“No, I am free for the evening.” I removed my hat, ignoring the glare she sent in my direction. My entire reason for escorting her home was twofold. I wanted to ensure she was safe, but I also wanted to learn more about her. In the brief time I had spoken with her, my interest grew. “Whom do I have the pleasure of dining with tonight?” I asked the girls, who continued to stare at me. With all the drama, introductions had been forgotten.
“Caroline is seven, Janice is eight, and Annie is ten.” Mrs. Worth pointed to each sister in turn. They all looked likea slightly older image of the other. Unlike Mrs. Worth, they possessed ginger hair but had the same green eyes. “And Violet is fourteen. My eldest sister, Eloise, is not home.”
“I will set another plate,” Violet said, motioning for her sisters to follow.
“Since you are staying for supper, would you like a sherry? I could surely use one.” Mrs. Worth took my hat and waited until I removed my greatcoat before she hung them on a peg on the wall.
“A sherry would be most welcome.” The flat had a comfortable feel about it, and I settled my hands on my hips, inspecting the trey ceilings and deep green walls. A table and chairs with a small hutch were at the far end, and a cook stove was in the corner. The temperature in the room was warm enough to shake off the chill from outside. “Do you think Mrs. Tucker heard your sisters?”
“No, she is hard of hearing. Otherwise, I am sure we would have been evicted by now.” Mrs. Worth moved to the sideboard and unstoppered a decanter. She poured two glasses, her head down to expose the tiny hairs at the back of her neck. A rush of desire shot through me, and I averted my gaze. Moran’s warning whispered inside my head. He explicitly forbade me from pursuing her, but he didn’t truly have the right to tell me what to do.Hemight not be considering courting Mrs. Worth, but I genuinely liked her. After Suzette’s departure, I contemplated settling down more and more. I wanted what my parents had, a partner in life to raise our children together.
“No, Inspector Ashton is sitting there,” Violet said to the youngest girl. “You sit next to me.”
“But that’s my spot,” the girl protested.
“Caroline don’t argue with Violet,” Mrs. Worth said, bringing the glass over to me. She held my gaze while I took it, our fingersbrushing. Her pupils dilated, the leafy green irises disappearing before she lowered her lashes. “Shall we sit?”
“Of course.” I held out my arm to her, and she laid her palm on my sleeve. The faint scent of parchment clung to her, rather like with Moran. Whenever I cracked open a book, he instantly came to mind.
Mrs. Worth went to the head of the table and indicated that I should sit to her right. I held her chair for her, pushing it in after she sat. The tiny hairs beckoned once more. I had a bad habit of falling hard and fast when interested in someone new.
Violet placed a tureen of hearty stew on the table and used the ladle to dish it into white ceramic bowls. “I am most anxious to hear about the many criminals you have brought to justice,” she said.
“My sister considers herself an amateur sleuth and is an avid reader of Sir Author Conan Doyle’s serials about Sherlock Holmes.” Mrs. Worth broke off a piece of rustic bread from a loaf and positioned it on the plate to my left, a small smile playing around her mouth. “If Inspector Ashton is amenable, you may ask him questions. However, let us keep the discussion to topics that won’t disturb the children.”
I reached for the slightly chipped, porcelain butter dish. The tablecloth also showed signs of wear. With five sisters to support, the strain on Mrs. Worth must be great. “I am amenable. Would you like to hear the latest case I solved?”
“Do tell.” Violet leaned forward, avid interest in her stare. The younger girls ate their food, all eyes locked on me, not saying a word.
“Well, unlike Mr. Doyle, I don’t tend to name my cases, however, I will make an exception.” Knife in hand, I began to butter the bread. I met Mrs. Worth’s interested regard, her hand hovering over her bowl while waiting for me to speak. Unlike many widows I had met over the years, she wore no ring.Perhaps she had been forced to pawn her jewelry to feed her family. “I will call it The Case of Tabby and the Mouse King,” I said.
Violet frowned for an instant before her smile returned. “You are fooling with me. That isn’t a real case.”
“It is indeed. Just ask your sister. She witnessed it firsthand.”
“Indeed, if you could have heard yourself from outside screaming like a banshee, and then Ashton came in, and Tabby ran out with the mouse...” Mrs. Worth began to laugh, her entire face lighting up.
The girls began to giggle with childish glee.
“I can honestly say I have never been threatened with a ladle before.” I bit into the bread, the flavors of yeast and butter coating my tongue. My family ate together every night, it was one of the highlights of my day. In the near future, I hoped to host dinners of my own. There was one problem, and that was finding a wife.
“It should be any inspector’s weapon of choice,” Violet said. Like Mrs. Worth, she possessed a smart wit. “After claws and sharp teeth, I assume.”
“Tabby The Detective Cat. It has a nice ring to it. You should propose a book for children to Mr. Moran.” Mrs. Worth drank another sip of her wine, more relaxed than I had ever seen her. Of course, I had only met her the day before. It already felt like a long time.
If she knew the books I wrote for Moran, she’d escort me out of her flat.
“Tabby went after it like any good inspector.” I stirred the contents with my spoon, not commenting further. The stew was hearty, with chunks of potatoes and carrots in a brown gravy.
“I have faith that he will prevail over the mouse king,” Violet said. “Now, will you tell me a real story?”
I used the food as an excuse to gather my thoughts. My latest case wasn’t fit for children’s ears. At times, I wished I hadn’t stumbled into it. Sitting at the table with the innocent girls who, while not living in the lap of luxury, had a roof over their heads and food on the table was a far cry from the seediness of London’s streets. Pushing the darkness back, I nodded and began to regale them with a heavily embellished story about a pickpocket for their enjoyment.
With food in my belly and good company, I could well imagine myself sitting next to Mrs. Worth every night. Which meant I should cut my association and quick. Moran wouldn’t be happy, nor could I shake the feeling that she would be a good fit for him.
I would wait to see how things unfolded; in the meantime, I would enjoy the time I could spend with Mrs. Worth.
