Aylia Holmes

17. Between Bars

Elwin sighed, leaning his head back against the cold stone of his cell. After Enola had been handed over to her brother, Lestrade had locked him up under the charges of withholding evidence, interfering with the police, and kidnapping. Hiding his head in his hands, he thought about Aylia, wondered where she might be, and hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could come up with some way to get him out of this.

"It seems you've gotten yourself into something of a scrape," a voice before him said.

Brows furrowed in confusion, Elwin looked up to find himself facing Sherlock Holmes himself.

"You could say that, Mr Holmes," he replied.

"Mycroft did this, yes?" Sherlock asked.

"I would imagine so," Elwin replied. "I can't imagine Lestrade coming up with kidnapping all on his own."

Sherlock chuckled, but there was less amusement in his face than would warrant such a laugh.

"I don't make promises often, but I'm making one now," Sherlock said, crouching down closer to Elwin's level. "I will get you released. You protected my sisters, so I will do everything in my power to help."

"Thank you," Elwin replied. "But I think I can tell you all the proof you need."

Sitting down, Sherlock replied, "I'm listening."

"I have proof someone tried to murder my cousin, all from your sister, Enola, but I think I remember it well enough to recite it," he said. Sherlock smiled proudly but said nothing as Elwin began, repeating everything Enola had said and adding in his own details about Bowler Hat.

.

"We have to get them both out of there," Aylia muttered irritably, pacing around her rooms as Tewksbury sat at her desk, thinking hard.

They had heard from some snooping both of Elwin's arrest and Enola's recent entry into Miss Harrison's School for Young Ladies.

"You want to break Elwin out of jail?" Tewksbury said in surprise.

"He's only in there because of me," Aylia replied irritably. "If I had made him go and just stayed myself, he wouldn't have been arrested."

"We can't know what would have happened," Louis said.

"Regardless, we need to fix it," Aylia said. "If I come up with a plan to get out Elwin, can you get Enola?"

"How?" he asked. "Well, actually..."

He thought long and hard for several minutes until his eyes finally latched on the large wicker basket Aylia kept all her books.

"Can I borrow this?" he asked, standing up and pointing at it.

"Sure," Aylia replied with a shrug. "What is your plan?"

Louis smiled.

.

The following morning, Aylia rose early and quickly changed into the clothes she had acquired the previous night. The first was a long, plain black dress. Over this, she cast a dark veil over herself and prepared a small basket with some bread, cheese, and a small bottle of water. This prepared, she set off for the prison.

It did not take her long to get inside the prison and for her story of coming from a church to give food and spread the gospel to be accepted. A guard trailed behind her, far enough away to not be able to listen but near enough to watch her.

She paused at each cell, slipped in morsels of food and said a few quiet words to each man inside until she came to the last cell. The moment she crouched down, there was a hurried rustling inside.

"Ayla," Ewin whispered, coming to the bars and putting his hands over her own. "What are you doing here?"

"Giving you a way out," she whispered. "Elwin, this is all my fault. I should've-"

"Hey, hey, shush," he interrupted, reaching through the bars to cup her cheek.

Despite only having been there a few days, Aylia could not help but think he looked paler and thinner than before. Even his eyes, which once looked energized and awake, were cast in a shadow of tiredness by the dark circles under them, but even so, the kindness held within them was still so great it nearly brought her to tears.

"I have to go before they get suspicious," she whispered, her voice breaking halfway through.

Handing through to him a small loaf of bread, she gave him a significant look and rose to her feet. Elwin's hand felt cold with the absence of her, but he took the still-warm break and, after retreating back into the darkest corner of his cell, broke it open, eating the crumbs as they fell. In the centre of the bread, baked directly into the dough, it seemed, was a small skeleton key with a metal compartment which he quickly opened and found a note. The ink had melted slightly and ran a little, but he could still make out the words.

Dearest E, this key will open the door to your cell, but wait until exactly midnight when the guards change shifts. Do long leave through the front door. There is a window down this corridor, to the left, and up a small flight of stairs. I will be waiting. With love, A.

Elwin smiled, tucking the note into his pocket along with the key as he settled back to wait, eating the remains of the bread.