Freedom • Lord Tewksbury

TEN

A year later, things for Catherine and Enola were going well. Enola had started up her own detective agency, and after some convincing, Catherine agreed to be her partner.

Catherine was smart, but she wasn't as good of a detective as Enola was. They had yet to have a case though, which was a disappointment to both girls.

Catherine hadn't spoken with Tewksbury since she had said goodbye through the gate before the reform bill vote. She had seen him though. She had memorized the path that he took to the Lords, and sometimes she would go out and coincidentally be there 'walking' at the same time.

She made sure that he never saw her, but the tiny glimpses of him were enough to keep her feelings for him alive. It's not that she was avoiding him, it was that she was just too nervous to go up and speak to him.

She had an inkling that he still felt something for her because she would sometimes receive a random invitation to a ball in the mail. She never went, but only ever because she would be busy with something else at the time.

She had taken to embroidering during her downtime, and she had begun to sell some pieces to get a little bit of extra money. Embroidering was something she enjoyed, and it helped pay for the building that she and Enola were renting for their detective agency.

Unfortunately, the girls' agency did not have any customers, most skeptical of their capabilities due to them being women, and being fairly young. Catherine and Enola watched sadly as the white words that read 'Enola Holmes Detective Agency', were wiped off of the window. They had begun to pack up their things to return to Ferndell Hall, Catherine deciding that she too would move back there.

Catherine was packing a box of books in the back of the building when she heard the bell to the door open. She was sure that Enola was already inside, so who could possibly have entered. She emerged to find Enola facing a young girl, who looked like she hadn't had a bath in several days.

"Enola Holmes?" The girl asked.

"Yes," Enola answered, sharing a glance with Catherine.

"And you must be Catherine Scott," the girl said, looking at the brunette.

"I am," Catherine confirmed. The situation quite weird, and nothing that she was expecting.

"I've come to the right place then," the young girl said. "Is it true you find lost people?"

Catherine moved over to Enola's side to see the sliver of newspaper that the girl had handed to Enola. It was an advertisement for their agency, one that was months old.

"Where did you get this? It's months old," Enola asked.

"I found it on the street," the girl answered. Catherine was amazed at this young girl finding their months old advertisement of the street, just when she apparently needed it. What were the chances?

"Who have you lost?" Catherine asked.

"My sister," the girl answered. Enola and Catherine shared a look and they nodded.

"Alright, could you take us to where you live?" Enola asked. The girl nodded and then headed out the door, Catherine and Enola hurrying to follow her.

"What is your name?" Catherine asked as the girl led the two through the streets.

"Bessie," she replied, and Catherine smiled.

"Bessie is a wonderful name," Catherine complimented. Bessie gave her a smile, and then the trio continued on. Bessie led them into a very rundown part of London, which set Catherine on edge. The last time she had been in a part of London like this, she was almost murdered.