things had started to get better when she put distance between herself and everyone else. eliza only spoke with oliver for the most part, and the chatter around town about henry’s death had died down a bit. people would stare at her and talk, but it wasn’t terrible if she distracted herself. however, that night was different. eliza had to make a quick stop to a corner store to buy some toiletries later on one night when she noticed henry’s brother from the corner of her eye… it started off with him staring, and then he began trailing after her. then the heckling began and the one sided arguing. her pace quickened, but she didn’t want to lead him to her home in case something happened. “ye killed him, i know y’fuckin’ did-” he spat, eliza shuttering back and trying to go on her way. “i knew he shouldn’t have gotten involved with some penniless rat, and now look. dead. ‘cause of you-” the man emphasized, eliza’s pulse already racing as she tried to avoid eye contact. he had cornered her against a wall - - face getting closer and closer to hers as he kept berating her with accusations.
oliver had been following eliza, watching over her, he told himself, though he had felt a little guilty for it—until now. clearly he had been doing the right thing; god only knew what would happen to eliza without his guardianship. her good-for-nothing father had cast her out, and she needed him. the second oliver spotted henry’s brother, who he immediately recgnized, he quickened his pace just slightly so he could keep them both in his line of vision. as the man cornered her against a wall, oliver emerged from the shadows and seized him around the throat, dragging him back and throwing him bodily into the street. luckily for mr. laurence, there were no carriages in this neighborhood at this time of night, or he surely would have been run over and crushed to a pulp. the man swore, groaning, but got up and stumbled away, his steps belying his drunkenness. clearly he and henry had had much in common. “are you alright?” oliver asked earnestly, his gaze moving over eliza to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
“no, no… this is far more than i need, thank you-” she replied, forcing a smile to show her gratefulness before setting her bags in the corner. it felt like ages since they’ve been here, but everything was untouched and nearly frozen in time. that night her took her up here was one that she swore she’d remember for the rest of her life. no one had put so much effort into creating such a wonderful thing all for her pleasure. oliver was right to be upset with her, and if she’d taken his advice had left henry, none of this would have happened. the two of them could’ve had these past few weeks together instead of eliza having to endure the abuse she constantly faced. with a sigh, she walked over and took a seat beside him on the bed – reaching over to take his hand in hers. “I do hope you could forgive me… truly, i-” eliza sighed in defeat, looking down for a second to gather her thoughts. “he took me away from the orphanage, i thought i owed him my life although it seems like he did’t want it after all.”
oliver stared at her for a few moments, trying to decide how to respond. he had been very angry with eliza at first, when she had essentially chosen her father (and her father’s wishes) over him, but he could not bring himself to feel any of that anger now. in truth, it had faded once he had killed henry. the fact that it had taken a murder to soothe his rage alarmed him, but he would not think about that right now. “i forgive you, eliza,” he said finally, “though there is nothing to forgive. you put your faith in the wrong man. you simply were mistaken. and i am sorry that your father disappointed you.” he never deserved your devotion, he thought, but didn’t say out loud. he gave eliza’s hand a squeeze and brought it to his lips. “so it is decided then? we have forgiven each other? please say all is well between us. being apart from you has been terrible.”
after she left the funeral, eliza went home… well, it was only her father’s home now, if she could even still consider him that. she collected the two bags she fit her things into and without another word to the man that was sitting in the waiting area just staring at the fireplace, she left. she was homeless and alone, and the one person who was supposed to care for her didn’t even want to look at her. eliza used part of the money she’d saved to buy a carriage to the theatre and politely declined assistance when the driver tried helping her with her bags since she didn’t want anyone seeing that she was going into the abandoned theatre a block down. once he was out of sight, she went in through the back and walked up the spiral staircase carefully so she wouldn’t trip. once she was in that makeshift bedroom, she smiled a bit sadly at the scene of oliver taking the time to make the place presentable for her. “thank you… you didn’t have to do all this-“
oliver stood immediately upon eliza’s entrance, the sight of her standing there with her bags tugging at his heartstrings. he did not know what had truly transpired between eliza and her father, but clearly it had been bad, or she would not have left the man she had been so devoted to. a part of him was glad, knowing that she was finally his, and only his, but the rest of him felt a sick, creeping guilt for feeling that way and for the part he’d played in her current situation. “yes, i did,” he said firmly. “i should have done much more. if i thought it possible i would rent you a room somewhere much nicer than this. but…” he shook his head. “i know that people would talk if i were to do that. i’m so sorry, eliza.” he wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for how he’d acted when he’d last seen her, or for the fact that it was his crime that had led to her homelessness. of course, she could not know that, but he still felt terrible, despite knowing he had saved her from a life of misery with henry.
she hesitated at his words but ended up nodding at his offer. eliza wanted to be near him. she would’ve thrown herself in his arms right then and there if there wasn’t the chance of someone seeing. the circumstances she found herself in with her father would most likely end up with her in tears, so she wanted to wait until they were both hidden in the theatre. when she heard distant footsteps, she girl brushed off her skirt before nodding once to herself. “i should collect my things… and i shall meet you there soon? in a few hours?” she hoped he didn’t have any obligations that day – god knew she needed him. part of her still felt guilty for crawling back to him now, but eliza would’ve chosen him if it wasn’t for her father. she should’ve listened to oliver in the first place.
oliver nodded, stepping back and fading into the shadows as the footsteps grew nearer. he returned to his house briefly to fetch some food and fresh sheets for eliza, before taking a carriage to the theater. he had the carriage drop him off a few blocks away, just in case the driver were overly curious or loose-lipped. inside, he changed the sheets on the mattress and tucked the old ones into a corner, figuring he’d bring them home to wash another time. he set out the food on an extra sheet he’d brought and sat down to wait for eliza. his heart was beating fast, despite the fact that she wasn’t even there yet—but even the anticipation of seeing her was torment. he hoped desperately that her request to stay at the theater meant she had truly forgiven him. he still hadn’t quite forgiven himself for the way he had acted towards her.
brows furrowed and her eyes drifted to the floor when he asked why she couldn’t move home. it was too embarrassing to admit what had happened. after all that time defending her father, this was what she got from it. perhaps he never really wanted her. “i do not want you to think i am taking advantage of you, so i can pay you if you’d like.” eliza had a small savings she could give him. it wasn’t much at all, but she didn’t want him to think she was talking to him for just her own benefit. hazel eyes moved back up to look at oliver and she bit down nervously on her bottom lip. this whole situation was even making her realize what kind of a person her father was. “i would need it tonight… if possible. no need for you to clean, i can do that when i get there-”
“you don’t need to pay me anything,” oliver said firmly. he took another step closer to her, seeing how nervous she looked and finding himself wondering if it was because of him or because of her current situation. “are things… not well at home?” he asked, then added, “you do not have to tell me. but you can come to the theater tonight. would you… would you allow me to join you there, perhaps i could bring you something to eat and we could…talk?” his words were awkward and stilted-sounding, but he didn’t know how to put anything delicately when the current circumstances had changed beyond what either of them had expected and it seemed all propriety was to be lost anyway, if it had not already been.
“it is not your fault, you were upset-” eliza replied before reaching out to take his rose. the girl was still a bit hesitant about meeting so soon and so publicly after her fiancé died, but the shrubs and trees were protective and everyone else was gone by this point. it was kind of oliver to ask what he could do for her, but she could never ask to stay with him; not so soon. today was her last day with her father, and she doubted that the man would change her mind with her. no, she would figure it out. it would hardly be proper to take advantage of oliver like that. as she struggled with her thinking, it was fairly clear on her face. she looked up at his passionate look in his eyes and wanted to touch him so badly, but what if someone saw? after a few moments of thought, the girl’s eyes cast back down to the floor – her idea was a bit too embarrassing to face him with, but it was one that had fled her mind a few times before. it was her only real option to be fair, and though the building wasn’t exactly oliver’s, the furniture was his. “do you suppose that-… perhaps i could stay at the theatre? only for a few days or so, i promise…”
oliver was relieved that she accepted the rose, but his eyebrows raised at her request. “why not simply move home?” surely her father would not turn her away. or had he rejected her as the rest of society must have? the thought infuriated oliver. how dare that man turn his back on the daughter he had expected so much of, the daughter who was so devoted to him? it seemed no one in eliza’s life truly appreciated her. but that would change soon. oliver would make sure of it. although he wished eliza could move in with him, he knew that would be unwise at this point in time. “very well. you can stay as long as you like. it may be a bit dusty but i can tidy up before you come. when will you be needing it?”
of course she thought about going to oliver after henry’s death, but he had made it clear that he hadn’t wanted to see her. he began to apologize at that last party, but the ferociously hurt look in his eyes the night she got engaged told her enough. and eliza didn’t want oliver to think that she was just going to him as her second option. he had always been her first choice, yet circumstances never allowed them to be together. she was guilty about how relieved she was about the death of her fiancé, yet something she hadn’t accounted for was the rejection from her adoptive father. in her earlier years before being taken in by the orphanage, she’d been homeless before. eliza had gotten by on the generosity of strangers who spared a few coins while passing by, but she couldn’t do that now she was grown. her pride wouldn’t allow her to.
as the ceremony continued on, she felt someone brush behind her. without even seeing the person, she knew oliver’s familiar touch and wrapped her fingers around the note. she kept it in her hands for a few more minutes before glancing down at it to read his directions. when the funeral came to an end, she debated on whether or not it would be proper to see another man when she was expected to be in mourning… but she couldn’t resist oliver. she loved him regardless of his anger towards her. eliza waited until nearly everyone including henry’s family and her used-to-be father left the grounds before taking a breath and walking out to the garden where oliver was situated with a rose in his hand. though she managed a small smile, the girl did look a bit gaunt from everything that was going on. there was no doubt that things would only get more difficult for her now that her father was out of the picture. it was… strange that oliver decided to come to henry’s funeral, but eliza supposed that he came for her? she approached, eyes looking from the crimson flower and then to oliver. “i apologize i haven’t been able to talk to you. there’s been so much happening.”
eliza’s face was hollowed-out, still beautiful as ever but haunted-looking, and the sight of her weak smile made oliver’s stomach twist uncomfortably with guilt. “eliza. do not apologize. the fault is mine,” he said immediately, hesitating for a brief moment before holding out the rose for her to take. “please forgive me. i should never have treated you as i did. i worry i made you believe that i…” he paused, his throat suddenly dry. “that i did not want to be with you. i was angry, but it was not you who i should have been angry with. i am sure you must be dealing with a lot right now, eliza, but…” he watched her for a minute, the rose bushes rustling in the slight breeze. “i can make it all better, my love. say the word, and i will.” he stepped closer to her, glancing around quickly to ensure no one was watching. thankfully, the saplings and small trees provided some cover from prying eyes. “tell me what you need, and i will give it to you.” his eyes implored her, expression revealing some of the torment he had been undergoing since the moment she had refused him weeks ago. but he was not angry now. killing henry had tamed his rage, at least for the time being. all he wanted now was to care for eliza as he had always meant to. he only hoped that she would let him.
things moved quickly and darkly now. of course henry’s parents blamed her for his death saying that she made him severely unhappy, but that was out of the public’s view. the laurences were a well off family with a level of regality to uphold. because of this, his parents all but forced the police to investigate which led to eliza sitting in the station for hours on end to undergo questioning. it was clear that she had nothing to do with it and the men knew that but they had to keep her their per henry’s parents’ orders. there was no way eliza could have done such a thing. physically, she was too small and weak to even have the force to strangle a full grown man to death or even get him over the bannister. eliza stayed for as long as she needed to anyway – this must have been better than going back to her father’s house.
her father allowed her to stay there, but set a strict deadline of one week until he would make her leave to go god knows where. she was in her mid-twenties, he said that she should have been married and moved out long ago and no longer his problem. eliza didn’t have many things to begin with, she supposed that it would be an easy move if anything though his orders broke her heart.
the harder hits eliza took from henry lingered in the form of bruises and cuts on her face, but she hoped they would fade soon. the last day of her week long stay was that of henry’s funeral. his parents didn’t want her to come, but they then figured that it would be in their favor to have a mourning fiancée there to offset any ‘rumours’ of henry’s affiliation with the local whore house. they weren’t rumours and everyone knew that, but eliza’s presence would hopefully stop the whispers.
so she went, keeping her distance from henry’s parents and even her own father… if she could call him that anymore. off more toward the back, eliza stood quietly as the service went on – her makeup wasn’t covering enough for her to be seen in the front so publicly. though she was glad he was gone, she felt this immense amount of guilt. was it truly her fault? and now, she was homeless… again.
oliver knew it was risky showing up at henry’s funeral service, seeing as he hadn’t known henry or his family well or been remotely friendly with them, but he had to see eliza. he hadn’t heard from her in the weeks since he had killed henry and he was worried for her, afraid for what she must be going through. there was little doubt in his mind that she was relieved to be freed from her engagement, but he expected the wrath of henry’s family as well as eliza’s own father must be a great deal for her to bear on her own. he wouldn’t let her suffer through it any longer, not without knowing that he was near and eager to help her. he wrote a note to her, telling her to come to him if she could, that he was sorry, and that he wanted to make things right and look after her properly.
inside the church, he made his way quietly to where eliza was standing, passing by her slowly and deftly placing the slip of paper in her palm before disappearing into the crowd and making his way out the back exit of the church before anyone could take notice of him. outside, he waited in a nearby rose garden, where he’d told eliza via the note he would be after the service. he could only hope she would find a way to escape and come to speak with him. he wondered if she could possibly forgive him for his former behavior. waiting was torture. with a knife he kept in his pocket, he cut a red rose from one of the bushes, holding it by the stem, his gloves protecting him from the thorns. if eliza did come, he would give it to her.
the day that she last walked home from oliver’s house, her father knew where she had been. if it wasn’t clear from how her eyes were a bit swollen from crying, it was the fact that she had been out without henry. the next few weeks were miserable. it was as if all autonomy was lost and she was solely controlled by her new fiancé. usually it was a disgrace if a woman was to stay in the home of their fiancé when they hadn’t been married yet, but henry was in a differently league of his own. none of the social norms impacted him. he could do whatever he wanted and faced no consequences for his actions. so because of that, eliza stayed with him per his orders masked as a request. her heart was still broken over oliver and yet any time she visibly showed her grief, henry caught on to who she was thinking about and took his anger out on her. it wasn’t anything unusual – he had laid his hands on her even when they were courting, but it slowly became worse. henry used to only hurt her on parts of her body that were hidden by her dress, but he graduated to leaving bruises on her face, cuts on her lip, and even red marks around her neck. her father promised that henry was just acclimating and that he would stop his actions soon enough.
eliza had to accompany him to a party that night which she begged not to attend in the fear of being stared at for her injuries which, in return, earned her another one. how dare she even think about leaving henry unaccompanied at a gathering when he was engaged? eliza applied makeup the best she could, but there was only so much she could do. her blackened eye was still visible through the powders and there wasn’t much she could do for her cut lip. it was obvious that people noticed these injuries, but eliza continued to at least try to act as normally as she could – albeit a bit more quiet than usual. she stayed among a group of women who allowed her to stay, though didn’t speak to her much. when she caught sight of oliver, it was like the world stopped around her and all she could do was stare for a few moments though she looked away when he approached. he was coming to talk to her and all she could think about was what henry would do to her tonight if he saw. the girl looked around quickly – relieved that henry was nowhere to be found just as oliver spoke to her. something was different here. there was a level of fear she had about being seen with him but it felt so good just to be close to him all the same. all eliza could manage to do was nod at his apology. “i can’t be seen talking with you, i hope you understand-”
oliver’s jaw worked in frustration, but he inclined his head stiffly and turned his back on her, making his way through the crowd and whispering to arthur that he needed to take his leave. he returned home and began planning for what he had known he would have to do since his last conversation with eliza. despite how much he loathed henry, he didn’t want to have to kill him. once oliver killed someone, he knew he’d become the monster he’d always feared he was, ever since he was an angry and disfigured child. but that child had had only one friend in the world and it had been eliza. her kindness had saved him. now he was going to save her.
his planning took weeks; he was meticulous, he was discreet. he followed henry and learned his schedule, originally intending on killing him on his way home from a whorehouse, perhaps pushing him into the thames—but he decided eventually on killing him in the laurence’s house, when henry was alone but for the servants. wearing a uniform to look like one of them, oliver entered on a thursday and crept up the staircase to henry’s room. the man was caught completely unawares; oliver tied a noose around his neck with the rope he had acquired from a stable some miles away and hung him from the banister at the top of the stairs. as he had tied the noose, oliver had been somewhat horrified at himself at how he’d relished the reddening of henry’s face and the gurgling and choking sounds he’d made, his fingers scrabbling uselessly at oliver’s arms. he’d looked almost confused when oliver had looped the rope around his throat—as if there was any doubt as to why oliver would do such a thing. “this is for eliza,” oliver had hissed in his ear, tightening the knot and producing a fresh croak of pain from the other man. “may you rot in hell, you bastard.”
he left out the back entrance, disposing of the uniform on his way home. he knew eliza was at her father’s house that evening, and thought it unlikely she would return; he had overheard the servants talking about it as they were taking in the laundry from outside a few days prior. at home he finished a bottle of brandy arthur been saving and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep for the first time in weeks.
