A/N: Not gonna lie, this ship is on the crack-y side, but I totally think it could work.
It started the first of May. Abby was rocking out to Paramore's "crushcrushcrush" in the lab when the mail arrived. She was not expecting any packages, so one addressed to Miss Abigail Sciuto with a return address of somewhere in London, England was a mystery that went straight to the top of her priority list on such a slow morning.
It must have something to do with that conference last week, she thought as she removed the twine and brown paper. She'd spent the previous week in London, giving a lecture at a forensic conference that was less boring than usual. The week was redeemed by the interesting contacts she had made. Not to mention the eye candy. Those British boys in their suits, yum…
A couple of flicks of her folding knife and the tape securing the box was no longer an obstacle. She opened the box to find a white Styrofoam cube protecting … something. Curiouser and curiouser. Abby gently removed the cube from the box, slit the tape holding it shut then slowly opened it. Inside the cube were two things. The first was a decorative black and silver glass perfume bottle, the pattern of the glass resembling a spider web. The second was a smaller, plainer bottle of brown glass with a screw-on lid and a label – Lily of the Valley essential oil. Abby carefully removed both items and set them on the counter. She opened the smaller bottle and sniffed the oil. The sweet floral scent reminded her of a beloved great-aunt, who wore lily of the valley perfume all the time.
Who would send me this? She checked the brown paper wrapper again. The return address did not include the name of the sender. A quick Google search of the address brought up a place called The Diogenes Club. It's a gentleman's club, she thought as she searched further. A real gentleman's club, not like the kind they have here. Why would a gentleman send me perfume and a fancy perfume bottle? She checked the box but there was no note.
Abby thought back to the men she had met at the conference. None of them had mentioned The Diogenes Club. I doubt they'd send me a member list. Something tells me these people like their privacy. She looked both bottles over. I could dust for prints, but if someone has gone through all this trouble, maybe I should just let my secret admirer remain secret.
Abby took the gift home. She filled the decorative bottle with the lily of the valley oil, promising herself to use it every day. Her colleagues commented favorably on her choice of scent but no one asked where she got it.
In June, another package arrived, also with The Diogenes Club as the return address. This one was smaller and when she opened it, she found a 5"x7" frame. It was antique gold-plated and studded with faux pearls. In the frame was a photo of picturesque castle ruins photographed in bright daylight. An internet search revealed it to be the ruins of Mulgrave Castle in England.
My English secret admirer strikes again, she thought, smiling to herself. I wonder if he took the photo himself. She took the framed photo home and gave it a place of honor on her computer desk. I can't wait to see what his next move is.
July first was a Saturday, so she received the next package at home. It was a ruby-colored glass pendant on a black velvet ribbon choker. He certainly knows my taste. After an internal debate, she decided to send an email to The Diogenes Club, explaining her situation and asking for her admirer's name so she could thank him properly.
The reply she received was polite in that stuffy, British way. The sender explained that her admirer wished to remain anonymous but appreciated her thanks.
I guess I'll just have to see what he sends next month, she thought. Abby couldn't remember the last time she looked forward to something so much. It's like Christmas in the middle of Summer.