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As Patrick Nash walked away from Eliza Scarlet, he almost instantly began to have doubts about moving to Australia. Too far. But clearly he couldn’t stay in London either. For one, Lord Campbell had arranged for his early release from prison as merely a means to force him into finding his, Lord Campbell’s, criminal brother so he, the criminal brother, could be sent to Australia. That Patrick had given the brother over to Eliza and taken the ticket to Australia for himself would likely cause problems, and big ones at that, with Lord Campbell.
But the bigger issue, to Patrick anyway, was that he did not want to be a burden to Eliza. He had come to London years ago with his brother, Michael, to make his fortune. His brother, like Eliza, was a true talent at detective work and a truly good person, ethical to a fault. His goodness proved to be his downfall, and Patrick, whose greatest assets were his charm and ambition (not to mention his good looks), was able to build Nash & Sons into one of London’s premier detective agencies on his own. Although he employed upwards of thirty men at any given time, Patrick always felt like his life and his work (which were often one and the same) were missing something, until the day he met Eliza Scarlet.
In Eliza, he saw the best qualities of his brother – a talented detective with the utmost integrity – joined with what he thought were some of his best qualities – determination, ambition, and hunger. In better days, he had offered her a position leading the London branch of Nash & Sons, so he could start a new branch in Paris. But although she was an exceptional detective, her management skills had been lacking. Patrick had returned to London to help build the agency back up, as well as provide Eliza with some mentorship in running a business, which was truly the area he’d always thrived in, anyhow.
While in London to mentor Eliza, Patrick was reacquainted with a feeling he hadn’t had since Michael’s death – joy. He had had so much fun starting Nash & Sons with Michael, but when his brother was taken from him, the laughter and light-heartedness went with him. To be sure, Nash & Sons probably had an easier path to success without Michael, in that detective work is easier if you are willing to do whatever it takes, ethics be damned. Still, rebuilding the agency with Eliza had brought back a lot of the joy of the first time around, and Patrick would do anything to protect the woman who had brought joy back to his life.
Michael had been murdered by a heartless fisherman who he had found with the daughter of an Irish couple who had hired him to find said daughter. Patrick had never gotten over the loss, but instead had bottled up all the anger and hurt and grief and had always presented himself as the cool, confident, successful Patrick Nash. When he was alerted of the return of his brother’s killer to London, he was consumed by the need for revenge. He had asked Eliza to stay out of it as he tracked the killer down, but of course, she did not. She found him as he was about to kill the killer and persuaded him to reason. She was right, of course. Patrick was not a murderer.
The kidnap and holding of his brother’s killer had landed him in prison, but he’d made the most of it. And used up all his money doing so. He was surprised to be released early, and quickly learned of the strings attached. It put him in a role he was not used to – dragging Eliza into a dangerous manhunt with an unlicensed detective. Eliza was up for the dangerous manhunt, of course, but she wanted to bring the criminal brother to justice and not dispose of him on a boat to Australia per Lord Campbell’s orders.
With the help of Eliza, Patrick did track down Lord Campbell’s brother on Lord Campbell’s timeline and could have followed through on Lord Campbell’s plan of sending him off to Australia. He would have been a free man in London. But that would have entailed disappointing Eliza, who in the end, believed in him as much as he believed in her. So he’d decided to hand the delinquent brother over to Eliza, as a parting gift. He would take the ticket to Australia.
But then again, Australia is so far away. He definitely had to leave London, but why not go somewhere closer? These were the thoughts filling Patrick Nash’s head as he walked away from the woman who had brought joy back to his life. And at that moment, it was decided, he would return to Paris.
The Paris Branch of Nash & Sons obviously had had to close when Patrick was arrested, but when it was open, Patrick had employed a man he had also come to consider a friend, one of the few friends he had and one he shared with Eliza Scarlet. Moses was whip-smart, highly intuitive, and insanely good with languages. The first thing Patrick needed to do in Paris was find Moses.
It didn’t take long. Although he kept a low profile, a large Jamaican man was still memorable to the Parisians who came across him. Since the dissolution of Nash & Sons, Moses had been working and living at a cabaret in the 2nd Arrondissement.
“Bonjour Moses!”
Moses turned at the familiar voice, but one he had not heard in a while. He couldn’t help but let out a deep chuckle.
“Bonjour Monsieur Nash! Last I heard you were to be in prison for two years and yet here you are. Did you break out?”
Patrick brought him up-to-date on all that had transpired.
“So you’ve returned to Paris? Do you have a plan?”
“Not as yet. My existence is very day-to-day right now.”
Another low chuckle from Moses, “Come with me.”
The friends reminisced about their days in London as they made their way to La Maison de Merveilles.
“Inspector Wellington is staying in New York?!” Moses was truly surprised.
“Yes. It appears he got a promotion that would likely never come at Scotland Yard.”
“And is Phelps now the Inspector?”
“Oh God no. The position went to an Army veteran, Alexander Blake. From what Eliza has told me, and from what I heard from others, he seems a steady hand.”
“And how is Miss Scarlet with all these changes?”
“Well, you know Eliza. She never shies away from a challenge.”
As they approached La Maison de Merveilles, Moses informed Patrick that over the last few months, he had been both living and working at the cabaret. “I take care of security as well as a variety of odd jobs. I’ve been provided with lodging as well as steady pay. I thought it also allowed me a low profile, but it did not seem to take you long to track me down.”
“I was once a great detective you know.”
“Great might be pushing it.”
They’d arrived at Moses’s room. It was a small room, but well-appointed. In addition to a bed, there was a chaise lounge, dressing table with chair, and a small wardrobe. “You are welcome to stay with me while you determine your next steps.”
Patrick could have kissed Moses. The boarding house where recently released Newgate prisoners were sent left much to be desired. With a look that betrayed all the gratitude he felt, Patrick profusely thanked Moses for his generosity and quickly went to sleep on the chaise lounge.
Over the next days, Patrick charmed his way into a job at the bar. The La Maison de Merveilles regulars warmed to “Monsieur Nash” almost instantly, as did the dancers and musicians. He continued to sleep on Moses’s chaise lounge, and Moses, who never liked for people to pry into his personal life gave Patrick as much space as was possible while sharing a small room. He did note that “Monsieur Nash” was very much a character formulated to delight the audience. When not in character, Patrick seemed more reserved than he had when Moses had worked with him previously, both in London and Paris. Again, Moses didn’t want to pry, but also, he wasn’t unfeeling. He’d felt heartbroken for Patrick when he’d heard of his reaction to the return of Patrick’s brother’s killer to London.
“Does Miss Scarlet know you are here?”
Patrick turned around to see Moses in the doorframe.
“No. I’ll send word eventually. I don’t want her worried that I’ll turn up at any moment.”
“And why would that worry her?” He was definitely breaking his “no prying” rule at this point.
“You should see her now, Moses. She’s doing so well. She’s finally replaced the ‘Mr. Henry Scarlet’ above her door with ‘Miss Eliza Scarlet’.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Patrick sighed. “I have no money. I have no license. Nash & Sons is done. I have nothing to offer her. I don’t want to be a burden to her.”
Moses had only ever seen an upbeat Patrick Nash, full of confidence. It tugged on his heart strings to see him so disheartened. “I think she’d want to know that you’re well.”
“In time, Moses.” And with that, the glint of mischief returned to Patrick’s eye. “But for now, I have to go restock the bar. The ladies have quite a show planned for tonight!”
The dancers of the La Maison de Merveilles had taken to Monsieur Nash right away. He was charming, handsome, and always encouraging. And he was a friend of Moses, who also always showed them an amount of respect that was unusual for the men in their lives—both their fellow employees and the patrons of the cabaret. As Patrick stocked the bar, one of his new friends approached.
“Bonjour Monsieur Nash!”
“Ah, Sophie! How are we tonight?” Sophie had been practicing her English with Moses prior to Patrick’s arrival, and Patrick was more than willing to comply.
“Eh…good.” But then her face dropped.
“What is wrong? Why the frown?” Patrick made an exaggerated frown and pointed at it.
“Monsieur Pierre is… uh… sick.”
“Ah. You need him for the show?” At this, Patrick mimicked a big finish to a dance number, to indicate what he was asking. This made Sophie giggle. Patrick liked to make people smile.
“Oui… eh… yes!” Then, her eyes brightened. “You?!” She gave Patrick a hopeful smile.
“Me?” Patrick was not comprehending.
“You be Monsieur Pierre?”
He comprehended. Sophie wanted him to take Monsieur Pierre’s spot in the act. The dance number did not ask much of its male participant, but he could not imagine getting up on stage.
“Oh no. No no no no no….”
“Please.” Sophie had always reminded Patrick of Eliza. One of her traits that she shared with Eliza was what some would positively call perseverance, and others would negatively call stubbornness. And those big blue eyes of hers that were pleading with him at this moment.
“One night.” He held up one finger, as if that would bring his point home. She jumped up, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Venez avec moi!” She’d decided to give up on the English for the night. Sophie needed to get Monsieur Nash backstage as quickly as possible to have him ready for the night’s show.
“I need to get someone to cover the bar,” he said in French. She let him know that it had already been arranged. This, and the fact that they had a costume waiting for him when he got backstage led Patrick to deduce that his taking Pierre’s place was not some last minute idea of Sophie’s. He was once a great detective after all.
Moses was a jack-of-all-trades at the cabaret and after a day performing a variety of tasks, he settled into what was his favorite of the odd jobs, “security”, which for the La Maison de Merveilles meant standing around looking slightly menacing and then looking extremely menacing if any of the patrons got too out of order. Looking extremely menacing was generally all that was required to rectify the situation.
On that evening, he was enjoying the bustle of the cabaret. It was in the business district, an odd location for a cabaret, but one that meant the clientele was generally more civil. The businessmen of Paris would come for a drink and a show. That night, as the show really got going, Moses was enjoying the bright colors and the sharp movements of the dancers. He was in rapt anticipation of the new number the ladies had been working on, but when he heard the host call out, “Bienvenue dans la Maison des Merveilles Monsieur Nash,” he almost choked. Sure enough, Patrick ambled out on stage, surrounded by beautiful women. It was a fun number, meant to look as if the women were fighting for Patrick’s attention. Patrick’s expressive eyes and exaggerated motions really sold his role in the act. Moses had caught glimpses of the dancers practicing with Pierre, but watching this version, Moses had to admit that Patrick was probably better in this role.
The crowd roared with applause when the dance number was over, and Moses couldn’t help noticing that it was the female patrons who especially liked the act. A little while later, Moses saw Patrick take his usual spot back behind the bar. “You’re part of the show now?” Moses asked.
“I was just filling in for Pierre. Nothing more. He’ll be back tomorrow, I’m certain.”
“No, man. You are part of the show now,” Moses chuckled.
Moses was right, of course. The cabaret’s owner sealed the deal with Patrick when he offered him his own well-appointed small room at the boarding house attached to La Maison des Merveilles. As with all things, Patrick threw himself into the show whole-heartedly. He worked with the dancers and musicians to create some fun song-and-dance numbers that were met with wild approbation. Patrick Nash was a natural showman. La Maison des Merveilles had always been a popular nightclub, but with Patrick revamping the show, the cabaret was drawing in increasing numbers of patrons.
One morning, as Patrick was taking his breakfast at a nearby café, Moses happened to walk by. He was just the man Patrick wanted to see and he, Patrick, let him, Moses, know as much. “I would like you to join the show.”
“No.” Moses was never one to mince words.
“Hear me out. I need another man in the show. And I think you would be perfect.”
“Why not Monsieur Pierre?”
“Come now. He lacks talent.” Patrick had Moses there. He likely would be a better choice than Pierre.
“What is the act?”
“A thief, that would be you, is stealing jewelry from the dancers. Sophie arrives on the scene as a private detective, along with her male partner, that would be me. There would be a lot of flashy dance moves and musical asides as Sophie cracks the case.”
“There is no way I would play the thief. The patrons would attack me after the show.”
“Good point. Ok, you’d be Sophie’s partner and I would be the thief. Please, Moses, rehearse with us. You can turn it down if it’s not to your liking.”
“What makes you think I would join your show?”
“You never let Eliza down. You’re loyal to your people.”
“What makes you think you are my people?!”
At this, Patrick smiled broadly. Moses gave in. “I’ll rehearse and decide. But you really should write to Eliza. She’s obviously on your mind.”
Soon, Moses was a regular fixture in the shows at la Maison des Merveilles. The “Lady Detective” act was well-received, especially the musical asides from Patrick, Moses, and Sophie. Moses’ bass complemented Patrick’s tenor nicely. The cabaret was regularly packed with patrons there to see “Monsieur Nash et Monsieur Moses.” It didn’t take long for an enterprising showman to approach Patrick with the idea of taking the show on a national tour. Moses took convincing, but as the dancers and musicians were all in, Moses didn’t want to disappoint. He also figured that the men in Jamaica who he’d believed to be after him—the reason he had tried to have a low profile—must have moved on. He definitely hadn’t kept a low-profile in a while.
The tour turned out to be a grand adventure for all involved in the show. They travelled through picturesque villages and captivated audiences with the fun and light-hearted show. Moses and Patrick’s friendship grew as they spent time traveling together, often bouncing ideas for the show off each other.
As they approached the end of the tour, Moses and Patrick enjoyed a rare day off. Desiring a lowkey evening, they dined together at their hotel. “I cannot believe how much I have enjoyed the tour,” Patrick told a distracted-looking Moses.
“Yes…yes,” Moses replied. Patrick could tell that something was on Moses’s mind.
“Out with it,” Patrick demanded.
“She knows where you are.”
“Who?”
“You know who,” Moses said while rolling his eyes.
Patrick sighed. “How?”
“I’m not sure. Remember Soloman? Occasionally, I will get a letter from him, and in a recent one, he told me that Miss Scarlet had mentioned she’d heard you and I were part of a traveling show.”
Patrick considered this. As the show had toured France, he had thought about writing to Eliza to let her know what he had gotten up to, but it never felt like the right moment. Almost as if it had felt too soon up until the point that it was too late. Their last show was the next evening in Calais. After that, he’d head back to Paris, where he’d have plenty of time to compose a heartfelt letter about all that had occurred in his life after they parted.
The first time Eliza Scarlet had really worked with Patrick Nash had been at the Hotel St. Marc in the French countryside. They had been tracking down a prominent swindler, who turned out to be multiple people, named “Charles Percival”. In the process, Eliza had met a hotelier who had been lured to the Hotel St. Marc to purchase it from the “Percivals.” The hotelier owned multiple properties in London, and had kept Eliza on retainer, in case he should need her services. He also owned hotels in France and had happened to host “Monsieur Nash et Monsieur Moses” at one of his locations. He was quite surprised to see that Monsieur Nash was the detective who had seemingly been working with Miss Scarlet at Hotel St. Marc. The hotelier had had a small job for Eliza in London shortly thereafter and mentioned seeing Mr. Nash on stage. Eliza told him he must be mistaken, but he’d saved the poster, and yes, there was his name, along with “Monsieur Moses.”
It took a little bit of digging, but Eliza discovered that the final show would be in Calais. She wouldn’t miss it for the world.
On the day of the final show, Eliza traveled to Calais, arriving at the cabaret early. She felt oddly nervous. Perhaps this had been a mistake. She anxiously sipped her whiskey and shot down the advances of many men who were thrilled to see such a beautiful woman sitting alone. Finally, the lights dimmed and with that, the emcee called out “Bienvenue Monsieur Nash et Monsieur Moses dans La Détective Femme.”
Eliza couldn’t help but laugh as Moses took the stage, furrowed his brow and said, “C’EST JUSTE MOSES!”
Of course, Eliza understood immediately that she was “La Détective Femme.” She could not help but feel touched by this tribute, but her base reaction to the show was pure delight. The song and dance numbers were playful and clever, and Patrick, Moses, Sophie, and the dancers were incredibly talented. She had not sat front and center, and she was glad of it, as she felt increasingly nervous that her presence would be unwelcome to Patrick and Moses. She hadn’t considered, until that moment, why Patrick had never contacted her, and now she was starting to wonder. Increasingly, she worried that Patrick would be unhappy to see her there, but then she’d remind herself that she’s “La Détective Femme.” Why would Patrick create this loving tribute to her if he didn’t want to see her?
As the show came to a close, she felt a rush of anxiety and started to think that maybe she should just sneak out. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way. It was just Patrick. And Moses! She hadn’t seen Moses in years. But she felt a flood of emotion as the time to see Patrick approached.
Upon the show’s end, the dancers, and then Moses, Sophie, and Patrick took their bows. Looking out from the stage, a familiar face caught Patrick’s eye. He locked eyes with Eliza, who knew now that there would be no sneaking out.
“Eliza!” Patrick’s deep blue eyes were piercing her over the crowd.
“Patrick!” She had felt an unexpected rush at hearing him say her name again.
They stood awkwardly for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Then, Patrick asked, “where are you staying? Can I walk you to a hotel?” Eliza acquiesced to this, and they left the cabaret. As they walked down a central boulevard, Eliza updated Patrick on the goings-on in her life, and listened to Patrick describe the series of events that had resulted in he and Moses touring the French countryside with a cabaret show.
“You were always a showman,” Eliza smiled as she said this.
“I had an excellent muse,” His piercing blue eyes twinkled as he said this. “Eliza, I’m sorry for not telling you about all this. I didn’t want to burden you with any more of my troubles.”
“Patrick, you are never a burden to me. You should never feel like I do not want to here from you. In fact, I would like to apologize. I don’t know why I was so insistent that we turn Lord Campbell’s brother into Scotland Yard. I’ve regretted it every day since I thought you’d moved to Australia.”
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words and emotions.
“Come home, Patrick.” It had just slipped out, but she knew it was what she wanted. “I’ve missed you.” At that, Patrick took Eliza’s hand, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through her. Their fingers intertwined, and he gently pulled her closer.
“And I you.” His eyes twinkled as he said this. He knew it was time to return to London.
10 years later
The guests were arriving for Sophie’s wedding to Oliver Fitzroy, an old friend of Eliza’s and Patrick’s. Patrick had agreed to the use of his cabaret for the wedding, as he had become a real father-figure to Sophie over the years. Patrick and Eliza’s seven-year-old twin sons, Michael and Henry, came running out from a back room when Ivy brought in the cake. “I better not see any smudges in the frosting,” she said as the boys scrunched up their faces. “Where’s your mother?”
“I think she’s at her office. Father told her he’d be very cross if she’s not early,” Michael replied.
Eliza’s office still had “Miss Eliza Scarlet Private Detective” on its front, but it also had an old “Nash & Sons” sign on the door. After Mrs. Eliza Scarlet Nash gave birth to twin boys, she thought it appropriate to put up the old sign, saved from a time when she was first getting to know her husband. Patrick, Ivy, and even Ivy’s husband, Barnabus, had begged Eliza to take time off when she was expecting. She would not oblige. She worked right up until the day she had the baby, which turned out to be babies. Lucky for Eliza, Ivy was a doting grandmother to the boys, and she really didn’t have to take much time off after the birth either. Doubly lucky for Eliza, she had ended up with twins, as she’d told Patrick she would only agree to two children. She had efficiently produced those two children with one “confinement”.
By the time the boys were born, Patrick’s cabaret, The Lady Detective, was thriving. Moses had remained in France, but Sophie and a few of the other performers had come to London with Patrick when he returned. He had taken the money earned from the tour of France and opened up the cabaret in what was once a small theater. Eliza had protested the name, to which Patrick had mischievously asked, “you have to be the only lady detective in town?” In the early days, Patrick would emcee the shows but never returned to the stage himself. Now he primarily took care of the business side of things. Since the birth of his sons, he liked to be at home at night. Eight years prior, Eliza had proposed to him, because of course she did. Occasionally, he missed his private detective days, but more often than not, he was fiercely proud that the Nash in Nash & Sons was Eliza.
He popped out of his back office at the sound of Ivy. “I will be very cross if she’s not early!” Oliver worked for Scotland Yard and Patrick liked to have Eliza as a buffer with that crowd. He felt more comfortable with Sophie’s friends and family.
“No, you won’t, Dad!” Henry laughed.
“You’re probably right. Still, though, I hope she gets here soon.”
“Bonjour Monsieur Nash!” Patrick turned around to see Moses in the doorway.
“Moses! I’m so glad you came. Eliza is going to be so excited to see you!” The old friends shook hands heartily.
“I was not going to miss the wedding of my best boxing student,” Moses said with a wink.
“How is Marie?” Patrick asked. Moses had returned to La Maison des Merveilles after their French tour, and, a couple years back, had gotten married to a talented singer named Marie.
“She is doing well. And we have a little girl now.” Moses showed Patrick and Ivy a small picture of his wife and daughter to smiles all around.
“Moses! You came!” Eliza Scarlet had arrived. She ran over to greet Moses. “You’ve met my sons?”
“The ‘& Sons’. So nice to meet you.” Michael and Henry stared up at Moses. They had seen a picture of him, but he seemed larger than life in person.
“Will you stay in London long?” Eliza was hoping to have some time to get caught up.
“No. I head back tomorrow morning. I was just telling Nash that I am a proud papa to a little girl.”
“Oh how wonderful!” The door opened again and revealed a true surprise. William Wellington walked in with his wife and two daughters. “William!” Eliza could not hide her shock at seeing him.
“Hello,” William responded. “Oliver had invited me, and I felt it was time to bring the family to London for a visit. This is my wife, Marian, and our daughters, Sarah and Victoria.” After William had decided to stay in New York, and Eliza had declined joining him as his wife, William had met and married Marian within a year. Their daughters were eight and six years old and were the pride of their dad’s eye.
As old friends reconnected and prepared to celebrate the new union, Patrick couldn’t help but reflect on how well his life had turned out. Eliza slid an arm around his waist, and said, “It’s a good day, is it not?” Patrick put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the temple.
“Indeed.”