Of Night and Dark Obscurity

Caroline glanced again at the enamel broach watch pinned to the bodice of her dress. Stella was already ten minutes late for their appointment. She had chosen a small café so they could enjoy a leisurely meal and go over the list of possible tenants.

She knew that Stella worked long hours and the work was hard so she wanted to treat her to a nice lunch. But as the minutes ticked by, Caroline became overwhelmed with a sense of unease. Just as Prudie had been late for their tea engagement, now Stella was late. She felt a tightening in her chest as she wondered at the lateness and checked the time again.

She had ordered coffee and stirred in the milk but it sat before her untouched. The waiter had come by several times and she said she was waiting for her friend to arrive. She nervously clutched at the linen napkin in her lap and looked about the café.

It was so calm and normal. Everywhere couples were engaged in eating and conversation and she felt a knot in her throat. When the door opened and she saw Stella walking toward her she sagged inwardly with relief. She picked up the cooled coffee and gulped it down.

“Caroline!” Stella said happily and kissed her friend’s cheek. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“Not at all. I ordered coffee for us.” She said.

The two women picked up their menus and Stella settled into the seat across from Caroline.

“This is a pretty place.” She smiled, looking about.

“I thought you’d like it,” Caroline nodded. “I’ve been here several times.”

She omitted that this was the place she had met the Inspector. They ordered turtle soup and roasted hare with asparagus.

“This is quite fancy,”

Stella said as they placed the menus aside.

“I wanted to treat you,” Caroline. “To thank you for your help.”

Stella pulled several files from her bag and placed them on the table. “I have some suggestions here for you for the second house. Do you have a name for the house yet?” She asked.

Caroline sighed. “I’m going to call it the Prudence Finch House.”

“She would like that,” Stella nodded.

The soup arrived and they spooned the liquid substance in silence before they resumed speaking.

“I think this family would be an excellent fit for the Finch House,” Stella said pointing to the one file. “There are three children, a mother and father and they’ve been to the workhouse twice. They would greatly benefit from the project.”

Caroline nodded. “They seem a perfect fit.”

“This other family has two grown sisters. One of the sisters has a child and the other sister is disabled. She has trouble moving about. The older sister has been working as a prostitute to help them survive.”

“How unfortunate,” Caroline wondered at them.

“Yes, but we can help turn their lives around,” Stella said excitedly.

Caroline nodded. She was trying to concentrate on Stella’s words but she kept thinking about Irene, Annette and Prudence. The three women who she had known who had been killed. More and more she seemed to be drawn into the past thinking about them.

The death of her sister hurt her the most. She had said it aloud to Val and she meant it. She wished she had done more but the truth was she could not. Irene had been leading a dangerous double life that no one had known much about. Still. She wished she had reached out to her. She wished she had asked her advice. Why had she been so reckless?

She was pulled back into the London café when she saw Stella placing the files back into her bag as the roasted hare arrived.

“For these families this will be just the start they need,” Stella said as she picked up her knife and fork.

Caroline agreed. After the meal, they sipped their coffee and ordered custard as the grey sky outside had been joined by rain.

“I must tell you, Caroline, many of the women who work at the workhouse, and those inside, don’t even like to wander the streets alone anymore.”

“Because of the killings?” She asked.

Stella nodded. “The women walk in pairs and never venture out at night.”