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"Well, Good evening, Inspector Wellington," Herr Hildegard said as he appeared out of nowhere, with a broom in his hands.
William's hand froze as he reached for Eliza's agency door. He slowly turned around and gave a tight smile. “Good evening, Herr Hildegard.”
"Have you come to give police assistance to one of Miss Scarlet's cases?" the elderly undertaker asked, leaning on his broom, with hope on his face.
The poor man must be lonely working with the dead all day, William thought. He sighed. He briefly debated what to say. "Yes, she asked for some assistance. In return, I have a case where her fresh eyes to peruse the facts could prove insightful." That part was genuine— he hoped to discuss a case over dinner at her house tonight. But he didn't wish to tell Herr Hildegard that. They had learned not to tell anyone they were courting because…they weren't. The arrangement they had would only confuse people--they spend time together socially, without a chaperone, and share the occasional kiss to temper the attraction they had developed over the past year. William barely understood it himself, but he was reaping the rewards and unwilling to complain. He turned his body more to face the older man, his back now to the door.
"She is quite talented, isn't she?" Herr Hildegard asked, although it was more like a statement. "Much like her father before her."
William had to smile. His mentor and friend had taught him and Eliza all they knew about policing and detecting. Henry always brought warm thoughts to his mind.
"Yes, although I suspect she may surpass her father in some ways," William said proudly.
The Agency door opened and clicked behind William. "What's this about my father? I assume you are discussing me? Good evening, Herr Hildegard," Eliza said, locking her office door.
"Good evening, Miss Scarlet. I was just about to ask the Inspector what sort of cases the two of you are working on. I had read about the man who had apparently climbed out of a window on a speeding train…."
"Yes, that was a tragic accident," William said and turned toward the street, putting Eliza to his left. "We must return to Scotland Yard as I've just now realised I forgot the case file. Excuse us, Herr Hildegard. Good evening to you."
William touched his hat and held out his left arm; Eliza took it and was about to speak to William, but he turned to give her a knowing glance, and she clamped her mouth shut.
"See you tomorrow, Herr Hildegard," Eliza said. He smiled, waved at their retreating backs and began sweeping the threshold of his business.
As they dashed down the street, Eliza looked confused. "We're going back to Scotland Yard? I thought you were taking me home so you can have a home-cooked meal by Ivy."
William had to chuckle. "And to think I was just praising you for your detecting talents to Herr Hildegard. The last time I met you at your door, he practically accosted me and quizzed me on the latest crime statistics."
"William Wellington!" Eliza exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Did you tell a LIE?"
William gave a wry grin and looked down at her. "Just a little white one."
"I do believe associating with me has had some influence on you," she said, returning her gaze to the street ahead of them. William gave a short laugh.
"I don't know about that, but I do know that I will tell that man anything to keep a conversation as brief as possible," he said. Eliza chuckled.
"He is lonely. I try to indulge him at times. And sometimes, his knowledge can be helpful with a case now and then," she said, as they slowed their walk away from the Agency and Undertakers.
William gave a small, "Mm." in agreement.
Eliza's voice then lowered. "You were praising me?"
William looked down at her. His smile widened, and he took his other hand and touched her fingers in the crook of his arm. She blushed slightly and looked down at the ground, hiding a satisfied smile.
Eliza then frowned as they continued their walk. "Where did Arthur park the carriage? Around the corner?"
"No, I sent Arthur back to the Yard. I thought we would walk; the weather seems to be agreeable," he said, giving a bit of resigned sigh. The sky was bright but slightly overcast, casting no shadows on the cobblestoned street.
William liked walking with Eliza. He could escort her like this in public as long as no one discovered they weren't engaged. Plus, they often had fun discussions, sometimes heated, when discussing cases; others were flirty, giving each other compliments. But he had hoped to meet Eliza in her office and privately greet her with a warm kiss. If he'd realized he'd not have the opportunity, he would have told Arthur to wait and then ask to kiss her in the carriage on the way home.
Now they were walking along the street, a bit slower than he wanted since he couldn't remove the idea of a kiss from his head. They had been so busy over the past week; he had not seen her since Sunday when they had strolled in the nearby park. He had not managed to kiss her that day either, so he had to settle for kissing her hand discreetly behind some trees.
Eliza then broke away from him and walked to a storefront. There was a table with books and other knick-knacks under the store's window. "Oh William, I've wanted to stop and look at this selection of books for some time. I haven't had the chance. Can you indulge me for a few minutes?" she asked, looking back at him hopefully. He just shrugged, and she beamed at him and started to dig through book titles in a crate. William let out a big sigh.
He also looked briefly at the table but saw nothing that interested him. So he turned his attention to the street, the other shops and people walking along. Henry had taught him to stay alert whenever possible, observing people for details that could prove helpful to a constable or a detective.
William looked back and could see in the distance Hildegard's Undertakers front door and Herr Hildegard looking out the window in their direction. William frowned. Such a nosey Parker , he thought. He turned away and examined the store in front of them. A small alley was to the right, piled high with crates. He walked back to inspect the area. It was a bit cluttered but relatively clean; the boxes were piled so high he could hide behind them if he wanted to.
An idea popped into William's head. He wasn't sure it was a good one, but he was starting to like how it formed in his mind.
He stepped back out to the street and looked up and down. Fewer people were around, and he noted that Herr Hildegard had left his window. He looked at Eliza, still engrossed in a book.
William gave one more cursory glance. He went into the alley.
"Eliza?" he called out quietly.
"Mm?" she said, distracted by the book.
"Eliza. Come here. You should see this," he said.
"What?" She looked up. "Where are you, William?"
He poked his head out of the alley. "In here," he said, all serious. "Hurry."
Eliza frowned and put the book down. "Really, William, what is so...Oh!"
As soon as Eliza stepped into the alley, he grabbed her hand and drew her behind the crates. "William, what are you doing?"
William directed her to the wall behind the crates. She faced him with her back to the wall; he leaned on his left hand next to her head.
"I'm trying to poach a kiss since I was denied one earlier by not reaching your office in time." He gave a dark and intense stare.
"William, you rake! Surely someone saw you drag me in here," Eliza said quietly, trying to sound offended, but her smile was defying her tone.
William chuckled. "I was cautious. Herr Hildegard had stopped watching us. No one was around. These crates completely obscure us from the street."
"You're rather sure of yourself," Eliza said, lifting her chin toward him. William merely replied with a mischievous smile and a raised eyebrow. Eliza scoffed.
She held his gaze, but instead of consenting to his desire, she squinted at him and teased, "I thought you said you'd never steal one from me again."
"Yes, but that was before our arrangement. I didn't think you'd mind now. Besides, wasn't it you who once said, 'you can't steal a kiss if both parties are willing?'"
"I believe I said, if the other party is willing, it's not stealing," she said.
William rolled her eyes at her.
"Well, just because we have an arrangement doesn't mean you can pull me off the street and manhandle me behind a bunch of crates. And who said I was willing?" A defiant look came over her, but William detected a hint of a smile.
William pushed off the wall and began to back away from the privacy of the crates. "Oh well, if you don't want one then…,"
Eliza dropped her handbag to the ground. "I didn't say that," she said quietly and reached for the lapels of his coat. She pulled him back to her. He went willingly and smiling; his hand again slapped on the wall to stop him from completely invading her space.
She lifted her face towards him, and he moved in slowly, savouring the anticipation. He didn't mind letting her take the lead. He kept his smile until his lips met hers. Eliza liked his kisses—his moustache tickled her upper lip, his beard caressed her chin. He kept his lips closed, resisting any urge to take any more than she offered. His lips left hers briefly to change position and kiss her even more. She sighed as her hands grasped desperately at his lapels. He brought his right hand up to cup her face. They held their kiss a bit longer, and then Eliza relaxed her grip on his coat, and William pulled away. He took a deep breath to recover the oxygen he'd lost. He'd kiss her until next week if he could, he thought.
Eliza's eyes opened, and she smiled up at him. "If you had managed to be on time, I could have kissed you like that in my office and not in a darkened alley." She reminded him often of his tendency towards tardiness.
William kept his hand on her cheek, ignoring her criticism. "Exactly like that?" His voice was quiet and deep, and he raised an eyebrow.
Eliza's eyes dropped to the ground, and she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Well, maybe not exactly like that ."
William withdrew his hand from her face and pushed off the wall. "Bounceable lass."
Eliza bent down to pick up her handbag. She stood and tucked strands of hair behind one ear. "Rogue," she whispered. William chuckled.
"Now, how are we getting out of here unseen, Inspector?" she asked him.
"Ah," he said, stepping back and rubbing the back of his neck. "I hadn't figured that part out yet."
"Hm," Eliza said, giving him a squinty glare. "And they say women act impulsively."
William retorted with a sarcastic, "Ha, ha." Then his face turned serious. "Stay here and I'll see if the coast is clear." He stepped out from the crates and stealthily looked out upon the street. There were a few pedestrians up the road. William saw Herr Hildegard step out of his door with his broom again.
He drew his head back out of view quickly. "Dammit."
Eliza's voice came from behind the crates. "I assume by your curse that we are stuck here?"
William walked backwards until he stood in front of Eliza. "I could think of worse predicaments," he answered, smiling wickedly and wiggling his eyebrows.
Eliza gave him a reproachful stare, negated again by a slight grin.
"Well, as fun as this was, I should like to be home in time for Ivy's dinner. Let's see if there's a back exit." Eliza turned and walked down the alley.
"Wait, Eliza!" William sprinted after her. "It could be dangerous."
"You're the one who dragged me in here," she tossed back at him, not slowing her pace even slightly.
The advantage of William's long legs allowed him to catch up and push past her. They were nearly at the corner of the dark alley, and it appeared to veer left. "At least let me go ahead of you, will you?" he pleaded. It was Eliza's turn to roll her eyes.
"Fine," she said.
He turned the corner first, and she followed. "Oof!" She ran into his back as he had stopped short.
A large, chained dog stood in their way, barking at their intrusion. William stood in front of Eliza, keeping her out of harm's way. The dog pulled tight at the chain attached to the shop's back staircase. "Christ," he muttered.
"I seriously doubt that's the dog's name," Eliza said disdainfully. William turned to give her a glib smile.
It was at this moment the back door swung open. A man in a store apron stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at them both. "Oi! Whut's going' on, 'ere?" The dog continued his roaring barks.
"Uh…," William was at a loss for words. His stolen kiss had turned into an elaborate predicament.
Eliza's quick mind came to the rescue. "I'm Eliza Scarlet, and this is Detective Inspector Wellington with Scotland Yard. I had stopped to view your table's wares when the Inspector noted the tall pile of wooden crates at the start of this alley."
The stout store owner scowled at her, hands still on hips. "Yeah? Whut o' it? ZEUS! QUIET DOWN!" he yelled at the still barking dog. Zeus settled, then sat as he saw his master slip a hand in his apron pocket and toss him a tiny morsel. William's eyes widened, and his tensed stance relaxed a little but still kept Eliza behind him.
"There was a petty theft near here last week," Eliza began.
"Yeah, the butcher's a few doors down," the stout man said. William looked back at her, wondering what she knew of the case. "I know him well," the man said.
Eliza smiled. "Well, the Inspector surmised it may have been possible the thief hid behind these crates waiting to make his escape. I assume Zeus is always back here ready to sound the alarm?"
The store owner's arms dropped from his hips. He had a contrite expression. "Uh, yeah," he said.
"We came back here to see if the thief could have escaped through this alley. If Zeus was doing his duty, likely not. But those crates out front…."
"…gave him a chance to escape. Oh, bollocks." The store owner cursed.
William listened to this exchange with wonder. This case crossed his desk last week, and it was unsolved. Despite his constables interviewing several people, no one had seen where the thief had run. The butcher managed to chase him down a street and lost him. It was possibly this one, but William didn't exactly recall the street's name where the butcher shop was. Not without the file in his hands. Inundated with cases, William often found the petty thefts wound up on the bottom of the pile.
Damned if Eliza hadn't put that together quickly. Not to mention that she gave him credit when all he saw was an opportunity to be sneaky with a kiss.
William recovered from his revelations and assumed his official posture. "Yes, it may be best to have these crates removed from your premises, or stored differently, Mr…?"
"Hargood. You won't be finin' me, will you, Inspector?" the store owner asked, wringing his hands together.
William pursed his lips. "Well, not if you're cooperative and tell us what you can recall from the day of the theft last Wednesday?"
"Thursday," Eliza said, covering her mouth in a fake cough.
"…last Thursday," William corrected. Mr. Hargood nodded.
"And the cost of the books out front?" Eliza inquired.
"If the Inspector wishes to buy you a book, Miss, it's on the house. Come, come." Mr. Harwood waved them to enter and the door shut behind him. William gestured to Eliza to go first.
As she stepped ahead of him, he asked accusingly, "When did you read the case file on my desk?"
Eliza turned and raised an eyebrow. "Last Friday, while I waited for you to finish before we went to Gilbert's for dinner. You were called away by Honeychurch. The file was open on your desk. I remembered it because I recognized the street name being close to here."
William frowned. "Why didn't you tell me you'd figured out the culprit's escape?" he asked with disbelief.
"Because I didn't figure it out until after you just now kissed me," she said in a low voice.
William guffawed and shook his head. "What book do you want?"
Eliza grinned. "I want two. History of London Bridges and The Subtle Language of the Ladies' Fan. "
William scowled. "What on Earth do you want that one for?" He was worried she might start carrying one, and he'd have to figure out what she was trying to convey with various fan flicks.
Eliza grabbed the doorknob. "I have a case where my client's aunt is a mute elderly spinster who tends to only speak in fan gestures. The nephew is not versed in the old-fashioned flirting method and is trying to figure out if he can charm his way into her will."
William laughed. He squinted at her. "Where do you find these cases?" he asked.
Eliza opened the door and began to step inside. "Just lucky, I guess. I'm charging him double just because it's so ridiculous. Coming?" Eliza disappeared inside the shop.
William shook his head. He looked to Zeus and said, "Humans are an odd lot, eh, Zeus?"
Zeus just whined and cocked his head at William.
"You said it, boy." William trudged up the stairs and into the store.