Vastra had to admit the girl had a point, and relaxed again. She watched as Jenny gracefully spun around under the sheets, lifted the extra blankets off of her, and playfully tossed them in Vastra’s direction. Vastra couldn’t help but smile.
‘How did I get up here, madam?’
Vastra thought for a second.
Well, Jenny, you came back into the house, dripping wet and chilled to the bone. You told me that I saved you twice, and then you kissed me. You tried to run off, I stopped you, and you collapsed in my arms. I carried you up here, stripped you bare, redressed you, and laid you in my bed. And I couldn’t bear to be apart from you any longer…three days was too long as it was, let alone the short time since you finally decided to come back to me…so I came in here to join you.
No, that wouldn’t quite do. Not yet, anyway.
‘When you came back, you were dripping wet and so very cold. You looked like you had not slept for days. You fell into my arms, fainted, and I brought you up here to get into dry clothes and a warm bed.’
Jenny smiled and blushed.
‘So you saw me…’
Vastra blinked. She understood the question. Further still, she understood the intent behind the question. She decided to face it head on.
‘Yes. I did.’
The blush on Jenny’s cheeks deepened.
‘Jenny,’ Vastra said after a moment’s pause, ‘tell me what happened when you ran away.’
Jenny sighed deeply and took several deep breaths. Vastra was willing to be patient…willing to be more than patient, as she thought about it. She would wait as long as it took for Jenny to collect her thoughts and speak. Pushing her would only make things far more complicated than they already promised to be. Than they already were.
Finally, Jenny began to speak.
‘I was so scared, madam. People in the street, they told so many stories about you…how you were widowed, or…or…’
‘Deformed? Disfigured? A hideous creature unfit for human eyes to gaze upon?’ offered Vastra quietly.
Jenny stiffened at those words, but nodded slightly.
‘It is alright, Jenny. I have heard all of those things…and more. They hurt at first, but I know the truth. And that is what matters to me.’
She looked at the girl warmly.
‘But I am interrupting you. This is your tale, not mine. Please…continue.’
Jenny tried to smile…something Vastra did not fail to notice.
‘I didn’t want to believe any of those folk. I just figured the ones sayin’ you were widowed were right. It didn’t bother me none. And like I told you…I liked workin’ for you. I liked you.’
Vastra caught the emphasis on that last phrase, and knew it had to be intentional.
‘So when you took your hood off, and I saw you, I just…I was scared. Because…’
Vastra reached out and touched Jenny’s cheek tentatively.
‘You do not need to continue if you do not wish to.’
Jenny shook her head.
‘Let me tell it my way, OK?’
Vastra nodded and reclined back a few inches. She smiled when she saw Jenny move closer in response.
‘So I ran. I don’t even know how far I ran. I just ran. The first night was almost the worst, but I had some money from the last time you paid me, so I was able to rent a cheap room for the night. I didn’t sleep…every time I closed my eyes I saw you, and I heard your voice, beggin’ me to understand and I…I just couldn’t.’
Vastra nodded.
‘The second night was harder still. I spent the last pennies I had earlier that day on some bread so at least I could eat. I was mindin’ my own business outside a public house when a man in a suit and top hat walked up to me and asked me if I needed a place to stay for the night. I thought he was bein’ kind to me, so I said sure. Then he tol’ me that he’d be happy to offer me a warm bed for the night if I…’
She paused.
‘If I did…things…’
Vastra’s lips curled back as if she were about to growl.
‘What kind of things, Jenny?’
Jenny looked at her, her eyes wet.
‘I think you know what kind of things I’m talkin’ about, madam.’
‘What did you do?’ Vastra’s voice was cold, with an edge of anger.
‘I did the only thing I could think of to do, madam. I walked over to him, nice as you please, leaned in, and…drove my knee up between his legs. Then I told him no thank you and tried to run off.’
Vastra tried valiantly but could not suppress her laughter. Jenny regarded her employer with a smile.
‘I was just being polite, madam.’
‘Yes,’ replied Vastra through almost choking bursts of laughter. ‘I suppose you were being polite, in your own special way.’
Jenny smiled. And waited for Vastra’s peals of laughter to quiet.
‘That still doesn’t explain where you spent the night that evening, Jenny.’
‘Oh,’ Jenny replied. ‘One of the women who ran the kitchen outside that public house saw what I did. She came over and grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back by the kitchen. She told me to keep quiet ‘less that man heard me. Then she slapped me on the shoulder, and you know what? She was laughing herself! Told me that man tried every night to bring someone home with him…and most nights he succeeded. But she also overheard me say that I needed a place to stay for the night, and while she didn’t have much, I was welcome to stay in her place with her kids and ma and da…just for the night. Said it was to repay me for entertainin’ her so much with what I did.’
Vastra felt something and looked down to see Jenny’s fingertips lightly brushing over her arm. She shivered a bit, relishing the softness of her skin and the warmth that finally came had returned. She looked up and saw Jenny’s smile, wider now, and so warm, so genuine. She didn’t want to break the moment, but she knew she had to.
‘And last night, Jenny? What about last night?’
Jenny took a deep breath before continuing.
‘I figured I’d find something. And then the storm came. When it was just some rain, I figured I could hide under some roof somewhere and wait it out. But it kept getting worse and worse. That’s when I…’
She paused.
‘The whole time I was gone I was thinkin’ about why I ran away. And how wrong I was. Because I wasn’t just runnin’ away from you, madam…I was runnin’ away from me. And…’
Vastra reached out and grabbed Jenny’s hand. She felt Jenny hold it just as tightly.
‘Madam…I know why you decided you needed me to see who you were.’
Vastra’s eyes opened just a little bit.
‘And why is that, Jenny?’
Jenny lowered her eyes, but then brought them back up again just as quickly.
‘Because I think you think of me as more than just an employee…or a friend.’
Vastra regarded her carefully.
‘And if that is the case, Jenny…?’
Jenny closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
‘Anyway,’ she continued, temporarily changing the subject, ‘I’d been thinkin’, and as the storm got worse, I thought maybe I should just come back here and we could…talk. And try to understand. And then…’
She swallowed.
‘This man, he came out of the shadows. Asked me what I was doin’ out on a night like that, tat it was dangerous to be out at night, and he could escort me where I needed to go. I told him I was goin’ home, and that I was just fine, thank you very much, and I didn’t need his help. And I tried to walk away, but he walked around me and blocked me. He said ‘I don’t think you understood me, little girl. Little girls like you shouldn’t be out on nights like this. Anything could happen to them.’ I just put my head down and tried to walk around him, and that’s when I felt him put his hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off and run, but he reached around my waist and grabbed me.’
She paused, tears flowing from her eyes as she recounted the tale.
‘I screamed.’
Vastra felt Jenny’s hand clench harder on hers.
‘I know you did…I heard the scream. And I came running as fast as I could.’
Jenny held Vastra’s gaze.
‘I fought him, madam. I fought him as hard as I could…but it was so wet, and cold. And I was so tired already…I couldn’t do much, as hard as I tried. He didn’t bother coverin’ my mouth, and I kept screamin’ and screamin’, but no one came. I tried to bite him even, and he just laughed. I never heard a laugh like it, madam…it was so cold, so inhuman. I felt him reachin’ into a pocket, and I thought he was grabbin’ for a knife. Then…’
Jenny’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Then you showed up. Though I didn’t know it at the time…but I hoped it was you. Ploughed right into him and pushed me away. I saw him get knocked into the wall, and heard your voice tellin’ me to run. And I didn’t know where I was or nothin’, and all I wanted to do was run back to the house, but…’
‘You ran the other way, because you were confused.’
Jenny nodded.
Vastra let go of Jenny’s hand and reached up, brushing away her tears, feeling the wetness on her warm cheek. Jenny laid there, calm, at peace for the first time in days, and Vastra saw the tension and fear flow from her body. She waited until Jenny’s breathing returned to normal before speaking.
‘You do not have to worry about him anymore. Nor do you have to worry about anything like that happening again. You are safe here…assuming, of course, that you wish to remain here.’
‘What did you do to him, madam?’
Vastra looked at Jenny carefully.
‘That really is not that important, Jenny.’
Jenny’s voice was firm and surprisingly strong as she replied.
‘Tell me. I want to know.’
She paused.
‘I need to know.’
Vastra took a deep breath and exhaled.
‘I made sure that he would not hurt anyone else ever again. That is all you need to know.’
‘Is that why the Inspector was here today, madam?’
‘The Inspector,’ Vastra began, ‘was simply canvassing the area because they found a body in an alleyway about a hundred and fifty yards up the street. He wondered if I heard or saw anything last night in the storm. I told him I heard a scream, and saw someone run off, and that was all I knew.’
‘You lied, then,’ Jenny said with a small smile.
‘Jenny!’ Vastra replied in shock. ‘I most certainly did hear a scream, and I most certainly did see someone run up the street.’
She paused.
‘I simply did not tell the Inspector where I was when I saw them. After all, if I were to say that I was in the alleyway myself when this happened, it would be rather…incriminating, would it not? Even if it was because I was defending someone…important to me.’
Jenny laughed quietly.
‘That doesn’t explain why you’re in here with me, madam.’
‘I just…wanted to make sure you were safe.’
‘Didn’t want me runnin’ off again, madam?’
Vastra shook her head in disagreement, then thought better of it and nodded slightly.
'Well, that too,'