HI Folks! Thank you for the wonderful comments. They make me feel like all the slaving in confirming things are correct worth it. I am going to extend this story just a few chapters before our hero and heroine's inevitable joyous nuptials. So please stick with me as we will see Eliza and William working on a "case" again soon. Thank you again. Love - Carebearmaxi

Honorable Mention

Chapter 9

Not As Easy As We Thought

William returned to his hotel from his lunch with newly minted Police Commissioner Oliver Fitzroy. It was a planned luncheon date before William had arrived in London two days before. The previous night William spoke with Eliza on the telephone and said that she was handling the situation with her son. She was tied up on a case, but she would definitely wanted to have dinner with him and plan their marriage not this night but the night after next.

In any event, William had a nice lunch with Oliver wherein they talked of many things. They decided to dine at one of the old haunts that was still opened after thirty years.

Oliver Fitzroy, in his early fifties, still retained a boyish face. His dark auburn hair had flecks of gray at the temples. William caught up on some of the lads as they lunched.

"When did Charlie retire?" William asked taking a swig of his whiskey.

"Officer Phelps retired late last year. He would have retired before but he was still trying to keep most of his six children fed. His wife died three years ago. His four daughters are all married but his one son who was born late in his life is still home. His eldest is a detective."

"Following in his father's footsteps. How did he get along with Blake?"

Oliver gave William a knowing look and nodded.

"It was a little rough at first as Charlie was hoping that he would be given the position. Eventually, they came to a wary working relationship."

"Ah," William said nodding. So far William could not think badly of his predecessor except he was more of the accepted type for promotions and such. That was too bad Charlie. I wish I could have warned you somehow William thought.

"I gather you want to know all you can about the late chief inspector as you plan to marry Eliza?"

"I knew I made a good detective out of you, Oliver,' William said smiling. It was all so long ago William reflected.

Oliver simply smiled and then changed the direction of the conversation.

"I will have tell Francesca! She'll want to throw you a party! She is rather fond of you, William."

"Oh? I've spoken to her a couple of times and only once by correspondence."

"I suppose you didn't know this and I don't think Eliza does either, but she knew Alexander Blake from a long time ago."

"Mmmm. Did she not think that Eliza and Blake were a compatible couple?" William asked.

"They got along well. Too well like platonic friends more than husband and wife from what Frannie said. Then I let slip what I perceived and what I knew of your relationship with Eliza to my wife. Being the romantic that she is, Frannie insisted that we make sure you and Eliza at least danced. My wife was so funny. She said and I quote. "If they still love one another they will fall in love all over again with one dance."

William chuckled and picked up his tumbler and then put it down.

"You are a surprise a minute, Fitzroy. You and your family. Now that your wife has met me in person and knows Eliza's plight before and after her marriage to Blake you have conspired to return Eliza and myself into what we should have been in the first place."

After a thoughtful sip, William went on:

"I have to thank you, Oliver and Francesca. I normally don't like people putting their hands in my affairs. However, in this case, I can forgive the interference," William smilingly said and put his second tumbler of whisky up.

"Let's toast."

Oliver put his glass up as well.

"SLÁINTE"

"To you and Eliza!"

They clinked their glasses and took a swig.

A couple of minutes of silence ensued when they finished their meals.

"Did you meet her children?"

"Yes, yesterday morning after we spent the night at my hotel."

Oliver gave his friend a wary look. "How did you fare after that?"

"Well, her daughter, Sophia and her husband were very welcoming and I think verra happy for Eliza. Her son, on the other hand…."

"I did feel that Blake, Jr. might be a problem."

"It seemed to me that he worshipped the ground his father walked on," William said sitting back and playing with his whisky tumbler. "Eliza had warned me that our first formal meeting would not be pleasant."

"I imagine that might be out of protection for his mother. Eliza has always launched herself to any situation regardless of dangers to herself."

"Don't I know it? Was there a special reason why Blake, Jr. is so against me or is it just he doesn't trust any man around his mother?"

Oliver took a swallow of his wine and then gave William a questioning look.

After chewing on a piece of meat from his plate, William commanded, "Out with it man! I need to know because I am hoping I can win over Alex, Jr. before I leave with his mother as my wife."

"Did anyone tell you how Alexander Blake died last year?"

"Eliza did. She said he was shot while at his office. She held him while he died she had mentioned. Was it some type of terrorist?"

"It was a dark time. Corruption and rampant crime still had a hold on Scotland Yard. Chief Inspector Blake had put a lot of gangs away and everyone was celebrating him as a hero."

Oliver took a sip of his wine again, swallowed, and then continued watching William's reaction. He could sense his friend's discomfiture but William was silent.

"An Irish sympathizer with a gun evaded arrest in the front office brandishing his hidden weapon that no officer was able to retrieve. He shot two clerks in the front office and shot his way to the top floor where Blake's office was located. Blake had his back turned and the gunmen shot him the minute he came into his office."

"Brutal. Eliza said he had been bleeding excessively and died in her arms," William repeated Eliza's story to him. William's countenance was one of sorrow for not only a good man's death, which Blake was, but for the horrible sorrowful experience that his Eliza suffered as well as her children.

"Yes. That's what I understand. Alex, Jr. was a detective last year and he had not arrived in time to say goodbye to his father. Sophia happened to be in the administrative pool and managed to shoot the terrorist with her own gun after chasing him down. When she got back to her father's office, he had expired and he was being carried out on a stretcher.

"Did the gunmen die?"

"Yes, Sophia had been a licensed, gun toting, private investigator working with Eliza up until last year. She is still licensed to carry as far as I know."

"What a horrible time," William remarked. His heart broke for the family's loss. William had somehow been blessed by God to have recovered from all the gunshot wounds he had suffered while still in the field, but to be killed in your office it was uncanny how it could happen.

In William's position of authority, now , as it was back at Scotland Yard he was all too familiar with the loss of good men as he stood at the gravesides where young widows and fatherless children mourned and found themselves having to find a life without that husband and father.

"Yes, it was dreadful. However, the real crux and why Alex, Jr. may not want to give you the time of day was because the Irish sympathizer was…. a Scot."

William smiled out of the side of his mouth.

"I get it. Tar with the same brush. Was his father this prejudiced?"

"No. Not as far as I could see. Alex, Jr. was not prejudiced until this happened. Plus his mother had been in danger a few times from the same terrorist."

William dropped the last bit of food from his fingers which he wiped with his napkin and took one last gulp from his tumbler.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me."

"You may, William. He's just trying to do what his father asked him to do when Jr. joined her private investigation agency."

"Which was to look out for his mother against any known or unknown terroristic Scotsmen." William called for another whisky.

"Not to change the subject, but does Alex, Jr. have a thing for your daughter?" William asked.

"Julietta? You mean the other night. I think he has eyes for her older sister, Aurora. Julietta is only sixteen. Why do ask?"

"Just wondering. He interrupted Eliza and I the other night to tell us he was accompanying Julietta home because Francesca was not feeling well and you left early."

Oliver smiled and chuckled.

"I hope the interruption was not embarrassing?" Oliver asked with a raised eyebrow.

William laughed and then said "No, we were dressed, though, my shirt was rather unruffled."

Oliver and William stared at one another for a moment and they both burst out laughing.

Upon William's return to his hotel after this event, he checked in at the desk for a response to the cable that he sent the previous day.

"Yes, Chief Wellington, here you are," the desk clerk said as he handed him the small yellow paper.

"Thank you," William said and then called for the elevator.

Eliza Scarlet Blake, in the meantime, was waiting in a bar not far from where Oliver and William met, to interrogate a witness for the case she was investigating. She was also waiting for her son to join her there. They were going to attack the contact, who was new, from both ends. Sort of a good cop, bad cop scenario. It seemed to have worked before, so they would be prepared for any eventuality with this contact.

Eliza spotted a young woman dressed casually in a long red skirt with a match jacket and small prim red Derby hat set on her dark blonde hair. Eliza rose from her chair to greet the young woman and then she spotted her son who was moving along the wall at a fast pace.

"I apologize mother. I got here as soon as I could," Alex, Jr. said kissing his mother's cheek.

"This is Mrs. Lynette Fornier. She is the contact that I told you of."

"Hello, Mrs. Fornier. I am Alexander Blake, Jr. This is my mother, Eliza Blake."

The young woman seemed a bit skittish as if her information would endanger her life or someone she cared about.

Alex, Jr. and Eliza talked with their contact for about fifteen minutes after which the young woman left.

"She gave us some very good information. Can you use your Scotland Yard contact to get her husband's records?"

"Sure, mother. Here are the notes I made and where she said to look for confirmation of her knowledge. Hilda can type these up, right?"

"I'll do it. Hilda is at the doctor's for her foot," Eliza confirmed.

They were both about to depart when Alex, Jr. stopped his mother.

"Do you have a minute to talk to me?"

Eliza looked into space trying to remember her calendar for the day. Then she saw the serious look on her son's face and thought she had better talk to him as he may cause trouble someplace else if she did not take the time.

"Of course, Alex," Eliza said resuming her seat.

Alex, Jr. called for a couple of drinks to bide his time.

"Is this about Chief Wellington and myself?" Eliza asked diving right to the point.

"Yes. I don't want you to marry him and leave England."

"That is not your choice."

"I know it is yours, but your business is here and Sophia with a baby coming…"

Eliza took a sip of her second drink and lowered her eyes. She thought I really do not want to argue with him, but he has to understand that I had my career and I became a mother and I was faithful to a good husband. How could he know what I had given up by not accepting William all those years ago?

"It's not like I can't visit you here. Perhaps, you would like to visit us in America. I know the world is a dangerous place if that's what you're afraid of. "

"Wellington is a Scotsman…just like the…"Alex trailed off.

"William is not a terrorist he's a policeman. Yes he's from Glasgow but he served Scotland Yard for a very long time and then he went for an assignment for a year in New York City. He did such a wonderful job that they never wanted him to leave. He finally was awarded a position that he deserved."

Alex sat down again. He sat back and crossed his arms in front of him.

Eliza returned to her seat and placed a hand on her son's crossed forearms.

"You're still young. I was only a couple of years older when I made the decision to not follow William to New York and marry him then. I don't regret my career or marrying your father and especially giving birth to you or being a mother to Sophia. What I do regret is not giving William and me a chance at finding a life together."

"I know you're only 26, but have you ever yet come to a crossroads where one decision would affect your entire life afterward?"

Alex uncrossed his arms and bent forward.

"I promised father that I would protect you. How can I do that if you're in New York and I'm here in London?"

"You would be protecting me by protecting Sophia and running the agency. You could sell it if you wanted and become a detective. You would probably rise right up to Inspector knowing how Scotland Yard works."

"Protect Sophia…" Alex said laughing. "I think Bernie and I need protection from her. She must have been one hell of a PI. Just like you it seems."

Eliza bent across to her son and kissed his cheek.

Alex looked up at his mother.

"I'm not saying I am enamored with this running away from home bit at your age, mother, but I will give William a chance. If you want him to come to the house for dinner tomorrow night, I promise I will not make him eat with a gun to his head."

"That would be an interesting scenario to say the least, Alex. If William is willing he could regale you with cases where I did work with William and the cases were resolved satisfactorily."

"Did Sophia know of any of those cases?"

"I told her some when I had her in training, but I didn't go into detail because it hurt too much to think of William."

The bar was getting noisy with the afternoon crowd. Alex looked at his mother and noticed that her face was brighter and there was an unmistakable twinkle in her eyes that he had definitely missed the previous day. That's what Sophia was talking about. I see it now! Alex thought.

"Mama."

"Yes, dear."

"Does he love you as much as you love him?"

"Even more."

Meanwhile, William read the cable in response to his they previous morning. It read:

Dad, Thomas been missing for two days. Looked everywhere.

Happy for you and Eliza, though. Come home soon

Love

Cami

As soon as William finished reading, he boarded the elevator and descended to the lobby. Upon returning to the desk, he asked to use the telephone. Unfortunately placing telephone access in each room had not been achieved yet for this hotel. However, William was able to contact Eliza by phone downstairs.

"Eliza?"

"William?"

"Yes, it's me. I have some news from my children back in New York. Can I come see you?"