Part 18

Eliza kept her cool composure and motioned for Hall to sit down next to her before she turned to look at the boating lake in front of them. She refused to acknowledge him again until he sat down, and so she quietly waited. It was a power play, and she was patient, but she didn't let herself make any expression as she heard him loudly huff before he sat himself down. The bench creaked and bowed a little under his weight compared to hers, and Eliza adjusted herself a little.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked angrily waving the note in the air that she'd sent requesting that they meet.

"Superintendent Hall, I believe we have not got off on the right foot and that we should start again. I'm Eliza Scarlet and I'm a Private Detective and a good one at that…"

"You're an insolent Woman playing a game is what you are!"

Eliza could tell he was raging, but the public setting meant he had to keep his self-control.

"I can assure you, my solve rate speaks for itself. Regardless of what you think of me, I'm not here to argue about my abilities."

"Then why are you here? I can promise you that I am not in the habit of being summoned by a woman…"

"No, I rather think you're not, yet you are here anyway. So let me speak freely. I am aware of allegations against you that would mean you would never have been offered your position at Scotland Yard…"

If he was concerned, he didn't outwardly show it, but he remained silent and waited for Eliza to elaborate.

"I've spoken to many women over the last few days, and I can assure you they give an interesting account of you, one that I'm sure your superiors would be interested to hear about."

"All fabricated, I'm sure. It is purely hearsay, so I'm afraid you've wasted your time with whatever you think you are doing…." He went to stand, but Eliza touched a hand to the file that she had been obscuring.

"Funny how I haven't even told you what allegations have been made, yet you insist they are false. That makes me believe what these women say has merit."

Hall froze as if he'd been caught in a bluff. He seemed unsteady despite being sat down.

"Now, PC Honeychurch is patiently awaiting my signal to arrest you, and the evidence I have here will be handed over to the proper authorities for a full review. I think they would be rather interested in my finding, and that the women in this file are willing to testify to the statements they have made."

"You are insane…" Hall stared at her wide-eyed. "No one would believe you. You will never win in court, and you'd be destroyed. I'll see that you, and your friend Inspector Wellington, never work in this town again."

Hall was fuming, and Eliza momentarily panicked that she had shown her hand in this game too soon. Yet, she recovered herself and continued the path she had chosen.

"On the contrary. Inspector Wellington is Scotland Yards' most valuable detective. He will be offered the promotion he is due based on the merit of his work. As for me, I don't need to win in court, because just putting the information I have out there is damning enough to destroy your reputation and ensure that it is you who will never work in this town again."

Eliza remained firm as she studied Hall's shocked stature. As he remained quiet as contemplated his response, she suddenly felt there was far more to this than what she knew. He seemed far too spooked for his only fault to be some improper behaviour with female prisoners. Even if this plan backfired, her interest was piqued enough to want to know exactly what Hall was afraid of being found out. While he seemed to contemplate his next move, Eliza grew impatient and took another shift.

"Caroline Weir, Sophie Long, Abigail Conner…"

Hall's eyes grew wide as Eliza listed a few names she had read in the report Officer Peats handed to her.

"Those are just a couple of women that I've managed to get evidence on in the last two days… Just imagine what information I can get in a week," Eliza smiled, as Hall seemed resolved to what she was saying.

"What do you want?" He finally asked angrily.

"Resign from Scotland Yard immediately, and I keep what I know to myself."

Hall glared at her incensed at the suggestion, but Eliza barely even blinked as she stared out at the lake, she was firm in her thoughts. Hall would not remain at Scotland Yard if she could help it.

"That is blackmail!"

"No, that is you saving yourself from public embarrassment. It's your choice. Perhaps you could retire to the Country … Where your wife is." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hall grimace at the suggestion. Perhaps, she wondered, he wouldn't be welcome there either.

Eliza turned to look at him and held his pale and concerned gaze with an expression that challenged him to try and push her. He quickly pulled his eyes away. For such an intimidating man, bringing him down a few pegs and seeing him there unable to respond was empowering. She could have waited for him to agree or challenge her threat with a counter-one, but she wasn't going to take a chance. She stood up, picked up her file, and pushed her shoulders back, attempting to look threatening.

"Whatever you do, I'll be keeping hold of this file, and if I found out that anything like this has happened again, I won't hesitate to use what I know."

His eyes were wide, as he seemed to visibly shrink in front of her. Whilst he didn't agree to her demand, Eliza felt sure that the next time she went to Scotland Yard, Hall would be gone, and hopefully a more amenable man would be in place. Though some might say that she was just cutting the head of the snake, another would likely grow in its place.

She strode back up the green to the carriage and PC Honeychurch opened the carriage door for her.

"Was that Superintendent Hall you were talking with?" he queried, still confused as to why his presence was required.

Eliza looked over her shoulder to see the man standing and walking off quickly in the direction he had appeared from.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Eliza got inside the carriage and made herself comfortable on the bench before she stared at the file in her lap and flipped it open to reveal the thick wedge of blank pages, and breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't gotten hold of it and seen that she had no evidence against him in there. She sat back as PC Honeychurch settled himself opposite her and the carriage moved off.


After dropping a confused PC Honeychurch back at Scotland Yard, Eliza took the carriage to Savill Row, where all the top brass and gentry got their impeccably tailored suits and from. This wasn't usually anywhere that she ventured, after all, they didn't make clothes for a woman like her. Perhaps if she had married Rupert then she would possibly would as it was likely he had his suits made here.

In the shop windows were fine gentleman's suits in expensive fabrics and fine shoes all glossy and polished. She stopped at one window and stared at the waistcoat that was on display. It was a beautiful shade of blue that was slightly lighter than he would normally wear, that she knew would certainly bring out the colour of William's eyes, with an intricately sewn paisley pattern in black thread. It was more than likely she couldn't afford it, but perhaps one day, when her business was bringing in more paying clients, she would be able to get a nice gift for William. She thought back to Mr Trewsbury's mention of a job and hoped it might be the start of something as she needed her luck to change.

She rounded the corner knowing that Savill Row wasn't the area for her, and she moved a few streets away to the slightly more affordable, yet still impeccably well-made fabric stores.

She looked through the small windows inside the stores and wondered about getting Rupert a leaving gift. She certainly didn't her friend to forget about her on his travels. Though what was appropriate and suggested friendship was a quandary. She had rarely shopped for men's gifts or clothing, and only on rare occasions did she purchase something for her father before he passed since their funds were so low. She was lost in thought until one small shop that was set back from the main road caught her eye.

She stepped inside the shop and smiled at the middle-aged gentleman behind the counter who was busy measuring some fabric and he glanced up and looked at her through his thin wired glasses perched on the end of his nose. She watched as he gave her a nod of greeting before he threw the tape measure around his neck and began cutting the fabric. she moved over the ties and cravats that were on small individual shelves on the shop wall neatly rolled and on display. Naturally, nothing had a price, but she hoped perhaps she could choose something suitable for Rupert.

"Good afternoon," the gentleman offered politely as he approached her. "May I help you?"

He seemed friendly, dressed smartly showing off the shop's fine clothes in his fitted white shirt, beautifully patterned waistcoat, and tie all in complimentary shades of yellow, without his jacket. A pin cushion was wrapped around his wrist, showing that he had handmade the clothes himself.

"Oh, I'm just looking…" Eliza attempted, but it seemed she was not going to be left alone.

"Ah, for your husband?"

Eliza took a breath, she could of course lie and say yes since it would be easier, but the suggestion didn't roll off her tongue as easily as it usually did, and instead stuck in her throat before she continued.

"For a friend, family friend," she clarified. "He's going travelling to Europe and I wanted to get him a leaving gift."

"Oh," the gentleman seemed shocked, but he took a moment to think. "Perhaps you would like him to think of you while he's away?" he enquired subtly.

"No," Eliza chuckled, "he's just an acquaintance." Eliza looked back and noticed a cravat in a beautiful midnight blue with a black stitched motif, that made her chuckle and think of Rupert instantly, yet perhaps that was too obvious for him, so instead she looked to a beautiful deep red one with a flex of gold stitching which was perhaps more his style.

"I must say, if you don't mind, your outfit is impeccable. May I ask where it was made?"

The question seemed genuine, and for a moment Eliza was proud that Ivy's skills were being admired by a man who worked with such fine garments.

"My housemaid makes my outfits," Eliza offered, honoured.

"Well, that is a shame, in that case, you won't wish to share her details with me. I'm in great need of a good seamstress, and they are hard to come by." The gentleman looked sorely disappointed and released a heavy sigh.

Eliza nodded her apology and understanding, since Ivy would certainly not be interested in a job being a full-time seamstress, she rather enjoyed the cooking aspect of her role with Eliza. Then a thought crossed her mind, that whilst Ivy wouldn't, she did know someone who might.

"Actually… I might know someone who would be interested. She's not personally made anything for me, but I've seen one of the suits that she's made for her son, and I have to say the workmanship was just as good as this, if not better, though don't tell my maid."

The man's eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion, and Eliza's heart jumped at the idea that she could help Mari get a job that would support Charlie and his sister Annie.

"Your secret is safe with me. Why don't you tell me about her and let's see what we can find as a suitable gift for your friend."

Eliza smiled, pleased that she'd walked into the store.


It was dark when William finally returned home. He'd hung his jacket and waistcoat on the wooden coat stand near the door, removed his tie, loosened his collar, and rolled his shirtsleeves before lighting a small fire. He'd poured himself a glass of whiskey while he settled into his comfortable settee, pleased to be in the solitude of his small home after a long and exhausting day. He was happy to be able to relax alone and reflect.

His ears were ringing, and his eyes tried, having spent most of his day in the gloomy interview room speaking one by one to all the women they rescued from the fire. He rubbed his forehead and rolled his shoulders after feeling cramped from being sat at the desk making notes. His mind raced as it tried to make sense of all the information he'd been given.

Whilst they had thought the women were being held against their will, it seemed the opposite was happening. They were all there of their own accord, had nowhere else to go and were simply happy to make the garments requested in return for a roof over their head and regular food. Was it all a play to keep Stephen Oswald from being arrested? He certainly seemed to have money to bribe them. Most surprisingly, all the women suggested the same thing, that they were happy to be at the farmhouse and working, though William wasn't sure if their stories were the truth or simply coordinated.

If it was the truth, then William had no reason to arrest anyone as no crime had taken place. The women had done nothing illegal. They simply made clothes of good quality cheaply that were sold off in shops and small department stores. When asked about Stephen, many of the women didn't even know the name of who they were working for, they all simply knew a man named Gus.

It was only when he interviewed Sandra, the woman he rescued from the fire, that he confirmed that Gus was Stephen. Sandra was most forthcoming with information, a fear of being arrested gave her a loose tongue. A former employee at the Oswald factory, she'd worked there for years and had grown tired of waiting for Oswald senior to improve her position and pay as he often claimed he would.

When Stephen approached her one evening, she had been on the verge of a workhouse despite her long employment, since her husband had passed and rent on her boarding room had increased to the point that she could no longer afford it on her wages. Stephen was offering a supervisor role, with boarding and food, and whilst the pay would be dependent on what was made, it was better to have a proper roof over her head than the alternative.

Stephen built up over the months a team of skilled seamstresses, every week or so another woman or two would turn up and stay. Sandra oversaw the women in the house, got them working each day, made sure the quality of work was up to scratch, and they kept themselves quiet. In return, she got to live in a place that felt like living in the country and never missed a hot meal. Sure, the house needed some repair, but the women made the most of the opportunity and they made it feel like a home instead of a workplace by making curtains and refreshing the upholstery. The destruction of the farmhouse had almost had the woman in tears for what she would do next.

Most of the women were alone in London, barely making ends meet, so when they came to the house no one even noticed they were gone. Of the women that had been reported missing, they were done so by landlords as a matter of course, but none expected the police to find them. The rest were happy to vanish, and Sandra was happy to keep the operation quiet for Stephen believing him to be a better man than his father. In honesty, William thought this wasn't a bad deal for anyone involved.

Sandra wouldn't hear a bad word against Stephen, he was to her a good man in a family of men who didn't care what happened to the workers. He was trying to show his family how to do business in a better way and she respected him for that.

She insisted that the fire at the house had been accidental, stray ashes from the fireplace used for cooking had alighted a pile of laundry, caught on the drapes, and within minutes it was out of control. Yet it was curious to William that the women were locked in the basement floor, Moses had to break down the door, and Sandra could give no reason for why. He had received word that the fire in the house was finally out, but it was likely to be condemned as beyond repair, which was a sorry end to the home the women had made there.

He was also no closer to finding Stephen. If he was the man Eliza saw leaving, then he had gone into hiding. William had officers stationed at his family home, the opium den Phillips had visited, and the theatre, so if he showed up, he would be arrested, though William knew he had nothing to hold him on based on the statements he'd taken. He had to face Superintendent Hall in the morning, and he was annoyed he had nothing to show for his work.

A gentle knock at the front door raised his irritation since he was certain he'd left clear instructions with the desk Sergeant that he was not to be bothered tonight, regardless of the reason. He thought about ignoring it, but he knew it would be persistent if he was truly needed. So reluctantly he stood up and left his glass on the small coffee table, before walking the long way around his settee and past his small dining table to this front door.

He opened the door with a huff and raised his arm to lean full height against the door frame, hoping to give off a stance that said to leave him alone. Only his appearance changed almost the instant he saw it wasn't a Constable who had come to disturb his evening's peace.

"Eliza," William said, the surprise in his voice unmissable.

"Good evening," she offered, a little taken back by his surprise. "I went by Scotland Yard to see you, and they said you'd already gone home for the evening."

"So, you thought you'd come to find me here?"

"Well, I told the desk Sergeant that I would talk to you in the morning. The joy of knowing where you live I didn't need to ask for your address."

Eliza smiled, her eyes alight with mischief. She suddenly felt small looking at him almost filling his doorway whilst looking so relaxed and informal. It was an unexpected delight she realised, seeing him looking a little less than perfect in the warm glow of the oil lamp that was lit next to him.

William's eyes drew down her body and back up in the blink of an eye, impressed at how perfectly poised she always was as she stood with her bag in front of her held in both hands. Pushing himself off the door frame, he quickly remembered he should probably not leave her standing on the doorstep. He took a step back and welcomed her inside with a wave of his hand. Eliza walked straight past without a second glance, but he watched her sway her way to his small dining table and place her bag down.

"Can I offer you a drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

He watched her with intense eyes as she pulled off her gloves and laid them perfectly flat on top of her back, and then slowly began to undo her jacket. It was a rare occasion that Eliza was comfortable enough to take off her jacket, and usually, it was only in her own home. It was curious to him how quickly she had turned down a drink when she looked like she was planning to stay. Yet, as he watched her while she undid each button of her jacket and pulled one arm out and then the other, William was trying his best to keep his imagination in check and not drift to more inappropriate ideas, because this action was more stimulating to his tired body then it should have been.

"Do you have an update on the case?" Eliza innocently asked, holding out her jacket for him to hang up, unaware of where William's mind was going.

William took her jacket and let his fingers brush lightly against hers before he turned and hung it on the coat stand next to his own.

"Not really. On the cover of it, all the women I spoke to insist that Stephen, or Gus as they know him, is a good man offering a home, food, and a share in the profits in return for quality clothes being made. He treated them well, and they were happy to stay."

"What of Verla Kelly?"

"They knew her, she worked there from the last day her landlady saw her until the day before her body was found. No one knows what happened to her, they all said she went out for a walk in the grounds and never returned…."

"Was she trying to run away?"

"That was the assumption, but many suggested she was happy and to what end? Every woman I interview today seemed to be in that house of their own accord, everyone was happy with the arrangement, and Stephen was supporting them. Verla had no reason to want to run away, according to them anyway."

"Mari wanted to leave, to get back to her children, perhaps Verla was the same, Stephen wanted to stop her?"

"There's nothing to suggest Verla had any family here or anywhere else, let alone any children of her own. It could have been an accident. Until we find Stephen we won't know"

"Do you think Stephens's an innocent party in this?" Eliza asked, wrinkling her brow, as she rested against the dining table, while William moved to sit against the back of his settee.

"I don't know what I think. All I know is the Hall is going to be fuming in the morning when I give him an update with absolutely no arrests and nothing to show for our work."

Eliza flinched at William's mention of Superintendent Hall's name, she had hoped after their discussion that he would have gone straight to the home office to resign. She'd not seen him when she'd gone to Scotland Yard to look for William, but she hadn't instantly been thrown out either. She would deal with that in the morning, as her mind moved swiftly onto another part of William's words.

"Our work?" she said, with a hint of a smile.

William huffed, she was teasing him, and he knew it.

"Yes Eliza, our work. You deserve the credit too on this one…. And before you ask, yes you are in my report, even if Hall won't like that I've been working with you against his orders."

He sounded so put upon and shook her head at him. It wasn't her fault that their cases overlapped, again, but she waved her hands in the air offering a surrender.

"I didn't come here to argue with you."

William chuckled, knowing it was unlike Eliza to not want to argue. Sometimes he felt it was like a sport to her.

"You don't want a drink and you're not here to argue… Then why are you here?"

He narrowed his eyes at her wondering if she was there just to talk about the case. After their impromptu kisses the other evening there was a twinkle of hope building that she might be there for another reason.

Eliza avoided William's gaze. Could she come up with a good excuse other than just wanting to see him? That the fact she hadn't seen him all day meant he was on her mind, and after dinner with Ivy she couldn't think of anything other than seeing him. She kept imagining him knocking on her front door, and after an hour of thinking he might want to see her, she gave up waiting and went to find him instead.

"Oh, you know…. I guess I just wanted to check on you, after the fire…"

"You saw me last night, I was fine," he shrugged.

"Yes, but you know when you didn't come out of the house… It scared the life out of me," Eliza finally admitted to him.

William drew in a breath and nodded before folding his arms over his waist and agreeing with her.

"Yeah… It scared me too…"

"I can't… Imagine if something had happened to you."

She locked her eyes on the ground near his feet and couldn't meet his gaze, even though she felt him staring at her. She gripped the table behind her as if it were keeping her up.

Her voice cracked as she spoke and for the first time, William noticed that perhaps underneath her fearless nature, maybe she did care about him more than she let on. He argued with her in the past about running head-first into danger and how much it terrified him that she would get hurt, or worse. It hadn't ever occurred to him that she worried about him in the same way.

"I'm sorry I worried you," he said truthfully.

"I'd say don't do it again, but we both know this won't be the last time… for either of us…"

Eliza stifled a laugh and shook her head. They made quite a pair, endangering their lives was a fact of their job. She pulled her eyes off the floor and finally met William's gaze. He looked so serious as if he were at a loss for words. Then he pushed himself up to stand and took the two steps that closed the gap between them before he gingerly reached for her.

He felt Eliza flinch as he gently touched her waist and he sensed her worry, so he stilled himself and waited for her to take in a breath and let go of the table. Cautiously she moved her hands up, and he watched as she seemed to wonder where she could put her hands before she finally rested them on his arms just above his elbows. They were still covered by his shirt, so she avoided touching the bare skin of his arms. Once she was settled, he moved his hands a little further around her back, so he was holding her properly in his arms.

He sighed while looking down at her with his eyes softly studying her, and Eliza braced herself for what would come next, yet he didn't make any move. Instead, he just quietly stared, contemplating what he should do, but equally happy just to hold her. Eliza blinked with impatience, as the air between them because unbearably thick and she considered if he was waiting for a sign from her or if she should kiss him.

Finally, he drew in through his nose before he moved to press his lips against her forehead, and then after a moment, he kissed her cheek, sending a spark of anticipation running through her, right down to her toes. He moved a little lower and kissed her again, this time just to the side of her lips, and her heartbeat skipped a beat. Just as she thought he might kiss her lips; he shuffled his body and closed his eyes while he simply rested his forehead against hers.

William was desperately trying to control himself and judge his next step accordingly. He knew if he kissed her like he truly wanted to, she would likely bolt. Whilst he'd been waiting for this moment between them since they kissed when they were young, he could feel how new this all was to Eliza. He'd felt her tense each time he'd touched her and then when she'd kissed him in her drawing-room it had been so innocent, it was likely she'd never properly been kissed.

Whilst every bone in his body was telling him not to, his heart that was beating so hard in his chest told him to just kiss her. After another second of deliberation, he finally captured her lips, and he was warmed when she instantly responded with a soft hum. The kisses were firm, and he drew her lips into his with ease, yet he held himself back letting Eliza adjust to this new feeling. He didn't dare open his eyes to look at her.

When she put up no resistance to his kisses, his confidence in the situation grew. He wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer, while moving them backwards so he could rest against the back of his settee, making them the perfect height. He could hear the gentle sigh and the catch of her breath when he released her lips, the sound effortlessly beautiful to him. She seemed to quickly learn how to breathe in the gaps whilst his lips covered her mouth.

Eliza felt a little drunk as she felt herself swoon breathlessly against William's kisses and she gripped his arms a little more with her fingertips. The way he pulled at her mouth and moulded his lips against hers had an insistence to it, but he remained careful and took his time. Though she had no experience to compare, she knew he was likely being purposely slow and she appreciated him for that.

William moved his hand from her back and placed it on her cheek, so he could angle her head into the perfect position while his thumb stroked her cheek, and licked at her lips, testing her to see what she wanted from him. They were chest to chest, and he could feel every bone of her corset through her shirt. It was taking everything to keep his body in check, and when Eliza opened her mouth enough for him to slip his tongue forward to brush against hers. He knew he was fighting a losing battle and they would need to stop soon, as his hand rubbed up and down her back.

She wasn't entirely sure what to do when he teased his tongue against hers. It wasn't unpleasant, he tasted like warm whiskey, but it wasn't like anything she'd ever experienced. It sent waves gently rolling through her, and it amazed her how the feeling made her want more. She loosened her grip and let her fingers dance up his arms, and she felt the strong muscles flex with his movements.

Growing with curiosity, she moved a hand over his shoulder and down his chest. She'd never been this close to a man before, and whilst William probably knew how innocent she was, she was trying not to show it by following the movements of his hand up and down her back and repeating the actions with her fingertips tracing against his chest.

William could feel himself slipping as Eliza's innocent feather-light touch over his shirt-covered body excited him more than it should. He pulled her as close to his body as he could, and she returned his kisses eagerly. He wanted this, and he enjoyed it more than he would admit, so much more. Feeling the outline of her body pressed up against his he could almost believe that he could die a happy man right there and then. Despite it, he knew he had to be the one to pull them back, and he could only hope that this meant they had moved forward.

William slowly stilled his actions and settled on a few soft kisses as he caught his breath before he rested his head against Eliza's, pleased that her breathing was as unsteady as his own. Finally, he pulled his head up, opened his eyes to see the blush on her cheeks, and was pleased that she looked a little punch drunk and almost childlike with her wide eyes. She looked absolutely beautiful in his eyes.

She blinked in slow motion, her mind blank as she slowed her breathing. What happened now? Was she supposed to leave? Did more kissing happen? Did they discuss what this meant? He suddenly looked different to her. He'd always been handsome and polished, but there was something about him looking so unkempt and a little dishevelled, so unperfect. He was striking.

"What are we doing?" Eliza asked softly.

William chuckled, this was the fine line they walked, did he say everything he felt? Or would she run away scared? Did he keep his true feelings to himself a little longer to save whatever dignity he had left if she didn't want what he did?

"We're… enjoying each other's company," he settled on.

His voice was thick and his accent heavy and her heart skipped a beat because she loved his Scottish accent which made his words sound like something salacious. Even still she felt safe in his arms as his hand rubbed her lower back longingly.

"This complicates things," she admitted quietly.

"When have they ever not been?" William joked.

This was true. They had always walked a complicated fine line of friendship, maybe now was as good a time as ever to at least try for something more. He leaned in and gently kissed her once again, letting his lips brush and linger against hers, but after a moment Eliza pulled back and he sense that he'd pushed the situation far enough for the evening.

"I should probably go…." She quickly settled on saying, since she was unsure how a person usually ended a situation like this. Leaving seemed to her the most reasonable thing to suggest.

"Stay," William whispered and gripped her a little tighter against him. He wasn't ready to let her go.

"What?" Eliza's eyes grew wide with panic at what his suggestion meant. She knew of his reputation, but whilst she was tempted by indulging in a little kissing, she was in no way offering him anything further.

"No… I didn't mean…." William spluttered. The after-effect of their kisses had scrambled his mind completely. "I meant, have a drink with me. You can tell me about your day since we've not seen each other."

Eliza's eyes softened, as William looked at her hopefully. She wasn't ready to leave, so wordlessly, she nodded and stepped backwards, though William wouldn't quite let her go completely. Instead, he held onto her for as long as he could and once, she was out of reach he took her hand as he stood up and led her to sit on the settee. He poured her a drink and returned to sit next to her, shoulder to shoulder and closer than he had ever been before.

Eliza took a large swig of whiskey, unaware of just how much she needed it, while William rested his arm along the back of the settee behind her head and let his fingers rest against her shoulder. She could do this, she told herself. Whatever was between them, it could work. He looked relaxed, irresistible, and almost invited her to rest her head against his shoulder.

"So, tell me about your day?" William smiled, looking incredibly comfortable, while Eliza felt completely out of sorts.

"My day? Well…." Eliza was having trouble trying to remember where she was, let alone what she'd done, and she also didn't want to accidentally say something she shouldn't about her investigation into Hall.

"Erm… I delivered some more scones to Mr Potts from Ivy. Oh, Rupert told me he's decided to go travelling. He's leaving for Europe tomorrow…"

Eliza started to relax as she talked about Rupert's travels, as William was happy and content to just sit and listen to her talk. His eye danced over her while he enjoyed the sound of her voice, the gleam in her eyes from the fire, and being able to hold her a little closer than he ever had before. Everything he wanted felt like it was just within his reach.

To be continued.