Chapter Text
It wasn’t the sound of the door knocker that woke Eliza, it was the loud urgent pounding that must have done it. A sound she had never heard before. Startled, she sat straight up in bed in the pitch black so assumed it was still the middle of the night. Her pup, Agatha, Aggie for short, was sleeping at the foot of her bed and started barking. The little white dog with brown spots was now six months old and nearly full grown in size but still all puppy in energy.
She stumbled around in her room in the dark, not fully awake, reaching for and sliding on her dressing gown and slippers.
She heard pounding on the door again. Who would be banging on the door in the middle of the night?
Aggie tore downstairs ahead of her, running up and down, and around and stopped barking as she reached the door. That meant it must be someone that she knew which made Eliza feel better.
Ivy was reaching for the latch as she got half way down the stairs.
“Ivy,” Eliza mumbled, “call out first.”
When Aggie started to wag her tail madly, she knew it could be only one person standing on the other side of the door. She smiled in anticipation.
At that same moment, they heard William yell through the door, his voice frantic. ‘Eliza! Ivy! It’s me. Open the door!”
Ivy swung open the door and caught him about to pound on it again. He stopped his hand in time and rushed into the open doorway. Ivy quickly stepped back to let him through.
Ivy must have turned on one of the gas lights in the hallway as she entered. The front hall was dimly lit.
“William, what the devil? It’s the middle of the night.” Eliza called out from her position on the stairs. She hadn’t had a chance to reach the bottom step yet.
Wearing his usual long black coat and black bowler hat, albeit slightly askew, he came to an abrupt stop as soon as he saw Eliza. Agatha circled his legs, begging for attention. He reached back toward the open door, scanned the darkness for a moment, and quickly pushed the door shut behind him. His face was tense, almost as white as the shirt he was wearing. He bent down to pat the dog although it was clear his attention was elsewhere.
“William, what is going on?” Eliza demanded.
Rubbing his eyes, and pulling off his hat, he didn’t speak for a moment. “I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
“Just do it,” she insisted. “You’re making me nervous.”
Dragging his fingers through his hair he looked pained as he spoke. “Frank has escaped,” he finally admitted.
The response was stunned silence. Eliza sat down on the bottom step in shock, as if her legs couldn't hold her up any longer. Seeing her low to the ground, Aggie immediately came to her and bumped her nose against her hands, seeking attention.
“That’s impossible,” she exclaimed. “How can that be?”
“I’m still trying to understand what happened. I was working on another case and got word from the home office. I need to head back there now but am meeting two uniformed constables here in...” he paused as he checked his pocket watch, “about ten minutes.”
“Why are two officers meeting you here?” she asked.
He stared at her. “Because you are at risk and need to be protected.”
She scoffed, “William, I very much doubt that the first thing Frank does after escaping from prison is come after me.”
His eyes darted toward Ivy, who was standing quietly listening. “Can we not discuss this in the hall?” he stood impatiently, anxiously switching his weight from one leg to the other.
Nodding, she turned to Ivy, “Ivy, you should head back to bed. There’s no need for both of us to be up.”
William added, “and please check the kitchen door and make sure it is bolted?”
Ivy nodded, taking William’s hat from his hands where he was nervously crushing it and hung it up on the hook behind her then wished them both a “goodnight,” giving William a bit of a side glance as she went toward the kitchen.
“Thank you, Ivy,” Eliza said and called out, “I’m sure we’ll be fine tonight and we will make a plan in the morning after we have more information.”
Eliza stood up and waited. Both she and William watched as Ivy went off back to bed before moving. As soon as she was gone, William grabbed Eliza’s hand and pulled her into the darkened drawing room. Not waiting for Eliza to turn on any lights he shut the door. A dim glow came in the windows from the street lights, enough that she could see his face.
She started to speak.
He interrupted her and said gruffly, “give me a minute, will you?’ and facing her, stepped right up close, wrapping his arms around her, holding on tight, like he was a drowning man, taking his last breaths.
She could feel him shuddering, and gradually she was able to pull her arms out from where they were trapped between them. Now free, she tucked them under his coat and linked her hands behind his back. She snuggled into his warmth and rested her cheek against his chest. She loved the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his chest rising with each breath.
When he seemed to collect himself, enough to step back, she pulled back her hands from where they were clasped and grabbed his lapels.
He still appeared agitated and his eyes slightly dazed, so Eliza looked straight into his face and gave him a little shake, “William,” and another slight shake. “William, I’m alright.”
Then, using the lapels again, she pulled his head down toward her to give him a quick kiss. That got his attention. He groaned and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily again but his eyes were clearer.
“God, I can’t believe this is happening,” he blurted, raking his fingers through his hair again. “I thought we’d put this whole sordid part of our lives behind us.”
“It’s ok,” she soothed. “Tell me what you know. Let’s start there.”