This is just a little experiment- Victorian murder mystery with romance and suspense. Let me know what you think!

August, 1888

A train moved heavily down the tracks and slowed to a stop. Clouds hung heavily overhead the city of London. Pigeons flew down to the cobblestone streets in the park and pecked at what bread crumbs they found.

A large black dog ran towards them, barking. The birds all scattered away.

"Oh, Lawrence!" His owner, only a fourteen- year- old girl, laughed as she walked over to him. She reached up to her light umber hair and tied the green bow back in it, shaking her head. "You silly dog, chasing birds in the park whenever you can and knocking out ribbons."

Lawrence took this as praise and rolled to his back, lolling his tounge out with a goofy smile up at her.

She rubbed his stomach and sat on the bench nearby. "Art and Lu said for me to meet them here." She swung her legs and sighed quietly. "I wonder what's keeping them."

As she waited, she watched the clouds overhead change shape and swirl in the air and the birds flutter over buildings and people pass by on opposite streets.

"Destiny!"

She sat up from the bench and grinned widely. "Lucy!"

Lucy was a petite, blonde beauty the same age as Destiny, with eyes like polished oak. Her blue dress looked pressed and neat despite her running. Even Destiny herself honestly an without any jealousy admitted, Lucy was much prettier than herself. She smiled. "How long have you been waiting?"

Destiny shrugged as she stood. "An hour, I guess. Maybe less."

Lawrence muzzled Lucy's skirt, making her laugh and rub his head. "Art should be here soon." She sat down next to Destiny. "What have you been doing all day?"

"I've just been helping Mother get her garden party set up." Destiny picked up a lily from close by and fiddled with the petals.

Destiny's mother, Elizabeth Wade, was between the middle and height of society in London, and was a member of a women's gardening club. She joined it when her husband left for India.

A boy with thick, curly blonde hair paced over cooly, whistling.

Lucy grinned and waved. "Arthur!"

Arthur was the son of a Lord, some people could tell by his gold hair and blonde eyes and fair skin that he was going to be handsome when he grew up. He grinned. "And how're my two dear friends today?" He clasped his hand together. "How does a game of dares sound?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and stood. "Oh, all right, mister truth- or- dare." She glanced at Destiny and raised her eyebrows. "Are you up for a round?"

Destiny gave a tiny shrug. "Well, if I must, I must." She stood and joined the two.

...

I dare..." Destiny pondered for a moment with a tiny grin. "Arthur."

His face fell. "Again?"

The three were standing on Baker Street, underneath a black iron lamppost. It had been four hours, the longest game of dare they'd played.

Destiny smirked. "If you hadn't dared Lucy to pick up a toad before it urinated on her fingers, I wouldn't have chosen you."

Lucy rubbed her fingers with a seethe. "Don't remind me."

Destiny pondered for a moment, then took her ribbon out of her hair, and tied it on his tail. "Arthur, I dare you to get this ribbon off of Lawrance before he reaches the end of that street." She patted the dog's rump. "Go!"

Arthur bolted after the dog, who was running on far down the street. He dove down and grabbed at the dog's tail with an "Umph!"

The dog halted, and Arthur untied the green ribbon as he stood and victoriusly held it up to his challenger. "Got it."

"Darn." She frowned.

Big Ben chimed the hour- one, two, three, four.

Lucy broke the silence. "My, it's nearly two! My mother will be excepting me soon!"

Lucy's mother, Genevieve Westernia, was a widowed woman burdened with the task of the current family fortune. The family was rich, but not as high- up as Arthur, close to the wealth Destiny's family had.

Arthur sighed. "Could we do one more dare? I still got to get revenge." He grinned evily at Destiny, who scoffed.

"You can't scare me with your silly dares," she said and crossed her arms. "What'll it be? Crawling under old Missus Betsy's porch? Putting a pin in someone's hat?"

He shook his head and pressed his tounge to the inside of his cheek, thinking. "I'll go easy on you." He looked around, then nodded. "Yep. I challenge you to-" he pointed down the close by allyway- "go at least halfway down there, and bring something to prove you've gone that far."

"But you'll be watching me."

"In case some old coot tried to grab you-"

"Oh, Arthur, don't do that!" Lucy begged. "Don't let her go by herself, at least!"

Destiny nodded and set a hand on her dog's head. "I'll take my Lawrence with me."

Lawrence barked, as if saying he would do so no matter what.

Arthur shrugged. "Fair enough." He waved a hand and stepped back, as a gentleman would do when he allowed a lady to go inside before he did. "After you."

Head held high and shoulders stiff and straight, Destiny walked into the alley way, with Lawrence next to her, his tail wagging.

The ally wasn't the worst Destiny had seen. A few loose wooden beams held the walls, high up, and a large piece of cloth dangled from one of them. The cobblestones were loose in some places, and the crates sitting to the sides were rotting away, showing off old pieces of fruit inside, which the girl concluded made most of the nose- burning stench in the street.

She stepped over a newspaper, but barely noticed the title saying "Two untimely unfortunate assaults".

Lawrence whimpered a bit.

Destiny scratched his ears and stopped in place. I think we're halfwa-"

A crate fell over, knocking over a rusty tin bucket, making her gasp in shock.

Lawrence backed up in front of her and growled.

A cat looked up at the visitors, unblinking, the darted away.

Destiny exhaled a nervous breath. "It was just a cat, boy. No need to bother it." She spotted a cloth, caught up from inside a large crate. "Ah, good. We'll take that."

Lawrence sniffed and grabbed the ends of the cloth.

Destiny took it as well and helped him tug.

They heard a creak. The board collapsed, making Destiny and her dog stumble backwards.

She sat up, stared, and screamed.

Arthur's eyes widened. "Destiny!" He shouted and ran with Lucy close behind.

Destiny was on her knees, eyes big with shock, mouth open in speechlessness.

Lucy took her hands. "Destiny, what is it?"

The girl swallowed hard, cheeks pale, as she pointed a shaky finger up at the open crate.

Standing up inside it, limp, was the lifeless body of Missus Betsy.