A Better Man

Chapter Twenty-two

A Bit of Her Own Back

Author's Note: A thousand apologies about the delay in this chapter. I really, really am very sorry for keeping you all waiting. An explanation: I have been working on a short film that has been devouring alot of my spare time, and recently I ended my nearly six year relationship. Needless to say I've been a bit of a trainwreck. :/

I love you guys!

Henry turned to the demanding voice, and an immediate scowl appeared on his face. As he had done in the park with Jack, his second instinct was to shuffle slightly to the left, so that Eliza was blocked from Mrs. Pryce's view. His stance was purely protective, and he tried very hard to make himself look quite tall to the tiny, plump woman. The two of them took a moment to exchange icy looks, while Eliza cleared her throat several times in an attempt to get Henry's attention.

"Professor." Henry turned his head a fraction, catching Eliza's impatient look from over his shoulder. With a sigh, he stepped to one side, allowing the women to see each other, face-to-face. He made no attempt to leave the store.

"I daresay this is a private conversation," the old woman snapped at Henry.

"I daresay that this shop is open to the public, and I will not have my search for buttonholes be derailed by female drama." Henry then turned from the ladies, and began to put on a show of browsing the shop.

"Professor, it is alright; I will be alright," Eliza pleaded. Their eyes met, and she gave him her most reassuring smile. "The buttonholes will be here when you return."

Buttonholes, indeed. "Very well, Eliza." Henry made sure to fix Mrs. Pryce with the most withering look he could muster, and held it as he exited the shop. Once out the door he took the position of sentry, a bit to the left and out of sight, but close enough to be able to hear any sort of disturbance.

Eliza calmly studied her longtime foe. Widowhood and great wealth had made the woman fatter than ever, and she was dressed to the nines in the clothing of the highest quality. Fashionable for the old victorian matrons, who were not quite ready for shorter hems.

"Mrs. Pryce, I am all astonishment - I did not know that you regarded Jack as your grandson." Eliza kept her tone steady and measured, never raising her voice.

"We have had some difficulty in the past, Eliza - I freely admit that - but you must allow me to be a presence in the child's life."

"Why?" Casual. Genuinely curious, without seeming overtly so. The query seemed to flummox Mrs. Pryce, evidenced by the way her large pale cheeks were marred with red splotches.

"Freddy was my son!" Mrs. Pryce cried, unable to keep the conversation civil. Her shoulders were squared, and her fists bawled up tightly, ready for a fight. Eliza thought she looked quite silly, and was unable to prevent the derisive snort that came from her.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Pryce, but didn't you disown Freddy? If I were to allow you into Jack's life and he did something to displease you, what then? Would you shun him as well?" Eliza sighed. "I am sorry, but he is just a little boy, and I will not subject him to that sort of confusion-"

"Confusion? Oh my dear girl, I could not confuse him anymore than you already have!" The observation managed to breach Eliza's defenses, and it was her turn to blush.

"I?"

Mrs. Pryce smirked, and stood a little taller, having found her mark.

"This silly little family you've constructed for him with the Higgins's. You are lying to that child, making him believe that Eleanor is his grandmother... and allowing your lover to have such a hand in raising him- "

"Stop right there!" Eliza was all fury, straight as a ramrod, though she trembled from head to toe. "You have finally hit upon the reason I shall never allow a relationship between my son and yourself. Your cruel slander has done nothing but harm for Jack ever since the moment is escaped from your poisonous lips. He has no friends, and was nearly expelled for defending me against one of your vile rumours! Why on earth would I allow you to build a rapport with him after that?"

"He is my flesh and blood!"

Eliza shook her head. "I have seen the way you treat your flesh and blood, how you twist and weaken them, and I want none of it. You made Freddy so dependent on you that he even persisted in writing to you after the estrangement-"

"No, he did not."

Eliza inhaled sharply, and blinked several times. "What?"

Mrs. Pryce's eyes went to the floor, seemingly shamed by something. "That was a lie. Freddy was dead, and I wanted to hurt you so very much. He never wrote to me after I disowned him, not a line."

The opponents stood silently after that admission. Eliza realized that in confessing the falsehood, Mrs. Pryce was offering herself up as humbly as she could for the sake of seeing Jack. Eliza was very nearly moved by it.

"You saw him in the park, and you thought of Freddy."

"I did. They look so much alike... those eyes."

"It does not change the fact that you have severely damaged my reputation and his with your lies. I am not Professor Higgin's lover. I never have been."

"Will you allow me to see him? My son-in-law has spoken to me about his interest in you; surely you must see that the best course of action would be to allow me my way in this, especially if you will someday become engaged to him."

Eliza laughed. "Linton Pryce? He is a very nice man, I am sure, but I shan't be getting married any time soon... least of all to him."

"And why not? He is rich, he is handsome, and he is fond of you."

Eliza frowned, and planted her hands on her hips. "Matchmaking for me will not help your case."

"And denying your son a solid father figure will not help yours!"

Eliza felt the sting of that retort keenly, although she tried to school her features as to not betray her inner turmoil. It was true that she had been a long time on her own... but still, she would not stand aside and let a harpy like Mrs. Pryce try and hand out life lessons to her. She was not the vulnerable, pregnant young girl she had been all those years ago, numbed with grief and void of fight.

"My life is my own, and Jack is my son. It is true that you bore his father, but you gave up the right to know my son a long time ago. There was a time where you would have done anything to protect Freddy from what you felt was harmful to him, and I am doing the same for his son. You will not ever approach him, and rest assured that if we see you coming our way on the street, we will go to the trouble of crossing to the other side." Eliza let out a shuddering sigh, trembling with pent-up emotion. Mrs. Pryce stood stricken and pale, quietly taking her punishment. "Now, if you have no business here that includes putting money in my till, I would like very much for you to leave."

Eliza turned her back, and waited for the slamming over the door. Several moments later, the door opened once more and Professor Higgins entered.

"You weren't very far away, were you?" Eliza inquired, turning slowly to face him. He looked a bit sheepish.

"I did not hear a word, I swear."

"Liar."

"You were magnificent." Eliza blushed and averted her eyes under his praise, rare thing that it was.

"Does that Linton Pryce repel you so?"

"He is not what I envision for myself."

Professor Higgins smirked. "You do not envision yourself to be extravagantly rich and comfortable?"

"I do not see myself living forever with someone I do not love."

She noticed his sharp intake of breath, and the nervous way he wrung his hands together. "Always the romantic, Eliza."

Eliza smiled. "Always."

Professor Higgins replied with something so very jumbled in incoherent that Eliza missed it altogether.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you care to come to this silly ballet with me tonight? Mother cannot attend and it falls on me to find a replacement."

Eliza felt as though she could have been knocked over with a feather. First her erstwhile mother-in-law demanding a relationship with her son, and now Professor Higgins was asking her on an outing!