Chapter Text
“I found it weird that you weren’t hired to play at Ulfstead Castle’s winter ball… But if the rumors are true, I can understand why.”
A nicely dressed man scoffed as he took a drag of his cigarette and unleashed a cloud of smoke at Emily’s direction. Her whole body tensed up. A terrible chill ran through her veins as she recognized the rough voice approaching her ears.
“Oi, lad. Mind where ye puff.” Donald stepped forward to stop him from getting any closer to Emily.
“Heh. You’re never short on scotts to protect you, huh? Your father, Harvey and now… these two.”
“Why are you here? Making London unbearable to me wasn't enough for you?” Her voice trembled in a mixture of fear and disgust.
“Still acting like you’re the one who was wronged, I see…” He blew more smoke into the cold air. “That's what I hate the most about you. Always selfish and spoiled. You knew I needed at least one heir. You knew my standing in my family's good graces depended on it. And yet, you married me with that useless body of yours.”
“Mrs Stirling isn’t yer lass anymore. Ye hev nae right to seek and insult her like that.” Donald clenched his fists. “So fuck off and leave her alone.”
He scoffed at Donald’s hostility. Dirty rugged clothes, frostnipped face from hours working in the snow and bruises. He almost felt sorry for Emily. Once a prestigious pianist hired to play in the finest music halls in London, now stuck in a backwater town with a dwindling reputation, having to associate herself with dirty workers to survive. How humiliating.
“Some impatient clients you have, Emily. Don’t worry, I just came to this dreadful town to catch a train to the castle. I don’t seek retribution.” He eyed the twins with a smirk. “Not that you need any help to disgrace yourself even further. Almost destitute. So desperate for money that you're selling your body to two lowborns.”
A wobbly sound of a snow shovel hitting something hard echoed through the street. Emily blinked in shock at the man squirming in pain at her feet. Douglas seethed, still holding his snow shovel, while Donald kneeled and pulled the man by his hair to face him.
“This is nae London, lad. Go wait for yer train quietly and dinnae even dare trying to speak to Mrs Stirling again. Or ye gunna hev to play violin wi’ broken fingers. Aye?”
The man grew pale at the threat. He didn’t expect two poor station workers daring to assault a passenger. Let alone make such violent threats. Those green eyes had the same murderous sheen as his former father in law. He stumbled into the station, as quiet as a mouse.
“Mrs Stirling, it appears that a train jus’ arrived at platform 7. Yer friend must hev’ arrived.” Douglas spoke as softly as he could.
A tear rolled down on Emily’s shocked face as she blinked at the twins. Her hands trembled, just like when she was in anguish. Her mind was a mess, overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. She should be scared, her body reacted like it was scared. But part of her felt elated. It felt like a huge weight was taken off her chest. For that very moment, she strangely felt the safest she ever felt in years.
“Mrs Stirling, yer friend… Percy’s sister… At least, I assume that’s her.” Donald pointed at a woman, the same age as Emily, marching in their direction with a familiar shawl in her hands.
“Ah… I… I see… Then, if you excuse me, gentlemen.” She curtsied with tense shoulders and walked into the station to meet her exasperated friend.
***
James nervously entered Gordon’s office holding a few papers.
“Knock before entering, James. Where are your manners?”
He closed the door behind him and spoke as softly as he could.
“Read Emily’s letter first. And do NOT let Henry find out about it.”
Gordon tensed at the mention of Emily’s name. He grabbed the papers James laid on his desk and read them carefully. Eyes widening at each line until it prompted him to read another paper on his desk. He stared at James, feeling a huge pit in his stomach.
“There’s no way Henry hasn't seen these already.” He pointed at the reports and complaints about two station workers physically assaulting a passenger.
“I know. This is why I need you to back me up against him.”
Gordon rubbed his temples while James stared at him expectantly.
“Why should I? Even if they did it to protect Emily, their actions are unacceptable. Truly disgraceful for our railway.” He glanced over Emily’s neat handwriting. “Those two caused enough damage to her reputation. This is a good opportunity to take them out of that house.”
“Then what? Let her lose everything? Make her live off the Gresleys and Staniers’ kindness? Forever living in her friends’ guestrooms?” James crossed his arms. “Gordon, she needs those two to keep her house.”
“If she remarries, she won’t have to worry about her finances. Henry told me Caitlin is arranging good suitors for her to meet this spring.”
“I’ll never understand why you are so obsessed with marrying her off. It’s like you expect that the very act of getting into matrimony will solve all her problems.” James scoffed bitterly.
“You speak out of ignorance, James. When you find yourself a good woman, a proper wife, you’ll understand.” He eyed his younger friend curiously. “I never understood how you were so unsuccessful in courting. You’re far from shy or boring. With a handsome face like yours, I assumed you would always be surrounded by eligible ladies in your leisure time.”
James froze for a moment, searching for something in Gordon’s sapphire colored eyes. He parted his lips to say something, but shook his head instead. It wasn’t there. Of course it wouldn’t be. It was never there to begin with. James’ throat felt tight for a second. Sapphire-blue never glowed back. It only hid under furrowed thick eyebrows, as a sign of annoyance. Never endearment.
He wore the smuggest smirk he could make.
“Well, well… It's not everyday that I have the honor to be praised by a Gresley. What happened? Ran out of compelling arguments and now are you resorting to flattery? It won’t change my resolve.”
“Oh. Please! Stop spewing nonsense! Your foolishness might be the reason ladies don’t take you seriously.”
“I’m talking about Emily’s situation. Given how awfully her marriage ended, I doubt she’ll be willing to consider your miraculous solution.”
“She may be stubborn, but despair may guide her into obedience in that case.”
“It might guide her to an early grave too.”
Gordon stared at James in shock.
“For a married man, you know very little about women.” He sat on Gordon’s desk, fidgeting with the decoration closest to him. “Women are just as prideful as men, Gordon. If you take her pride away… she will be found in the same conditions her father was.”
“Are you done spewing nonsense?” Gordon scowled at James’ insinuations. “Emily would never do such a thing. Her father raised her resilient. Spoiled, but resilient!”
James sighed. He looked out the window at the trains coming and leaving the station.
“As resilient as you believe she is… Aren’t you glad that those two were there to defend her?”
Gordon looked down at the papers spread across his desk. James had a point. No, it was much worse, Gordon was wrong. Gordon Gresley, the man who grew up with the woman in question, was wrong in his initial assessment of the situation.
Emily would’ve crumbled into her anguish and trauma. He couldn’t even imagine how terrified she was when that man approached her.
As much as he looked down on those two ruffians. They did well. He hated to admit it. But there was no denying. They did what had to be done to protect Emily’s dignity at that very moment.
“Fine.” Gordon growled with his pride bruised. “I’m on your side this time.”
James smiled and squeezed Gordon’s shoulder.
“That’s the galant Gordon I know.”
Gordon was taken aback by the sudden touch. James was a strange man. Flamboyant and short tempered. Unpredictable. His mood shifted on a whim, which was quite annoying. Strangely, he seemed to get along with Emily. Maybe that’s why he was so willing to fulfill her requests.
As they walked through the hallways to talk to Henry, Gordon noticed James fidgeting with his necktie. He was nervous. No wonder, since Patrick died, Henry became more protective of the Stirlings’ reputation.
“Are you coming to my family’s Christmas dinner?”
“Should I?” James laughed. “You Gresleys tend to be… rather constricting with your festivities…”
“It’ll be very special this year. I have great news to share.” Gordon tried to contain his enthusiasm. It wasn’t dignified for a man his age to be too enthusiastic.
James’ heart felt tight and heavy, but he kept the corners of his mouth upwards.
“If you insist that much… I don’t oppose being part of your festivities. I hope you have good sherry. Last year's one was atrocious.”
Gordon rolled his eyes at James’ audacity.
***
Duck seethed at both of them, unable to even muster a word through his clenched jaw. Not even Oliver dared to get any closer. The old Great Westerner was one step away from exploding.
“Duck, how long will we hev to stand here? We hev work t-”
Duck slapped Donald as hard as he could.
“Shit!” His bruises were bound to get worse after that.
Duck turned to Douglas, searching the silent twin for any hint of regret.
“A shovel, Douglas! A DAMN SHOVEL! ”
Douglas took his slap with a wince.
“You have no idea of how lucky you are that the inspectors were so lenient on you! You should be fired and arrested! Having your paychecks cut in half is way too generous of them. This must be a Christmas miracle!”
“Aye, we get it! We did wro-”
“ SHUT UP, DONALD!! THIS ISN’T JUST A PRACTICAL JOKE THAT WENT WRONG! ” Duck threw his hat on the floor. “ THIS IS MY REPUTATION BEING TARNISHED BY TWO IDIOTS! ”
Donald sighed and bit his tongue.
“You’re MY crew’s apprentices! Carrying for MY engine! Under MY name!! AND YOU DARED TO ASSAULT A PASSENGER?? FOR A WOMAN YOU SHOULDN’T EVEN DREAM OF HAVING!! ” His voice got coarser. “ IDIOTS! RECKLESS IDIOTS!! GIVE ME A REASON TO NOT GET YOU BOTH FIRED!! ”
“Th’ lad wisnae backing aff. Even after she looked distressed. I warned him, he dinae back aff… So we acted accordingly.” Donald grumbled.
Douglas picked Duck’s hat from the floor and handed it to the old great westerner.
Duck raised his hand to slap them again, but stopped himself from doing so and seized his hat aggressively.
“You’ll clear the snow from all the entrances and you’ll sweep the footplates of all the engines in the sheds tonight. Understood?”
“Aye, sir.” They spoke in unison.
“Now get out of my sight! I don’t wanna see you idiots today!!”
Duck climbed into his engine’s cab and puffed away.
The twins worked silently for the rest of the day. With such a huge cut on their paycheck, they would have to do odd jobs to cover their rent. Their backs were sore from the extra hours alone. Now giving up their days off was quite a blow. Compared to losing their jobs, it wasn’t too bad, but still a bit upsetting.
Henry stared down at them from his office window. Emily wasn’t supposed to be in the station that day. She shouldn’t have any reasons to be there. Someone lured her into that trap to push her even further into the twins’ arms.
“Using such a cheap trick to taunt me, I see… ” He cracked his fingers one at a time. “I accept your challenge, Holden.”