Chapter Text
Ivy closed the front door of No.7 Mayhew Avenue after Police Constable William Wellington’s departure, noting with satisfaction that his tall, thin frame had at last filled out slightly and his clothes looked less baggy. On his way out the door he had thanked her again for his Sunday dinner after bidding his thanks and goodbyes to Detective Inspector Henry Scarlet and his daughter Eliza in the drawing room. Ivy could now hear Henry’s voice rising in volume behind the closed drawing room door.
Henry was standing in front of the fireplace with an extremely cross expression on his face. “How could you be so rude, Lizzie? I am ashamed of the way you treated William. He is a guest in our house and you will treat him with respect!”
Eliza sulked on the sofa and tried to hold her tears back. Her father very rarely raised his voice to her but it had happened more than once lately, and usually in connection with William Wellington. She tried to force down the raging jealousy she felt gripping her insides.
“You will never refer to his table manners again. It was extremely rude and you embarrassed poor William. Do you hear me, Lizzie?”
“Yes, Father,” she sniffed loudly.
“That young man has lived a life far harder than, I pray, you will never know. Most of his life he has been on a starvation diet in the workhouse and has been forced to work harder than many adults I know. So, for you to comment on him ‘bolting his food’ and for him ‘using the wrong cutlery’ was unforgivable, Lizzie. Table manners were far from William’s mind when he was striving to stay alive in that place.”
Hot tears were now rolling down her cheeks. “I am sorry, Father.”
Henry’s face softened and he sat down next to her. “I know you are.” He sighed. “It is not like you to be so unkind.” He handed her a handkerchief as she sniffed loudly. ”What is all this about, Lizzie?”
Eliza's muddled thoughts poured out of her. "I am sorry, Father. It is just that, since my fight with Arabella at school, you have not spent as much time with me and now you have found William to mentor I have seen you even less. I miss you and I find it hard to share you, no matter how deserving a person William might be, and you talk to him about police work which you no longer talk to me about,” Eliza could feel the tears welling up again, along with her jealousy as she rambled on.
“Oh my dear girl, I am sorry too.” Henry took her hand and searched for the right words to use. “After you fought with Miss Herbert at school I told you that you had to face the fact that women do not become police officers. The world, as we know it, is not ready for such a remarkable event. You are a young lady now and you needed to put these childish wishes aside and act like one. I realised that I had encouraged you in my passion for police work but your mother would not have wanted you to be so unladylike, and that is all my fault. Since then I have deliberately avoided such conversations with you.”
Eliza’s face fell as she could feel the door to her ambitions closing to her.
Henry continued gently, “Unfortunately it is the way of the world. William, however, has such potential. He made the most of the meagre education the workhouse provided him. He is clever and observant and above all else has a decency of character that is all the more remarkable considering his origins. The world around us can be a very dark and evil place, Lizzie, and to have someone of William’s character patrolling our London streets would put my mind at ease as I grow older.” He smiled tiredly at Eliza and squeezed her hand. “No more comments on ‘rough hands’ and questions about his childhood. I want this house to be a safe haven for him and to always feel welcomed. I want you to be his friend.”
Eliza was crestfallen. “Yes, Father.”
“Now, no more tears or there will be no supper …”
She used her handkerchief to dry her eyes and gave him a watery smile but found she couldn’t dredge up the required enthusiasm to respond to his familiar line. Eliza fully felt the irrevocably change in their relationship. She was a young lady now.