Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery

Diary

Eliza isn't surprised when she hears the rap on the window shortly after the sun goes down. She pushes the panel open and Colin slides inside, smoothing down his ruffled dark hair after his feet are planted firmly on the floor.

"I didn't startle you this time?" Colin asks Eliza, who is covered in her red silk robe, her thick strawberry hair laying in soft ringlets past her shoulders.

"Martin said you stopped by. I didn't think you'd waste time again," Eliza replies while making herself cozy on the edge of her bed. Colin pulls out the vanity chair again and as he spins it around, he says, "Oh how I wish you had a decanter up here. I could use a strong drink after today." He drops into the chair as Eliza replies, "If a decanter went missing, someone would lose their job. I'm afraid I can't offer you a nightcap." Eliza looks to his tired eyes, his sprawled-out legs and slumped shoulders. He still looks handsome in his three-piece suit and askew tie. She can't imagine everything he goes through in a day, just going to four houses today exhausted her.

"Any news?" Eliza asks as she watches him get comfortable. He nods and then says, "I do have something interesting to report." Eliza raises an eyebrow while muttering, "Oh?" Colin reaches inside his tweed sport coat and pulls out a small gold and purple diary. Eliza reaches her hand out and with a gasp asks, "You found Penelope's diary?" She takes it from him and turns the small leather notebook around to the front. She runs her hand over the soft leather while Colin softly says, "Anya brought it to me. Open it." Eliza does as she's told and flips it open. Her heart quickly jumps into her throat. These are all of Penelope's dearest thoughts and secrets. She wrote neatly in her swirly script, thinking no one would ever read the words she put to paper.

Eliza's eyes quickly run over the ink blotted pages and as she flips through it, she notices her neat script turning messy and then the ink is pressed deeply into the page. Towards the end of her entries Eliza notices deep scratches across a name, like the pen could erase the person if Penelope wrote hard enough.

"Penelope scratched someone out of her life. Literally," Colin says flatly while Eliza's brow furrows. She can feel the fury in Penelope's words. She runs her eyes over the scratches and tries to make out the name underneath.

"Have you made out the name?" Eliza asks as she flits her eyes to Colin's, who had been watching Eliza analyze the journal. He shakes his head, "It seems she never wrote out the full name. She calls him 'Sir' or 'My Darling.' Even in private she was keeping secrets."

"Can I hold onto this?" Eliza asks and she immediately sees Colin's reluctance. "For a day. I just want to see if there is anything I can decode, something I may understand that you wouldn't." Colin sighs and then nods. Eliza gives him a soft smile as she pushes herself off the bed to put the diary inside her vanity drawer. She wants to read Penelope's entries in private, where she can dissect them without Colin's blue eyes distracting her.

"I too have something to share," Eliza tells Colin as she lingers by her wooden vanity. She tries not to notice her appearance in the oval mirror, but she can't help but dart her eyes to her flushed cheeks.

"Do you?" Colin asks and Eliza nods proudly. She turns to face him as she says, "I had a thought. What if Penelope was dropped here before tea because my house is a convenient excuse. What if she was dropped here but wandered to a house nearby?"

Colin shrugs, "Tis plausible. I too have been wondering about her last lies and I can't figure them out. If she knew no one would suspect her being dropped here, she may have wandered by foot to the mystery man's house."

"The mystery man we now know she was mad at. Something happened between the two of them to cause her to lash out in her diary like that. If she wanted to confront him, a fight could have easily ensued," Eliza suggests. Colin nods and Eliza quickly adds, "I went to the houses I suspected could have fitting male suitors inside."

Colin's eyes widen as he leans forward toward Eliza, "Lady Eliza I don't want you confronting a man that's already murdered once." Eliza walks back to the side of her bed nearest Colin as she replies, "I wasn't going to confront him. I was going to vet the candidates and then turn the names over to you."

"Did you find anyone that matches what we're looking for?" Eliza plops onto the bed and begins fiddling with a lock of hair as she answers, "Not yet. I eliminated three of the five houses immediately based on the lack of males inside. One woman is supposed to write me tomorrow and the other wasn't home." Colin leans forward and locks his hands together as his elbows rest on his knees. He cocks his head sideways as he curiously asks, "What did you do to gain access to the homes?"

"I lied of course. I said I was there looking for a reference for a lady's maid. I played dumb when the lie didn't fit the occupants," Eliza explains and she watches a smile tug at Colin's lips.

"You're a quick one Lady Eliza. I'm impressed with how quickly you think on your feet," Colin admits and his grin causes Eliza's stomach to squeeze. She reminds herself that she's not looking for love and shakes away the redness in her cheeks. Colin adds, "I don't want you to get into trouble though. You could suddenly find yourself in danger and then what?"

"I won't do anything stupid. I can tell you it's Lady Cavanaugh that lives two doors down that's supposed to write me tomorrow. The other house I was going to check is two doors down to the left. The one with the vines snaking around the fence posts."

Colin shakes his head, "Alright then, I will go check out that house and will come back here tomorrow. If you are not home safely, I will go break down Lady Cavanaugh's door." Eliza can't help her curiosity when she asks, "Will you have time to come round tomorrow? I know you've been spending most of your time at the Deputy Commissioners home in Chelsea."

Colin looks taken back, wondering how she could have possibly known where he spends his time and then he grins again. He wipes a hand over his mouth before saying, "Ah, Miss Greensbury." Eliza sits up straighter as she says, "She mentioned she's been doting on you while you work. Must be nice to have a lady fussing over you."

Still smirking Colin replies, "Actually it's a bit infuriating. I know what her and Miss Walscott are up to and it's distracting. And not in a good way." Warmth spreads through Eliza's belly and she's glad to hear Adelaide annoys Colin. She shouldn't be so glad, but she is.

"Have you told her of your intended in Sussex?" Eliza casually asks, dodging Colin's eye contact as she does. She doesn't know why she's baiting him. She's told herself love is off-limits, but she can't seem to help herself. Colin immediately sniffs out her motive and stands from the chair. He puts his hands inside his pockets as he says, "There is no betrothed in Sussex, Lady Eliza. No fiancée, intended or courtship." Eliza nods as her mouth forms a little 'o.'

"There is however," Colin continues, "someone here in London that I have my eye on, if you're wondering." He stares at Eliza, noticing her pink parted lips and her flushed cheeks. He knows Eliza is a smart girl, so he knows she didn't miss his intention. He smirks at her silence, knowing his statement took all the words away from her and then turns to go back to the window. As he slides the pane out Eliza finally says, "My parents return tomorrow afternoon. You won't have to continue to climb trees to speak with me."

Colin freezes in the door frame, one leg in her room, the other on the tree branch and looks back to her, "Ah, but I prefer this way. It feels more private and relaxed."

"There's no liquor up here though," Eliza reminds him and as he goes to close her window he replies, "No. But I'll take your hair down like that over liquor any day." He leaves her with a smirk and she wonders if it's possible for her heart to explode from flattery.