Foyer clock strikes twelve and no sign of Fiona. Alaya looks over the letter for the tenth time checking date and time.
Alaya speaks to herself, "Patience?" She puts on her coat, veil and heads out of her home. The cold air hits her like a punch from drunk criminals, messy. She hails a taxi.
After Alaya had paid the taxi, she looked around at the quiet Savile Road. There was little activity; she could hear a couple talking, broom being swept and even dogs barking in the distance.
She took a deep breath and rings the doorbell to 14 Savile Row. She hears running and instantly the door flings open.
It is a woman in her forties with bloodshot eyes and handkerchief in her hand. Alaya knows crying, even though she isn't able to cry she understands it represents extreme happiness or sadness. The woman standing in front of her was not portraying a joyful emotion.
Alaya gathers herself, "I am here to visit Miss Fiona Saint Clair." Instantly she sees Fiona's cheeks and eye shape. "You are Fiona's mother? We were to meet for this morning. Is she well?"
Fiona's mother responds, without a Scottish accent. Alaya can't place the accent. "I am sorry she is not here. I know of her appointment." Fiona's mother pulls Alaya inside and closes the door behind. "We live above the shop. Are you alone?"
Alaya answers cautiously, "Yes. Yes I am."
Once the two woman go through the main floor up the stairs Alaya walks to the middle of the drawing-room and can't taste Fiona's scent. She is nervous. She should have let her mothers know where she has gone. "Fiona is not here and she has not met me at the arranged time. Can you, please ..." Alaya starts fidgeting her hands, "Please tell me, is she well?"
Fiona mother's eyes are bloodshot but show signs of compassion. Fiona's mother sits in a big floral chair. "Please Alaya, have a seat and I will do my best to explain. I don't understand. I am lost."
Alaya, sits in the chair nearest to Fiona's mother, "You know my name?"
Fiona's Mother, "Yes dear. For the record, my name is April Saint Clair."
Alaya smiles under her veil.
"Fiona is an honest and good woman. She doesn't deserve this ..." April Saint Clair begins to cry.
Alaya wishes her mother Jenny was here, she gets up and gets down on her knees and puts her arms around April.
Alaya is now desperate to find out what is happening, happened ... something. "Mrs. Saint Clair, I can help. Please let me know what happened." This time the plea is softer, "Please."
"April, call me April." Comes blubbering out of Fiona's mother's mouth.
"April, what has happened? Where is Fiona?" requests an inpatient Alaya.
April sits back. Alaya returns to the nearest chair. April wipes her eyes and shakes her head. "I honestly do not know." She pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath and continues, "Friday early morning, John found your letters." April holds up a closed shoe box with "Alaya" handwritten on the top, "I don't know why he went into her room. He read everything. Everything. Poor Fiona was angry as she had every right. I was angry and I did the only thing I could do when an employee violates privacy and trust, I fired him and kicked him out."
Alaya panics, "What did Fiona do?"
"Fiona sat down and cried. She was angry and was reasonably upset. First thing I did was my staff change the locks and box John's personal items. Fiona and I had some coffee and we needed to start working. We decided to wait until we were calm to have further conversations or decisions."
"That is very reasonable."
April continues, "Friday night, after midnight Fiona and I both were heading to sleep. We had a long stressful day. The doorbell rang. Fiona went to the window and said it was the police and John. I immediately grabbed the boxes of John's belongings and took them downstairs. I figured John was here for his possessions. Then it happened so fast ..." April started to cry.
"Take your time, please gather your thoughts and continue when you are ready."
April sniffled and blew her nose, "John told the police, 'the girl is upstairs.' I ran up with the police and stood in front of my Fiona. I demanded to know what they wanted. The police inquired if my husband was around. Of course, he isn't and replied to that effect. The police asked, "who is the man of the house?" I responded there is no man of the house and explained I own the building and establishment downstairs. John came up the steps and said he was the man of the house and that I and Fiona are his wards. He pulled out papers that I signed from Scotland that John financed my business." April in anger, "I paid him back years ago, before we moved to London."
Alaya nodded in understanding, "What did the police say?"
"The taller police officer looked at the paper and said it seemed real. If I wanted to contest this document, I would have to wait until Monday morning and talk to a magistrate. I understood and asked them to leave. But John wouldn't let them leave and insisted Fiona taken to the hospital. John inferred she was sick and started to show your letters to the police. Fiona and I protested that there wasn't any law against letter writing. The police completely ignored me ... I was invisible."
"Sometimes I hate this London."
"I agree. John told them to take Fiona and that he has arranged to get the proper care. The police grabbed her and told Fiona to come with them. I looked directly into her eyes and told her to stay calm, don't fight and I will figure this out. She then said that I needed the detectives and mentioned your mother Vastra. Oh, that stirred the police but John was angry. He insisted he knew what was best and made arrangements. The police obeyed John and took her away. I didn't know how to get a hold of you or your mothers."
Alaya standing, "Where did they take her?"
"They would not tell me. I have to wait until tomorrow at court."
"She has been alone for two nights? Two nights?"
April starts to cry again.
Alaya walking towards the door, "I will find her."
"What? How?"
"I will find her, I always will."
"Yes, I believe that."
Alaya goes to the steps, "I need of something warmer. You wouldn't have a thick scarf you could lend me?"
April heads to the door and pulls out a scarf, puts is on Alaya. April notices the veil for the first time. "She says you have brown eyes. Please show me."
Alaya slowly pulls the veil back and offers a muted smile.
April, "Your eyes are beautiful."
April puts the veil back over her face, pulls up the hood and watches Alaya head out to the street.
Alaya quickly goes into action. Underneath the veil Alaya is flicking her tongue back and forth attempting to find Fiona's scent. Accidentally the scarf fibers catch on her tongue; Fiona, she tastes her Fiona..he scarf has been used by Fiona, her scent is in the fibers. Alaya's tongue darts back and forth between the scarf and air until finally she finds the trail. She begins to walk and stays dead on target to Fiona's scent. Her mothers will be proud.
Alaya feels the cold but maintains the course, blocking the weather condition from her mind, keeping Fiona scent close.
The trail leads her over the Thames to St George's Field. She stared in horror. Alaya knows where they took her Fiona, Bethlem Royal Hospital.
She calmly looked around, kept to shadows and kept her hood up. She started to walk towards the entrance but quickly ducks out of view. She remembers that face when she has climbed the chimney those few times. It is her new enemy, John. He is watching Bethlem Royal Hospital. None of this make sense.
She knew she needed help. She turned back and hailed a taxi. First she returned to 14 Savile Row to inform April where Fiona was taken, explained the curious actions of John and advised her to visit her daughter immediately. She hugged April and then got back into the cab and returned to 13 Paternoster Row.
She enters her home and removes off her outer clothing and rushes to the drawing room fireplace. She is so cold it is making her nervous.
Jenny and Vastra have been lounging on the window seat waiting for their daughter's return. Jenny stares at her daughter for a few moments. Alaya is quiet, staring into the fire and trying to get warm.
Something is wrong.
Jenny springs up and pulls her daughter close. "Vastra get hot water bottles, quickly."
Vastra springs into the kitchen and starts filling up as many hot water bottles as possible per trip. Vastra returns to seeing her daughter stripped to the undergarments while her mother pulls her close.
Vastra lays the hot water bottles on various places on her daughter's body.
Now they wait.
Alaya's body heat become warm again, she blinks, "How long was I out?"
Vastra, "Three hours."
Alaya struggles to get up, but her blood isn't warm enough. She slinks back into the heat of the fireplace and from the floor she updates her mothers on the recent event.