Harriet's Arrangement

Patience is a virtue

Malcolm was arrested later that evening, whilst looking for Jennifer at the hospital, they were led to understand from the phonecall Jennifer received. From there things seemed to flow a little easier. Tom stayed with Jennifer while Harriet went into work the next day, and by the time she returned, they had tracked down Jennifer's mother. At work Harriet and Kieran had spoken for a long time about whether or not either of them should try to find out if any of the other girls in the office had fallen prey to Malcolm's advances, and Kieran had somehow found the name of the secretary that Jennifer had mentioned. Things were moving faster than Harriet expected them to, and it was Tom as always that kept her feet planted on the ground.

Jennifer's mother, it turned out, now lived part time in London with her partner, who Jennifer hadn't met. Jennifer had told Tom her childhood home address, and they hadn't had to search much further: Jennifer's mother hadn't been able to leave, too concerned that it would be the first place Jennifer would try if she ever tried to contact her. There had been tears on both ends, according to Tom, and Jennifer's mother – Eleanor Cropton – had promised to get the next train into the city later that day.

Eleanor was an hour away by the time Harriet arrived. Tom had been out briefly during the day to buy some supplies for Jennifer, with cash that she had given him – including a phone, and pregnancy vitamins that Jennifer had been anxious about not having had access to before now. Harriet found her agitated, but overjoyed to be seeing her mother after all these years. Tom had ensured that both his and Harriet's numbers were in Jennifer's new phone, and had loaded the pay-as-you-go card with enough money for the phone calls she would need to make in the next few weeks.

"I'll be safe with mum," Jennifer had assured them both, while they were waiting for Eleanor, "She'll not let me out of her sight, I guarantee it."

When Eleanor had arrived, the reunion of mother and daughter had been emotional on a level that Harriet had never experienced. She'd clutched at Tom, a hand helplessly over her mouth, quite unexpected tears rolling down her cheeks, as the pair regarded each other wordlessly. And then they fell into one another's arms laughing and crying all at the same time. Tom had quietly pulled Harriet away then, giving Eleanor and Jennifer privacy in that moment.

They had all talked for some time, Eleanor gushing her never-ending thanks to Tom and Harriet for their part in helping Jennifer. When Eleanor had left with Jennifer two hours later, with Jennifer now also gushing thanks and praise (and promises to see them soon and continue discussions and explanations with emotions running a little less high), it had been a relief to find themselves in a silent flat. They had done nothing that night except find a bottle of wine and order a takeaway: Harriet felt she had lived through multiple lifetimes in the past two days, and to sit and slow down with Tom's steady, solid presence next to her, holding her, making her smile was exactly what she needed.

She updated Eva and Lily with a phonecall the following day, and received streams of support and positivity regarding news of Malcolm's arrest, and Harriet's plan to support Jennifer in her case against him. Like Tom, Eva warned her that this would be a hard road, and she advised that now would be a good time to bring her parents into the picture. This hadn't been something Harriet had wanted to hear, but she'd known it would have to happen sooner rather than later. So she made arrangements to see them that weekend. Tom, to her surprise and delight, suggested he come with her and take the opportunity to meet them. She'd been telling them about Tom for several months now, and she knew her mother in particular would be absolutely thrilled to have him at the family home for a weekend.

"It'll be a bit intense," Harriet had warned Tom, when he'd suggested it, "My mum can be overbearing..."

Tom had simply laughed and said he couldn't wait to meet them, and, dropping to a more serious tone, said he wanted nothing more than to be able to support Harriet when she told them about Malcolm. They agreed a watered-down version of the truth that would both reduce Harriet's embarrassment and also remove any need for any questions regarding the nature of Harriet and Tom's relationship: that, as far as Harriet was concerned, could remain private from her parents forever. She didn't put it quite like that to Tom, but she was relieved to find he agreed. He'd grinned at her and said he'd be counting up reasons to punish her when they returned home, because – and this she knew was true – he was sure there would be a fair bit of pent-up nervous energy by the time they returned.