Part 16
Time froze in the indefinite moments that Eliza stared at the house in front of her, and the empty doorway that she silently begged William to emerge from. She struggled against the arms of Moses and Phillips who were holding her from running towards the house. It wasn't surprising that it was taking the power of both men to keep her back.
"Let me go!" she raged.
"Not if you're planning to run inside that building," Moses told her firmly, knowing that it was exactly what she was thinking.
She stilled and fixed him with a hard glare. What else was she supposed to do? William was still inside that burning building, and from the looks of both Phillips and Moses, who were covered in dirt and soot and coughing from the smoke, they had barely made it out alive. Did they expect that she would stand back and leave William in there?
"We need to go and get him out!" Her voice shook with fear.
"We can't, it's too dangerous!" Moses said holding her eyes. "The Inspector would not want you endangering your life."
"I don't give a damn about what he wants right now!"
Phillips's grip loosened on her, and Eliza turned towards him. It seemed he was more willing to see her point of view, but before he could say anything, the sound of cart wheels moving over gravel and bells ringing alerted them to the arrival of other people who were arriving to help.
Either the officer or the young lad had raised the alarm and people were coming up the old gravel path to help. The cart carried large water pails, and Phillips and Moses stared at each other. They needed to direct help to where it was needed. From this side of the house, no one could see the fire, only the smoke funnelling into the sky from behind, and the women were lying on the long grass like dead bodies. Yet both knew the second they released her she would bolt towards the burning house.
Eliza looked between them pleading and helpless, knowing she couldn't leave William, but others needed their help too. She could tell they were torn, but there was little time to make decisions. Phillips opened his mouth to speak seemingly about to reason with her to relent, but a shadow appeared in the corner of his eyes, and he turned towards the doorway. Eliza's eyes went wide as a figure stumbled backwards out the door.
William had his coat over his head, and he shook it, so it dropped to the floor, and he turned revealing the woman he was half carrying in his arms. He gently placed her on the ground before quickly wrapping her in his coat once more before he stood and started coughing.
Eliza didn't hesitate more than a second and she slipped easily from the grip of Moses and Phillips before she grabbed her skirt in her hands and ran towards William as fast as her legs could carry her. She had no idea if she was planning on hugging him or hitting him for scaring the life out of her, but in honesty, she didn't care for anything other than the fact he was alive.
He must have noticed her because as she reached him, he was doubled over coughing and he held a hand up to stop her from coming too close to him, as he tried to recover himself and draw some clean air into his lungs. He was light-headed and doing everything he could to not pass out there and then.
"Help her," he managed in between coughs.
"Are you okay?" Eliza asked ignoring his words and needing to hear from him.
He turned his head to see the panic in her face, and quickly nodded his confirmation, though his heart was beating so fast, and his lungs were burning so much that he felt like he'd been on a mile-long foot chase. He was certain he'd breathed in so much smoke that he wasn't going to stop coughing anytime soon.
Eliza was frozen in worry, but William seemed to motion with his head once again pointed to the woman, who had had quite a fright as she cried in shock on the floor. Eliza blinked and switched into full detective mode, she moved to crouch down next to the woman, and she began to reassure her she was safe.
"I'm Eliza Scarlet,"
"Sandra Willis," the woman confirmed.
Looking around, William saw Phillips had begun to take charge of the help arriving and had started to direct the water buckets and sandbags towards the back of the house. More local people had arrived with blankets and Moses was helping to give them out and checking on the women who had been rescued while Johan was following and imitating his every move. He noticed Charlie wrapped in what he assumed was his mother's arms and felt relief flood through him. Now the immediate danger was over, it was time for the work to being.
"We need to get everyone's names. Make sure everyone got out of the building," William said in-between coughs.
Eliza looked at him understanding his words between coughs. There was another rumbling sound followed by a shake of the ground beneath them, a sign the house was becoming more unstable.
"We should move away," she replied, and William nodded.
Together they helped the young woman to her feet and wrapped her arms around their shoulders and they stumbled together across to the safety of the long grass. Phillips came towards them with a fresh blanket, and they removed William's dusty coat from the woman and covered her again.
Phillips shook William's hand, and they shared a few words of relief that they were safe before discussing what would happen now. Some more constables were arriving, and a line of local men was beginning to move buckets of water towards the back of the house, the cart was being sent off for more water and another one was arriving. It was a fruitless effort to try to put the fire out and save the house, and instead, the effort was concentrated on stopping the fire from spreading to the field and gardens around it.
Eliza concentrated on comforting Sandra, but she glanced up to stare at William. Her relief that he was safe was palpable, and she could feel her own body shaking as it recovered from the rush of her scare. She still was unsure if she wanted to yell at him for risking his life or hold him close because he was alive. As Phillips's finished, William turned to look at her and their eyes caught, and she held his with a look of childlike innocence. There was so much to say but now was not the time.
Slowly Eliza stood and moved towards him, but for once she remained silent for fear of what words would come out.
"We need to get a statement from all the women here, do you think you can take one of the constables and make a start on that?" William asked. "I need to help secure the grounds from the fire until the fire brigade gets here. We need to make sure that no one leaves, So Phillips is putting a couple of Constables on the entrance gate and a few dotted around the outskirts of the old lawn."
"Of course," Eliza nodded.
William opened his mouth to say more but then stopped, his eyes dropped to the gold E necklace that instead of being tucked away, was on full display over her shirt. Every time he saw it surprised him that she was wearing it, and he gulped with pride as to what it meant that it wasn't hidden bubbled inside him.
He raised his hand and brushed his knuckles against hers lightly. Eliza turned her hand and for a moment their fingers locked, and William rubbed a comforting thumb over her fingers, before he released them, and took a step backwards to regard propriety. With that, he turned his back and moved towards the mass of people helping to contain the situation.
Eliza watched him move away, her heart stinging in her chest. This was the reality of their lives, risking themselves in dangerous situations and not always knowing if they would come out alive. He'd always been angry when she did it, but for the first time she was on the other side, his words suddenly hit her differently.
She pushed the thought of what could have happened to the back of her mind, as she began to move around each of the women who had made it out of the fire. Whilst most were in shock, thankfully none had serious injuries. Many of the local women had wrapped them in blankets, and some had brought out some food and water to share with them.
After borrowing a notebook and pencil from Honeychuch, Eliza helpfully went around each woman and took their names, how long they had been at the house and any information regarding the clothing operation and Stephen Oswald they could give. Some women glared at her suspiciously or refused to say a word to her, others were too relieved to be alive to keep quiet.
What surprised Eliza most is that while none of them seemed to know the names of the men involved, and those who spoke seemed to speak highly of them. Whilst it was true that none of them weren't allowed to leave the confined of the house, the alternative was that they would be leaving on the streets. At least here they were kept warm, fed and with a roof over their heads so long as they made the clothing wear that was needed to sell.
As darkness fell and the air turned into the cold October evening, the sky behind the house was lit with a deep red and yellow hue of dull flames, and the air was filled with the smell of burning. The fire brigade had arrived and taken over the scene leaving William to help to sort the women either sending them to the nearest hospital or speaking with locals to arrange lodgings for the night. Tomorrow his task would begin to unpick where all the women had come from and if any laws had been broken. Every so often Eliza and William caught each other's eyes and gave a nod of support before continuing with their task.
Moses had decided to take off once more officers had arrived on the scene, the last thing he needed was to be seen working with Scotland Yard, and Eliza well understood his predicament. Johan was proudly following him like a sheep, and she laughed to Moses that the boy looked up to him like a hero which he dutifully brushed off with equal annoyance. For the first time she thought she saw him blush, and she knew he liked it. She quietly offered her thanks and let them slip away, as she watched Moses ruffle the boy's hair whilst giving him a telling-off once more for following him.
The last person that Eliza went to speak to was Mari. She seemed relieved to be reunited with her son, and Charlie happy to be comforted in her arms. Eliza couldn't help but laugh that Charlie was still wearing William's bowler hat, despite it being far too big. Next to her sat another young woman and they sat quietly talking to each other. Judging by how close they seemed, Eliza assumed they were friends.
"Hello, Mari. I'm Eliza Scarlet,"
"Yes, Charlie has been explaining," Mari replied, looking suitably embarrassed.
"He's been very worried about you…"
"I know," Mari nodded and kissed Charlie's head as she pulled him closer in her arms. "I didn't mean to cause no trouble, I never thought I was leaving them."
Mari's heavy East London tone suggested that she was being honest, and she felt guilty for what had happened, so Eliza nodded. Eliza looked at the other woman who was sitting quietly with them and waited for her to say her name.
"I'm Christina…" she said with a half-smile.
Eliza returned the smile with a nod, realising she was Christina Downes, a missing woman who hadn't been reported missing, and she was relieved that the women she'd only known as names were safe.
"Of course. Can you tell me what happened, how did you both end up here?"
"A woman approached me at my stall in Spitalfields Market, said I had a talent and that I could get a job in the factory, entry-level but she was sure I could work my way up quickly because I was talented," Mari answered.
"So, you started at the Oswald factory?"
"Yes, and it was fine for a month or so. I never mentioned I had kids, cause I didn't want them to question me, an unwed mother of two, and all… many would frown on it. One morning before my shift started, I was bundled into a carriage, and I don't remember much of the journey, but I woke up here."
Eliza looked towards Christina and with a look and a nod she realised that the same had happened to her too.
"Do either of you remember who brought you here?"
They both looked at each other before shaking their heads, indicating they didn't.
"Nah, just that I was here, and I was taken into one of the offices on the second floor and met with a man who said he'd seen my work and how talented I was and that I could stay here and that he wanted to offer me a job. He kept talking about how much better the conditions were, a large house and all, the pay was a pittance, but we didn't need money you see… I just thought wow, imagine, me and my kids living ere, and not in those slums…."
"But you couldn't leave…" Eliza surmised. Mari sighed, and Eliza knew she'd been sold a false dream.
"No one could know we were working here apparently, so we were locked in the house, only allowed out in the garden when a few of the men were there to see we didn't run off and we had to be quiet so none of the locals knew we were ere…. After a day I realised I wasn't getting my kids here, and I couldn't leave… Everyone, all the other girls, they were happy you see, but I just wanted to go. They didn't know I'd left my kids behind, I never told anyone. Perhaps I should have…"
Eliza could see the guilt all over Mari's face. Yet it was possible that if she hadn't been there, no one would have been looking for all the missing women when the fire broke out.
"Who was in charge? Stephen Oswald?" Eliza asked keeping on track, but Mari shook her head and shrugged. Eliza looked to Christina who was quiet, but she too shook her head before she spoke.
"I've never heard of that name…. After we met the man on our first meeting, we didn't see him here much, Sandra was the one who kept us all on time, stopped us from chatting too much, and arranged who was making the food, we didn't see anyone else. The men only came late afternoon to collect what clothes had been made to sell. That was when we were allowed outside. That man there, with the cart, he might know who the man is, they were often together."
Eliza looked over to the young lad who was helping with the effort of transporting water. He was the one whom she had met at the gate, and instead of running off like the other two men, he had stayed to help.
"Can you describe the woman who hired you?" Eliza asked Mari.
"She was thin, pretty, long reddish hair, a bit of an accent… I'm not sure where from, mind you, it was a bit all over the place. I only really met her twice, though the second time, she looked like she'd been playing in the dirt."
Eliza nodded, knowing for sure that she was referring to Natalie, and once again she cursed herself for not realising that she had played them for fools when she talked to them in her office.
"Is there anything else you can tell me? Anyone you recognise as working with this man who brought you here?"
Mari only pointed to the man whom Eliza had seen with Oswald and Christina seemed to agree with her. Eliza nodded and knew she had to tell William to not only question him but also the woman whom he had saved from the fire.
"Everyone was taken care of Miss," Christina chimed in. "I've been here longer the Mari, everyone got along, and we looked after each other. I know it doesn't look like much, but we were happy here. Yet still, perhaps it's my fault Mari was here as I mention her to Sandra without thinking, and once she was here, I knew she didn't want to tell them about her children. I can't help thinking that they would have understood and let you go home."
Eliza had to admit, every woman she'd spoken to had given her a similar impression that they weren't unhappy here, even if they weren't allowed to leave.
"I will talk to Inspector Wellington, I'm sure he will let you go home, and spend the evening with your children, but he'll likely need you to report to Scotland Yard in the morning to give a full statement."
Mari nodded, and Eliza hoped that she was using good faith that she would do as she had asked.
Eliza felt a shiver in the cold evening as she moved away and observed the scene around her, the fact that a community had huddled around and people from all manors of life were out helping was impressive. She couldn't help but wonder what the 25 women who had been rescued were going to do now, and whether they had anywhere else to go.
Eliza jumped as she felt a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders, and she turned to see William as he moved in front of her and pulled the blanket around her. It was like he had instinctively known she was getting cold.
She couldn't help but chuckle at the fact he looked like a chimney sweep. He was covered in dirt, and she wasn't sure she'd ever seen him look so imperfect with his suit covered in ash. His hair which was usually perfectly slick was a mess of dust and unruly curls, and he had a smudge of ash on his cheek. Without thinking, she reached up and touched his cheek as she wiped her thumb over the dirt to remove it. It only served the purpose of smudging it more and making it worse.
William stared down in surprise at her unexpected touch. He wasn't used to her being so open in public, and his heart skipped a little until she seemed to suddenly realise what she was doing. She quickly retracted her hand and glanced to make sure no one had seen her. Yet, he still smiled happily at her.
"It's pretty dark now," he offered as if she wasn't aware of the fading daylight. "I can send you home with a constable if you'd like."
"Trying to get rid of me?" she teased.
"Not at all, but I'm not sure what more can be done now the fire brigade is here to control the fire. You've taken a statement from all the women, so thank you for that."
Eliza wasn't sure how he knew that she'd spoken to everyone unless he'd been watching her move around the women. If she didn't know better, she would have said he sounded proud of her help, and the way for once she'd done as he asked. Yet she was simply happy to be included and not been pushed to one side.
"What will you do?"
"Well, I need to head back to the station, give the Super an update, and then I'll probably go home, try and clean myself up." He coughed and winced at the tightness of his chest from the smoke.
"Are you sure you shouldn't be seen by a doctor?" she asked, putting her hand delicately on his arm, even though she knew the answer. William was of course as stubborn as she was herself and she was certain that he would refuse.
"I'll be fine. Nothing a glass of whiskey won't cure."
He chuckled and noted that for once Eliza seemed genuinely concerned for him.
"Well, you might want to interview the woman you rescued, Sandra, Mari said she oversaw keeping the women in line here, and that man with the cart, he arrived with two men one of whom I believe was Stephen Oswald and they both ran off as soon as I told them about the fire."
William looked over his shoulder at the man Eliza was pointing out. He had stayed and helped with the efforts to stem the fire and let them use his cart to get more water buckets, so he seemed like a decent man, who might give him some information willingly. Given he'd rescued Sandra from a fiery death, it was likely she too might talk to him as well.
"Both might be able to give you some more information," Eliza offered.
"I think they will be more than willing to share what's been going on here," William replied dryly. Thankful for once that this case might have its resolution without any further loss of life.
Eliza smiled and then moved the blanket a little to reach into her pocket to take out William's pocket watch and whistle.
"I believe you might like these back," she said, handing them over to him.
"Thank you," he smiled accepting them. He shuffled a little uncomfortably before he began to speak again. "Look, I know we said we would talk when we arrived and decide what to do here… I don't want you to think I took authority over you…"
Eliza looked at him sceptical, since that was exactly what he had done. She realised he hadn't even asked her opinion, but she knew there was little time to discuss or argue a plan of action. Whilst she didn't entirely appreciate being made to wait outside while the men ran into disaster, she couldn't disagree that the outcome had been the best.
"You did what are trained to do William, assess a situation quickly and find the safest resolution," she said, a little coolly.
William tried to swallow a chuckle because somehow, she made it seem like an insult. He watched as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders a little tighter and with the faded sunlight, he felt how chilly it was.
Eliza half opened her mouth opened to say something, to say she was happy he was okay, that the moments she'd waited for him to emerge from the house had been the longest in her life, and how it had torn her inside thinking he might not make it out, but somehow the words in her mind didn't form in her mouth.
"I'll ask Honeychurch to take you home now, you can warm up there." He rubbed her hand over the blanket against her arm and then gave a nod before he walked away.
Eliza looked to the floor and sighed, unable to form the words she wanted to say.
"I'm glad you're alive," she whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut unable to imagine the opposite.
William almost didn't hear her words, and perhaps if he hadn't been staring at her he might have believed he'd imagined her saying them. He felt warmed by her words and her reaction. Perhaps if they had been alone, and not surrounded by his colleagues and the prying eyes of other people, he might have attempted to give her the kiss he wanted to earlier, but he quashed the feeling away, knowing he couldn't.
"Me too." William rubbed his hand gently against her arm and smiled with relief.
She opened her eyes, and he held them conscious of all the eyes around them who would likely be interested to see how they would behave to one another, but they kept their formality and distance.
She handed over the notebook with all her comments from her interviews, and William thanked her with a nod, but before he could say anything else he felt a light tap against his leg. He looked down to see Charlie standing next to them holding his bowler hat gently between his fingers.
"I kept it safe for you sir…" he said innocently holding it towards him.
"Good lad," William said, as he took it back from him.
With a flick of his wrist and an air of flair, he placed it back on his head, before reaching to shake Charlie's hand to thank him before Charlie ran off back to the safety of Mari. William chuckled and glanced at Eliza before he walked away.
Eliza watched William speak to PC Honeychurch, and she noticed that the two of them looked over at her as they spoke. She didn't need him to take her home, but perhaps a little company would settle her mind. For once she openly watched William and lumped formed in her throat as she thought about how close she had come to losing him. It had scared her more than Eliza ever thought possible.
She looked at her hands and realised they were still shaking, and she fought the wave of emotions that was building inside of her. He was okay she told herself. William was okay.
To be continued.
