Ada & The Earl (The Woodhouse Series #1)

Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

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*Scotland Yard/Holloway Prison/Belgravia, London*

Arriving at Scotland Yard, Florence shook off her umbrella, hooking the handle onto her arm as she strolled over to the front desk.

Another miserable day in London and she found the days she had many errands to run across the city was the day the rain came and never stopped.

Hopefully, this would be her last stop of the day, unless Theodore found something else for her to do.

"Good afternoon, Miss Moore!" An officer called to her and Florence smiled and waved. "How are you today?"

"Wonderful!" She replied. "Just on a few errands." She gestured to the bag draped around her shoulders as she headed for the front desk where the new receptionist, Annabelle Porter sat, and Florence smiled at her, removing the files and papers from her bag. "Good afternoon, Annebelle. I need to see Commissioner Adler. I have paperwork for him to sign..." Florence tapped the pile and Annebelle looked at it, tilting her head before nodding.

"Just leave it here and I will pass it on..." She waved her hand for Florence to leave and she frowned.

"No, I have to go through it with him. It's on behalf of Dr Woodhouse..."

Annabelle sighed. "Well, Commissioner Adler is tied up at the moment so you will have to either wait or leave it here."

Pouting, Florence grabbed the papers. "I'll wait for him in his office then..."

"You can't do that!" Annabelle called but Florence ignored her.

Florence stopped as officers came through the archway, letting them pass but it was the fiery red hair of a lady in a puffy blue dress that caught her attention.

"Adelaide?" She was shackled from the wrists and Florence felt relief sweep her but then also, concern. "Adelaide!" She called and the red-haired beauty turned to her, a familiar voice calling for her.

"Florence!" She cried, tears bursting out of her eyes, but Florence was prevented from stepping any closer to her, as she was taken out of the building.

"She's being transported..." Adler's voice came from behind Florence who stood at the doors, watching Adelaide being carted off.

"Transported? To where?"

"Holloway."

If her jaw could fall to the floor, it probably did as a shocked Florence stared at Adler. "Holloway?"

"She's wanted for the murder of Mrs Fraser in St Andrews!"

Shaking her head in denial, Florence refused to believe him. "No, there has to be a mistake. You said those charges against her were dropped!"

"She was a person of interest until she decided to gallivant across the country under a false name..." Adler explained. "She was charged in Nottingham. She will be held in Holloway until further notice..."

Florence tossed the files and papers into Adler's arms and he grimaced at the weight. "What are you doing?"

"Do your own paperwork? I have to tell Theodore!"

In the pouring rain, she flagged down an omnibus, boarding it for Belgravia but a road collision between carriages blocked the road as they reached Grosvenor Gardens.