This was written as part of the Scarleteers_Podcast Facebook group Summer Fanfic Audiobook challenge. I combined both prompts "The Journey" where Eliza and William travel to solve a case, and "The Driver" writing a story from the perspective of William's driver Arthur whose name is mentioned in Season 1.
You can listen to the audiobook version of this and other stories from this challenge via the Scarleteers_Podcast, by searching Scarleteers on any Podcast platform such as Podbean, Apple, Spotify, Audible, Ihearttradio and Global Player or via the Scarleteers_Podcast Instagram page or Facebook group. Big thank you to Kally and Francesca for the challenge and all their motivation.
The People Watcher
Arthur loved his job. He felt important driving the officers of Scotland Yard around the city of London come rain or shine. Every day was different, whether he was rushing to a crime scene, driving to interview a suspect or even just to the mortuary, he took pride in ensuring the officer he was driving arrived quickly and safely at their chosen location. He had an unblemished record of no complaints from anyone he'd driven. He'd worked with many different officers and ranks over the years, but his favourite and longest-serving customer was Detective Inspector William Wellington, or Duke to his colleagues.
One of the things he enjoyed about his job, was that he was invisible. No one ever looked twice at a man perched on a carriage seat, usually pulled up out of the way, so as not to confuse a passer-by wanting to hail a ride. It meant that he and the Inspector had perfected their routine, of him being his eyes and ears surrounding a crime scene.
While Inspector Wellington, would enter a location and begin his investigation, Arthur would sit patiently watching the world outside. Sometimes it led to nothing, but on occasion, it meant that he too helped to provide the key to solving a crime. Because of this, he had begun to enjoy the art of observing people when they thought no one was watching and this of course included The Inspector….
Rumours were awash around Scotland Yard about the relationship between William Wellington and the female detective Miss Eliza Scarlet, but Arthur didn't lower himself to such discussions. Not even when younger officers tried to offer him his favourite food items to sweeten the deal should he share with them what he knew. Arthur was far too honourable to tattle-tale on anyone, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy quietly watching them.
Such as one evening, when Inspector Wellington left Scotland Yard dressed in his finest formal evening wear, complete with a top hat in his hands. Arthur of course had been briefed with some details for the evening, but he hid a knowing smile, because usually when Inspector Wellington was dressed like that it meant he was going to meet a particular lady and given how frequently he'd been meeting with her recently, Arthur was almost certain he knew where he was going first.
With barely a glance in his direction, The Inspector called out the location he wanted to travel to, and of course, Arthur did not comment when he heard the words, "to Miss Scarlet's House." It was such a common occurrence that Arthur didn't even need to be told the address anymore, and he was certain the horses could have driven themselves there, the route was so well taken.
After a few moments, they were on their way with the horses pulling at a calm speed since there had been no tone of hurry in the Inspector's voice. They ambled along the cobbled streets, Arthur taking in the beautiful London skyline against the backdrop of a perfectly painted reddish-orange evening sky. To some, being jostled about all day as the carriage rolled over the uneven cobblestones with the wind in their faces and the sight and smell of horse excrement just below them would be a nightmare, but Arthur was comforted by it all. He knew the streets by heart and loved the familiarity of what was around each corner.
It wasn't a long journey from Scotland Yard to the home of Miss Eliza Scarlet, and when they arrived, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the Inspector bounced up the front steps and knocked on the red door, then he stepped back and waited for it to be opened. Usually, her maid answered, but on this occasion, Miss Scarlet opened the door herself.
She wore a deep blue satin evening dress and accompanied it with white silk gloves that covered her elbows, the warm evening meant she had forgone her usual cloak around her shoulders. Arthur was happily married, with his own family almost grown, but even he could tell what a beauty she was, and whilst he couldn't hear the words they shared as they greeted each other, he could see their smiles and the mutual look of admiration between them. They were smitten, he was certain.
The Inspector offered his arm, and she accepted it as they made their way down her front steps and towards the carriage. Arthur kept his eyes on the road in front of him to appear not to be gawking or paying them any attention, but he listened as William spoke.
"There have been various reports of street kids pickpocketing in the area over many weeks and they are increasing. I'm almost certain they are part of a larger gang working the theatres around Covent Garden. I just need one kid who might talk and give us some details of who is involved and where they are hiding."
"And what do you need me for? Your note didn't exactly tell me much."
"Well, I'm a man of few words. I believe it's couples they are targeting, those who would be… easily distracted…"
"So, I'm bait?"
Miss Scarlet was teasing, and Arthur swallowed down a chuckle. He'd often heard them talking when they thought no one was listening, and it amused him greatly how unguarded they behaved. As always there was a quick retort.
"Isn't that your favoured approach? Anyway, it seems the stolen items have been turning up in various pawn shops around town, but never the same person takes the items," William informed her.
"So, it's organised, and they know how to not get caught," Eliza confirmed.
"Precisely, but we might be able to change that tonight."
Arthur noticed the mischief in both their eyes. He was patient as the Inspector opened the carriage door and offered his hand formally for Miss Scarlet to assist her inside before he followed, and then once Arthur heard the door click, he moved the horses on.
It was a warm evening with fortunately no sign of rain, so all of London's finest would be out in force around the Covent Garden theatres for an evening of promenading even if they weren't attending a show. Whilst during the day the centre was used for the market stalls, the evenings were usually awash with the upper class and those attending the nearby theatres.
It was bustling with people and carriages when they arrived, Arthur managed to pull up on the corner of St Paul's Church, giving him a prime position from his seat to oversee much of the large area. The Inspector exited the carriage first, followed by Miss Scarlet, and with a formal nod toward Arthur, William placed his top hat on his head, linked arms with Eliza and they headed into the crowd.
The gas lamps were lit giving off a warming glow, and many happy couples were wandering around the crowd. While the men were all dressed similarly in their opulent evening suits and top hats, many women were dressed in a way that was meant to stand out, with garish colours, expensive designs, elaborate fashions or hats with large feathers or decorations. Miss Scarlet was the opposite, and to Arthur, she stood out with the simplicity of her single-coloured dress and simple bow in her blonde hair.
He noticed the spark between them as the pair began to promenade with the best of them. William walked tall, proudly showing off the beautiful woman on his arm, while there was no hiding the hint of joy in Eliza's eyes at being escorted by the handsome man. When they accidentally caught each other's eyes, Arthur almost felt like he'd spied on a private moment between them as they looked almost bashfully at each other before recovering themselves.
Quickly, Arthur turned his attention to begin looking for anyone suspicious, and more importantly, any children who might be up to no good. The trouble was the children were chosen to be young and small enough that they could flit inconspicuously between people, taking their goods undetected. The older ones would keep to the edges of the crowd, resting against a wall out of the way to remain unnoticed, they would wait for someone to pass them a little too closely to steal the items they wanted. Both meant it was difficult to detect them in a sea of people.
While Eliza and William disappeared out of his sight, Arthur kept his eyes trained on the crowd. He knew the older ones would never speak, but if they could catch a younger one, they stood a chance. He scanned the crowd and finally spotted a small lad with his head down, his face hidden by his cap, hands in his pockets and looking like he was simply walking on his way somewhere. Yet there was something about him that made Arthur pay attention.
The way the lad appeared to be trying to stay unnoticed made Arthur suspicious, and as soon as he saw the couple again, he jumped down from the seat of his carriage. That motion alerted The Inspector and Miss Scarlet, and while Arthur pretended to check on his horses, he signalled to the pair about the lad to look out for. He laughed as William passed him and made a large show of his pocket watch and Miss Scarlet seemed to fawn over it, playing a scene between them perfectly and making it far too tempting for any potential pickpocket to ignore.
He watched as Eliza leaned her head in closely and appeared to whisper into William's ear, almost conspiringly, before smiling and returning to a semi-respectable distance for another lap of the area. They continued to play up the loving couple act to perfection the closer they got both seemingly lost in each other's attention. As Arthur suspected, the lad forgot his hurry and began to slow his pace before they continued passed and he stopped against a railing as if waiting for something. Arthur quickly returned to his seat to oversee the scene and waited for the action to happen. He wasn't waiting long, just one walk around the main concourse for the pair, before the lad sprang into action.
If Arthur hadn't been watching him so closely, he might have missed it, as the kid pushed off the railing, casually sauntered up slowly, and began walking towards them. He casually bumped into William as he walked past and in the blink of an eye attempted to take the pocket watch. Only William expected it and grabbed the lad's arm, pulling him around and whispering into his ear. The lad struggled, but it was no use against the strength of The Inspector, while Eliza moved quickly to the other side assisting with cornering him and calming things before a scene was made.
Arthur jumped down as he saw them moving purposely towards him. He pretended to hold the horses while he kept a lookout for anyone who might be watching the kid while they disappeared around the back of the carriage.
Out of sight, the two of them stood staring at the kid leaning awkwardly against the carriage. Arthur turned his head as William removed the lad's cap, and he saw long dark hair fall past the kid's shoulders. It suddenly dawned on him that the boy he'd been watching was a girl, and she looked rather perturbed at being caught and detained.
It seemed it was unexpected to William and Eliza too, as he noticed they shared a surprised look. The girl looked to Arthur to be about twelve or maybe fourteen at best but if she was scared, she didn't show it. After a moment, Eliza started her questions. Why had she tried to take the watch? Was there someone she was supposed to bring it to or was she just planning to pawn it herself?
The girl didn't speak, she simply folded her arms across her chest and kicked at the ground, clearly annoyed that she'd been caught.
Arthur looked back at the crowd scanning for anyone who might be approaching, but he continued to listen as the pair took turns with their questions to try and get her to talk without telling her who they were. It seemed neither would have much luck and she stubbornly refused to utter a single word, not even to tell them her name.
Occasionally, he would look back and observe how they were doing. He could tell that the Inspector was quickly getting irritated, but a touch to his wrist by Miss Scarlet seemed to keep his temper at bay.
Eventually, Arthur was surprised by Eliza's offer to take her to get some food if that was what she wanted the watch for. It made the girl look up with confusion at the kind act, he heard the girl talk for the first time as she questioned why she would do such a thing.
Whilst he should have been paying attention to the crowd, Arthur couldn't take his eyes off Miss Scarlet, as she spoke with sincerity.
"My father knew someone like you once and I know a simple act of kindness from him helped turn his life around. Maybe the same can happen for you."
She glanced briefly at the Inspector with a smile, while Arthur couldn't help but wonder if she was talking about him. Certainly, he knew that he and her father had been colleagues, but aside from knowing he was originally from Glasgow, no one knew much of his past.
"I am hungry," the girl admitted finally.
"Then all I ask is your name and we'll take you somewhere you can eat."
Was it really that simple, Arthur wondered? Apparently, it was. The girl told them her name was Sophie. A few moments later William was opening the door to the carriage and Eliza was giving Arthur the name and address of a hash house on a road that was close to her office.
She spoke rather loudly, but Arthur brushed it off, climbed back onto the seat of his carriage and geed up the horses. He was on alert for someone following him, as it seemed a little easy, and he wondered if it was a set-up by the girl, and that maybe someone was about to accost the carriage. Yet as he drove them away from Covent Garden towards Clerkenwell nothing was out of the ordinary, even when the roads quietened and in places, he was the only carriage out.
When they arrived, Arthur couldn't help but wonder why Miss Scarlet had chosen this eatery on a dark dead-end back street that looked less than appealing to eat in with its filth-covered windows and flume of smoke floating behind the building. It was strangely void of any other customers, which was peculiar but the three climbed out of his carriage and entered it without a word between them.
He watched from his seat as they took up a table in the window where he could see them talking. They seemed to sit in relative silence until some bread and a bowl of soup were left in front of Sophie. She dug in with gusto, and while Eliza seemed pleased, Arthur could tell that William was less so, and impatience was written all over his face.
Finally, it seemed like the girl had begun to speak, though Arthur had no idea of the conversation it seemed friendly. All was quiet outside, but Arthur didn't relax as he kept watch around. A movement in the shadows could have been nothing, but he didn't take a risk. It all seemed too eerily calm to him. He jumped down from his seat and pretended once more to see to the horses, while he pulled his Police whistle from his pocket.
He moved to soothe a horse who seemed a little spooked and looked around in the darkness, spotting another movement. Four men appeared out of the shadows and moved towards the eatery, Arthur held his nerve and waited for the opportune moment. Two of the men entered through the front door and Arthur didn't miss the glance towards the girl, as the look on her face told him she knew the men.
He moved his whistle to his lips ready to raise the alert, and a moment later it seemed like chaos descended on the small eatery. As the other two men entered, he saw The Inspector jump into action while Eliza moved Sophie protectively behind her. Arthur blew his whistle, loud and long to attract attention, while a brawl broke out inside, and he could only stand by and watch.
While William threw a few punches at one man, another approached Miss Scarlet who ducked an arm, and she quickly broke a bottle on his head. A chair was thrown, and tables were knocked. While the pair moved swiftly to avoid being cornered. Sophie remained frozen in a corner, watching the scene just as Arthur was.
One man grabbed Eliza around the waist and a gun was pulled by another, but a swift kick by Miss Scarlet to the man's most delicate parts saw him drop down and his gun sent spinning across the floor. She stomped on the foot of the man holding her with the heel of her boot, and then while he was stunned, she gave an elbow to his stomach before turning and pushing the palm of her hand into his nose. Arthur gave a silent cheer as the man collapsed onto the floor. It was entirely possible that she'd broken his nose.
William was dealing with his own problems, as he was cornered by the other two men, one was coming at him with his fists, while the other was busy breaking a chair to weld a leg as his weapon. Still, the Inspector was good with his fists as he made a few punches connect before he ducked a swing of the chair leg that hit his attacker squarely in the face.
A second later it seemed the only man who was still upright realised he was out of luck as Eliza stood bravely holding the lost gun towards him, and William took his gun from its holster and held it out, till the man dropped the chair leg and raised his hands in defeat.
As if Sophie saw she'd been offered an escape while they were distracted, she burst into life and made a run out the open door. Only Arthur was ready when she ran straight into his path, and he stopped her and held firm, just as other officers arrived having heard Arthur's whistle.
As things quietened, and the men were quickly cuffed, Arthur could see William and Eliza give each other a look of satisfaction, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a scheme going on that he wasn't aware of. However, he did notice Miss Scarlet roll her eyes, unimpressed with something The Inspector had said to her as she handed over the gun to him before they smiled at each other. It was the kind of smiles that lit up their eyes.
Sophie struggled in his arms, but Arthur kept hold of her until he was approached by Inspector Wellington, who gave a heavy sigh before he nodded to release her. She grunted as she stood under his disapproving gaze. Miss Scarlet followed him and at least seemed slightly sympathetic towards the girl.
"You set me up!" Sophie grumbled.
"We believed that whoever tried to take the pocket watch was most likely being watched, and followed," Eliza confirmed.
Arthur kept his head down, but he suddenly realised why Miss Scarlet had spoken to him so loudly when she gave him the address here. It was because she expected them to be overheard, even though he'd not noticed anyone nearby.
"You're going to get yourself into a whole heap of trouble if you're not careful," William said gravely. "So, I better not see you around Scotland Yard."
Sophie seemed uninterested in any kind of advice as she kicked her foot against the ground and refused to meet their eyes. Arthur noticed a look he couldn't explain between Eliza and William, it was almost a silent conversation made only with their eyes. Finally, William nodded for Sophie to go and he moved to talk with a constable who was awaiting the meet wagon to take the four men to Scotland Yard for questioning.
Arthur went to return to his seat on his carriage, but not before he noticed Miss Scarlet reach out and slip something into Sophie's hand. He wasn't sure but he could have sworn that she passed the girl a business card. The girl pocketed whatever it was and disappeared into the darkness in the blink of an eye.
Arthur waited on his carriage, watching the scene below. The four men in cuffs struggled against the constables as they were escorted to the wagon for arrest, Miss Scarlet and The Inspector spoke with the waitress while helping to put the eatery right. He chuckled when he heard Miss Scarlet announce for them to send the damages bill to Scotland Yard before The Inspector clapped back to send it to Nash and Sons since it was her idea to go there. There was the teasing he loved to hear between them.
Soon, the men were taken away, the constables dispersed back to their evening posts and Arthur was driving Miss Scarlet and the Inspector back to her home. The air was cool around him, and the route was lit only by the gas street lamps, but it gave the world a romantic feel as they pulled up to the house.
Once again Arthur kept his eyes in front and appeared uninterested in what was happening, which was of course a lie as he watched them from the corner of his eye. Eliza held William's arm tightly as they walked shoulder to shoulder to her door, which of course, was entirely unnecessary.
"You weren't going to arrest Sophie, were you?" he heard Eliza confirm.
"No. It would do her no good. I have the four men who followed us, I'm sure we'll get what we need from them. She reminds me a little of you, headstrong and determined. I hope you can get through to her."
Arthur was surprised that it sounded like Miss Scarlet was going to help the girl when they had only just met.
"Well, my father got through to you, so I'd say I have more than a 50/50 chance." He heard the inspector chuckle before they reached the top step of her house.
Arthur couldn't help but turn his head a little, and he noticed The Inspector leaning in and Miss Scarlet turning her head, allowing him to place a lingering kiss on her cheek. He couldn't tell in the light if she was blushing, but as they moved back, they certainly seemed in awe of each other as they stood motionless and caught in a daze. It was almost a shame when one of the horses let out a neigh, startling them.
Once more Arthur averted his eyes as they said their farewell and moments later William stepped backwards, and Eliza quickly turned around to unlock her front door. Arthur's glance was fixed on the road while he waited to hear the footsteps of The Inspector returning to the carriage. There was no word from him of where they were heading since they were clearly returning to Scotland Yard, only the soft sound of whistling.
Was there more to the relationship between The Inspector and Miss Scarlet? Many would speculate, but only he knew for sure that something was brewing between them.
Naturally, Arthur would never speak of what he had witnessed, but perhaps the lighter mood of the Inspector would give away the positive end to the evening. Arthur smiled to himself as he moved the horses on, realising, he was lucky, he'd fallen in love once, and perhaps, he was now a happy observer of another love story in the making.