"You two look a like you had fun." Catherine enters the kitchen, "Doont mind me, I just need a bit of tea." She quickly refills her teapot and exits.

April yells to Catherine who has now closed the study door, "We are not even doing any improper activity!"

The Russian woman giggles through the closed door, "Da. Da."

"If we were," Kay smiles. "We are marry, you know."

The Russian woman giggles through the closed door, "Da. Da."

April and Kay are pulling out hay and other debris from each other's hair. Kay is not focusing any scales that might have been penetrated by a stay straw.

Kay blows out a strand of hair from her eyes. April pulls the strand behind Kay's ear, "You have been wonderful with my sisters and aunts. I blush at your creativity and patience."

Kay tries not to blush, "We are on hold. We shouldn't have children of our own until it is safe."

April nods her head in agreement, "I have been careful, I only offer kisses."

"I rather don't like biting." Kay blushes at the intimate conversation within seconds of interruption either young girls or an old Russian. "I have only been bitten by those who I detest."

"When the time comes I will be gentle." April whispers. "Ouch"

Kay holds a straw in her hand, "I had to be forceful to pull it out from your scale."

April grabs her bicep, "I think the device … " She attempts to control her form. "Yup, my device is broken."

"It truly was jammed."

"I know. Do not fret we have spares."

April pulls Kay upstairs, "Come and assist."

"I would rather not put that contraption in your arm."

"Neither do I."

"When are you able to be free of that thing?"

"I do not know." April speaks to the sky, "Whenever the Goddess will allow."

At the top of the landing they can see the girls play outside, all full human looking children. "They will have their time at Trinity."

"Will they leave when the reach fourteen, Just like you?"

"Maybe sooner." April pulls Kay closer. "The Trinity School takes in students as young as five."

Kay attempts not to argue at the preposterous notion of sending those girls off to be raised by someone who does not see them for who they are. "Will they remain until they are 18?"

"Yes."

Kay starts to weep, "They will be alone."

April wipes away Kay's tears with her tongue and speaks with a strained voice, "No. No they will not be alone."

Kay smiles at the girls outside, "I have the perfect book to read them. I am going to write Jennifer and see if she has a copy."

Spring 1927
Saint Clair Tailor
Savile Row
London

"We go into tonight." Vastra looks to her daughter as they plan the evening, "He always leaves for a mini holiday every three weeks."

"Are you sure it is a holiday?"

"No that is why you will follow him." Vastra adds, "We need to keep a detailed report for Scotland Yard."

"I will bring Fiona."

"I want you to take Kate. Fiona will be coming with us."

The two groups wait for the man to leave his humble home, he walks to the garage, pulls out driving a Bugatti 27A.

Jenny's mouth drops and whispers, "Oi!"

Vastra smiles, "How is that practical?"

"We could drive up to Ullapool."

Vastra turns to Jenny and smiles.

He stops at his house and throws in his luggage and heads out.

Alaya and Kate wave at the follow the Bugatti a safe distance.

Vastra, Jenny and Fiona wave back as they leave their Fiat Zero and head to investigate the humble home.

Jenny performs her lock skills quickly.

Fiona sits at the messy desk and waits for Vastra to take a photographic memory of everything and it's place.

Vastra nods to Fiona who quickly starts with the bottom drawer.

Jenny and Vastra head upstairs.

Jenny takes a deep breath and enters the bedroom. Vastra opens the top drawer.

Jenny steadies her camera, snaps a few pictures and does her best to focus on the array of little girl and boys underwear. Vastra pointed at certain areas where it seems to have a stain. A few were bloodstained.

Jenny wipes away her tear and takes a few more, "I don't know which is worse that these are children undergarments or that they are so neatly arranged."

"The neatness is quite disturbing." Vastra leans down to examine closer, "You can see he has arranged by gender … and … let me see." She steps back, "Age. You can see here …" She points to the various sizes, "You can see these belong to older girls while this ... " Her voice cracks, "are very young, unweaned hatchlings."

Jenny did not feel any sense of obligation to correct her wife, she is doing her best to be professional. "How long until Ullapool?"

"Days or months?"

"Months"

"Three"

"Not soon enough." Jenny hands over the handkerchief April gave to them. April used it to dry Kay tears, which she never washed.

"I will detest this with every scale on my body." She licked the handkerchief and had to remove her Granddaughter's scent to get to Kay's. "I have it."

Vastra took a deep breath looked at her wife with sadness and found the human is emotionally prepared. "Good, I need your human resilience and strength."

Jenny reacted on demand as she dug deep inside her and pulled out courage, enough for the both of them. "I am here. Strong for you."

Vastra nods and completes the task with a few winces. "Those," she points to a simple pair that used to be white but now is a dark grey. "I taste no blood on her things."

"We know she was here." Jenny closes the drawer, "Is she still here?"

Vastra tastes the air, "She was never in this room." They go to the box room and then the last door on the right. "She has been in the loo." Vastra gets down on her hands and knees attempting for a sign of anything. "This is very clean. Too clean."

"He is meticulous about his things." Jenny looks around, "Except the outside. The outward pretense of working class but inside. Why not just move to the Chelsea."

"I suspect he likes the duality. To feel superior."

Vastra looks up and pulls down the attic ladder and climbs, "She was not up here." The attic light is switched on, "Jenny you need to bring your camera."

Jenny enters the attic and looks around. "What? The bloody hell!" She spins around and sees painting after painting of young children, naked children. "This isn't art."

"No," Vastra pulls her wife close. "Please take photographs while I look around."

Jenny takes pictures of the group of paintings, "They are in similar order to the undies."

Vastra spins around, "Which means …. " she points and selects a group and pulls one painting forward toward her body, "She is here."

Jenny looks at the painting, "This isn't right."

"You are correct." Vastra places all the painting back in their place. "I will stay with you until you finish up."

They pass Fiona on their way to the kitchen, "How are you two holding up?"

"We keep reminding ourselves Ullapool is not that far away."

"There is much to take in," Fiona looks to Vastra and Jenny. "There is books on selling art …"

"Art my arse." Jenny remarks.

"... and nothing specific about children. However," She points to the ledger, "Notice the mark at the end?"

"Just a dot."

"Now look here," She points two lines down. "A double dot. You can see that certain income has two dots and a few a single dot."

Without hesitation or warning, Jenny takes a picture.

Fiona blinks, "Now I am blind."

"Sorry dear, I have many more pictures to take."

"I will be alright," Fiona opens and closes her eyes until they are adjusted, "What do you think the dots mean?"

"If I had to harbor a guess," Vastra looks upstairs to ponder the underwear and painting, "Gender. One dot for boy and two dots for girls."

Fiona looks at the ledger again, remembering that Vastra talked about seeing underwear. She panics flipping back and forth pages. She looks up to Vastra, "Too many to count … it could be thousands, years."

Jenny grabs Fiona's hand, "Be strong. Think Ullapool."

Fiona nods and is more determined to examine for any more details.

Vastra pulls back the chair, table and roll up the rug.

Jenny and Vastra stare at the cellar door.

Jenny takes a deep breath and yanks it up, "There are stairs." She turns on her torch, "I am going down first."

Vastra careful follows behind.

The damp air fills their lungs.

"She was here. Kay was here."

Jenny finds the light pull cord.

They find themselves in the middle of a tunnel system. Branches to the north, east and west.

Vastra turns on her torch.

They go north until there is a dead end and head back to the stairs and do the exact same thing east and west.

It is an elaborate dungeon with twenty-four cells down each tunnel. Vastra counts in her head, "Seventy-two victims if assigned one to a cell. I do not want to do the math if there more to a cell."

Vastra and Jenny inspect each cell together. They see blood, scratches in the stone, dirt on the floor of dragging protesting bodies, and sometimes loose dirt.

Vastra pushes the dirt away to see bones or maggot-infested young children.

Down the east tunnel, the ninth cell in, Vastra opens the door, "Kay was in here!"

Jenny remains outside holding the cell door open, "There were others down here with her. Why else put a single child in cell nine unless the others closer were filled."

"She was alone in her cell." Vastra pointed to the furthest corner, "She slept there."

"Let me take pictures while you finish examining the remaining cells." Jenny pushes her tears down into the darkest part of her soul.

"There is one thing that is bothering me," Vastra turns to Jenny, "How and when did she get a note to April?"

"Maybe she is in a better situation than this dirt cell?"

"One hopes," Vastra looks at the direction of her wife and quietly says in the shadows, "I truly doubt her situation is any better, maybe better accommodations, which is a dire situation for Kay."

Kay walks into the store and Mrs. Theobald looks up excited. Another to share her latest gossip.

"Good day Mrs. Theobald." Kay heads straight to the postal window, "I am expecting a very important package."

Mrs. Theobald's facial expression instantly changes to irritation.

"I shall return this Saturday." Kay leans in, "I do rely on your for our weekly news."

Mrs. Theobald smile returns, "You in a rush today?"

"Farm life never ends."

Mrs. Theobald holds out the small package for Kay but doesn't quite let go. "There is a rumor going around about your farm."

"Our farm?" Kay leans in.

"It seems your Russian boarder…"

"She is family, Grandmother on my … er … not my side of the family."

"Oh, I see. Your late husband's side."

Kay simply becomes quiet.

"It must be difficult. To have someone … to give reminders of your loss."

"Catherine is, as you know, quite the spirited woman."

"It is about spirits." She looks around her empty store for emphasis, "I hear she has a still making vodka. Is this true?"

"Da!"

"Is it any good?"

"Da!" Kay smiles at the idea anyone would question Catherine's ability.

"I would like to assist in distribution."

"Distribution?" Kay smiles, "We use it for heating lamps, medical purposes, pie crusts, insect repellent, keeps our farm equipment rust free and with a bit of lavender Catherine rubs it on her joints to keep aches away. We have little to spare." She purposely left out Molly's formula to supplement their petrol.

"I see. Is there any way to expand production?"

"You'll have to chat with Mrs. Mosin. She would be the authority of our supply and production." Kay pauses and fake ponders, "We did yield an impressive potato crop. However, the vodka production takes a serious amount of potatoes, it could easily deplete our root cellar."

"I see." She finally hands the package to Kay.

"Thank you." Kay smiles and begins to leave.

"Do you think we could discuss a partnership?"

Kay smiles, "I will bring Catherine with me Saturday."

"Saturday is too busy for me, Sunday for lunch. Here?"

Kay ponders, "Noon at our place, so you can see the Russian machine?"

"We will be there."

"We?"

"Well Vera, Ellen and myself."

"We shall be ready." She exits the door smiling. She waits until the truck is far from Mrs. Theobald's eyes and ears to tell April the good news. "We'll make a five percent back quickly."

Saturday night, Kay read to the four girls The four girls gather around Kay as she reads,

"In an old house in Paris
That was covered in vines
Lived twelve little girls
In two straight lines."

She wipes a tear from her face. Kay is going prepare these girls for their adventure. Aid them to make the best choices and help them understand being away does not mean being alone. She hopes Madeline will inspire and assist in the bravery.