Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery

A Lie

Eliza and Lucy sat dumbfounded in the drawing-room. Eliza was sprawled out on the chaise, while Lucy sat perched on the edge of the velvet sofa. She knew her place as a lady's maid and it wouldn't look right to other members of the staff for her to be as equally relaxed as Eliza. The distressed woman's arm is flung over her eyes as she shakes her head for the umpteenth time.

"It doesn't make sense Lucy. Why would Penelope be dropped here before tea? I didn't even take our motorcar out to tea, so why would she use that as a reason to come by?" Lucy shrugs again, still not knowing how to answer. Instead, she stands and takes control of what she could, "How about your luncheon my lady? You had a quick breakfast, let me have them bring you up some sandwiches and tea?" Lucy leaves to go about her duties and Eliza finally pulls her arm away to watch as she disappears around the doorway.

The Penelope puzzle was only growing larger with more confusing pieces and she wasn't sure what move to make next. She wishes she had someone to talk it over with and suddenly a pair of blue eyes flits into her mind. Colin did say to update him after her train adventure. That was a very solid excuse to call upon him.

Eliza pushes herself off the chaise and strides into the foyer to use the telephone. She quickly connects with the Tennyson residence but is informed that Lord Bradshaw is out. She leaves a message for him to ring her when he's back and after she drops the mouthpiece, she stands in the foyer. The staff is busy with their duties, Lucy is taking a mental break from the Penelope puzzle and Eliza finds herself feeling very alone. Usually, on Mondays, she'd be at tea with Penelope, gossiping for hours and then strolling about London until sundown. But now. she's unsure of what to do with herself. She's spent the past few days stumbling around London, playing detective so now the thought of going back into the city is very unappealing.

She sighs as boredom washes over her and as she passes Martin on her way to the garden, she tells him she'll take her lunch on the veranda. It's a pleasant day in the shade and her book is right on the garden table where she left it. She plops into the white iron chair and slides the book over to her. She sighs as she wonders if this is her new life now that Penelope isn't in it. At their country estate, Eliza can busy herself with things around the property. Horseback riding, gardening, the pianoforte. Their library has many more options and the town always has some event going on. There are things to busy herself with, but here in London, there's nothing to do. Now that the social season is over and her parents are away, Eliza is truly finding herself with nothing to do.

Her sandwich trays are brought out and Eliza nibbles on a cucumber sandwich while gazing into the garden. She asks Lucy to sit with her, but she knew Lucy would decline. Eliza knows that there's a whole hierarchy that happens under the stairs and Lucy doesn't forget her place. As much as Eliza considers Lucy a friend, she knows she's a lady's maid first.

Once the sun disappears below the tree line, Eliza drops her book on the table and goes to make her way inside. She's about to head upstairs when Martin finds her in the hallway.

"There's a Lord Colin Bradshaw here to see you my lady. Says you rang him?" Martin says with a raised eyebrow and Eliza's heart leaps into her throat. She hadn't expected him to show up here, so she quickly tells Martin to allow him in while she fluffs up her hair in the hallway mirror. She can tell Martin isn't pleased with a gentleman caller coming round this late while her parents are gone, but Eliza quickly reassures him it's only about Penelope.

Eliza finds Colin holding his hat in his hands in the foyer and she's irritated that her heart flutters quickly in her chest when his eyes meet hers.

"Sorry for popping by so late. It's just that I received your message when I returned home and figured it would be easier to speak in person," Colin explains as Martin lingers behind Eliza.

"Thank you for coming. Can I offer you a drink? I'd like to fill you in on what I found today," Eliza offers and Colin nods. She extends her hand toward the drawing-room and he leads her inside. Eliza turns to Martin and says, "There's no funny business going on I promise. But I need to speak with him alone." Martin eyes Eliza, but remains in the foyer as she dashes off toward Colin. He's standing in the middle of the room, looking toward the bright fireplace and Eliza strides over to the drink cart. She pours him a shot of bourbon and he gladly accepts the glass from her fingers.

"Any update on your friend then?" Colin asks before raising the glass to his lips. He leans against the back of the sofa and Eliza stands near the chaise, with a glass of Pimm's in her hand.

"Sort of. I took your advice and went around the train stations. Nothing turned up though, so I went to the cabbies that linger near her place," Eliza answers and Colin's eyes widen as he smirks, "Very clever." Eliza tries not to blush but fails. She grins and adds, "I found a cabbie who may have been the last person to see her."

"Did he tell you where he dropped her?"

Eliza nods, "After I paid him yes. But this is the confusing part." Colin eyes Eliza again as he sips his drink and she continues, "he says he dropped her here. At my home." Colin lowers his glass before asking, "But you didn't see her?"

"No, and Martin would have told me if she'd come round. But what's odder, is that I was supposed to meet her at the tea shop. We never meet here," Eliza says and then takes a sip of her own drink. Colin swirls the amber liquid around in his glass, just as he did at the Tennyson's as he asks, "Any reason she'd want to be dropped here instead of the tea house?"

Eliza shrugs, "She told the cabbie that we'd be driving to tea in my father's motorcar. Something we also never did." Colin frowns as he thinks over her words and Eliza realizes she's now been alone with this man three times. More than any other man in her life. It's always been in cozy rooms with a relaxed atmosphere and she's unsure if the heat she's feeling is from the fireplace or her nerves. Is this what a crush is? Is this what girls go all goo-goo over?

"So, your friend is dropped here before tea and after that vanishes? She didn't speak with anyone inside your home and she didn't make it to the tea house. How far is the tea house from here?" Colin asks and Eliza quickly answers, "Not far but we never walk. It's near the Savoy."

"Hmm..." Colin hums and then finishes his drink. He holds onto the glass, staring at it while thinking. He then looks to Eliza as he says, "There's a reason your friend was dropped here. She obviously lied to the cabbie about it, but she did have a reason to do so. She didn't need to tell the cabbie about the motorcar but she did anyway. She lied for a reason."

Eliza shrugs, "Penelope is very chatty. Maybe she was just making conversation and said it."

"I don't know why she'd lie just to make simple conversation. She could have chatted about the weather or the traffic. Instead, she tells him why she's being dropped here and it's a lie," Colin says while staring at Eliza. He then pushes himself away from the back of the sofa and hands her his glass, "Why did she lie Lady Eliza? I think that's what you need to find out next." Eliza takes his glass from his hand and can feel the warmth from where his fingers were. She looks to him as she snaps, "I'm already trying to discover her secrets. Now I need to dissect her lies?"

"They probably go hand in hand. And remember, you don't have to do anything. You're the one that's convinced she's missing. You could just accept that she's on holiday like her parents." Colin suggests but Eliza knows she can't do that.

"I'm not sure how to go about doing that. I did speak to her lady's maid. I'm hoping something will turn up there," Eliza says and Colin shrugs.

"You still want to keep this to yourself? You don't want her parents to know you're looking for her?" Colin asks and Eliza shakes her head, "Not yet. I think I know where she might be, I just need proof."

"Well, I hope you find it then. Let me know if you discover anything else," Colin says as he heads back toward the door. Before he crosses into the hallway, he looks to her and says, "Goodnight Lady Eliza." And with that Eliza knows she's in trouble. She knows she'll find any excuse to be alone with him again.