Lost In Time

by W M Wiltshire

  Mary finished her drink and was about to head for the kitchen when she remembered . . . “Oh, I almost forgot. Dani woke up for a moment and asked about you. I told her you were here, and that you were both safe.”

  “Thank you,” Daric replied appreciatively.

  105

  It proved to be a long and tiring evening. After Mary had applied Dani’s second poultice, Daric and the Cases finally sat down to dinner. Daric was somewhat embarrassed by the quantity of food he consumed. But it was at the encouragement of Mary that he did so. She knew he hadn’t eaten in four days and she wanted to make sure he didn’t go to bed hungry. There was no fear of that happening; in fact, he wanted to loosen his belt because he was sure he would pop a button or two.

  Upon retiring for the evening, Mary took Daric to see Dani. She wanted to reassure him that she was being well cared for. Mary informed him she and her staff would monitor Dani throughout the night, alternating shifts. This wasn’t only to keep an eye of her condition, but, should Dani awaken, Mary didn’t want her to be alone, especially in a strange place. Daric offered to take a shift, but Mary insisted he get a good night’s sleep. Even his handsome face was showing signs of exhaustion.

  Having brushed aside his objection, Mary escorted Daric to his room and bade him goodnight. She returned to her bedroom to find Rich preparing for bed.

  “All settled in?” Rich asked, folding his pants over the mahogany clothes valet stand.

  “Rich, I want to help Daric and Dani. I feel so badly for them,” Mary admitted.

  “So do I,” Rich agreed. “What do you have in mind?”

  “We have plenty of room here. Why don’t they stay here until they can get back on their feet?” Mary proposed. “Besides, Dani’s in no condition to be pounding the streets looking for work.”

  “Are you sure you want them to stay here?” Rich asked. He was rather surprised at Mary’s suggestion. It had been just the two of them for over five years now. They had grown accustomed to their own routines and Rich knew how particular Mary could be.

  “Yes, I’m sure. Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company for a while. And they’re about our age or just a bit younger. We’ll have so much in common,” Mary said excitedly.

  “I suppose it would be okay,” Rich said, finding himself warming to the idea.

  “Look, in the morning I’ll go to the hospital and tell them I’m going to take the rest of the week off. That way I can take care of Dani. When she’s feeling better and, if she’s interested, I’m sure I could get her some work at the hospital. They’re always looking for nurses and the qualifications are minimal. All she needs to know is how to read and write. And as Florence Nightingale often says, ‘Every woman makes a good nurse. The most important values are compassion, sympathy and the desire to serve’,” Mary said proudly, reflecting on her training at the Nightingale School for Nurses and her graduation not that long ago.

  “Good. And when you get back, I’ll take Daric to Headquarters with me. After I’ve updated the superintendent about the Tabran case, I’ll drop Daric off at the Frying Pan pub,” Rich said, mentally running through his agenda for tomorrow.

  “The Frying Pan pub?”

  “Oh, Daric was trying to steal from the owner. That’s where we first met,” Rich explained. “The owner, as he put it, ‘wants his pound of flesh’. So, I figured Daric could work there for a few days to satisfy the owner. I could pick him up after my shift.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Mary said happily.

  106: Tuesday, August 28, 1888

  Daric had one of his best night’s sleep in a long time. He felt refreshed and revitalized. He made use of the items that had been laid out on the washstand for him. Once dressed, he headed downstairs to check on Dani.

  When Daric entered the bedroom, he saw Martha sitting beside the bed, right where she had been when he had left the night before.

  “You haven’t . . .”

  “No, just got here,” Martha interrupted. “The Missus just left. I was to tell you to join the Master in the dining room for breakfast. He’ll tell you what you need to know,” Martha finished brusquely.

  By her stern look, Daric knew better than to argue. He could see his sister was in good hands, so he left the room and headed downstairs.

  The dining room, similar to the drawing room, had Queen Anne style furniture. The large rectangular mahogany table had five chairs placed on either side. Suspended directly over the middle of the table was a gaselier, with hanging Baccarat crystal prisms, similar to the ones on the table lamp in the drawing room. On the wooden floor was another Oriental carpet. The walls were painted the same color as the drawing room: olive green. A tapestry hung on the back wall, depicting a scene from the Old Testament where a king, probably Solomon, was worshipping the Golden Idol; a smaller image of Solomon entertaining the Queen of Sheba was shown below. There were two matching chairs on either side of the sideboard directly beneath the tapestry.

  A warm glow radiated from the fireplace. On each side, positioned against the wall, was a semi-circular mahogany table known as hunt tables. When gentlemen returned from the hunt, the outer curved section was put in front of the fire. The hunters could then place their drinks on the table, while they warmed their feet, without the table getting burned. Hence the name: hunt table.

  On the left side of the overmantel was a pendulum clock under a glass dome; to the right was a vase containing fresh-cut flowers. Directly above the fireplace hung a large family portrait. Daric knew immediately that it was one of Rich’s ancestors.

  There were other portraits hung throughout the room, interspersed with serene landscapes. Two English oak sideboards with inlaid mahogany were against the wall opposite the fireplace, framing the entrance to the dining room.

  “Good morning. Sleep well?” Rich asked when he saw Daric approach.

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “Come, sit.” Rich folded the morning edition of the newspaper and placed it beside his plate. He picked up a small silver bell and gave it a shake.

  Almost immediately, Elsie appeared with a fresh pot of coffee. She lifted Daric’s cup and began to pour.

  “Mary and I prefer coffee in the morning. If you’d rather have tea . . .”

  “No, this is great, thank you,” Daric replied, taking in the spread of food laid out on the table before him.

  “Help yourself, you must be starving,” Rich teased.

  On the table, there were a number of dishes containing broiled bacon, bloaters, which were cured herring, cold chicken from last night’s dinner, toast and several jars of homemade jams and jellies. Daric picked up his plate and served himself.

  Daric pointed to the portrait above the fireplace and asked, “Is that your father?”

  Rich turned and glanced at the portrait he’d seen a thousand times before and every time it never left him feeling any affection at all for the man.

  “Yes. And as per tradition, the first male child of the family gets the same name: Richard Barak Case. It’s been passed down through generations. I couldn’t begin to guess what number I am,” Rich said coldly.

  Daric tried to hide his cringe behind his next mouthful of food, while Rich, oblivious to Daric’s reaction, returned to his cup of coffee and quickly changed the subject. “Mary left early this morning for the hospital. She’s taking the week off, so she can take care of Dani.”

  “I can look after Dani. Please, I don’t want Mary to take time off and lose her income,” Daric said imploringly.

  “Daric, Mary and I are very comfortable when it comes to our finances. We both come from families of wealth and standing,” Rich started to explain. “Actually, neither of us ever needs to work. We do it because we both want to give something back to this community. Not just by throwing money at charities, but by rolling up our sleeves and pitching in. It makes us feel like we’r
e doing something of consequence. We can actually see the results of our efforts. Besides, it keeps us both rather busy.”

  “We don’t want to be a burden,” Daric said. “You’ve already done more than enough.”

  “Nonsense,” Rich said firmly. “Mary and I discussed it last night. We have lots of room and we want to help you and Dani. We’d like both of you to stay here until you can find suitable jobs and can get yourselves settled.”

  “We couldn’t . . .”

  “Yes, you can . . . end of discussion,” Rich announced.

  “That’s very kind of you. We’ll pay you back, I promise,” Daric asserted.

  “No need. Now, when Mary gets back, you and I are going to the station. I have to touch base with the superintendent. Then, I’m going to drop you off at the Frying Pan pub. I’m going to offer your services to the owner as payment for your attempted crime.” Before Rich could explain further, he noticed the worried look on Daric’s face.

  “It’ll be for only a day or two. Who knows, the big ox might even hire you,” Rich said jokingly. “I’ll pick you up at the end of my shift. Okay?”

  “Okay, and, thank you.”

  “Oh . . . and Mary is going to kill me for not telling you this first off. Dani’s fever broke early this morning, while Mary was sitting with her. She woke briefly, drank some water and, of course, asked about you.”

  “That’s great news.” Daric’s relief was evident.

  “Mary said Dani should be able to receive visitors, namely you, when we return later tonight. But for now, her orders were that Dani should rest,” Rich said as he finished delivering his instruction from Mary.

  107

  After Mary returned, Rich and Daric took the hansom cab to H Division Headquarters. Daric had never been in one before and found that the ride wasn’t as jarring as he had imagined it would be. Its large wheels and padded leather seats allowed for a modicum of comfort.

  “Wait here. We’ll be only a minute,” Rich said to the cabbie, through a trapdoor in the roof. “Come on,” he said to Daric, as he exited the cab. He climbed the stairs and entered the building, with Daric close behind.

  “Do you work here?” Daric asked.

  “No, this is Headquarters. I prefer to keep the superintendent at arm’s length,” Rich replied in a hushed tone. “I work out of the Commercial Street station.”

  H Division Headquarters was situated at Arbour Square and was the office of Superintendent Thomas Arnold, whom Rich was here to visit. “Grab a seat, Daric. I won’t be long,” Rich said, as they passed by a row of wooden benches.

  Daric made himself comfortable. While he waited for Rich, he checked out the place. He wanted to see what police work in the 1880s was like compared to police work in the twenty-first century. The first thing that jumped out at him was the lack of electronics. Damn, that must make the job rather difficult, he thought.

  The floors were wooden planking and the brick walls were painted pale yellow. All the furniture was made of wood: the large leather-inlaid desks, the straight-back chairs, and numerous filing cabinets. Where there had been a vacant spot on the wall, it was now occupied with shelving heaped with mounds of papers. Easel-style chalk boards on casters, which could be wheeled about the open office area, exhibited someone’s indecipherable writing. There were only a few enclosed offices that were partitioned off with a combination of wood and glass panels. Some offices had their blinds drawn. Lighting was provided by wall-bracketed gas fixtures and what little natural light leached through the soot-covered windows.

  “Hey, how’s the little lady?” Daric looked up into a constable’s friendly face.

  “She’s doing much better, thank you. Constable Barrett, isn’t it?” Daric replied.

  “Yeah, that’s right. Is Inspector Case here, too?”

  “He’s speaking with the superintendent, I believe,” Daric replied, hoping he had got the title correct.

  “Oh, then, I’ll catch him later. See ya,” Barrett said, as he continued on his way.

  A few minutes later, Rich reappeared. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Daric got up and followed Rich out of the building. He was a little uncomfortable being hauled around with no say in the matter. Daric had always been his own man; he was accustomed to making his own decisions, albeit not always smart ones. He enjoyed his independence; indeed, he craved it. But now, he was in unfamiliar territory and Dani would tell him to just go along with it. So he did.

  108

  Shortly after leaving H Division Headquarters, the cab pulled up in front of the Frying Pan pub. Rich asked the driver to wait once more and he and Daric disappeared into the pub.

  “Come to tell me what you did with my gutter-wolf, Inspector? I told you I want my pound of flesh,” William Farrow grunted angrily, lumbering out from behind the wooden bar.

  “He’s right here, William, so take it easy,” Rich said curtly.

  William looked at the young man standing next to the inspector. He was dressed like a respectable businessman, in his ‘ditto suit’: a sack coat, with matching waistcoat and trousers.

  “That ain’t him,” William snorted.

  “Mr. Farrow, I’m here to apologize for my actions last night,” Daric said. “I was desperate. I had to help my sister. No one would hire me, so I resorted to stealing. Please forgive me.”

  William just stared slack-jawed at this well-spoken lad. He was nothing like the trash he had picked out of his back yard last night.

  “Daric is going to repay his debt to you, William, by working for you for free. Anything you need doing, just tell him and he’ll see that it gets done,” Rich stated bluntly.

  William slowly nodded his head in agreement, still staring at Daric, unconvinced that he was the same delinquent he had caught barely twenty-four hours ago.

  “I’ll pick you up at the end of my shift, Daric,” Rich said then left.

  “Thank you for giving me a second chance,” Daric said to a cynical William.

  “Don’t thank me. I’d have had your arse in jail, as quick as you could spit,” William snapped.

  “There’s an apron behind the bar. Go put it on. We wouldn’t want to ruin your new clothes, now would we?” That tough exterior was softening just a touch, Daric believed, and he was determined to win over this big lug.

  109

  “You’ll be staying right where you are, miss, until the Missus says otherwise,” Martha said. Her voice was stern and would brook no argument. She gently, but firmly, pushed Dani’s shoulders back down onto the bed.

  “But I feel fine. I just want to stretch my legs,” Dani replied, trying to be convincing, but failing miserably. Being in an unfamiliar place was making her anxious, and she had no idea where Daric was or whether he was all right. The uncertainty was making her restless, but, in her weakened state, she was finding it difficult to be insistent.

  “I’ll take it from here, Martha,” Mary said, entering the bedroom. “Why don’t you go down and grab something to eat. It’ll be a while before lunch.”

  “Aye, Missus,” Martha said, leaving the room.

  Mary sat on the recently vacated chair and reached over to feel Dani’s forehead.

  “Much better,” Mary said encouragingly. “You had us worried there for a bit.”

  Dani looked into Mary’s concerned face and tried to remember if they had met before.

  “You may not remember me, Dani. Martha and I have been taking care of you since your brother brought you here last night. My name is Mary Case. I’m afraid you weren’t quite with it when you first arrived, fever and all. How are you feeling, now?”

  “Weak as a newborn kitten, I hate to admit,” Dani acknowledged, although reluctantly.

  “That’s to be expected. And having had nothing to eat for several days isn’t helping you, either. Do you think you could handle a little sou
p?” Mary asked hopefully. A returning appetite was always a good sign.

  “That would be wonderful, thank you,” Dani replied.

  “Great. You just relax here. I’ll go fetch you some soup. Something in your stomach will help you get your strength back. Later, you may feel like something with a bit more substance, but let’s take it one step at a time.”

  “Is my brother here? I’d like to see him,” Dani said. She wanted to see for herself that he was okay.

  “He went with my husband, Rich, to pay back some debt or other; I’m not sure I got the whole story. Anyway, they’ll be back by dinner time. Just relax and get some rest. I’ll be back shortly with that soup.”

  While Dani waited for Mary’s return, she heard the noises of the early morning coming from the street below. The various costermongers or hawkers were pitching their wares: “eels, three pounds a shilling”; “salmon alive, six pence a pound”; “five-pound crab cheap”; “penny-a-bunch a turnips”. Now that she thought about it, she was rather hungry.

  110

  “Okay, Mr. Farrow, I’ve swept the floors and wiped down all the tables and chairs. I’ve washed the windows and I’ve even fixed the hinge on the front door. I’ve washed and dried the dishes and taken out the trash,” Daric said, as he listed his accomplishments for the day.

  Rich had quietly entered the pub and heard what Daric’s day had been like. He was impressed by Daric’s hard work and the fact that he didn’t seem to mind the tasks he had had to perform. Rich even believed the place looked better than he’d ever seen it before.

  “You can bring up a case of beer from the basement and, then, you can . . .” William Farrow was cut short giving his orders to Daric.