Freedom • Lord Tewksbury

FOURTEEN

Catherine was awoken by someone repeatedly slapping her face.

"Catherine, wake up. Catherine, this is not a joke, Catherine," she heard her cousin say. Enola drew her hand back, and just before she could start again, Catherine grabbed her wrist.

"Enola, please stop slapping me," Catherine said, opening her eyes.

"I wasn't slapping, more like aggressively patting," Enola corrected. Catherine glared at her as she began to sit up, wincing at the pain in your head.

"It felt more like slapping," Catherine told her.

"Never mind that, are you alright? Tewksbury and I were incredibly worried when you didn't show up in the library," Enola told her.

"Tewksbury? Why would Tewksbury be worried?" Catherine asked.

"For some reason he was in the library at midnight too, and when I asked if you were with him, he said that you had just parted, but then grew worried when I said you were supposed to be there, and weren't," Enola explained. Catherine nodded, and then went to tell her tale about her getting practically kidnapped when her kidnapper walked through the door.

"Quite a party," Grail said, smirking at the two girls. "Enola, I heard you danced with the young Master Lyon. May I ask, impertinently, I'm sure, did you want to kiss him, or find out more about your case? This Sarah Chapman." When Enola remained silent, he continued. "Look, if you're trying to protect her, know this. I will protect her better. There's someone that wants to talk to her, and they're not as kind as me."

Catherine scoffed at that. Grail was certainly not kind. In fact he was anything but kind.

"Someone?" Enola asked. "Who? Why were you following us that night? You were following Mae too, weren't you? That's why you found the flat."

Catherine had no idea where Enola was going with this, her head in too much pain to think.

"Nice shirt," Enola continued. "Silk? On a policeman's salary? Who's paying you Superintendent Grail? Who's paying you to kill match girls?"

Suddenly, Grail surged forward, pinning Enola to the wall, a hand wrapped around her throat, Catherine crying out in surprise.

"Where's Sarah Chapman?" Grail asked.

"I don't know," Enola answered immediately.

"She's a thief and a troublemaker, you don't want to risk your skin for her," Grail yelled, as tears welled in Enola's eyes. "Well, if I can't find it out from you, I'll find it out from someone else, like her sister, little Bessie."

"Don't you dare touch Bessie," Catherine said from behind him. Grail spun around and glared at her.

"And what will you do if I do?" Grail asked, taking a threatening step towards her, making Catherine cower back. "You're only here because you ran with your cousin Catherine Scott. Don't make this any harder for yourself."

"She's just a little girl," Enola whispered out, capturing Grail's attention once more.

"Oh, but that's how it starts, Enola Holmes! With little girls like her, and you, and your cousin, and Sarah Chapman, asking questions, doubting those in charge, not seeing their protection for what it is, trying to tear it down. Well, it only takes one little flame to start a fire, and my job is to keep crushing those bloody flames out." Grail paused his rant and backed up from Enola, standing straight. "Now I'll be kinda, and give you one last chance. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Enola answered honestly, tears in both her and Catherine's eyes.

"Then you're for the noose," Grail told her. Catherine's eyes widened, and the tears she had been holding back started flowing freely. As Grail stormed out, Enola rushed over and the Catherine wrapped Enola into a hug.