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Jack could tell something was wrong even before he entered Wardlow. Phryne had left a message for him to stop by after work instead of convincing Hugh to put her through. Once he arrived, he could tell she was nervous. She wasn’t even attempting to hide her normal tells. She darted around like a hummingbird, her voice was a higher pitch, and, for some reason, she wouldn’t look him in the eye. After providing him with his usual drink, she stayed unusually silent.
Deciding to break the silence, he said casually, “So, Miss Fisher, as grateful as I always am for your company, would you like to tell me why you asked me to stop by?”
She continued pacing and her glances at him when he asked made him worry all the more. She almost seemed as though she was worried about how he would react to what she had to say. He moved toward her in an effort to both comfort and to stop the pacing.
“Miss Fisher, come, sit down with me and tell me what it is. I can tell something’s wrong.”
She sat down next to him, picked up her drink off the table, and took a sip for fortification.
“I had some rather interesting news today from my accountant and my solicitor. Horace was going through the receipts from the Campbell case…”
“The undercover case on the Dundee?”
Phryne simply nodded.
“Was there any missing paperwork? I can check to see if it’s in with mine.”
“No, the paperwork is all there and that’s why there is a problem. Horace was going through things and noted that the tickets listed us as Mr. & Mrs. Jack Robinson, that we signed drink receipts as Jack and Phryne Robinson, and the ship register listed us as Jack and Phryne Robinson. We even got that lovely picture done and the notation for the picture listed us as Jack and Phryne Robinson.”
“Did you explain to Horace it was an undercover case? Shouldn’t that solve everything?”
“Horace understands completely. The problem isn’t with Horace…really. He remembered something obscure and called Jillian to double-check it. The problem is with Scotland.”
Jack’s head tilted like a confused border collie. Phryne took another sip of her drink.
“Maritime law states that a ship follows the laws of the country where it is registered. The Dundee is registered in Scotland as is the company that owns the ship. When we traveled on the Dundee, we traveled as a married couple and introduced ourselves as married to each other.”
Trying to grasp what the problem was, Jack asked, “Did we violate some Scottish law?”
Phryne put her head down and said quietly, “No, that’s not exactly the problem.”
“Well, then, what is the problem?”
Phryne took a deep breath, looked him straight in the eye, and said, “By Scottish law, by declaring ourselves as husband and wife in front of witnesses and signing documents as man and wife, in the eyes of Scotland, we’re legally married.”
Jack found himself feeling a myriad of emotions – definitely shocked, slightly panicked, amused, confused, and if he was willing to admit to it, intrigued. But rather than let any of that show, he worked on showing only calm in his demeanor while he worked to read Phryne’s reaction. If he was right about what he saw in her eyes as she told him, she was feeling much the same but with the added concern that he would somehow be upset.
“We…are…married? I’ve heard of men missing their anniversaries but I may be on record for missing my entire courtship, engagement, wedding, honeymoon, and marriage. Wait, if we haven’t… I’ve only kissed you once…”
“Consummation isn’t necessary for it to be a valid marriage according to Scottish law. That was the first thing I asked Jillian.”
Jack smirked slightly and said, “No wonder they were leaving Scotland in droves.” Phryne chuffed a little at the quip.
“So, is there reciprocity? Would Australia recognize the marriage if there’s no paperwork?”
“There is reciprocity but only if…if we acknowledge it.”
“So, we’re single in Australia but married in Scotland.”
“That’s about the size of it.”
“So what was Jillian’s suggestion?”
Phryne’s eyes rolled skyward and her lips twitched trying to hide the smirk that begged to be released. “Actually, she offered me quite a substantial amount of money if I would let her be the one to tell Mac.”
“That you accidentally got married or that you could still wear white six months after said marriage?”
At that, the ridiculousness of the situation just broke through and they quite literally found themselves laughing and snorting and giggling until their stomachs hurt. Phryne found herself tucked into Jack’s chest with his arm around her shoulder. She put her hand to his chest as she admitted, “I am just relieved that you are taking this so well. I was afraid you would be upset at me for getting you into this. Using the husband/wife scenario was my idea.”
Jack huffed, “Why should I be upset with you, it’s not as though either one of us could have foreseen this. And don’t forget, we both agreed that it was the best plan to catch him, and it worked. That’s what partners do, they discuss, they bicker, they solve, they deal with the consequences whether they are good or bad. In for a penny, in for a pound.”
Phryne’s voice became quiet. “So, would you say we work as professional partners the way a good marriage is supposed to work?”
Whether he realized it or not, his casual side hug tightened slightly. “Yes, yes, I guess we do. You drive me to distraction, I frustrate you constantly, your aunt doesn’t approve of me, you make sure I stay fed, I keep you entertained, and if anyone else tries to hurt the other, we shoot them. And, in the end, we get the job done. The only thing I don’t do is sign Jane’s report cards.”
She looked at him through her eyelashes. “Well, it’s not the only thing.” And with that, Jack’s Adam’s apple gave his usual tell while his eyes darkened.
“What are you getting at, Miss Fisher?” he whispered.
Phryne’s hand moved slowly to caress Jack’s blue tie. “We both agree that our professional partnership works. We work very well together; we care about each other…” She moved her eyes from the tie to his eyes seeking and receiving agreement. “…very much and this loophole that we find ourselves in might assist us in moving the partnership to include a more personal realm. We could check off some of those missing steps you mentioned and see how we do.”
“But you don’t…do marriage, remember?”
“Yes, well, I also told you I didn’t do children but I now have one upstairs that I love dearly who depends on me and is currently studying for a biology quiz…”
“And now, even though you don’t do marriage, you find yourself with a husband…”
“Who I also love deary who depends on me but is not currently upstairs studying for a biology quiz, although I’m sure we could arrange that.”
His hands, wrapped around her waist and hers wrapped around his neck, Jack chuckled. “I believe that quiz comes later after the courtship and the engagement but I do wonder if I could skip ahead in just one aspect?”
Her fingers danced through the soft, curly hair at the back of his neck. “What aspect would that be?”
As he lowered his face towards hers, he murmured, “I would very much like to kiss the bride.”