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Enola was completely enamored with Tewksbury, so much so that she had almost become embarrassed with herself.
She found a smile creeping across her face so much of the time that she had become unaware of when it was happening, and looked forward to evening strolls, and breakfast in the park. She would listen to him chatter on about all of his horticultural knowledge for forever, she thought.
However, the drawback to such pleasantries was how worried she had become for Tewksbury’s safety. He was a radical amongst the lords, and his recent bold moves against corruption in the factories had put a larger target in his back. She couldn’t stand the thought of him getting hurt, and her not being there to help. Which seemed relatively silly to think about, but then again, he had gotten himself thrown out of a train once before, and that was before she had come into his life, really.
He arrived at her desk in Edith’s studio one afternoon, brown-paper wrapped bouquet in hand, when she finally decided to bring it up.
“My dear,” he greeted her, handing her the bundle of flowers.
Mildly sweet smelling and a brilliant array of red and lilac, Enola inhaled slowly before continuing.
“My love,” she said, embracing him quickly before disentangling herself. “I was wondering if you’d be willing to return to fighting lessons?”
He paused for a second, regarding her. “Are you safe? Are you involved with something dangerous again? I thought you told me you’d inform me in the future, Enola—“
“Tewksbury,” she stopped him, “nothing is dangerous. Currently. At least, nothing is more dangerous than it normally is, and— anyways, that’s not the point. I’m just concerned for you, dear. People seem to try to kill you a lot.”
“Enola, I think people try to kill you much more than they try to kill me. I really don't think I'm the one to be concerned for, here.”
“Yes, but the danger is part of my job. It should not be a part of your life, and I do feel that it has become a part of your life by some fault of mine. And, thus, I would feel better knowing you had a solid ability to defend yourself," she paused, realizing how it sounded, "Not that I mean any of that to offend. But the large policeman did almost kill you in the theatre, and that rather scrawny man on the train was able to best you, as well, and really... I just need to know you'll be safe."
“I understand,” He said quietly, “and I will join you in lessons, if you’d be consoled by it. I do wonder if there isn’t something more serious that prompted this, though? I worry about you, too, and I know you do not want to reveal too much of your cases, but this one seems to be weighing on you, and I want you to know you can always tell me the things you cannot share with others.”
She breathed in, closed her eyes for a moment, taking time to level her thoughts before moving forward. He knew her too well. Her current case seemed even more violent than the last, and she felt as though she was beginning to see a pattern in the amounts of abuses factories were willing to perform over their workers, as long as they wouldn't get caught. The men in charge did not seem to have the genetics for empathy, or at least, empathy for anything other than money. Tewksbury was eyeing her again, and it snapped her out of her thoughts once more.
“I am so constantly surrounded by death, Tewksbury,” Enola said, “I cannot bear to think that one of those deaths could be yours.”
He was quiet for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her again. He was her everything, the roots that held her down through the storm of mysteries and cases and her own fleeting thoughts.
“Alright. Was it someone special?”
She found herself fighting back tears, although she wasn’t quite sure where they had come from. She hadn’t known the girl who had been discovered dead a day and a half ago, nor did she know anything truly significant about her death in the current case she was working on. She had no proof, just respects to pay, and something about that felt like her insides were being shredded.
“Not really. I didn’t know her, but… she was so young. They’re all so young, and they so desperately need me, and I cannot seem to figure out what the root cause is this time, and they keep dying, Tewksbury. I fear I cannot help them all.”
He ran a hand through her hair, gentle, comforting. She felt as though her heartbeat had aligned to his, their breathing, pulses, lives, became synchronized.
“But you will help as many as you can. And you will figure out the cause, with time, as you always do, because you have the desire to do it. And your failings cannot be considered failings at all, Enola, when so many others will just look down on all of those you try to lift up."
She pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes, shimmering just as hers were. “Thank you. It feels as though everything has become so much harder, although I cannot identify why."
"It's because you are changing things, my love. Troublemakers have never been known to live an easy life. But I will support you, and we will make as much change as we can."
His eyes were gleaming now, filled with the compassion and drive she had fallen in love with him for. Her brain seemed to become clearer when he was around, and she felt the fog that had crept in over the past couple of days leave her.
"And we are a team," Enola responded, clasping her hands in his, "And we will do as much as we can, as long as we can.”
He smiled warmly at her. “And we will do it together.”
And he kissed her, soft and warm and suddenly things were going to work out again. Suddenly all of the wrongs in the world could be righted, suddenly the sun was brighter and there was a way to make things better. Suddenly she felt whole.
“Now,” Tewksbury said, righting himself, “will beating me half to death make you feel any better?”
She laughed, shoving him gently. “Not half to death, dear. More like an eighth to death. You never use full force whilst sparring, conserve the energy for an actual match.”
“Oh, so what was that in the carriage, then?”
“That was incredibly light, Tewksbury! Surely you didn’t think that was full force?”
“Please, just be gentle.”
“I’ll do what I can,” She relented, pulling him into one more kiss before exiting into the studio.