Catching Mr Ripper

September 1st Evening

Elizabeth sat in her parlour sipping on her glass of scotch along with police surgeon Thomas Bond and forensic pathologist William Seaton.
"Miss Elizabeth I've laid out your night clothes will that be all?" Mary asked.
"Yes. Sleep well Mary" Elizabeth smiled at her maid as she left the parlour, closing the door behind her.
"Well? Tell us then" Thomas encouraged.
"What is there to tell? Love. Romance. Heartbreak. That's all" she said before taking a sip of the brown liquid.
"Come on I want to know more than that. What romance was there? You never told us much about him" William complained.
"We were young and in love. We thought that we could take on the world together" Elizabeth looked off solemnly.
"How was the sex?" William asked.
"Amazing" Elizabeth sighed deeply before smirking.
"So what changed between the two of you? Why didn't he just run away with you after your father rejected his proposal?" Thomas asked.
"After my father said no Edmund came to meet me in the park. It was supposed to be good news and when it wasn't I told him that I would run away with him, and that I didn't care about anything else as long as I had him but you both know that he didn't accept any of my pleading" Elizabeth took a large gulp of her drink.
"Oh Beth I'm so sorry" William frowned, placing a hand on her knee.
"Fleeting lovers, never meant to be together" She frowned.
"You still love him don't you?" Thomas spoke and Elizabeth raised her eyes to meet his before dropping them, telling them all what they needed to know.
"Love doesn't just stop. It doesn't fade over time. The scars left over by love don't stop hurting, the pain only dulls to an ache. My chest aches when I'm around him because what we had was real and true-" Elizabeth paused, taking in a deep calming breath "The love I felt for him never left. And I don't think that it ever will" Elizabeth sighed, taking a big gulp of what was left of her drink.
"Beth I'm so sorry-"
"Don't William. Please don't. I've done things I'm not proud of, maybe losing Eddie was karma for my sins. You don't need to feel sorry for me, just promise that what you and Thomas have you'll cherish" she frowned, getting up to refill her drink.
"What me and Tommy have is illegal, we can never be together among the eyes of the law or society" William frowned.
"That's no different than me and Edmund. The only difference is that it's not illegal just frowned upon by everyone, even those that love me" Elizabeth poured her entire drink down her throat before refilling it again.
"Who are you?" William asked and Elizabeth laughed "My friend wouldn't feel sorry for herself. My friend doesn't do this" he motioned towards her drinking.
"I've done things, you know that better than anyone else. I've sinned and I have paid the price. Maybe I deserve all of this pain" Elizabeth frowned deeply.
"Where's the girl that would burn society to the ground if she could? Where's the girl that fights every injustice she can?" William questioned her.
"Try being an upper class woman in this society-"
"Try being homosexual. Your parents throwing women in your direction" he challenged.
"William leave her alone" Thomas tried.
"No he's right. Feeling sorry for myself won't get me anywhere. I've had more opportunities than most and out of everything I've got the one thing I want more than life itself I can't have" she frowned holding back her tears "I can't move on. I've tried. It's not as simple as it seems" she frowned.
"Maybe it is"
"Will, I can't be with him. There's no way" she frowned.
"You fight society every chance you get and you can't do this?"
"He won't be with me as long as my father doesn't give him his blessing, and my father won't give it because Edmund is of the working class. No matter how badly I want it" Elizabeth failed to keep in her tears as one rolled down her cheek. She reached for the decanter of scotch, lifting the lid before William's voice stopped her.
"I think you've had enough. You should go to bed, we'll see you tomorrow" William gave a small smile, before he and Thomas could leave the room, Elizabeth caught his arm.
"Are we still friends?" She asked.
"Of course. I meant no harm in what I said" he smiled hugging her.
"Same here" she smiled hugging him back just a tightly.
"See you tomorrow" Thomas smiled at her, kissing her cheek before following after William. Elizabeth looked around the empty parlour, letting out a deep sigh before placing her glass back onto the drinks cabinet. She left the parlour, closing the door behind her, plunging the room into darkness, much like the darkness surrounding her heart. Nine years. Almost nine years since she lost him and yet, her heart still ached for something she was sure that only he could give her. There was no love, like the love given happily, by Edmund Reid. Love that Elizabeth Vance had felt all those years ago when status didn't matter, only love.