Hi Folks! It's me again with another chapter in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Wellington and their expectant child. It seems that all are on board with Eliza's plan to get the papers back to Caroline McAlroy. Well as we all read there was a fly in the ointment. Here we see what Eliza's plan is and how William almost messes it up. Hoping that you will enjoy this chapter and know that the baby will be born soon. Thanks for sticking with this - Love Carebearmaxi

Frightened

Chapter 7

William hung up the phone. His information from the field was that McAlroy was seen in the area looking for his own wife.

"Let's go!" William said as he gathered his troops, packed his gun in his holster, and hurriedly left the precinct to ensure his wife would be alive.

He was only a block from the front door of his brick faced row home when he told his team to observe and then if they had a clear shot of Jimmy McAlroy then take it.

William watched the surrounding area and his front door anxiously. He just hoped that either Eliza had found a way to slide those papers to McAlroy's wife or the woman had left. The signal she gave him on the phone meant that she had not found a clear way to give Caroline McAlroy the papers. If she had said 1 pm that would have meant: yes, all's clear and Caroline is in possession of the papers once more; 2 pm that would have meant absolutely not and Caroline was no longer at their house, but 3 pm the most troublesome signal meant that Eliza was still working out a way to get Caroline the papers. Knowing his wife, she would not surrender that easily to the obvious circumstance in front of her. Oh Eliza! Do not let anything happen to you! William's anxious thoughts prayed constantly.

Meanwhile Eliza was wracking her brain anxiously inside to come up with some plan to slip Caroline the papers since Caroline had not arrived with her voluminous cloth bag. Inwardly, Eliza was as cool as a cucumber. She was a bit worried for her husband because she knew that he was probably not standing too far from their front door. The Wellingtons' trap was still not yet ready to be sprung.

William continued to surveille his front door for any action to or from it. He was there for about 35 minutes when one of his officers came to tell him that McAlroy had been seen in the vicinity,

"Thank you, Franklin. I'm going home. If you can catch McAlroy if he comes anywhere near the house or if you can get to him any other way."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Franklin, what is it?" William asked impatiently. This officer, Rory Franklin, was Irish-American and not quite as young as some of the other men on William's team.

"Doesn't the wife know what you look like? If she does, does she not know you're the Chief, right now?"

"From what Mrs. Wellington has told me Caroline McAlroy is not very observant. Besides she's in the same state my wife is, so I hope she cares for her own condition."

"Good Luck, Chief," Franklin said as William turned and walked away.

William took his revolver from his holster harnessed under his right arm and wedged it in the back of his trousers. The trousers were kept tight by his suspenders thereby holding the gun in its place without fear of dropping through his breeches. William removed his badge from his vest and placed it in the inside pocket of his jacket. Without the armor, William looked like any other top business executive dressed in a deep blue suit.

He walked in his front door and called in a more exaggerated version of his brogue as he could, "Eliza! I'm home for lunch!"

At hearing William's voice Eliza's eyes went to the clock and noticed it was now after 2:00 pm. He's early! He was supposed to give me until 3. That was the agreement when we did our little charade over the phone.

"Darling!" Eliza exclaimed as innocently as a rose. "We're in the drawing room!"

William entered the room and spotted the strange pregnant woman sitting next to his wife.

"Ah, I'm sorry, love. I thought your guest was coming here tomorrow afternoon?" William played.

"Oh, that's ok, Mr. Wellington," Caroline McAlroy said as she stood up with difficulty. "I know we don't know one another but Eliza has told me that you moved back here because of your business in London."

"Yes, that would be correct. What other tales has my wife been telling you? Mrs…?"

"Caroline McAlroy," she introduced herself and held out her hand.

"Oh, Mrs. McAlroy, please to meet you," William continued.

"Eliza speaks very highly of how busy you are in the textile industry?"

"Yes, yarns and wool and the like," William expanded. "What of your husband, Mrs. McAlroy. I understand your husband is not home much."

"Well, he does have his work to do as well. His work just takes him away longer and farther away than yours does for Eliza."

"I am fortunate indeed to have my husband's work so near," Eliza interjected. "Especially now with our child due soon." Eliza rubbed a hand over her bump.

Caroline smiled knowingly at Eliza and then picking up her gloves from the sofa said, "I won't take your time away from you and your wife. I'll just be on my way and hope Jimmy stops by. He wrote me last week and told me he would be in the area today and would stop by home. I hope I haven't missed him."

"William won't mind if you stay just a little while longer. "Correct, dearest? You don't mind?" Eliza stated signaling with her eyes and mouth for William to answer in the positive.

Luckily, they had worked together for so long and knew each other's nuances so well that William answered that he had work to finish in the bedroom anyway, so Caroline could continue her visit.

"Would you excuse us a moment, Caroline? I have to show William some additional work he forgot to do in the bathroom. I won't be a moment," Eliza said sweetly. She took William's arm, and they proceeded into the bedroom. There was not much space between the bedroom and the living room, so Eliza took William as far away from the bedroom door as possible.

"William, what are you doing home now? I said 3. I have not had time to get her the documents," Eliza whispered harshly.

"I'm home because I'm sure her husband is in the area. I don't want him coming to our door, see you, and shoot you again!" William whispered back just as fiercely.

Eliza smiled up at him. She learned over the years how wonderful he was and always concerned for her safety. Now it was not just because her father had always silently implored him to keep his daughter safe but now and for a few years it has been simply because he loved her more than his own life. Eliza could not help but love him back just as fiercely.

"You're right, William. Thank you. I know you what you are doing, but I do have a plan. I just thought of it before you walked in the front door."

"What is it?"

"I have a catalog of baby clothing that Ivy sent to me from London. I thought I would take the documents, slip them in the catalog, and then give her the catalog and all. I already broached the idea when you ventured in."

"Do you think this will work?" William asked hurriedly.

Eliza nodded and twirled her wedding rings.

William gave her a curious look. "You're twirling your rings, Eliza. I know what that means. You're not sure if this will work."

"What else are we to do then? Do you want to go through this on another day because as long as Jimmy is in the area and his wife is expecting, do you think he doesn't want to be around when she gives birth? What do you think? Do you not feel the same way about me?"

William lowered his eyes. He nodded.

"Yes, love, you're right."

Lifting his head and kissing Eliza on the forehead while cupping each of her shoulders with his large hands, "Go ahead. I'm right here if you should need me."

Eliza reached up and kissed him longingly on his lips. "Don't worry, love."

"I always worry when you say that."

Eliza smiled as she gathered the baby catalog and left the room closing the door behind her.

Eliza quickly returned to the drawing room and found Caroline had not moved. Caroline looked up at her when she entered the room.

"Here's what I wanted to give you," Eliza said holding out the catalog. Eliza had the papers in her skirt pocket. She figured that Caroline would want to look at the catalog with her before she would have a chance to sneak the incriminating documents into the folds.

"Oh that's the baby catalog you were telling me of," Caroline stated. She took the catalog from Eliza and immediately and excitedly started to page through it.

"This is from London?" Caroline asked.

"Yes. My old English nanny sent it to me," Eliza responded.

"May I keep this for a little bit?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, certainly," Eliza agreed. "I have already ordered a few things for the baby."

Caroline rose with some difficulty. Similarly, Eliza did the same.

"I'm afraid I shall have to leave now Eliza".

"Oh, well, let me get you a cover for this. It looks like it might rain, and I would not want this to get ruined before you have a chance to really look at it," Eliza said as she took the catalog from Caroline and returned to the bedroom.

"I'll just be a minute. I have a bag in my bedroom that will work."

"No need to go to all that trouble, Eliza," Caroline insisted.

"Oh, it's no bother," Eliza said and opened the door to the bedroom. She found William listening behind the door as she opened it. She almost hit him square in the face with it.

"Sorry. William, where is that leather cover you had for your papers?"

"Here," William said as he retrieved it from his armoire.

Before he handed it to Eliza to put the catalog and the papers into it, he would not release it and looked at her for just a moment. As she looked up at him expecting a lecture, William reached out and silently stroked her cheek with his bent fingers. Eliza leaned into his touch closing her eyes. She looked up and smiled. The shared silent moment in which so many things were related was over quickly. Eliza took the leather cover with the papers inside and left the bedroom.

"Here you are, Caroline. Now it won't be ruined," Eliza said.

"Thank you, Eliza. I will get this back to you in a couple of days. Maybe you can come back to my house then?" Caroline asked.

"Perhaps."

Eliza escorted Caroline to the door and watched as she carefully descended the small set of steps out of the front of the house. Once Caroline was on the sidewalk, she looked back up at Eliza and waved. Eliza smiled and waved back.

Eliza closed the door and found William had come up behind her. Before Eliza was able to close the door completely he signaled to his men that all was well and that they should return to the precinct.

"Are you returning to the station?" Eliza asked.

"Yes, I have to debrief my men," William said as he put on his coat. He suddenly noticed the sad look in his wife's face. Eliza was never sad about anything William thought.

He pulled her into his arms, and she looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" William asked.

"Oh, I was hoping we could be together for a few minutes. I just want to settle for a bit before we continue onto the next thing."

"Do you mean to sit and talk about the case or just to be in my company?"

"Both. What's wrong with that?" Eliza asked.

William smiled.

"Absolutely nothing".

He put his arm around her, and they walked back into their drawing room and took seats on the couch next to one another. Eliza slid next to William and put her arm around his waist. William encircled Eliza in his arms. He kissed the top of her head.

"William!"

"What?" He asked excitedly matching the excitement coming from her.

"Feel this." She took his hand which had been lying dormant in his lap. His other arm surrounded her shoulders and he squeezed her gently.

Eliza took the dormant hand and placed it on her large belly. William looked down and saw Eliza's stomach jump and felt the kick of his son. He smiled broadly.

"He's quite a kicker, isn't he?"

"So you're convinced we're having a boy now?"

"Yes, I do believe you are right."

"Are you disappointed? I know you said you wanted a daughter first which is such the opposite of what most would-be fathers want," Eliza teased.

"To want a little miniature of his wife? How's that different?"

"Normally men want a son to roughhouse with and be proud of."

"Oh, so you are an authority on most men then?" William teased back.

"You know what I mean," She said preventing William from taking his hand from her belly. The baby was very active just then and Eliza watched William's face fascinated at his fascination by the kicking baby in her belly.

"What would you prefer, Mrs. Wellington?"

"I'm not partial to either, but I am positive this baby is a boy. Ummm…call it 'Motherly Instinct'.

"Well, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, I would always be proud of it…and you," William said as he kissed the side of Eliza's head affectionately.

"William?"

"Yes, Eliza."

"Kiss me goodbye before you leave."

"Certainly."

He did just that and then William remained another hour on the couch just holding his wife safe in his arms before he returned to the station.