Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery

Into A Dream

Eliza was on cloud nine all the way home and practically floated up the stairs to her room. She still felt where Colin gave her a good night kiss, softly on her cheek. Lucy was ready to unbutton Eliza's gown and soak in the events that unfolded. As she gently unhooks the gown, she asks her mistress, "Do I dare ask how it went my lady? I feel from your grin it went well."

Eliza bit her lip before replaying everything for Lucy. She was in her night dress with her hair braided by the time she was finished.

"Another piece of the Penelope puzzle may have come together and you experienced your first kiss! You couldn't have asked for a better date Lady Eliza!" Lucy exclaims. Her hands are tucked under her chin as she gushes over Eliza's evening. They both share wide grins and then Eliza says, "My mother does not need to know of the physical contact."

"Your secret is safe with me my lady," Lucy says while pretending to zip her lips. She then straightens the velvet ribbon she tied around Eliza's braid while asking, "So what now? We are only to remain in London until the end of the month. Will that be enough time to secure a proposal?"

"I'm not ready to wish for a proposal. We've only had one proper date." Eliza sighs while slumping back into her vanity chair, "I also don't want to leave London until Penelope's murderer is apprehended. I feel like I can't leave her behind."

"Do you think Bradshaw needs more than two weeks to solve it?" Lucy asks but Eliza can only shrug. She hasn't a clue how much time Colin still needs. He did say he had theories, but it didn't seem like he was ready to make an arrest.

"Your mother will wait if you want more time with Bradshaw. You know that don't you?" Lucy says and adds an encouraging smile. She drops the silver brush onto the smooth wood as Eliza replies, "Well that's just it. After he wraps up in London, I imagine he'll head straight back to Sussex."

"So, you want him to catch the killer for Penelope's sake quickly but for your heart's sake...you wouldn't mind it to drag on a few weeks," Lucy says with a frown. Eliza huffs, not having any more words to describe how she feels. She then pops up from her chair and saunters over to her bed while Lucy goes to turn off the remaining lights. Eliza climbs into bed as Lucy opens the door and then hovers in the doorway, "You seem truly happy my lady. It's unfortunate that Lady Penelope doesn't get to share it with you." She gives her a sad smile and then closes the door. Eliza agrees but knows her and Colin wouldn't be anything if it weren't for Penelope. She wouldn't have had a reason to seek him out. She would have yelled at him at the Erikson's ball and went on her way. It was odd to think that Penelope's murder brought love to Eliza. She suddenly felt ashamed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You're going to Kent...again? Were you not just there?" Eliza, in shock asked Penelope before sipping her tea. Penelope gingerly sliced into her spotted dick and replied, "Yes. I've realized Kent can be quite exciting." She winked one of her large blue eyes at Eliza, her long lashes almost tickling her eyebrow as she sat with a sly stare.

"Kent?" Eliza asked again but Penelope only smirked while savoring the custard in her mouth. She gave a slight nod, but Eliza wasn't in on whatever pleasure Penelope got from Kent. "I remember running through the poppy fields near your aunt's. That's the only exciting thing I can remember from our time there."

"We were children Eliza. There are more exciting things than the poppy fields now," Penelope said, her eyes sparkling. "Or rather, there is more to do than run in the poppy fields." She giggled her girlish giggle but Eliza looked to her lost. She knew her friend was enjoying some secret, but she was too annoyed to play into it. She wanted her friend to stay with her in London. Not go gallivant around the countryside without her.

"We're going back to the country soon enough. Why spend your summer there as well?" Eliza asked, displaying her annoyance.

"I'm only in London to find a fiancé. I may have better luck in Kent," Penelope said while dropping her fork back onto the small China plate, only after licking it clean.

"Better luck in Kent? Hunting season is happening in London my dear friend. Any game worth hunting is in London Proper," Eliza reminded her, begging her not to leave her again.

"I'm not doing the hunting darling. I'm being hunted," Penelope said coyly and then flitted her eyes to her tea cup. She brings the Earl Grey up to her rose lips while keeping her eyes down. Eliza was too annoyed with her to continue playing into her little riddles.

Suddenly Eliza's eyes pop open and her night dress is soaked in sweat. Penelope was so vivid just then. She could smell her rose perfume, see the sun bouncing off her blonde curls and hear her giggle. Penelope came to Eliza for a reason. That conversation that day in the tea shop came to Eliza so vividly for a reason.

She switches her lamp on and whips her diary out from the headboard. She quickly jots everything she remembered from her dream down to recite to Colin tomorrow.

How had she forgotten about Penelope's coy conversation that day? She had alluded that she already had a secret lover. Eliza was just too naive to have put it all together. At the time, Penelope hadn't been so candid about her dalliances as she had been at the time of her death. She admitted she had admirers and she had been lip-locking in shadowed corners all over London. But back at the start of summer, Penelope practically told Eliza she was literally rolling in the hay. All Eliza had heard at that time was that Penelope was leaving Eliza alone in London...again. She should have been paying more attention. Eliza had failed Penelope twice now. She'd been so caught up in her loneliness and lack of social functions, that she wasn't listening to Penelope's mind-consuming problems.

Eliza stays awake until the sun peeks in through her windows. She tries to replay the entire summer over and over. Dissecting any memory she had of their time together. She had fallen asleep that night thinking of Colin and the glorious opera music they had shared together and woke to thinking of nothing but Penelope.

She doesn't wait for Lucy to draw her a bath. She can't sit in her sweat-soaked dress any longer, so she tip-toes over to the basin and fills it with cool water. She slips into it and sinks into the water, letting it cover her face. She felt haunted by Penelope. She couldn't shake her.

While she's holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut, it comes to her. She pops up out of the water, gasping from holding her breath for so long. She fondles the wooden stool looking for her robe and then pushes herself out of the tub.

She nearly sprints to the telephone, aware of the looks the maids gives her as she dashes into the foyer. She's frantic, in her robe with her wet hair clinging to her neck. She picks up the phone and is conscious of the early hour. She had hoped to ring the Tennysons and catch Colin before he left for the day.

When the butler answers, he was clearly alarmed by the early phone call, expecting an emergency. Eliza asks for Colin but the butler informs her that he didn't come back to the Tennyson Estate after the opera. That according to his valet, he stayed at his club on St. James. Eliza thanks him and after hanging up, stops a maid to tell her to send Lucy to her immediately. Colin was only down the street and she wasn't going to miss him!