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Henry had stumbled through his front door flailing his leg behind him to kick the solid red door shut. Without stopping to remove his hat or coat, he made his way gracelessly to the parlor where he plopped down unhurried into his favorite chair by the fire. He sighed a contented sigh as he laid back in the deep recliner and tried to steady the spinning room by planting his feet firmly on the floor before him. Then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flask.
It was just at that moment that Ivy entered the room. She was surprised to see Mr. Scarlet home in the middle of the afternoon but when she saw the glint from the silver flask approaching his lips, she gasped in spite of herself.
Henry turned to face her and gave her a nod and a grin before he took his swig. “Hello, Ivy!”
One thing about Mr. Scarlet that Ivy had always appreciated was that he was a kind man. The good news was that he was a kind drunk as well, but to see him drinking after he had sworn off the stuff for YEARS made Ivy’s heart sink.
She slowly made her way over to her master and bent to help with his boots. “That is so kind of you, Ivy! Thank you ever so much for being here for me…not just today but for all the years past!” He made a large sweeping gesture with his right arm, just narrowly missing the top of poor Ivy’s stooped head. He punctuated the sincere statement with a rather loud hiccup.
Ivy looked up into the kind man’s face with puzzlement wondering what could have gone so wrong on this day. She suddenly recognized the scarf he was wearing…one the late Mrs. Scarlet had knit and now that she thought about it, the fact that it was the late Mrs. Scarlet’s birthday had slipped her mind.
Although the lady of the house had been gone for years, it was undeniable that Henry missed her daily. If not for Eliza, Ivy was sure that Henry would have drunk himself to death years ago after the passing of his lovely wife.
Her expression softened as she finished pulling off the boots and lined them by the fire. She reached for Mr. Scarlet’s hat, but noticed with a twinge of sadness how he grasped the scarf as if to indicate that it should stay put.
“I’ll just go hang this in the hall.” She stated, carrying the hat toward the door, “and maybe put on a very STRONG pot of tea.”
Ivy finished her busy work in the kitchen and carried the tray back to the parlor. She heard Mr. Scarlet’s gentle snores as she opened the door with her elbow and entered the room. She set the tray down with care but not quietly…she was hoping to get a good two cups of the strong brew into her master before Eliza made it home for the day.
Henry heard the tray service being placed down and straightened up in the chair. He ran his hand down his face and looked toward Ivy…his eyes were beginning to appear bloodshot.
Ivy poured the tea and handed it gingerly to the sad man before her. “Mr. Scarlet, what happened?” She couldn’t help the tinge of sadness that filled her voice.
“What happened? Ivy, I believe you know very well what happened- Life took my joy….it took my wife and today instead of celebrating with her I am alone in this miserable world.” He spoke softly and resolutely.
“But you have Eliza!” Ivy argued back not unkindly; eager to remind her master of the precious girl that he had raised despite the challenge of being a working, widowed father.
“Eliza!” Henry said her name with reverence. “Yes, Eliza is all grown now. She has turned out to be a lovely and headstrong young lady, thanks in part to you!” He chuckled and went to set his teacup on the table beside him. Ivy noted he hadn’t taken too many sips.
“She doesn’t need my guidance so much anymore…in fact she tends to do what she wishes regardless of my instruction. She reminds me of William in that way, they both have to try things out for themselves before they come to a conclusion.”
Ivy smiled at the mention of the young man who had risen up the ranks of the police force due to Henry’s patience and guidance.
“Yes, I would say they have both tuned out well for themselves despite me.” Mr. Scarlet seemed to be talking more to himself than Ivy and then he turned and looked her in the eyes.
“Ivy, I have decided to leave the force! I have found a little office near Herr Hildegard’s and will pay rent to open my own Private Detective Agency!”
A look of panic must have crossed Ivy’s face but he pressed on, eager to convince her of the merits of his plan,
“I went today to sign the papers and the landlord suggested a drink to celebrate! I felt it would be wrong to refuse as a new tenant.”
He nodded and slumped back again…a pleased grin on his face but his eyes still filled with sadness just as the scarf still hung from his neck.
Just then he reached out and patted Ivy on the hand…”I will make them proud of me Ivy, you will see. I don’t need so much oversight from the force anymore…I am not a married officer who will be promoted up the ranks…It is time I branch out…make my own way!”
Ivy gave a quick nod and pulled her hand back from Mr. Scarlet. She was ever so worried about the changes ahead but the Scarlet house had always been fair to her and she was going to do her best to believe that this alarming behavior might just be a one-time occurrence on an admittedly sad occasion.
Standing up she looked down at him and stated: “That might be well and good Mr. Scarlet, but just remember that even if Elza seems grown and she does whatever she wishes, she is still just a girl who has looked to you for her place in this world for a very long time. You cannot let her down”
She went to move away, sincerely hoping that this day would be a temporary setback and that Mr. Scarlett would be back to his more manageable vices like too many fruit twists shoved in his pockets by the morning.
But, as she left the room, she could hear Mr. Scarlet muttering…”Oh, Eliza, I fear I have already let you down. I am so far down…it’s so lonely when you are down.”
Ivy’s heart broke for the man. She determined that Eliza was her priority now and that whatever choices Mr. Scarlet made for himself, she was going to do her best to protect her girl from his grief. There was something special about Eliza….always had been…and she knew that the next few years would never be boring in the house with the red front door!