Hey Folks! Here's the next chapter of William's baseball endeavors. He is still in NY on his Secondment but he has been playing ball now for about a month or so. He has become a very good and dependable hitter and now a great fielder. All through it, though, his heart is still with Eliza. With Eliza's promise of a visit, William believes he perhaps is becoming delusional after he catches a ball in a young girl's lap.
A New Sport
Chapter 2 – Team Player
As a rainy Monday May evening poured rain outside his window, William's thoughts returned to Eliza. He had received two letters from her since his departure from England a month ago. She still had not indicated whether she missed him or even loved him. He still pined for her and always would at this point. At the baseball games there had been a couple of women who had showed a definite interest in him. They shouted compliments to him with remarks concerning his baseball prowess and how great he looked in his warm flannel uniform which made him sweat buckets. He thought once or twice asking one of them to dinner as they were comely looking women, but he felt like if he did that he was cheating on Eliza. He knew for sure Eliza was not seeing anyone because she barely made time for him. Too caught up in her work as always.
One thing William loved about playing baseball was the camaraderie with his fellow police officers. The daily encounters with his fellow officers and, of course, the chief (as he was called here) was fascinating. William had to admit that daily the Chief challenged him with questions regarding methods used to combat immense poverty, terrorist gang war uprisings, and other mass crimes in London by Scotland Yard. William had told his chief about some of the tricks he had used and strategies. There had been little victories on William's part even if the Superintendent did not count them as such. The New York City Chief found William's ideas and strategies interesting, inciteful, and intelligent. However those interpersonal conferences did not lessen the pressure that every officer felt. Hence, the reason why the stress relieving concentration on something other than work was soothing, tiring, and welcomed.
William rose from his bed and looked out the window. Baseball practice had been postponed due to the weather. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate tomorrow as William was learning a new fielding position. He had been playing right field. He had done so well that Glen had wanted to try him somewhere in the infield. William had suggested third base to Glen's mind, but he said they would talk about it at the next practice.
Next practice was supposed to be today. William continued to look out the window and wondered about Eliza. He missed her and wanted to be with her so badly. She hinted that she wanted to visit him as her business was actually making a profit now and she may have enough money to book a ticket to New York.
William had dreams about a life he and Eliza could build together here in New York away from all the people who had known them. Of course, Ivy and Mr. Potts could always come visit. He realized that if he had ever coerced Eliza into quitting her work she would not be the Eliza with whom he had fallen in love. Eliza saw marriage and children as an anathema to a woman and any real ambition she possessed. William tried to convey that he was not looking for a nursemaid, brood cow, or a housekeeper as a wife. He wanted her as she was, the intelligent, beautiful, and sometimes thoughtful and caring woman she was already. The last thing he wanted to be to Eliza was an albatross around her neck someone superfluous to her and not someone whom she looked to for companionship and love.
As for the physical side of love, there was no doubt when he kissed her before he left how much he wanted her. He just wished that Eliza needed that from him. Again, he was sure Eliza's feeling on sex was that she did not want to become pregnant. She had indicated to him on more than one occasion that she was not technically a virgin but that she had had no thought nor time to contemplate that type of relationship with any male let alone William.
He decided after evaluating what he had in mind he sat down at his writing desk listening to the pouring rain and thundering skies outside his window and began to write a more direct letter to Eliza to see where he stood with her. William tried mightily not to remember Arabella's words to him regarding Eliza's ambition and what hope still lie deep in William's heart.
The knock on his door to wake up for work came way too early. It was his landlady who volunteered wake up calls (knocks) to all the officers who came to room there. By the same token she cooked them all a hearty breakfast before she sent them on their way to their respective precincts. Mrs. Martina Wallace of Scottish descent proudly introduced herself to William when she heard his brogue. She was a buxom woman in her late fifties with red hair and freckles whose son had been killed in the line of duty many years ago. She maintained these boarding rooms for any officers who could not afford their own place while they worked out of the surrounding precincts.
"Mrs. Wallace, that was an excellent breakfast," Carl Mallandry stated as he rose from the table and put on his vest.
"Well, it would be more excellent if you would pay your rent. It was due last week!"
"You know you're a sucker for a man in uniform," Carl said as he gave the woman a kiss on the cheek.
"You're lucky I know you so well, young man, or else I would write your mama a letter about you! Have a good day, Carl," Mrs. Wallace joked waving Carl out the door.
Mrs. Wallace turned around from the front door and asked William.
"So, Inspector Wellington, I know you're a little older than most of the boys that room here and they all have their lady friends hawking around here. You've been here a month and not one girl has come around for you. Are you married?"
"No," William answered briskly.
"I'm sure the women must be hanging out at the ballpark after the game's over. Why didn't you take one out?"
William smiled as he rose. He then patted Mrs. Wallace's considerable shoulder.
"Thank you for the wonderful breakfast, Mrs. Wallace. I haven't had a good one in a long time."
William was not ready to talk to anyone regarding his feelings toward a woman whom he had loved since he was 19 situated back in England preoccupied with her successful business.
Luckily the sun came out early on Tuesday morning. The rain had left the air with less humidity and a chilly wind. The baseball scrimmage game was proving to be a big run affair.
The Precinct 59's team was called the MaHardies a play on a name that a former chief had bestowed on the team in its inception about 10 years before. He must have been Irish or Scots like himself William surmised from the things that Glen had told him regarding his former mentor and boss.
Glen came to William who was standing around third base.
He shielded his eyes against the sun as he approached.
"Will, you are terrific at this position! I have never seen anyone catch onto playing third as fast as you. We call this the hot corner because of how fast the ball comes off the bat to you. You only missed one but, hey, for a beginner that is not bad. Would you like to play this position full time? Harold's wife is going to have a baby very soon, so he's going directly home after work these days. We need a third baseman very badly. What'd you say?"
William looked into the blue sky and almost had his ball cap blown off his head with the wind. He squinted into the sun and thought a thousand thoughts about time management and what he had happening his life.
"I'll play anywhere you want me to go, sir."
"Coach or Glen, Will. Don't call me 'sir' here, please. It makes me feel old," Glen jibed with a smile and nudged William's shoulder.
"Coach. Sure. I'll play anywhere you want me. I'm really liking the game and being out in the sunshine," William volunteered.
"Hot Dog! That's great! In that case, if you want, we can stay a little extra time on the field out here and I can hit some balls to you. Just to bring you up to snuff for the next game against Precinct 39 – The Eminents."
"Seems like a rather arrogant name for a ball team, Coach," William commented.
"Yes, well, wait until you see them. Their uniforms look like formal blues," Glen continued.
"I don't know. Some people take this game to a whole other level," Coach commented shaking his head.
William laughed.
"I want to play another short scrimmage and shake up the lineups, so come in the dugout and take a seat," said Glen as he put his arm around William's shoulder and walked back to the bench.
Two days later, the Eminents made their way onto the field. They did look smart in their royal blue uniforms with gold piping and their team name in cursive gold diagonally set against their blue shirts. It was a bright blue May afternoon, so it was almost like the Eminents were royalty as they shone in the sun.
William was worn out. Glen had him out late on Tuesday afternoon after the scrimmages fielding balls at third and then again early on Wednesday morning before his shift in the afternoon which carried into the evening. William had assisted and led at one point two precarious situations. One involving a member of a migrant Irish terrorist group and one involving a banker in a white collar crime. William's presence and experience in England was one reason why NYC was ambitious to grant the Secondment to him. William was please in making a difference and being acknowledged for it. He did not seek his work for recognition but was happy he was finally being credited for it.
Meanwhile, William started at third for this game against the Eminents. The proceeds from the tickets were purely for benefit of the three orphanages in the lower east side of Manhattan. The game next week would be for more orphanages located at other parts in either NYC or surrounding counties.
The Eminents first batter was a young man who looked barely out of high school clean cut with that fascination for the world outside his parents' home. Jason was the Eminents starting shortstop and touted as a fairly good hitter. Not today William thought as the ball was sharply hit right to him. William scooped the fast moving ball and threw to first where it was caught just before Jason hit first base. Out #1.
The next batter was a bit chubbier and older and a left hander. Normally a left hander's tendency is to pull to right field. However, William was prepared at third base (left side of the diamond) as a good hitter could smash one anywhere in the field.
The ball was hit in the air to right field and Michael, the MaHardies' right fielder who took over for William caught the ball with little effort. Out #2.
The third batter was a huge man, bigger than William, and built like a tank. Apparently, he was their slugger. As it turned out Matt pitched the man to a strikeout Out #3.
It was now the MaHardies' turn to bat.
William stood now back at third base for the sixth inning. The score was tied 2-2. William had contributed with a homerun in the fifth inning thereby tying the game. He now stood at third again fielding. The sun was warm this May day. Thwack! The shortstop for the opposition hit another ball to William for third time today only it was in the air and William had to run to catch it. Just as he was reaching for the ball his glove came down accidentally into a young woman's lap. William caught the ball in his glove and the umpire called the batter out.
"Excuse me…" William said doing a quick doubletake. The woman in whose lap he caught the ball was small and very blonde with bright blue eyes. She was beautiful, and William had to shake the cobwebs from his brain as he almost mistook her for Eliza Scarlet.
"That's ok, sir. Anytime," the young woman invited batting her eyelashes and ducking her head in a coy move.
William threw the ball back to the pitcher as he returned to his position. He turned around again and spotted the woman. She could be Eliza's twin. Same coloring and the same beautiful smile and big blue eyes. Resuming his position he found it hard not to turn his head and search for Eliza's doppelgänger.
William felt distracted the rest of the game; however, it did not seem that way to his teammates or to his coach because William's innate ability to play the game only seemed to grow after he caught the ball in the stands.
The MaHardies won the game with William contributing another homer driving in three runs. MaHardies 5, Eminents 2.
As they were gathering their equipment, Roger had come up to William and asked him who he kept looking at in the left field bleachers.
"I saw you caught the ball in her lap. She's quite a looker. Do you know her?"
William shook his head and only reported that she looked very much like a woman he knew in London. He did not want to reveal that she was an exact replica of Eliza Scarlet the woman who constantly lived in his heart and was constantly on his mind.
The baseball season continued on for a few more months and would culminate with a big tournament in the middle of September. In the interim the MaHardies had a winning record and had made a lot of money for the surrounding orphanages. William played a large part in that. He had a great hitting record for himself. He was currently 18 hits for 21 at bat appearances. This made his baseball hitting consistency very key in the MaHardies win/loss record.
There was also hard work during the days that William did not spend playing baseball. He actually attended some classes that Chief Bishop said would aid him in American Law. William was educated and smart insomuch as a detective inspector needed to be for Scotland Yard and his field knowledge had carried over to his present time in New York. This was different, though, these were actual American law classes. The laws were basically the same-a crime was a crime; however, the differences were what his Chief wanted William to learn especially if William decided to become an American citizen which he was contemplating.