Chapter 18: Iris

Will and Jack Robinson stared at each other in disbelief, the former still with half unbuttoned pants. The latter cursing his timing and lacking memory of the room layout.

"I'm sorry," he finally stuttered, "wrong door."

"Jack?" his brother called after him. The Inspector sighed inwardly. Obviously his whole family had taken this afternoon as a reason to talk to him about random events in the history of mankind. He really just ached to wrap his arms around Miss Fisher and forget about all of them for a little while. Despite that he stuck his head back through the door to the guest room, where Will was by now reassuringly dressed again.

"Come in please, and pull the door shut."

Jack obliged, his jaw clenched. So here it finally was, his scolding for attacking his father. To his surprise, Will sat down at the edge of the bed, looking at him as if he didn't know what to say. He himself stood near the door, kneading his hands in front of his body.

"Look, I really-"

"Why did you disappear, Jack?"

The Inspector sighed deeply. Yes, everybody seemed to have joined in. Astounding. He hadn't spoken to Will about anything serious in a decade. It used to be different, he remembered and a strange ache he had almost forgotten, reappeared with the realisation. He drew a deep breath and sat down beside his brother. So, the truth.

"Phryne and I... we have been living together for a while. In 'Sin'. Father was less than impressed."

Will nodded.

"So you decided to ditch your whole family, because father refuses to accept your sweetheart and your living arrangements?" he asked after a long moment of silence. Putting it like that, it sounded ridiculous. Jack found himself chewing on his lip.

"Lizzy has missed you, you know?"

"I'm sorry, Will."

Startled, Jack realised, that he truly was. His brother didn't answer.

"I have missed you, too."

The statement came almost tonelessly. Neither of the men looked at each other. This was not a subject they were comfortable with.

"It was never about you," Jack said after some time. "Father is just sometimes unbearable."

"I know," Will smiled, "he is my father too, if I may remind you."

Jack nodded slowly. Pondered. Decided for more truth.

"I think he's never forgiven me."

A pair of grey eyes sought out another.

"Forgiven you for what?"

The Inspector stared at the floor.

"Mother's death." When his brother stayed speechless at this, he continued. "If I hadn't run into that stupid knife, if I had worked my marriage out, maybe she would have had enough strength to battle it."

Will Robinson blinked slowly. His voice was back to his normal, deep tone, when he spoke again.

"Oh, for God's sake, Jack. The world doesn't revolve around you!"

This time it was Inspector Robinson's turn to be speechless.

X

Miss Fisher found herself in the company of a rather charming young man, who had obviously taken it upon himself to amuse her. So she surrendered to being amused, despite her wish to go and find Jack. Samuel Cox-Stafford was definitely interesting company, yet, she felt vaguely uncomfortable. He was quite different from his father, whose attention she had learned to cherish quickly. Samuel's charms were much more refined and much more fake. Nevertheless, she told him the best detective stories she could think of and laughed at all the right places at his own anecdotes. But she hadn't missed that he had also edged closer to her over the last minutes. When he took another liberty, she decided to draw the line in the sand.

"You seem to have accidentally grabbed my hand, Mr. Cox-Stafford," she pointed out sweetly, trying to retrieve her fingers from him.

"Not quite accidentally, I will have to admit," he replied, without letting go. "I find your company utterly charming."

Phryne wondered if it would threaten her standing in Jack's family if she broke his cousin's fingers. Unaware of this, Samuel looked at her in a way hat he probably considered seductive and she had to acknowledge he did possess some talent in this regard. In the same second a brief knock sounded and the door opened, yet again, to reveal Iris. The look she shot Samuel could definitely have killed on the spot and his hand flinched back involuntarily. Phryne could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Of all people, Jack's beloved cousin had to catch her in this compromising position. She barely resisted the urge to curse in a very unladylike manner.

"Miss Fisher," the other woman said, "I would like to speak to you if I may. Alone!" The last word was aimed at Samuel, who got the hint and left, his head held high. When the door closed, Iris sat down. Phryne cleared her throat.

"Mrs. Walker, before you say anything, I feel obligated to point out that I was indeed not flirting with your cousin, no matter the appearance."

There was a pause in which the ghost of a smile flitted over Iris's features.

"I know. Samuel has considered himself the reincarnation of the great Casanova since he was 15 years of age. I hope he grows out of it eventually."

"As do I. Otherwise he will end up with broken fingers."

Iris actually laughed at this and Phryne breathed a sigh of relief. Then Mrs. Walker turned serious.

"As it turns out, Jack is still rather worried however that there might be some hidden hostility between us and I came to clear the air, if there is in fact anything to be cleared, Miss Fisher."

Phryne searched her brain for words to brush this off, but she could not find any. So instead she tried the truth.

"I realise, that your loyalties are lying with Rosie Fletcher and therefore, it is close to impossible for you to like me. But I do love Jack", she explained. "And I have no intention of betraying his love or his trust."

To her astonishment, Mrs. Walker smiled at this.

"I know that. Truth be told, Miss Fisher, I had a suspicion the very first time I saw you."

Phryne's forehead fell into creases, trying to remember this moment. She recalled Jack not even being there. But Iris shook her head when the detective opened her mouth.

"I'm afraid, you were asleep at the time. With your cheek on Jack's left knee, if I remember correctly."

Puzzle pieces clicked into place in Phryne's head.

"The kidnapping? You came to see him afterwards?"

"Of course I did. Sanderson didn't want us there, said he didn't have the manpower to protect the whole clan from the Brownings as well. But Rosie snuck me in."

Iris offered Phryne a cigarette that she gratefully accepted. Being reminded of Jack's kidnapping and resulting battle for his life, never failed to stir in old wounds.

"I couldn't stay. But it was long enough to realise that Jack wouldn't let go of your fingers, though the rest of him was off with the pixies in his fever delirium. It scared me."

She lit her cigarette, taking a deep draw, before giving fire to Miss Fisher.

"I never quite understood why Rosie was so miffed about your appearance up to that moment. Jack had almost convinced me that you were business partners, friends at the most, before this happened. But I didn't see two friends that day."

Miss Fisher nodded, pulling on her own gasper. Her fingers were trembling, she realised with a start. Of course she could have protested that they had been only friends then, but it would have been a lie. The other woman just continued conversationally, as if they talked about the weather.

"I realised that he was in love with you and I'll readily admit that I didn't like that prospect much. Rosie is my friend and has been since our school days. And she felt quite jealous, which I can't really blame her for."

"She was engaged to Sidney," Phryne pointed out, trying to defend herself from the lingering accusation of being a home-wrecker.

"So she was. But jealousy does seem to have a tendency to be irrational," Iris mused. "Mind you, Sidney was an odd choice, if you ask me. I always thought, she downgraded her standards somewhat after Jack."

"I couldn't agree more."

For a long moment, the two women looked at each other in quiet understanding. Sidney Fletcher had turned out to be not only an odd, but also a terrible choice on Rosie Sanderson's part. But at least he had married her and made her a decently rich woman before being transferred into the afterlife by a serial-killer with a grudge.

"He also seemed to enjoy rubbing it into Rosie's face that Jack had moved on to a 'fling with a rich bird'. 'Don't worry love, she'll break his heart and you'll be the one laughing'."

Miss Fisher barely repressed the curse lying on her tongue.

"And Rosie wasn't the only one who readily believed that you were toying with Jack, I will admit."

Iris's conversation partner stared at her, deeply offended, before opening her mouth.

"I would never toy with Jack. In fact, our relationship has brought many adjustments to my life. And I try to embrace them, because he is making it so much richer."

With tears pricking in her eyes, Miss Fisher stared at Jack's cousin, ready to defy her. But Iris nodded after a moment of silence.

"I allowed myself to be biased and judgemental. For that I will have to apologise."

Phryne leaned back. Smoke curled between them. Iris seemed to have run out of things to say and so they didn't talk for a long time, while rain poured down the windows of the parlour, they were sitting in.

"Did Jack ever mention that he withdrew from his family before?"

Miss Fisher swallowed.

"I gathered it from conversation."

"Of course you did. You are a detective after all," Mrs. Walker smiled. "It was about... let me think. Five or six years ago."

"After his mother passed?"

Iris nodded, rubbing out her cigarette.

"And Rosie had relocated to her sister. He suddenly dropped off the edge of the world. I wouldn't hear from him for weeks, months at times."

She seemed to be off now in her memories and Miss Fisher let her talk, not bothering to wonder where this was going. Iris Walker didn't seem to be a woman, who just rambled on for no reason.

"One day I decided to pay him a surprise visit. His house was cleaner than I had expected it. Possibly with a few more empty bottles in the bin than I wanted to find. Jack was pretending to be happy to see me, despite being a terrible liar. But what really made my heart stop was something else, Miss Fisher." She paused as if not sure if to share this. "His pistol was lying on the kitchen table."

Phryne's eyes widened in shock. Inspector Robinson was quite insistent on not taking his weapon home unless there was imminent danger. And Iris's eyes told her that she knew that as well, as she lit another cigarette.

"I don't know, if it was to do with a case," she said with a tiny shrug. "I was too much of a coward to ask then."

Phryne burned her fingers on the ashes of her cigarette that had gleamed dangerously far down. She disposed of it quickly.

"What happened?"

Iris smiled vaguely.

"I forgot to go home that evening. We talked all night about nothing much important. The next morning, his pistol had gone and I've never seen it at his house again. But I always wondered if he had seriously played with the thought."

Phryne shook her head. Suddenly, everything had fallen into it's place.

"When he withdrew again, after the falling out..."

"I was scared," Iris finished her sentence. "And I am aware that that is no apology. God knows, I was rude. But I do care for Jack and if you broke his heart, you would have to deal with my wrath, Miss Fisher."

"Duly noted," her conversation partner said, "And I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

She stretched out her hand.

"Phryne."

"Iris."

Thunder growled into the resulting silence. Both women grinned.

X

Jack felt a little lightheaded. He had been called an idiot and several other unfavourable names repeatedly over the duration of the last hour. He guessed it was the unique right of a little brother to do that and the unique duty of a big brother to accept it and give a good beating in return. Sadly, he wasn't fond of violence and so had listened to his brother's scolding mostly in silence. It had started with "Despite your belief, mother did not die to spite you! People die! You should know that as well as nobody else, Detective-Inspector Robinson!" and ended with "And if you ever let my little girl down again, I'll come to your door myself and give you a good trashing."

Since Will towered about a head over his big brother by now, this was a threat to be taken seriously. It hadn't been pleasant, yet Jack felt like something had shifted. Like a badly healed wound that his brother had opened with more force than finesse but nevertheless in an attempt to finally get it right. It burned, but it was also freeing. Wandering through the shadows of the corridor he spotted someone in the dark.

"Jack?"

His heart did a leap, as Miss Fisher stepped towards him and relief flooded his veins. He had to control himself to not just leap at her.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "I've been looking for you."

"That is a long story," he smiled, grasping her hand to take her to somewhere with some privacy. "And I have every intention of telling it to you, Miss Fisher."

Phryne followed him with mixed feelings. There was something oddly giddy about him that she had not quite expected. But the fingers wrapping around her's were warm and familiar and she allowed herself to be lead wherever he would take her.

X

Elisabeth MacMillan tried to remember. She usually was much better at this, she found. Her confusion hadn't let her take much in, when Hazel had pulled her through some door this morning. There were plenty of doors in Wombat Hall. Probably, the doctor could have asked someone, where Hazel's room was. Nobody would suspect anything if she intended to spend a little time with the other woman, they did obviously get along. The one upside to being drawn to your own gender was, that people didn't find it odd or jump to conclusion when you showed open affection for each other. Women were meant to be friends. But something held her back in revealing even this much of their secret to the rest of the world. She herself would return to Melbourne soon and possibly with the exception of Phryne's wedding, would never have to see anyone in this family again, if she chose not to. Hazel had to deal with them and Mac didn't intend to let her get hurt. Deep in concentration she turned a corner, bumping into someone soft and also incredibly wet. A curse was uttered and then there were steps hurrying down the hall. Mac stared after the dark figure in the gloomy light, when she noticed the puddles he had left on the floor. She sighed. If someone had come through this rain to sneak through the shadows, Jack and Phryne should probably be told. Then again, she had no idea, where they were either. And there were plenty of doors in Wombat Hall.