Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Perhaps the Chief Inspector would like accompany me?"

"No thank you father I was forced to attend the policeman's balls when I was a boy....tedious things" he said tutting.

Isabel looked slightly taken aback. Did he not want to come and watch her dance? Some boyfriend he was!

"Well I certainly wouldn't want to bore you". She said looking slightly choked turning away to continue with what she was doing. He'd had to cancel every time they were supposed to meet in the last couple of weeks, was he actively trying to avoid her now?

Father Brown and Brenda looked at each other and then to the Inspector. Did he really have no tact?

Inspector Sullivan realised suddenly how that came across and became speechless, not really knowing what to say to his girlfriend now. Yes he'd had lots of work to do and not much time to spend with her, but he really wanted to change that. And father Brown had just set him up with a really good idea.

And he blew it.

He then looked at the Father with a rather ashamed look but just got a "You've really done it now" look back.

He knew he'd screwed himself. And he didn't really know what to do about it at this moment. God did he always have to be this careless?

A second later Mrs devine turned back to the three of them.

"Well I better go and get changed for the practise again" she darted her gaze away before rushing down the stage steps and into the other room.

Eveyone was silent for a second before Brenda broke it.

"Well, what did you do that for?"
She startled Sullivan with her sudden outburst but he knew she was right.

"I...I don't know, I didn't mean to say it like that I just meant I didn't like watching people dance at the work balls. I'd like to watch her dance" he said the last part rather shyly.

"Well go and tell her that before she thinks you think she's boring" Brenda said firmly, pointing to the door.

Sullivan then quickly departed towards the changing rooms.

Brenda rolled her eyes and Father Brown just sighed, "He's not very good at this, is he?" She said.

"He'll learn" Father brown said, "We just may have to help him".

//

Mrs Devine stood, about to get ready for the next rehearsal number. It was only her in the room at the moment so she didn't have to hide her sniffle out loud and the tears prickling in her eyes.

She would take a little longer to get into her outfit, giving her enough time to calm her face down from what had just transpired. As she took the dress from the coathanger, she bagan to overthink it all.

When Father Brown had suggested the idea that Edgar accompany him to the dance, she had felt a glimmer of pride because she liked impressing her boyfriend and would be eager to know if he liked watching her dance. But as soon as the Inspector had responded saying he clearly had no interest in watching, her heart nearly shattered.

She had felt slightly angry at this statement because after the last few weeks of not making time for her, she really thought he should be putting in more effort to see her. When they had first got together it seemed that he couldn't leave her alone. But now it was as if that phase had passed and she really worried that he was getting bored of her.

Only thinking this made her more upset though and she hadn't realised that tears had started coming from her eyes. There was no way she could go back out for the practise  now, she may aswell just forget it.

She paused and just stood, looking glumly at the wall.

She was just about to begin to get dressed though when she felt a hand on her waist. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't heard anyone come in so it unsurprisingly gave her quite a fright.

Abruptly, and without checking first, she yelped and spun round, smacking whoever it was for touching her without warning.

It was only after she had done this that her eyes widened realising who it was.

Edgar just stared back at her, in shock.

"Oh Edgar! Oh I'm so so sorry I-, I didn't realise it was you, I hadn't heard anyone come in so I was startled" she worried, bringing both of her hands to his upper arm where she'd accidently caught him.

She examined it very intensely and Edgar hated that she felt sorry for what happened, because in his mind he knew he absolutely deserved it.

He was bad with words sometimes and he knew he'd upset her without wanting to, so a smack was probably the least amount of punishment he deserved for this. He would probably ask for more.

She however, still felt very guilty for what had just happened. She still had both her hands holding his arm tight and was now stroking the side that she had just hit, continuing to apologise profusely.

"Oh, goodness, I didn't realise it was you I feel so awful, I'm really really sorry i-".

Before she could continue that sentence he gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in so he could kiss her. He couldn't stand to listen to her feel guilty anymore.

"There's nothing to apologise for" he said against her lips.

"B-but I've just hit you? Are you not hurt or upset?"

"I deserved it" looking away slightly.

This left her slightly speechless.

"Wha- what do you mean? You didn't deserve that. I don't know what happened i jus-". She said again before he cut her off with another kiss. That seemed to be the only way he could get her to listen.

"No, I do, I've been rotten, rearranging for work and not seeing you properly for weeks", he said leaving his face close fo hers after the kiss so he could kiss her cheek.

"Oh but you can't help that" she replied, "you're job is alot more important than me".

"No it isn't, you shouldn't have been put aside because I have work  to do, I should have been able to balance it out better, I'm sorry".

"Edgar, I understand if you don't have enough time for me because of your job, I- I just want you to let me know so I'm not expecting you to be free, or want to see me".

He really wanted to make her understand.

"No please, I do want to see you, I promise, I've just been very stupid lately, I've let work get ontop of me and didn't realise I'd be neglecting you".

"Yes, well", the tears had started to come back, they had gone briefly after she had hit him, but now they were back as she remembered her earlier worries. She turned away from him to face the wall, sorting the dress she was going to be getting into for the dance again.

"I just wanted to say that, that if you really thought I was boring and not interesting to you anymore then I'd like to know. Since, you know, I thought it would have been nice if you maybe came to watch me dance at the audition but, now that I know how you really feel, well....you know what, I don't know, just forget it".

He was speechless for a moment, he had really screwed this all up.

She then started to gather her stuff.

"Well, I suppose I should get ready for the practise so, if you don't mind, I'd like some privacy".

"No wait, please Isabel, I didn't mean what I said earlier".

She turned round and looked at him and he saw he pain he'd caused in her eyes.

"Well what did you mean then?"

"I meant I didn't like to watch others dance at the work balls as those were a little boring but i-, I'd really like to, um, watch you dance, you could never be boring" he sounded slightly desperate as he practically spat these words out, just trying to say something right for once.

She looked at him for a second before looking away.

"If you say so, I suppose"

"I do, I really do" he had even tried holding both her hands in his in order to get the point across.

"Well, just forgive me but, even if you didn't mean what you said earlier, it still hurt....My-,  my heart sunk" she said, the tears were running freely down her face now.

"I'm so sorry" was all he could say. He had no idea what to do in order to fix this now. Maybe this wasn't able to be fixed just now, maybe it would take slightly longer for her to believe what he was saying was true, after he severely messed it up.

"It's alright, I understand now what you wanted to say but, you, erm, need to be more careful next time", she started, "I know I'm very pathetic when it comes to being upset but, I had started to worry that maybe you had been getting bored of me, over the last couple of weeks and that's why you had kept cancelling".

How could he have been so blind.

"I could never! I promise!" He said desperately trying to get the point across.

"Well I know that now, I suppose, but I have felt a little lonely, not seeing you as often. I had thought you had forgotten about me".

He definitely deserved that smack, he thought.

"I could never forget about you, it's just been so busy the last couple of weeks, it's all gotten a bit ontop of me, I am sorry. I'm going to make sure now that it doesn't happen again, because I can't bear the thought of you thinking that I'd forgotten you".

What he was saying was slightly working. She knew that number one, his job was very busy and sometimes caused him to be overrun, and number two, he can sometimes word things wrong, even if he doens't mean to. She knew he had to still love her, but the doubts always start to creep in every so often when she hasn't had a chance to see him. Her tears had stopped and she was at the point of just sniffling.

"Well, that's nice to hear" she said not really knowing what to do with herself now.

Before she could think for too long he enveloped her in a hug which she accepted and she went slightly limp in his arms. She'd been craving this contact for a few days now so she sighed, fairly happily into his shoulder. She thought againt for a moment about it all.

"I'm pathetic I know, needing constant reassurance that you still find me interesting" she said.

"You are the most wonderfully interesting person I know, how could I not want to spend evey moment with you. If it wasn't for going to work every day, believe me you would get sick of me because I'd want to spend all of my time with you".

He definitely said something right there as she started to smile.

"I'll take you're word on it, I suppose. I'm sorry again about hitting you". She laughed.

"I'm glad you did to be honest, I really do need some sense knocking into me every so often".

She laughed at this before pulling herself from his hug.

"Well I should probably get ready, the dance won't practise itself after all".

"Yes, I suppose so, um, well I, I'll have to go as I have a few things to do but, um, are you free tonight? Possibly?".

"I am, but I thought you weren't".

"I'll arrange to do everything another day, I know that I can't fully fix upsetting you right at this second but I hope I'd be able to try again later? If you want me too, that is?" He gulped. He so terribly wanted to make this right.

"I'd like that, I'm sure a few kisses would make me feel better" she said, with a slight smile, but her expression stayed rather straight after that and he knew he would have to try alot harder to get her happy and joyful self back. He was willing to do absolutely anything, even if it took weeks, in order to fix his mistakes and make her feel better.

Fortunately, she wouldnt be able to stay upset at him for long if he comforted her right, which she knows he can. Some kisses and reassurance are all she needs to fix her worries.

He smiled at her again.

"Good, I promise I absolutely adore you".
He said and she couldn't help but laugh and how much effort he was clearly trying to put in win her over.

"I know Darling, but leave the affection for later, when I can truly indulge in it". She smiled tapping him on the cheek before starting to get ready again.

He excused himself to give her privacy and went back through to the hall, wanting to leave as quickly as possible so he could get everything done and be ready for later. He walked through to the main room, hoping desperately to avoid Father Brown and Brenda on the way out. If they wanted to know what had happened, they would have to ask Isabel as he was sure that Brenda would much prefer to take her side over his. And as she should very rightly.

Anyway he wouldn't worry about that now, he had work to do so he could make it back to his love before tea time.