Hi Folks! Well, here it is. Crucial part of the story for both William and Eliza. Let's just say that neither one of them are going to be too pleased once they found out where the other was or has been. Let me know how you're liking it or not liking it so far. Oh yeah gotta work on the case part as well. Right now we're worried about Eliza and William. Thank you for viewing and your comments. (Masterpiece - Bring Back The Duke!) Love-Carebearmaxi
Funny Meeting You Here
Chapter 9
William stood in front of the mirror in his office giving himself the onceover to be sure that his hair was not out of place or his tie crooked or have any unnecessary dirt on clothes from some unforeseen dirty crime scene worked earlier in the day. He brushed the dirt off his jacket and then stared in the mirror as he contemplated what his evening would be spent with his men. As William seemed to look at himself in the mirror his mind flew to the previous night where Eliza accepted his marriage proposal. He was happy because he had carried that ring all the way from New York and prayed that she would be attached to it when he went back.
The last desire William possessed was to join these loyal and very good men out for a night to celebrate his last days of bachelordom. He had had his days of drinking, carousing, and womanizing. Now and for a long time, all William wanted was a comfortable home with one woman whom he could share the ups and downs of life and, maybe, children.
It had taken stubbornness, unwillingness, and finally a long separation to realize that he wanted Eliza to be his comfort and love as he desired to be hers. Her investigation career was a part of how she was constructed and William loved that, too, because it was their common ground. She was an extremely intelligent woman. She was courageous, tenacious, and he knew she was the only one he wanted to return his love. After denying it for so long and trying to find what he wanted in other women, it was finally Arabella who had brought it home to him. He only hoped that Eliza did truly want to marry him and all that went with it.
He would never be her master or her boss or ask her to be something she was not. He knew Eliza well enough that what he loved about her would vanish and she would only be a shell of herself which would not bode well for their relationship. However, she was capable of so much love and she showed him in her own way.
Standing there at the mirror over the fireplace next to his desk, he found nothing on his person out of place and smiled. He was happy or about as happy as being an overwhelmed busy Detective Inspector for Scotland Yard could be. He looked down then at his desk and found the newest addition there in a frame. It was a photograph of Eliza taken when she was barely 21. Ivy had found it before he left for New York and gave it to him so as not to forget her and remember to return as fast as he could.
"In spite of all the barriers you two seem to have toward making a life together, Eliza loves you very, very much. She feels inept to deal with domestic issues as she had not real example or a need to learn the skills of a good wife. Iff her father were still alive, I am sure things would have been different." Ivy had said this to him before he left and placed the picture of her in his jacket pocket.
He had smiled at the picture. Just as he did now.
"I know Eliza cares for me and I am not asking her to make a firm decision to abandon one for the other. I am leaving myself to know how or what arrangement we can make so we can be together. I know she loves me, Ivy. She has showed me so much of that in the last few months since my accident, but I need her to take a cold hard look at herself and us because once I make up my mind to take a wife I will not waiver or be untrue." William had said this to Ivy and he had meant it. He still did. So, if his heart were to be broken and Eliza and he could not find a life together then he would have no choice but continue on without her.
"Hey Duke, wha' you got cold feet or something?" Phelps called in to him. "I gotta warn ya. Married life can be a pain in the arse, so you gotta take the good stuff when it comes along. Tonight is the good stuff."
"I'm comin' Charlie." William said placing Eliza's picture back on his desk. He grabbed his hat and closed the door of his office.
The group of detectives walked the short walk to Victoria's Haunt. They were expected so the maitre'd (if you want to call him that) showed them to their table located front and center of the stage, so they would have best view of the women in the show and their talents.
Detective Phelps led the boisterous bunch of detectives to their seats. All taking shots at William with jibes and complaints about marriage and discouraging him in a good way not to attempt it after all. The only two not seeming to enjoy themselves were William and Fitzroy.
William was prepared to say goodbye and good riddance to his bachelor days because he would have rather spent the evening catching up with Eliza to see how her day had fared.
Fitzroy was uncomfortable because he prayed that Ivy had been able to locate Eliza and get her the message not to perform tonight as her intended would be there.
"Everythin' all right, Fitzroy?" William asked Oliver as he sat beside him. William took a drink of his whiskey and savored it. He had not had a shot all day. Usually when the investigations became too absurd or numerous a swig of whiskey was just the thing. At the moment, the drink just placated William until he could leave, give his thanks, and be where he wanted to be.
"Yes, of course, sir. Why wouldn't it?" Oliver asked nervously afraid knowing that William perceived something awry.
"Oh, it just seems you a bit nervous. Do you know the young women who work here? Has there been raid on this place since I've been gone?"
Oliver swallowed hard to both questions. He could not answer William honestly because if Eliza were not here, as he hoped, then any upset would have been unnecessary. As for the other question, Fitzroy had been working the case by himself of the dead John Doe who was deemed dead by misadventure. Eliza had not returned to re take possession of the mortuary report which had placed Fitzroy in an odd spot. Since he was a detective, though, Mr. Potts had forgiven him for not returning the file. Oliver knew that Mr. Potts' memory was always faulty when Eliza had been in his office. She could upset him so. That thought brought a small smile to Oliver's young face.
"Amused by something, are you?" William asked continuing in his examination as to why Oliver did not seem pleased to be sharing in this event as were the rest of the men
"Just thinking, sir, of Mr. Potts. I returned a mortuary report to him this morning and he was so overwrought that he had forgotten it had been taken."
"Not by Miss Scarlet?" William wanted to confirm.
"Well, yes and no," Oliver ventured.
Wiliam turned to look at him amidst the slaps on the back and the men carousing and drunk already it seemed.
"What do you mean, yes and no? Should I be concerned?"
"No…it's like this, sir. Miss Scarlet took a coroner's report from Mr. Potts on a case I was working. She thought it might actually be a part of her case considering the place where the body was found. So, she maneuvered her way into the mortuary with Mr. Potts' consent and took the file and brought it to me."
"So, everything is good?" William asked sighing heavily.
"Yes, sir, yes."
"Good. I guess since we're here we'll enjoy the show," William said as he heard a trumpeter blow his horn signaling the beginning of the show.
William and his men had sat through three ladies' performances. Each lady had her own gimmick and then paraded around in various stages of undress. Not completely naked but just enough to tease the mostly male audience and get them to beg for more.
William clapped and hallooed for affect for the men and drank a good deal of whisky. He was really enjoying himself and was grateful to Phelps and the men for throwing this celebration together so quickly. With the excess of cases that Scotland Yard had taken on in the last year, there had been little time for men not to have been asked for extra duty. They were grateful for the extra pay, but it left them very little time for families, friends, and just relaxing after their hard days.
So, this was a nice change William concluded as he waited for the next lady to present her wares. William noticed the next woman's stage name was Scarlet Rose. The young woman who pranced on stage was dressed in a voluminous green and pink robe with matching feathers in her hair. She greeted the audience with a sharp cockney accent and sat herself primly on a plain wooden chair. After the first verse of her song regarding some bawdy wife, Scarlet Rose unbuttoned her robe and shimmied it down off her shoulders with a flourish. She then cut into another verse and kicked the robe away revealing her tightly corseted garish pink and green costume hugging high on her hips and between her thighs with black fishnet stockings and high buttoned, high heeled boots. William had to acknowledge that she was a pretty woman although she sang a little offkey but still entertaining as she paraded around the stage shedding green and pink feathers from her tail and head sections. Between her verses she talked to the audience in a blue type of double entendre speech with a seemingly affected cockney accent.
At the last verse, Scarlet Rose straddled her wooden chair like a man. She looked into the audience and hit a real clunker of a note. She attempted to hide a shock after looking into the audience and retain her composure as she spotted William sitting in the audience enjoying the show.
William from his point of view had wondered how the performer's demeanor had changed suddenly faltering when she especially looked directly at him….
"ELIZA!" William shouted and rose from his chair. The other men had not noticed it was the prim and annoying Miss Scarlet with the exception of Fitzroy who also jumped up and ran out the door with William trying to calm him.
Mr. Bydinway attempted to stop William and Oliver on their way out but William left fuming from what Eliza could tell from the stage and Oliver waving apologetically at her.
The other men just sat there with their mouths open and then they broke into loud appreciative laughter and begged for more from Scarlet Rose. They were all too far gone in their drink to care that that woman on the stage had just embarrassed their superior officer and their friend.
Eliza hurried from the stage donning her voluminous robe, wrapping it around her, and running out into the street looking for William. The only person she encountered was Oliver Fitzroy.
"Oliver, where did William go?"
"I don't know, Eliza. I can't believe you went through and performed anyway after I gave the message to Miss Woods earlier today."
"What message?" Eliza asked as she paced furiously up and down
"I gave Ivy the message that we were coming here tonight with Inspector Wellington as a warning for you not to perform here."
"I never got the message. I did not see Ivy. What time was this?"
"I guess about 11 this morning," Oliver said.
"I was at my office and then I had errands and some leads I had to chase down on this case, so I suppose Ivy couldn't find me."
Eliza looked down and the dim light from the street lamp caught one of the facets in her small diamond ring. The glint caught Eliza's eye and she was worried about William's reaction but she prayed that Clarissa and Octavia were still in the alcove behind her dressing room.
"Look, Oliver, could you please find William for me and tell him to meet me at my house?"
"Surely. I just don't know where he would have gone."
"I have an idea and I don't like it."
"So, you don't think he's already at your house?"
"No. I'm afraid that's the last place where he wants to be found right now."
Eliza was right. William found himself at Arabella's. More specifically at her house in her living room sharing a drink.
"I know she goes the extra mile for her investigations but dressed like a…."
"Bawdy girl," Arabella provided. She did not want William to use a word like "whore" because they both know that Eliza was not that and would never be that.
"For lack of a better word. She was wearing her ring! So, everyone knows she's an engaged woman, and she's my woman!"
"William, no one knew until now. She's on a case. She even said she was," Arabella said pleading Eliza's case.
William sat back down.
"She removed her clothing and straddled a chair like a man!"
Arabella was amused by how deeply undercover Eliza was willing to go to serve her client but she did not want William to think that she found he was blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Arabella knew Eliza fairly well and knew Eliza's behavior to be part of the job and was not setting out to embarrass William no matter what he thought.
"William, go talk to Eliza."
"I can't. My men were there. She's embarrassed me in front of them. I'm sure that none of their wives paraded around on a stage stripping and parading like she was selling herself to them!"
Arabella smiled. She was still amused and admired Eliza for her courage in doing a job that most women could care less about. William was hurt, though, and Arabella did not like that. He was a good man, and she would have liked to hang onto him longer than she could have. It was just difficult to be comfortable with a man when he wanted to be with another woman.
"Well, stay here a while. I have to get back to the restaurant. When you're ready to leave send me a message."
William looked at Arabella and said, "I am so sorry. I have no right to burden you with my troubles. Eliza is mine and always has been my trouble."
Arabella looked up into his face and kind eyes and said, "It's no problem. What else are friends for?
After Eliza had ventured back inside and to her dressing room, she heard loud voices in the back of her dressing room. That sounds like Mr. Bydinway and Octavia and Clarissa! Eliza thought. Eliza wanted to go back and see what was happening but she thought of William and his embarrassment at finding her working at a nightclub in a sleezy outfit showing off parts of her body that should only belong to him.
Deciding that for once a case could wait, she hurriedly dressed in her street clothes, went outside and walked back home slowly. Hoping that William would understand once she explained it all to him.