you're sure," the former wharfie agreed, knowing better than to argue with 'the boss.'
"Thank you, Bert, I'll be absolutely fine!" Phryne declared. "Besides, after being scrunched up in the motorcar, a good hike around this charming lake is exactly what I need."
"Righto then, I'll be back to pick you up sometime tomorrow as planned. Hopefully, we'll have heard back from 'Stormy Normy' or one of our other leads by then too. I'll send you a telegram through Alice's cousin in Warburton if anything comes up before then."
"Thank you, Bert, that would be grand. And thank you again for driving us all out here."
He doffed his hat in acknowledgement before driving off, leaving Miss Fisher to her own devices. She had, of course, ensured that her friends would be financially reimbursed for any loss of fares in order to pull off the ruse by using Dot as her decoy earlier. The less the press knew of her whereabouts these days the better as far as she was concerned, especially until she could get to the bottom of this current fiasco.
After a cursory glance about the clean and quaint cottage, Phryne grabbed the small basket that Dot had filled with a thermos of tea, a bottle of water, and a hearty packed lunch. Biting into an exceptionally crunchy apple, she closed the door and began making her way towards a trail she had spied through the window that resembled the one on her map. A welcome cooler breeze swept down to pull her along her route that led to some soft-looking grass and the clear water's edge. It was easy to see why this was a hidden gem of a holiday-making spot. She could easily have enjoyed a nap along the banks if she didn't have another destination in mind (at which point her activity of choice would be anything but napping).
~oOo~
The majestic mountains hovered in the distance, lending an impressive backdrop to the towering palms and redwoods rising up above the carpet of lush and leafy ferns indicative of the Yarra Valley. The soothing combination of it all provided a natural curtain effect around the still, small lake where a simple, yet sturdy wooden structure nestled itself along one far corner. The hut was reflected perfectly like a mirror until the calming image became agitated by a series of ripples from a wooden oar.
A lone fisherman pushed his way through the dark water, rustling past a collection of vibrant, white lotus flowers tinged in magenta that barely acknowledged his presence by floating out of the way and then springing back into position after he had passed through. They instantly brought to mind the woman who was never far from his thoughts of late with her extravagantly striking exterior that belied an easily hidden resilience. Far from any wilting blossom, she was the epitome of unscathed elegance that continued to bloom undeterred by its muddy and grimy environment. He knew that most people only saw the surface beauty and vivaciousness she always seemed to effortlessly exude in abundance, and that it was a natural expression of her fervent love for life despite its heartaches and horrors. Jack Robinson felt it was an apt comparison to think of Miss Fisher as the personification of the lotus flower's remarkable ability to defy logic.
Reaching the middle of the lake, the inspector stilled his oars and thoughts and busied himself with preparing his fishing rod and lures. He had done enough mulling over the events of the past few days, and had been desperately avoiding confronting the jostling of emotions that they continued to evoke. Even now, he struggled with a bout of guilt for being able to escape briefly from everything, at least physically, to this veritable paradise. Unfortunately, he was unable to leave behind the mixed jumble of feelings he had been suppressing, and they all now vied for his attention.
And so, the inspector did what he did best, which was to examine the evidence so he could dismiss the rest. It was how he had learned to cope with it all eventually after he returned from the war, and it was what he still did now to help him process particularly difficult cases, experiences, or people he came across. Jack now applied this method as he swung back his rod and then released the line in a purposeful surge into the water.
The first set of emotions he examined ranged from a combination of shame, grief, and, he could now admit to himself, relief that came to a head at the federal magistrates court as he had followed the procedure to formally put an end to his failed marriage. Admittedly, the prolonged separation had already helped him to face the unavoidable reality that he and Rosie had reached the point where they were much happier apart than together. He had long ago accepted the disappointment that she and her family had come to view him with due to his insistence at foregoing any professional opportunities simply on the basis of added assumed status or power. The policeman in him still knew the deputy commissioner harboured high hopes for him in that regard, son-in-law or not. Ultimately, however, Jack now allowed himself the liberty to embrace the relief that the final divorce decree had brought to him in spite of the social stigma it also entailed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this aspect of his now so-called 'tarnished' reputation didn't bother him in the least. As far as he was concerned, at least he was able to offer this final gift, as it were, to his former wife so she could still find the opportunity to fulfill her many expectations with someone else better suited to them.
The next suspects in the queue of his emotional mysteries hid the complicated collection of feelings that mainly culminated in what he could only categorically describe as 'perpetual frustration.' And they all had to do with the Honourable Phryne Fisher. Jack had long ago acknowledged that he was constantly exasperated when it came to the intrepid lady detective. At first, he was annoyed over her lack of training and utter lack of respect for proper procedure. Then, he had become continually anxious over her complete disregard for her safety. Added to all this was the alarming development of his admiration for her that had mushroomed into attraction, and lately, something else as well. Deep down, he was aware that he was very close to endangering the ultimate breach of his privacy and vulnerability when it came to Miss Fisher. Without even realizing it, Jack knew that the lady detective was close to becoming the chief suspect for the unwitting and eventual theft of his very heart. The irony of it all was that the inspector also knew that she would be the first to denounce any hint of this level of attachment to another, especially a mere man.
It was just as well then that he was able to escape momentarily from her as well in spite of the immense guilt he did experience at so abruptly disappearing from her side during this crucial time when he felt she actually needed him. He never intended to do so this drastically, but the deputy commissioner had managed to exert his considerable influence at just the moment. It irked Jack to feel like he was a suspect when he was only trying to do his job by looking into this angle concerning Martin Edwards. Unfortunately, his requests to look into Edwards record with the New South Wales force combined with the extra queries he had made into all personnel at the prison had been flagged somehow (but unsurprisingly) to Deputy Commissioner George Sanderson. Since he had already graced the inspector with his presence, his former father-in-law had made pointed use of his telephone to inform Inspector Robinson that he was hereby requested to go on mandatory leave for the next several days. He was also not to reveal his whereabouts to anyone that did not absolutely need to know. When Jack had questioned the ultimatum, the inspector was given the explanation that the Victorian Constabulary required all staff members, especially of senior rank, to distance themselves from all other ongoing case work when involved in the matter of a major enquiry. Jack knew very well that this was another ploy by Sanderson to prevent him from pursuing his personal investigations… and to ensure he was far in proximity from a specific lady civilian.
On a personal note, Sanderson had also had the audacity to suggest to Jack that perhaps he could use this time to oversee the final proceedings of the sale of one of the Sanderson family's holiday homes near Lillydale, which Jack and Rosie had part-owned. Technically, Jack was the main shareholder even though the house had been a joint gift to the couple upon their marriage. He also knew that he wasn't required by law to give it up just because she was no longer his wife, or that the other share belonged to her father. But now that the divorce had become finalized and because Jack felt it wiser to relinquish this last remaining tie to his former in-laws, he had agreed to help sell the property and give Rosie his share of the proceeds. Thankfully, the actual paperwork would most likely be finalized by tomorrow with the estate agent in Warburton due to their waiting list of eager buyers. And so, Jack decided to take the opportunity to spend the rest of his mandatory leave by escaping to his sorely underused fishing hut. At least it was something of his that his former wife and her family had no connection to, since Rosie had never even visited it, having preferred her family's more suitable holiday accommodations instead.
He briefly allowed himself to wonder what Miss Fisher would think of this spot, and just as quickly squelched the inappropriate thought. He had no right to be imagining what she might think of his hideaway because she would never see it. There was no way he could ever even dream of inviting her here, especially not alone. Besides, she would probably choose much more luxurious accommodations than some rustic hut with more excitement to offer than the back and beyond.
The sudden tension of his fishing line broke Jack from his thoughts and spurred him into action. He held onto the metal pole as it bent against what felt like a large catch, and began to quickly wind the reel to bring it in. He was just about to get a glimpse of his struggling quarry when the unexpected sound of an all too familiar voice floated across the lake towards him.
"Hello, Inspector, or should I say, Captain? Any room on that craft of yours for a stowaway?"
Author's notes: Thank you to all of you for taking the time to read my story, and for leaving me such wonderful reviews! I'm still adjusting to this platform and wish I could respond individually, but know that hearing from you boosts my writer's spirits immensely. I've also worked out how to go back and add in the section separators to previous chapters so you can now tell when a 'scene break' is meant to happen and not have the ongoing narrative ruin the pace of the story. More to come!