I do not own Miss Scarlet & The Duke.
Chapter 21
"Oliver has agreed to come along today, as there may need to be an arrest." Duke says walking into Eliza's office bright and early.
"You are very chipper this morning." She yawns as they were both up early working separately on the case.
"I believe you have mistaken that for general happiness." He chuckles.
She smiles, she knows what he means, for she is happy as well. So happy, with him and their current arrangement, solving cases together.
"We will take a carriage to Scotland Yard, I will go inside to get Fitzroy and then he will lead the way in a police carriage." Duke talks out the plan to Eliza.
"Very well," She nods.
xxxx
As they arrive at Scotland Yard, Duke exits the carriage and strides up the stairs into the precinct. She decides this will go faster if she stays put.
She knows he just said this morning that he is happy, but she wonders if he misses this. In the past, she never once doubted that his future was at Scotland Yard, and she feels to blame for all potentially being stripped away. However, she also does not understand why he does not try and fight back. Surely, if they understood the situation better, they would fight for him as well.
Unless, Eliza wonders, unless Duke does not want to tell them about his involvement with her because he is embarrassed. A terrible thought but one that nevertheless, occasionally haunts her mind.
She's broken from her train of thought, as a copper descends the stairs in front of the precinct. His eyes meet Eliza's, and she smiles, a common greeting. But the smile seems to make the man unhinged, as he shouts and points his finger at Eliza,
"You….you are not welcome at Scotland Yard!"
She looks cross, whatever is this man's problem?
"I am merely sitting in a carriage, waiting on someone. I am doing no harm." She says nonchalantly.
"For one," the man throws up two fingers and Eliza is confused. She could have sworn she has seen this man before.
Ah yes, it's the one she punched, out in front of the women's suffrage meeting. Could he still be angry over that?
"For one, your precious Inspector Wellington no longer works here and for two, we are not allowed to hire any private investigators anymore! Not as though a lady detective should have ever gotten hired in the first place! Total rubbish. These jobs belong to us, the police! Not you sneaky, no good private detectives!" The man causes quite a scene and other coppers join in, shouting towards Eliza.
"She's a coward, won't even step out to face us, yet she steals our cases from under our noses!" One shouts.
"Coward! Yes! Coward!" The men chant.
Eliza's heart beats with fury, for these are the type of men she was just thinking of. Men who shame women for being independent and successful, and dare she say it, more successful than them.
She opens the door to the carriage, and as she is about to holler back and defend herself, Duke descends the steps, Fitzroy right on his heels.
He glances at Eliza, who stops, jaw ajar, unsure of what will happen in the next few moments.
"Stop! Eliza Scarlet is not less than! She's smarter than half of you bloody fools. Solves cases with her quick wit and incredible mind. Don't you dare for one-second insult her intelligence because you are intimidated by her! And a coward, you say? You are the ones shouting at a woman in the street. For the love, get it together men!" He growls to the coppers, and at that most of them scatter.
He spits on the stairs, "Despicable!"
"It has gotten rough around here in your absence, Sir." Fitzroy says behind Duke.
"I can see that, Detective." He works his jaw frustrated at the scene that has just unraveled in front of him.
xxxx
"Okay, I have the one we are looking for. When I met Katherine early this morning, at the market, she recognized this picture out of the ones you gave me." Eliza hands the photo over to Duke.
"It appears our man Toddy does have sons, unlike Nash." He chuckles and looks at Eliza who looks bored by his joking.
"Rough crowd." He clears his throat.
"The late Jeffrey Toddy, the owner of the manufacturing company, did indeed use arsenic to make his wallcoverings and his sons who have since took over for him, maintain the use of arsenic. His sons' names are Hosea and Arthur. Arthur is our man." Fitzroy explains, Eliza can tell Duke has been utilizing his resource.
"Shame, shame on Arthur. So are we thinking the motive is…?" Duke begins and Eliza interrupts, "Surely, Jane witnesses the affair, and confronts Arthur and Mrs. Wright. And when they do not stop meeting, she threatens to tell and that's when Arthur gets rid of her." She nods.
"Would he not suspect we would find him out? What with the connection arsenic has to wallcoverings?" Duke plays devils advocate.
"Well, many places now pride themselves on not using arsenic in their wallcoverings, because many reports have been released in medical journals of the lethal gas that is produced from the arsenic. Slowly killing people in their homes….Just terrible really." She explains.
"And in large amounts, instantly fatal." Fitzroy acknowledges.
"Precisely. This will be quite the bad press for the company. Murder and Arsenic. What a day." Eliza says.
"Indeed, after we get Arthur, we will bring in Mrs. Wright for questioning." Duke agrees.
"Sounds like a plan," Eliza smiles.
"Right, now stay in the carriage and we will go make the arrest." Duke speaks to Eliza.
"Ehm, excuse me what?" She gasps at him.
" Eliz-uh, "
" William ."
They have a stare off and neither bats an eye. Fitzroy backs away.
"I am not staying in this carriage like some useless damsel in distress." She crosses her arms and stamps her foot.
Duke clenches his jaw, still a bit shook up from her encounter with the coppers earlier.
"You do not have a gun." He explains.
"Neither do you, Scotland Yard took it in your suspension," she pushes back.
He rolls his eyes and sighs.
"Do you think I am not a valuable asset in there. Is what you said at Scotland Yard, for all those men to hear, just a show for me? Did you not mean a thing a said?" She inquires.
"I meant every word I said." His voice lowers in frustration.
"Then why are you treating me like a woman ?" She says it like it's a bad word, and he cannot stand hearing her like this.
"Eliza, I know you are perfectly capable and I know that you can handle yourself," he begins.
"You are damn right I can, how many times before have I cornered suspects only for you to show up nearly an hour after? How is this time any different? Why are you closing me out of my own case?" She challenges him.
He exhales, clearly frustrated. He is unsure of how to communicate his feelings.
Eliza marches on, like a soldier on the front lines.
"I am not the enemy here. I simply want to keep you safe." He towers over her, taking deep breaths, trying to stay calm.
"You do know that if or when we are married, I will stay working… don't you?" She inquires.
"Of course, I know that," He says.
"Well, every day will hold perils." She states facts.
"And I will never be comfortable with that…" She rolls her eyes in a huff and tries to spin around to avoid his advances but he catches her elbow gently and turns her back to him. He stares at her intently, "Eliza, you did not let me finish, I will never be comfortable with you being in danger, but you are right."
"What?" She says, slightly shocked.
"You must do it. You must see the cases through, you are right. That is what a good detective does. And you are a good detective."
She adjusts her sleeves, a nervous tick to touch her dress, he notices.
"Thank you, William."
"There is one difference now though. You can handle the danger yourself, yes, but you do not have to. We are here together, we will go in together." He nods, keeping steady eye contact.
"Do you remember when you came looking for me in the prison?" She says.
"Cell 99, how could I forget?" He replies.
"Do you remember how well we worked together in there? Fighting for our lives, but together ?" She recalls.
"Precisely, let's do that again. You are strong. I am strong. But ultimately we are strongest together. Just as partners have each other's backs. You are my partner Eliza." He places his hand on her shoulder and squeezes it. She nods.
"Are you two ready? You are bickering like an old married couple. Wait…when you went to New York did you two…" Fitzroy points between them and they both look at him at the same time and say, "No!"
"Okay, okay, just curious." Fitzroy puts his hands up, chuckling.
"Are you ready?" Fitzroy looks at Duke, and Duke looks at Eliza.
"Just give the nod," Duke tells Eliza and Fitzroy pulls his gun.
Eliza nods and Duke responds, "Let's go get our man."
xxxx
They put the case to bed late afternoon after interviewing Mrs. Wright and connecting her to Arthur Toddy. She admitted to the affair and being a co-conspirator to Jane's murder. Arthur and Mrs. Wright were both going to jail.
Fitzroy shakes Duke's hand and nods to Eliza, "It's been fun, in case you ever want to do this again, you know where to find me."
Eliza smiles, and nods back to him. "Take care, Oliver."
"Are you going somewhere again, Sir?" Fitzroy asks Duke.
"No, no, I am staying here. Where I belong, with whom I belong." He looks over at Eliza, whose cheeks are filled with pink.
"Gee, do not forget to send me an invitation alright?" He laughs.
Eliza and Duke both look at him then, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.
Fitzroy chuckles and gets into his carriage, "Good day, Miss Scarlet. Sir." And off he goes.
"He really looks up to you," Eliza notices.
"I suppose," Duke replies, rubbing his neck.
"As he should, you are quite honorable." She says to him, her eyes glistening.
At that, he tucks her arm around his and they walk back to her home.
xxxx
Eliza pours Duke a glass of whiskey and hands it to him as he sits on the couch. She, on the other hand, wanders to the front window in the drawing room. It has darkened outside, and gray clouds have overtaken the sky. Rain begins to fall against the window. The firelight shines in the room, creating a certain type of ambiance.
Ivy is finishing up at the market and should be home in about an hour to start dinner. Mr. Potts arrives after the work day has ended, typically closer to sunset.
"You know William, today at the precinct, you did not have to say those things to those men, I can stand up for myself," Eliza looks over her shoulder at him.
"Eliza, as I said, I meant every word," He enunciates and glances at her across the room. She moves closer to him.
He was bold for her today, he didn't have to be. Especially in front of Scotland Yard.
He continues, "You are not less, Eliza. You are equal. You are my equal. " He watches her closely, setting down his whiskey.
As if those were the words her heart had been waiting on all these years, she gracefully, and silently approaches him without hesitation.
His admission to her just now? Well, it is her undoing.
She climbs into his lap. He watches her in wonder. Her heart hammers in her chest, but she pays it no mind. For this man, this man holds her heart. She can trust him with everything. He is her everything. He brings his hands cautiously to her waist and leans his head back, eyes searching hers. She leans her head down and kisses him. Her hands reach into his hair, her fingers pulling gently on his waves. She pulls back from him, and whispers breathlessly, " And you are mine."