Hi Folks! Just a cute little chapter with some information pertinent to Patrick's case. Hopefully, you're enjoying this work. Please if you can or desire leave a comment. Thank you for your attention. Love-Carebearmaxi.

Funny Meeting You Here

Book 2/Chapter 19

"Is he resting now?" Ivy asked. She had removed her coat and gloves by now and was at the moment mending something long, silky, antique white and covered in lace.

"Ivy, what are you doing?" Eliza asked.

"Your mother's wedding dress. Didn't you recognize it?" Ivy asked talking while working with scissors and a handful of silk.

"I had forgotten about it just now. You know we set the date, but we never discussed anything else last night."

To this Ivy looked up at Eliza.

"You're blushing again, Lizzie," Ivy said smiling. "You never blush."

Ivy gave her a raised eyebrow as she pulled her needle through the fabric.

Memories of the previous night spent in front of a fire and then in William's bed with his arms around her and he inside her sharing ecstasies forged a fire in her body and soul. Eliza put hands to her redden cheeks and sat down. She looked at Ivy who still had a smug reproachful look to her satirical eye.

"All I can say is that it's about time you and William were together like that," Ivy said in a stage whisper. There was no one else in the house. Barnabas had gone to the mortuary and William was at the prison to ask questions.

"I know you I should slap you for your impertinence, Ivy, but I have to agree with you," Eliza said. "I just want to sing my happiness to the rafters. I wish it were proper to go into detail, but it isn't."

"I should think not, young lady!"

They both laughed when Ivy rose holding the gown up by its shoulders in front of herself.

"Get up, Lizzie, please. I want to see if I have made enough alterations in this gown for you. You're not quite as tall as your mother was. So, I took the skirt up a little."

Eliza rose and stood up while Ivy held the gown in front of her. Eliza wiped at her wet eyes as she glanced at the length of the antique white silk and lace. The gown was beautiful with a high neck with lace at the throat and cuffs. Satin covered the bodice and sleeves and the skirt which billowed out from the tiny waist. It had been quite a chore to shorten the skirt on this gown. However, Ivy had no intention of touching the long train.

Eliza could smell the lilac cologne of her mother still encrusted in its fabric. It had been a long time since her mother had died. It was a wonder that the dress was so well preserved that Ivy could alter it only a little so Eliza could wear it for her own wedding. Eliza smiled because she knew that Ivy despaired that she would ever marry let alone wear her mother's dress. She missed her mother so much. Thank God she had had Ivy all these years.

"Oh my, Lizzie. You will look beautiful in Lavinia's gown," Ivy said with her own tears erupting from her eyes.

"Thank you, Ivy," Eliza said gently wiping away Ivy's tears. "No one could have been more of a mother to me than you. I know I have not been the easiest of daughters to raise."

Eliza hugged Ivy while her mother's, now Eliza's, wedding gown was held hostage squeezed between them.

"William? What brings Scotland Yard to the Northwest London Penitentiary?"

"I didn't know you are now the Warden for this prison. Last time I saw you we were graduating from the Police Academy. How you've been Algernon?"

"I've been all right. Didn't land quite as softly as you, William. I heard you were in New York on a temporary assignment," stated Algernon Connolly, an Irishman, who once had good intentions of being a cop for Scotland Yard but ran into a much bigger and more successful Scotsman named William Wellington.

The two men shook hands and then William took a seat.

"I thought you were still in New York?"

"I would be except things called me back temporarily," William said uncomfortably. He did not like talking about himself especially when he was here investigating.

"Phelps tells me you're marrying Henry Scarlet's daughter. Isn't that fortunate?"

William never really liked Algernon because Algernon had a difficult time keeping his hostility toward more fortunate and better men like William under guard.

"Yes, well, Charlie does like to talk."

Just when Algernon was opening his mouth to continue pumping William for more personal small talk, William spoke.

"Algernon, I'm not here to invite you to my wedding although you are welcome to come. I am here because lying at death's door is a former detective who worked for me once or twice name of Patrick Nash. I was told that his cell mate was poisoned to death and then Mr. Nash was summarily released."

Algernon made a pretense of ruffling papers like he was going through official paperwork to find an answer to William's unanswered question.

"Mr. Patrick Nash who was incarcerated for murder, correct?"

"Yes, he was sentenced to sixteen years, but yesterday appeared on my fiancée's doorstep after not even serving a year. I think that's a bit strange, don't you?"

"I would say it's not normal," Algernon held up a paper and handed it to William for examination. "That release says that he was not only exempt from payment but there was no qualm in allowing him out the door with no reproach or warning."

William tossed the paper back onto the warden's desk.

"Where were you on the night three weeks ago when the cell mate, a Nathan Werth, was being poisoned?"

"I was home that day entertaining." Algernon said smiling smugly. He was a tall broad man with blonde wisps of hair on his round head and big blue eyes that could turn ice blue when he was upset or lying. William knew this as he had spent an excessive amount of time with him during their academy days. Mostly trying to help him get through the rigorous physical training.

"Well, who was attending the prisoners? Giving them their meals? I'm assuming that one of those distributed the poison. It seems that Mr. Nash may also have ingested a bit of the poison as he lying in a sickbed with pneumonia."

Algernon gave William a hooded look. He was not divulging any information to William whether he was in a professional capacity or not. It simply did not concern him.

Eliza sat with Patrick and, once in a while, he was coherent enough to provide more information.

It was early evening, and she had just returned from the mortuary where she had to again bargain with Mr. Potts about handing over the autopsy report on Nathan Wert.

"This is a murder investigation, Mr. Potts, which William is working with me. I can promise we will get you a warrant later. I need it now, please, Mr. Potts," Eliza had pled urgently.

When Eliza arrived back with the file burning in her hands, Eliza immediately went upstairs to see Patrick. Ivy was just emerging from the sickroom with an empty pitcher of water.

"How is he?" Eliza asked.

"I daresay he may be doing a little better. He drank an entire pitcher of water. I wouldn't keep him long, though, he needs his rest," Ivy said patting Eliza's wrist before descending the stairs.

As Eliza now sat beside Patrick's bedside praying that his fever would break, she so wanted to finish what was started. Patrick's input was necessary as she read the results of the autopsy of his cellmate. Eliza looked at the clock on the nightstand and noted it was now about seven pm and William had been gone most of the day. She was worried for him. It was one of the few times she actually worried for him. Eliza thought this silly. It seemed he was in no real danger this time just going to a place where he was familiar to ask questions on an investigation.

Nonsense! Eliza berated herself as her worry for William continued. William was a man who knew how to take care of himself. He was not only from the streets, but he was trained as a policeman and led other men to take the same chances he did. Until she saw her tall handsome fiancé come through the door, Eliza would be sitting on pins and needles.

"Patrick, try to answer me. Who was close to your cell mate? Did he have enemies that you knew of?" Eliza asked suddenly realizing that she needed to double her efforts if she were to solve this mystery.

Patrick opened his eyes at that question and laughed derisively. "We all had enemies in that place."

Eliza went downstairs a few minutes later having gotten very little from Patrick. She was sitting in the living room having a drink when she heard the outside door click and then she heard William's unmistakable footfall coming closer to the living room. The door clicked open, and Eliza immediately rose and placed her glass on the coffee table.

"William," Eliza said. He came to her. Gave her a welcoming relieved look and took her into his arms and sighed heavily. He turned his head and laid his cheek on top of her head.

Eliza moved her head and dislodged William's cheek. She looked up at him and saw his red rimmed lined eyes.

"Oh, you look so tired," Eliza said as she took William's hand and led him to a seat beside the roaring fire.

"Well, we didn't get much sleep last night," William joked sarcastically to which Eliza gave him a sarcastic side eye. He sat and rubbed his eyes. He leaned back on the couch.

"You missed dinner, so before we talk about what you discovered at the penitentiary, I will find what is left."

She was on the way to get him something to eat and drink when William grabbed her hand and coaxed her to sit with him.

"Eliza, it's all right. I will have something later. Just sit with me. There's plenty to talk about and all I want is to have your company."

Eliza smiled as she kissed him. She did not protest and touched his face and said, "I missed you, too, William."

"So, Patrick told me that normally you have to pay to be released. His assets were frozen on the date he was imprisoned. Apparently Patrick had told the warden this information but then he was pushed out of the building and told not to look back," Eliza related to William.

"What did you find out when you talked to the Warden?"

William swirled his glass of whiskey and then took a sip.

"I happen to be acquainted with the Warden of that prison. We went to the Police Academy together."

"So, you're friends then? You must have found out a great deal of information then," Eliza thought happily until William gave her a shocked look.

"No, Eliza, we're not any sort of friends. I spent most of the time in academy saving his ass," William said disgruntled.

William finished his drink in one draft and then continued.

"His name is Algernon Connolly. He was rather hostile because he thinks that since Henry mentored me I had it easy getting to my present position; whereas he wound up as a prison warden at one of the worse prisons in England and I was there without a warrant."

There was a moment of contemplative silence between them.

Then, William uttered. "God, Eliza, I miss him."

Eliza immediately knew William referred to her father.

"I miss him, too, very much," Eliza said quietly placing a hand on William's thigh as he sat next to her.

Eliza looked at William and suddenly smiled wistfully. "I wonder what he would say if he knew our future plans."

William began to laugh his big warm hearty laugh. "I think he would be happy that we're getting married. I know he would be proud of you and your professional accomplishments. I think you would have surprised him. I've said it before. You are a determined and a very good detective. You know you are much better than many of the men I have on my team."

Eliza lowered her head. She had heard William tell her that many times and his continued faith in her abilities like giving her cases when he could before he left for America and being there to support her when other men would not give her professional courtesy. She loved him for that and loved him because he was such an incredible man in his own right.

"Thank you, William. Now regarding our upcoming life together, I promise I will try to be a better cook and learn to keep house better."

"What about children?"

"Babies? I promise to be the best mother I can be of our children when and if they come along, but you know, William, I am not stopping work when they come."

William smiled and said, "I shouldn't think you would have."

After a few more minutes of pleasant silence between them they kissed softly and looked into each other's eyes. William stroked Eliza's back as she looked into the fire leaning on his strong thigh.

William and Eliza moved their conversation to the kitchen while William finished what Ivy had prepared earlier for dinner.

"Where is Ivy?"

"Where do you think?" Eliza asked in return with a smile.

William smiled and took another bite of meat. Eliza sat patiently drinking a glass of water. She decided she had had enough of whiskey for one day. Besides, she needed to keep herself focused on what William was about to impart.

"So, what else did Algernon tell you?" Eliza asked.

William waited until he swallowed his food to answer.

"He told me that the day before Nash was released that a visitor had come for Nathan Wert."

"Patrick's cell mate."

"Yes. He also told me that although it was unusual for prisoners to have visitors it was not unusual that a Harold Middleton was calling for Nathan."

"Is that because he was his private doctor?"

"How did you know that?"

"He's been paying for the privilege of his own physician. He is the one who identified the body and remained while they did the autopsy. That's according to the report," Eliza said.

Both sat in contemplative silence as William finished his meal and Eliza took his plate to the sink. She then handed him a piece of leftover birthday cake which Ivy knew he had not finished, so William was very pleased when he saw it.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think Ivy likes you," Eliza added as she handed him a fork.

William cut a bite of the large slice that Eliza had given him and closed his eyes in total enjoyment of the cake.

"Really, Eliza, you will need to learn to cook before we get married," William said only half joking.

Eliza gave him a very unfriendly look.

"I will learn William and you will learn to be patient," Eliza responded in an impatient tone of voice.

"You know I could get use to this," William had said. He was relaxed and looked much like he did when he was recovering from his shot wound.

"What?" Eliza smiled.

"Comin' home at the end of a day, sitting here with you…"

"Sharing facts about a case together?" Eliza interjected because she really thought that William meant being catered to and having her wait on him hand and foot was what he really wanted from her. Eliza hoped William realized that she would meet him halfway as long as he reached out with a half, too.

"Yes, Eliza, we already discussed this, and we know what we are planning. Good Lord, woman, stop getting so hostile. It will make me change my mind to want to marry you and not settle for a more domestic type that will obey me," William was silent and giving Eliza a teasing look.

"Oh, you mean like Arabella?" Eliza said fishing and she was sorry the minute she said it.

"Eliza!" William said not more than a little disgusted.

"I'm sorry, William," Eliza said as she placed her hand over his. "I'm very sorry."

William put down his fork and took both her hands in his.

"It's fine. I know. You're afraid of what marriage to me really will be like. Believe me I'm in the same boat."

"What do you mean? You're scared to marry me. I know there are some aspects of marriage to me that you won't regret."

"Eliza!" William rose. He looked to be fleeing the kitchen for other parts of the house when he stopped and began to laugh.

"William? Why are you laughing?" Eliza asked.

William turned around and came back and knelt in front of Eliza's chair.

"Because I love you, and I admit I can't handle you. However, there's no way in hell I'm not marrying you. No matter how much you frustrate me." He touched her cheek.

Eliza smiled and was somewhat relieved that she had not offended him.

"Ok. I promise storm is over. Now can we go upstairs and continue going over our information?"

"Certainly."