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"That bloody copper did what now?" Bert almost flipped the kitchen table when he jumped to his feet. It was only thanks to Cec's quick reaction that none of Miss Fisher's china teacups crashed to the floor. They were the cheaper ones, of course, but Mr Butler held them quite dear, and no one wanted to incur the wrath of Mr B. Except Bert, who didn't even care about that right now. "I'll show that dirty bastard ..."
"No!" Dot threw down her embroidery and intercepted Bert at the door that led to the garden, pressing a finger to his chest. "You will do no such thing!"
"That rotten ... He had no right!"
"No, he didn't." Dot straightened her apron. "But it was to keep our cover and it did work, so ... so I've decided to overlook the transgression. Just this once."
"Overlook my ass ...!"
"Albert Johnson, mind your language!", she snapped at him. "And sit down. You are not going to pick a fight with Constable Martin, is that understood?"
"You're not the bloody boss of me, Dottie", Bert snarled, but he did sit back down.
"It's not like we have to pick a fight", Cec said quietly. "Once Collins finds out ..."
Now Dot's glare was directed at him. He shrunk a little. "I see no reason why Hugh should find out about this. You?"
Cec shook his head timidly. Bert snorted angrily. "Don't worry, Dottie, he's not gonna dare dump ya, I'll make sure of that."
"I'm not worried about Hugh breaking things off, silly, I'm worried about him getting in trouble with Constable Martin. He's already got enough on his plate. Now drink your tea and be quiet, or leave, will you?"
Dot plunked back down next to Cec and picked up her embroidery with a sense of finality. This conversation was over.
She regretted telling them at all about what had happened that day at the Grand Hotel. But they'd seen Constable Martin leave after he had given her back the letter he'd nicked from Mrs Cobb's office, and they had nagged her about what was bothering her - because apparently, she was showing that she was bothered - until she had relented and told them about ... the incident.
Only that it had happened, of course, which was bad enough. Not how it had made her feel. How it still made her feel ... dirty. If she told them that, they would likely kill Constable Martin, and that was no good.
At the time, she had been mostly confused. When he had just pulled her close and ... kissed her ... his hand on her back like ...
She shuddered, thinking back on it. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cec, pausing, looking at her. She pointedly continued with her work.
And besides, as she had told them, it had worked in keeping their cover. Who knew what Mrs Cobb might have done if she caught them snooping. No, it was far better that she caught them - doing that.
It didn't feel better. But Dot was a reasonable young woman. Sometimes, feelings had to stand back behind reason.
Bert put down his paper and grunted something about having to use the bathroom before stomping out. Dot, although trying to concentrate on the embroidery, noticed Cec looking at her.
She put down her handiwork rather abruptly and snapped, irritated by his behaviour, "What?"
"Nothing", Cec said. But he didn't stop looking at her.
At least with him, she didn't mind that he was doing it. Everybody knew Cec had only eyes for his Alice. When she thought about a certain other man looking at her, however ... Dot shuddered again. The worried crease on Cec's forehead deepened.
Of course she'd noticed how Neville Martin looked at her. At first, she'd put it down to admiration, and anyway, he kept complimenting her on her work ... but that wasn't all it was. She knew this kind of look. And part of her felt flattered. The part that didn't feel violated.
This time, she didn't just shudder. She started crying. Then she felt Cec's arms around her and cried even harder into his shirt.
It took her about a minute to recompose herself. She blew her nose on the handkerchief Cec handed her quietly, dabbed at her eyes, and cleared her throat. "Sorry", she mumbled.
"Nothin' to be sorry for." Cec still had one arm around her. "You alright?"
"Yes, thank you."
"You sure?"
She huffed in exasperation. "What do you want me to tell you, Cec? That I'm fine? That I don't feel at all like that man completely violated my boundaries? I hate what he did, but I'll have to keep working with him, so it's no use."
"We could still beat him up", offered Cec.
"No. I don't want you getting into trouble. And it's not like he touched me - inappropriately."
"I'd say kissing you was darn inappropriate."
"Maybe." She leaned her head against Cec's shoulder and said, with a deep sigh, "I miss Hugh. I miss him so much."
Cec squeezed her shoulder. "I know, Dottie. But he'll be back."
"I know. I just wish he'd hurry up already."
Bert returned then. He cocked an eyebrow at them, but sat back down without further commentary. Dot pulled away from Cec, giving him a grateful smile. Then she cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Bert. I know you're just looking out for me. And I appreciate that, but ..."
"But you are yer own woman and can take care of yer own problems", Bert said solemnly, evidently having calmed down himself. "We know that from somewhere, don't we, Cec?"
"Too right", Cec said.
Dot gave them an exasperated smile. They were idiots, more often than not, but Dot couldn't stay mad at them. Despite being much older than her, they often reminded her of her little brothers. And she loved them just as dearly.
"I really do appreciate you two", she emphasized. "And, like I told Constable Martin ... I'm not Miss Phryne. And I wouldn't want to be. Which means that maybe I do need help sometimes." She gave Cec a grateful side glance. He squeezed her fingers under the table. "But I will ask for it when I do. Deal?"
"Deal", confirmed Bert grumpily and let her refill his teacup.
~ ~ ~
Later that night, after Miss Phryne had assured her that it was all over, Dot was sitting in the kitchen, pulling peas. Keeping her hands busy was good. It stopped them from shaking.
She'd put the shocked Mrs Stanley to bed in the guest bedroom, and sent Mr B to his quarters to lie down as well, since he'd gotten a nasty knock on the head when the intruder ambushed him.
Dot had been through a lot of things since meeting Miss Phryne, and it hadn't even been the first time they'd been attacked inside their own house. Still - it never got less terrifying.
Dot was allergic to dogs, but she thought it was about time they got one, anyway.
She tried to think of something else, but that something else her head immediately went to was the telephone call she'd had when that man ...
You're like a flower, and when I held you in my arms ...
She flinched when the back door was thrown open, but didn't turn around until after she had wiped her eyes. No intruder would enter like this. Only one person ever did.
"If that bloody bastard laid even a finger on you or Mrs Stanley, I'll bloody kill him!", Bert shouted. Cec sidled through after him and closed the door a lot more gently than it had been opened.
Dot kept peeling. "You might be too late for that, seeing that Inspector Robinson got him real good."
"Good", snarled Bert. He looked her up and down. "You alright, Dottie?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Then why're you crying?"
"I'm not-" Dot swallowed and looked up at him. "It was terrible, and I was scared, but I'm alright now. Thank you."
Bert plunked down on a chair. "It's all that bloody Lord Henry's fault", he muttered, "he's the reason that bloke was here at all, and if he hadn't dragged us out for that stupid duel, we might've been here to protect you ..."
Dot ignored his tirade and got up to get them both a beer from the drinks cupboard in the pantry, since they weren't allowed near it on their own. Cec followed her and leaned in the doorway to the pantry. "So. We heard Constable Martin got sent to Wangaratta."
Dot couldn't help it. She flinched at the name. Cec, of course, noticed.
"Now, where did you hear that?"
Cec shrugged. They had their sources, Dot knew, and most of them she wouldn't approve of, so she didn't press him.
"Actually, he asked to be transferred", she clarified and handed him a bottle.
"'Cause of you?"
"Probably." She paused, her hand on the door. "He ... called me. Earlier today, right before that man ..." She shuddered and Cec's hand brushed her shoulder. "He told me that he loved me, and would I not consider leaving Hugh, since there was a chance he wasn't coming back ..." She faltered.
You're like a flower ...
"And would you?", Cec asked. "Leave him?"
"Never!" Dot glared at him. "Especially not for someone who just goes around kissing engaged women against their will!"
... and when I held you in my arms ...
Dot leaned forward and pressed her face into Cec's shoulder. "I'm glad he's gone", she admitted. "If I never have to think about him again, it will be too soon."
He hugged her until she pushed away, wiping her eyes.
"Oi", Bert called from the kitchen, "where's the beer?"
Cec rolled his eyes and Dot scoffed. She grabbed a second bottle and went to give Bert a peace of her mind about his manners. Cec trailed behind.
After she was done scolding him and went back to her peas, Bert launched into an account of what had gone done with Lord Fisher and that ridiculous duel, and by the time she was done with the peas, Dot hadn't wasted another thought about Neville Martin or the Englishman. She laughed heartily at their re-enactment of the moment that Lord Fisher had shot Valenski's hat off his head, then went and got them more beer.
Screw men, she thought. Most of them are either dangerous, or idiots. But at least, she admitted as she returned to the kitchen, some of them were good idiots.