HI Folks! This chapter was ready before I thought it was. Here it is! Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. -Carebearmaxi.
Funny Meeting You Here
Book 2/Chapter 15
William met Eliza at her office a few nights later. Coincidentally, it happened to be the last Wednesday of the month. Wednesday was always their night.
Eliza smiled as she saw William come through the door. She held a finger up to halt him from saying anything or going any farther as she was in the middle of writing. After a few seconds, she dotted her i's and crossed her t's and shut the book. William assumed it was a diary or datebook. She placed the pen on her desk, rose excitedly, and catapulted herself into William's arms.
Surprising him with her outburst of affection, he hugged her tightly.
"Eliza! To what do I owe this wonderful greeting?" William asked pulling back a bit in her embrace and seeing her wide smile and sparkling blue eyes.
Before disengaging, she reached up on her toes and kissed him on his lips. This surprised William even more. Dropping his coat and hat in the chair next to the fireplace, he grabbed Eliza's hand before she could get too far away from him, pulled her back into his arms and embraced her tightly once again. This time their kiss was a bit slower and deeper. It felt so good to have her in his arms. Those long nights he spent in New York, an ocean away from her, he had dreamed that one day it would be like this between them. He felt her arms slide around his neck and her feet slightly off the ground. He bent his knees slightly to allow her to stand.
"Well, what's happening?" William asked smiling himself.
"I have cleared my last case and collected my last fee! We can set a wedding date now!"
William smiled and stared at her expression and happy face. Never did he believe Eliza would be that happy to marry. Knowing what he knew about her, he thought she would go into marriage kicking and screaming and settling for something that she knew was expected of her. He was gratified that he may have been the cause of Eliza's sudden giddiness for domestic life.
Without further ado, William picked up his own hat and coat and then retrieved Eliza's from the hook just inside the entrance to her small office. He assisted as she donned her warm coat and handed her the pert matching red hat which she pinned playfully on the top of her bright blonde upswept hair. Looking at her, William's fingers were itching to pull all the pins from her hair to watch it tumble down in glistening curls down her naked back.
"William?" Eliza asked catching him in his daydream.
Coming back to the present day, he smiled and said, "We're going to Gilbert's tonight."
"We've haven't been there since you returned. I'm surprised you got a reservation. They've expanded in the year since you've been gone. They are almost as large as Arabella's now." William felt good that she could say that name without flinching or evoking memories of a difficult time between them when he was seeing Arabella.
"Good," William said as he allowed Eliza, chattering away all the while, depart the office before him. He closed the door and gestured for Eliza to give him the key so he could lock it. At one time, Eliza did not keep the door locked, but after a smattering of incidences where strangers were to be found when she arrived there, she had put a lock on the door with only one key which she normally kept on her person. Eliza had told him this information only a couple of days ago. He winced at the thought of his Eliza, perhaps, in danger.
He handed Eliza back the key and they proceeded down the stairs to the ground and out the door of the building. When they went outside in the late day twilight, hidden in the alley created by the two larger buildings directly adjacent on either side, William took advantage of the gathering darkness and pulled Eliza into his arms and kissed her deeply.
"Oh William, I love you," Eliza whispered excitedly in his ear between the kisses that William continually placed on her lips.
"I love you too, Eliza. Do you know why I had to kiss you right here, right now?"
"Because you love it, I know you do!"
"No…" he teased. "To shut you up. Apparently only telling you I love you and kissing you keep you from chattering away on one thing or another."
Eliza smiled and took the gibe for the tease it was. "I'm sorry. I'm just very excited about it all!"
William released her and then proffered his arm for her to take while they walked from the small alley into the street. Gilbert's was not too far away, so there was no need to hire a hackney or other livery service.
When they arrived, the headwaiter recognized them and offered them their usual table.
As they looked over the menu, William began to tell Eliza of his day at the office.
They were in the middle of their meal when the reality of their plans hit Eliza.
"So, how long will it take to close your office?" William asked.
"Close my office?" Eliza asked hesitantly. It seemed it was the first time that marrying William and moving to a new country meant that she really was finished in London as the first female private detective.
William's eyebrows rose as he looked at her. His fork was held suspended over his peas as he waited for her answer.
"Is it there a problem, love?" William asked seeing the confused look on Eliza's face.
"No, of course not," Eliza responded. "All of a sudden I'm not so hungry." She placed a hand on her stomach as if she had had a pain.
"Eliza? You do realize that you needed to close your office here if you are moving to New York with me."
"Of course, William. I want to be with you, and I am willing to stop work until I can get established in New York," Eliza said breathlessly and without much enthusiasm. Very different behavior from when William came to her office to take her to dinner.
"You'll love New York. It's like London. It's a bustling city, but there are some quiet spots like the parks. I have made a few friends there with wives who have worked outside the home and still manage to be wives and mothers."
"Mothers?" Eliza seemed to balk at the word. "Children…" She lowered her head to one side.
"Eliza, you do want children, right? You had mentioned them the night I proposed," William confirmed. He put down his fork and laid his hand on top of Eliza's as it lay on the table between them.
Then she focused on William's hand on top of hers and she slid it out from under his and returned it back on top.
"Of course, I want children. It's just…"
"Are you sure?" William asked. He bent forward and then put his hand on top of hers again and squeezed it. He was sure that Eliza loved him, but it looked as if the reality of the situation had finally caused Eliza to question her future.
"William?" Eliza's eyes flickered up to his.
Eliza slid her hand out from William's, removed her napkin from her lap and placed it on the table.
"I'm suddenly not very hungry."
William knew that Eliza had not really thought about what it meant to her to leave London, marry, and move to a new country.
"It would be the same if we moved to Scotland," William mentioned just to let her know that change of some type would happen no matter what country they resided.
"It's a change for me also to go permanently to America," mentioned William.
"But you've had almost a year to be acclimated. When I leave, I'm not returning for who knows how long?"
"I'm a bit surprised at this early homesickness. We haven't left yet Eliza. We still have a few more months before we get on a steamer or a train."
Eliza remained silent. She saw the look on William's face and felt ashamed. William could not have been more accommodating. William had more or less left the decision of what opportunity to pursue dependent upon her.
"Are you sure you want to get married, Eliza? Are you sure you want to get married to me?"
"William. Of course I want to marry you. I would never have said yes. It's just a little overwhelming for me."
"I'm surprised at you, Eliza. You usually attack everything like a new adventure or a new mystery. How's this different?"
"Well, it's easier for you. You've already established yourself into the fabric of the country and your position. I'm going to be in a new country knowing no one and not even my work to help me get integrated into the ways of America."
"I'll be there for you. I would never leave you too long. I know you. You get yourself in trouble before we've unpacked," William stated with a smile and laugh.
"I don't know the first thing about keeping a house and I know I still can't cook. Not even an egg!" Eliza started to rise from the table.
"Eliza! Sit down, please!" William coaxed.
"Children! Children, William! What was I thinking?" Eliza said quietly but in an anxious manner.
"Eliza," William said gently. "Let's just finish our supper."
"Can we leave? I'm suddenly not very hungry." She repeated for the third time.
When they arrived back at Eliza's house, Ivy let them in. Ivy had met them at the door with Mr. Potts lagging a step behind. Ivy examined the looks on both their faces and grew concerned. She took their coats and stated that they could go into the living room where there was a wonderful fire courtesy of Mr. Potts who had spent extra time trying to get the flames to rise and crackle.
"Is everything all right?" Ivy asked Eliza as they walked from the front door to the living room.
"No. Not really. We were going to set a date tonight and I just couldn't even think about it. I was so excited when William came to escort me to Gilbert's."
"What happened?"
"I realized I really know nothing about keeping a house or cooking or even having children. William wants children. I know he does," Eliza stated in a panicked tone.
"I'm not sure he's not expecting you to become with child immediately on your honeymoon, Lizzie."
"I wish I was as sure of that as you are," Eliza said as she took a seat in the living room next to William on the couch.
"Nothing like a great fire," Barnabas said aloud snuggling into the easy chair next to the fire. Ivy sat in the chair opposite. She smiled at Barnabas and then started some mending.
Mending. Oh no! What do I know of mending? I'm sure William will need a button sewn on a shirt sooner or later or I will need a stitch in a skirt that I have torn somehow. I've never even threaded a needle. Oh no! Eliza thought.
She suddenly felt the touch of William's hand on hers. He caught her eye, and he smiled as she knew he had caught the anxious look in her eyes when she looked back at him.
"If you'll excuse us, we need a cup of tea," William said as he rose and not releasing Eliza's hand walked with her downstairs into the kitchen.
Ivy looked at Barnabas. Barnabas shook his head and said, "Marriage indeed!"
"William I'm sorry. I…." Eliza's nervous chatter was suddenly silenced as William kissed her hard and deeply.
When he stopped he released her and walked across the tiny kitchen.
"Eliza, we need to get this straight," William said in measured phrases. "Do you want to marry me?"
He saw her face soften and a sudden tender light shone through her eyes to him. She put her hands in the pockets of her skirt and walked toward him. She reached out with one hand separating it from its familiar place and stroked his forearm. She then looked up into his face.
"Yes, William. I want to be your wife. I am just a little scared at what being the wife of a NY City Chief Inspector would entail. You know I lack female instinct for domesticity.
William, who had removed his suit jacket sat dressed relaxed with an unbutton top button and no tie. He had removed them while they had sat in the living room as well as Eliza removed her suit jacket as well. He reached out and stroked her arms and then took her hands. He perched on the edge of the table looking into her eyes.
"Before you continue your ranting about how your ill-equipped to be my wife and a mother to my children, I would like to remind you that I am not looking for a woman to be my housekeeper or nursemaid. I want a wife to see to the house, once in a while maybe cook a meal, and to just love my children and me. Most of all, I want you to be with me when I get home or to know you'll be home. We can work through all the minutiae of cooking and cleaning. Besides I have a housekeeper at my house, and I am sure she would not mind remaining. She's a good cook, too. Not as good as Ivy, but she's a warm woman and has raised nine children of her own. So, when the time comes, I am sure she won't mind helping in that."
Eliza said, "It seems you've told this housekeeper all your plans. What is her name?"
William chuckled at Eliza's sudden uptick in curiosity.
"Mrs. Carruthers is her name. She is also originally from England. Yes, I did tell her I was planning to marry the woman of my dreams and return to New York with her."
Eliza smiled and stepped forward into William's arms and looked up at him.
"I think she will think me sorely lacking when it comes to skills," she said with sarcasm.
William looked over in the distance for a minute and nodded. "Yes, she will. But she's a good woman and she has no problem helping you adjust to your new life. I've even told her that you are a private investigator and she thought it admirable that you did other work besides that of a teacher or social climber."
He smiled at his own joke and was gratified to see Eliza smile in return.
"Oh, how do you know that I am not a social climber?" Eliza teased back.
William thought. That's my girl.
"It sounds like this Mrs. Carruthers has taken a shine to you. I'm glad you had someone there who was good to you. You do deserve it."
"Yes, I must agree I do," William prodded laughing. He kissed her briefly.
"I have a question," William said smiling and stroking Eliza's upper arms slowly and lovingly. "Why am I marrying a woman who can't cook, sew, or keep house?"
Eliza played along said, "Because you love me?"
He pulled her forward into his arms and held her tightly and said, "Yes, I would have to be in love with you to put up with all that!"
Smiling at each other and finally at peace, they both burst into hearty peals of laughter.
"Are we ready to set a wedding date now?" William asked.
Eliza simply nodded.
