I heard coughing and spluttering around me, the coughs were loud and hoarse, as if the one coughing as barely two feet away from me, I choked and mirrored these sounds, trying desperately to stop.
The gloved hand still covered my mouth so some of my chokes were muffled. I felt myself being rapidly pulled away from the dingy back alley and felt myself being more and more pulled into the maze of the alleys that could have been the size of London itself. It’s a wonder that my captor was able to navigate his way round so easily.
He finally pulled me out of a narrow alley which lead out into a bright and loud square full of people browsing market stalls which were full of random junk or instruments that I never knew existed.
I didn’t have time to have a closer look as I was still being pulled roughly through the streets, he was tall, and his long strides were quick, so I had to run just to keep up with him.
He wore white gloves that had enclosed around my wrist, I had seen those gloves before. His hair was tousled and fell over his dark, brooding eyes, I had also seen those eyes. He wore smart black trousers, with a black coat to match as if ready to go to an evening dinner.
I knew who he was. I knew exactly who he was.
Thoughts whizzed through my head so fast that I could not contemplate each question before another popped up in my head. Why was he helping me? Where was he taking me? Why me?
I didn’t have to wait long for my answer as he abruptly stopped, looked around himself before smiling at me and linking his arm through mine. “Don’t look so worried,” he said quietly into my ear, “we will look like lovers, no-one will be suspicious.”
I didn’t want to be anyone’s lover, especially not his, he had trouble written all over him. “I’m not the one being suspicious! And I am not your lover” I retorted, as I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he kept a tight hold on me and a smirk on his face and he walked aimlessly around the market.
“I can always try to fit in. Oh really? Well, I’ll just say that I’m not pleased with having to share you with some other foolish boy, but I can always change your mind…” He said slyly.
“What are you talking ab-” I was about to demand before he leant down and kissed me on the cheek. I was shocked, but I finally caught up to reality and shoved him away.
“What on earth did you think you were doing?!” I asked outraged, I was fuming, why couldn’t I go anywhere without a boy leering at me?! He smirked and tried to repress his laugh with a cough and tried to look away, but once he looked back and saw the unimpressed expression on my face.
He couldn’t hold it anymore and let out a roar of a laugh, causing several people to turn their heads our way, I didn’t care, he was really pushing his luck with me. “Well?” I demanded. “I merely wanted to make an impression on the prettiest girl in London” He winked.
“You certainly did that” I said under my breath, he heard and sniggered like the immature boy he was. “The look on your face!” He said between giggles, Lord, what was wrong with this boy?!
After clearing his throat a few times, and wiped away a tear he said calmly “My apologies, miss…?”
“Eliza”
“Miss Eliza,” he confirmed “now tell me, why on earth did you think that picking a man’s purse would go well? I could see from miles away that you weren’t going to get away with it, silly little girl” He said patronisingly, I narrowed my eyes and stuck out my tongue.
“I didn’t think anything. I was told-” I argued, but he cut me off.
“Ah, the youth of today, never thinking, always doing, never thinking of the consequences…” He said expertly whilst shaking his head in mock disappointment, a smug smile playing on his lips.
“Hey! It wasn’t my fault! I was only doing it because I was told to! Jack and the rest of them said-” He cut me off again, who the hell did he think he was?!
“Oh no, my dear, you don’t want to get mixed up in that motley crew-” He was really beginning to annoy me, I was definitely thinking about getting violent towards him.
“First of all, I am not your dear, so get that idea out of your head right now. Second, I choose who to get mixed in with, so I would appreciate it if you kept your advice to yourself and give it to those who ask for it. And third, who do you think you are?!”
“Well, in my opinion…that was…blunt…and very rude” As if I care what you’re opinion is I said in my head. “But I apologise again, how rude of me, I am James Temson, Master of Magic, at your service” He said before he took my hand and kissed it.
“Right…” I said awkwardly as I tried to pry my hand away from his grasp.
“Yes well, come one, let’s get you home then.”
“Wait, you’re taking me back to Jack?” I asked confused.
“Of course, Finch and I go way back, we were once really close…” He drifted off and let him lead me away while I wondered what he meant by ‘we were once really close’. How did he know Finch? Were they old friends? Why were they ‘once’ really close? What happened to them?
I began to go into deeper questions that soon began to give me a headache, so I forgot all about it for now, but my curiosity would get the better of me and I would just have to know, but I knew that this wasn’t the right time, so I just took in my surroundings.
I was pulled through street after street, soon leaving the market and made it into the high street where I saw middle and upper class people browsing through while those of the working class just peered through the perfectly clean windows.
Soon we reached the same square that I took that man’s wallet, my stomach clenched as I remembered the memory, I shied behind James as I cautiously looked around for any signs of the angry man. But I saw the exact opposite, the man wasn’t there, there wasn’t even a policeman, the square had gone back to its original disorganised hurry.
“Eliza!” I heard Kate calling me, I whipped my head around to see her flaming red hair move through the crowd, she ran a little faster when she saw me and hugged me instantly.
“Don’t ever do that to me again! I was worried sick about you!” I cried in my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Kate, I just panicked!” I mumbled into her shoulder, she nodded against mine before pulling back and looking over me.
“Well, at least you’re alright, that’s the main thing.”
She then looked at my companion and said “You’re back again then? He won’t forgive you, not this time, you know that, don’t you?”
James nodded glumly, I was confused and gave both Kate and James a dubious look, to which they both ignored. “Come on then,” Kate said “Finch and Jack have been just as worried as me.”
I began to walk over to the rest of them, but saw that James was lingering behind, ignoring this, I continued walking, knowing that James was taking slow and unsure steps in the same direction.
“Eliza!!” Jack and Finch exclaimed at the same time, I was about to greet them both before they both enclosed me in a suffocating hug which I returned. But after a while, I began to feel uncomfortable.
“Jack…Finch…can’t…breathe…” They both immediately pulled back and apologised. “It’s okay, you were just worrying” I said with a laugh and smiled at them.
“I’m so sorry Liz-Eliza, I didn’t mean for you to get caught-” Jack began to babble on, but was cut off by Finch.
“What are you doing here?!”Finch asked James venomously, I saw him flinch and watched him as he didn’t meet Finch’s eyes, but looked to the ground.
When he did look up, his eyes were sincere. “Finch, please, I know what happened but please, just listen to me, I’m sor-”
“Save it for someone who cares, because I certainly don’t.” He said accusingly, I was shocked as to how he was talking to James, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, he was never like this. Why was he acting so strange?
“Finch, you know that it was never me who killed your sister-” James said a bit more defiantly.
Finch had a sister? This was the first I heard about it, but I could tell that it was delicate subject.
“Don’t you dare talk about my sister, you barely knew her, and you’re the reason that she’s dead!” He shouted unexpectedly, he then began to walk away. Skit, Emily and Kate followed, leaving me with Jack and James.
“It’s okay James, he’s just, he’s just trying to find someone to blame…” Jack said warily. “You tried again, that’s what matters, even if Finch is too stubborn to listen.”
“Thanks Jack, but I really am to blame for Lottie’s death. See you around Jack. It was nice meeting you Eliza.” He gave us a curt nod, and walked away.
“What was that about?” I asked quietly.
“I would tell you Liz, but it ain’t my story to tell, we only just got Finch to tell us, but ‘E’ll tell you, ‘E trusts you.” He said, he then began to walk in the direction Finch went. I followed.
We ended up back in Baker Street. Finch was sat on the pavement, with Kate and Emily on one side, Skit on the other, they were all murmuring amongst themselves and looked up when they saw us approaching.
“Skit, with me, we’ve gotta clear things up with Mr. ‘Olmes.” Jack said, Skit automatically stood up with Jack’s help and they made there way to the door of 221B Baker Street.
I then sat next to Finch and nudged him, he looked at me, his eyes looking a little red, his hands clenched. “You okay?” I asked. “Been better…” He sighed.
I reached for his hand, and gave it a little squeeze, he returned it, and gave me a small, reassuring smile.
We sat like that for a few minutes, I didn’t look at 221B, just at Finch, trying to figure out what just happened. He just looked at his shoes, his hair covering his eyes.
Soon, Jack and Skit returned, breathless as if they had just run straight from the house.
“Liz…” Jack said exasperated.
“What is it? Are you okay? Jack, what’s happened?” I was beginning to get scared, Jack took a deep breath before saying “It’s Mr. ‘Olmes…’E wants to see you. Now.”
**
Okay, so don't shoot me, I know that it's beena while since I last updated, but my life has been so hectic recently, I thank you all for understanding!! Oh, and I 'm sorry if there are any mistakes in grammar/spelling, I didn't really read through it to check.
Oh, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on the cast list, I wanted to keep them young and British and these are the ones I thought would be good, but you may have to see one or two of them with different hair colours!
SO you now know what to do, if you like it, then tell me what you think by commenting for voting!! Thanks so much!