Daphne's Last Mystery: An Alternate Ending
disclaimer: Scooby Doo and all related characters are copyrighted by Hanna-Barbara Enterprises, Cartoon Network and/or Warner Bros. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, events or locals is entirely coincidental.
A/N: As in 'Their First Christmas' Colby, Cooper and Cody are real people.
"Because of You' is an original piece written by my lovely wife exclusively for this story.
The idea for the doll was taken from a short story by Agatha Christie, "The Dressmaker's Doll".
Lexy Faye in her review suggested an alternate ending to "Their First Christmas" would be fine. Several friends have suggested the same and I had thought seriously of a different ending myself. This story is my take if Daphne had made a different decision. Please read, enjoy and review.
Chapter One: Prologue:The Doll
With Cooper out in the field, feeding the sheep, everyone had voted to visit the village sitting below the Castle MacRogers. A morning of sightseeing had ended in lunch at this little cafe. A fireplace kept the cafe pleasantly warm but it wasn't the flame that made Daphne feel uncomfortable. The reason for her uneasiness was Fred's teasing and outright flirting with their waitress.
This wasn't the first time he had embarrassed everyone. If asked, and she had many times, he would say he was only being friendly. Daphne noticed Velma trying her best to ignore Fred by talking non stop to Shaggy who sat at her right and Colby on her left. Daphne hadn't planned the seating but didn't mind when she found herself sitting between Fred and Cody. She felt the anger coloring her cheeks.
She had to laugh at the sight of Shaggy in dark glasses and Scooby in harness of a working dog. She doubted it fooled anyone but Scooby was wallowing in all the attention the few customers lavished on him.
"Do ye always dress Scooby like this?" Cody asked Shaggy.
"This is nothing. You should have seen him in a dress as 'Grandma' when we had to fly once," was Shaggy's response.
The table cloths dipped far enough to hide the hand that caressed her knee. She hid the little inhalation of surprise with her napkin; pushing her unfinished plate away with one hand as her other hand slipped under the table to intertwine her fingers with Cody's. He squeezed her hand in a gentle caress, stroking the soft skin between thumb and forefinger. She smiled and squeezed back.
"Are you finished already, Daph?" Fred asked.
"I'm just not hungry." 'Not for food anyway' she thought, "Colby, would you like to go shopping with me?"
"Not shopping, Daphne!" Velma grimaced good naturally, "Colby, you don't know what you're letting yourself in for if you say yes. Daphne's shopping sprees are to be avoided at all costs."
The conversation turned to past shopping adventures with Colby finally agreeing to accompany Daphne, "Who knows what we might find?"
"I'll take care of the bill." Cody started to remove his hand but found it impossible. The rest of the group tactfully made their way outside, into the snow.
"I have to talk to Fred sometime." Daphne stated, squeezing his hand once again. Here they were, holding hands under the table like love sick teenagers; hiding their feelings when everyone knew, or suspected, except maybe Fred. The room spun around, little shivers played tag along her spine.
"Aye, I know. Sooner the better would be best." He replied.
"Can we be alone later?"
"I have to feed the sheep tomorrow so it'll have to be short."
"I know. I'll count every second." Her lips brushed his.
"Aren't ye afraid of smearing your delicious lipstick?"
"It's non-smear, silly."
-Xxxxxx
"What shopping are we going to do?" Colby asked as Cody drove the car away. The snow crunched under their boots as they walked.
"There will be a New Years party at the castle, right?"
"Aye, and I won't have to be Mum's assistant either!"
"Then we need new party dresses, won't we? What color would you like?"
"Black!" Colby exclaimed jovially then, "but I guess that is out of the question. I guess orange as a second choice."
"Good decision. I think orange with a dash of purple would be eye catching yet not overpowering. Do you know where we might find such a dress?"
"Aye, we're there." Colby pointed at a store with "Highland Dress Shop" over the door and an open sign hanging in the window.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Colby," the lady smiled as she walked toward them. Daphne closed the door against the cold. "It's been a wee while since you visited."
"We ain't visitin' today, Miss Aileen, we're shopping for dresses. Daphne wants a dress that will make Cody's eyes bug out and I have to wear a dress too!"
"It's 'aren't', Colby." Daphne corrected, smiled, and turned her attention to Miss Aileen. Stretching out her hand she said, "Daphne Blake, of Clan Blake, I and my friends are staying at the MacRogers Castle and as Colby stated we are looking for dresses for the New Years party but pay no attention to the bugged out eyes part."
"She must like you if you got her to agree to a dress. I heard the castle had visitors from America. Did you have something particular in mind or would you prefer to browse?"
"Perhaps both," Daphne noticed Colby had wandered away. "I'm partial to purple and Colby and I agreed on an orange with purple accents for her."
"Do you prefer straps or strapless?" Miss Eileen walked around Daphne, evaluating her shape and size. "With your figure, you would look stunning in strapless."
"Either would be fine, depending on the cut and the material."
"I take it you know your fashion. I think we can find something to make Master Cody's eyes pop out. Why don't you and Colby browse, I'll find you when I have something to show you."
Daphne removed her coat, draping it over her arm and joined Colby who was staring at a doll laid carelessly in a velvet-covered chair. The sage-green coverings and curtains all blended together to give a homely comfortable feeling to the shop. The doll didn't seem to blend in, rather it looked strangely alive.
"That doll gives me the creeps every time I see it." The remark from Colby made Daphne take a closer look at the doll. It looked as many dolls Daphne had had growing up with the traditional Scottish changes, of course. This was a doll to be played with; High Tea would be a daily occurrence.
"What's creepy about it? It looks like a normal doll to me." Daphne's body trembled in spite of herself. The trembling didn't come from the unspoken decision she had come to in the cafe earlier. The quivering was of an animal ridding itself of tormenting flies.
"It's always in a different place each time I come in. Do mysteries always show up like this?"
"Sometimes..." The last thing Daphne wanted or needed right now was a mystery of any kind. She glanced back at the doll. It did seem a little creepy.
"We're ready," Miss Eileen remarked, "I think you'll like our choices."
"I'm sure we will," Daphne smiled at the woman. The doll had made her feel uncomfortable; when she first saw the doll it had been sitting in profile, the smile half hidden, Now, as she and Colby followed, the sewed on smile looked directly at the retreating pair.
Colby made up her mind on the second dress; one of the assistants took it away to be wrapped. Every one stopped working when Daphne stepped out of the fitting room. The lavender chiffon column style, floor length dress hugged each curve.
"I love it but it does show a bit more cleavage than I like." The strapless gown did draw attention to the appliqued bodice.
"A few tucks here and there and it'll be perfect for the party." Miss Aileen beamed, "Eleanor, do we still have that shawl in Blake colors?"
"Aye, we di indeed." Eleanor scuttled off to find the required item while Aileen and the other two assistants fawned over Daphne and marking the necessary tucks.
"Cody's eyes are flat going to pop out of his head when he sees ye in that dress," Colby expressed her delight. They were walking away from the shop after Daphne had made arrangements to return on the morrow for a fitting. Colby caught a falling snowflake on her tongue.
'That's the idea', Daphne smiled as she hired a car to take them back to the castle.
-Xxxxxx
Cody hadn't waited to meet Daphne after he watched the somewhat heated exchange between Daphne and Fred; rushing through his chores and running through the hidden passage in hopes he would find her waiting at their special place.
Her beauty was the first thing he had noticed. He figured she was used to being the flame (oh, that hair!) that drew the moths to her. He swore he wouldn't be the next moth. But then there had been the dance and later on, that kiss. He didn't believe in love at first sight but he knew in his heart that he had experienced the next closest thing. One kiss and the moth had been drawn to the flame. He might be singed to a crisp but he thought it just might be worth it.
She turned at his approach; he grabbed her around the waist, drawing her into his tight embrace, "one question, my lamb, will you stay when ye friends leave?"
She drew in the scent of him, fresh from the barns, the fragrance of hay mixed with sheep and the natural smell of an unshowered man.
"Because of you all things are sweet
when at last we do meet *
Forever love will avail
never without detail
Because of you
So be still my heart
for we shall never part
Because of you
Life is long and never ending
as long as I am with you.
"Yes, my darling, I'll stay but I can no longer hide my feelings for you."
He kissed her then, roughly, passionately; crushing her body to his, he took possession of her lips, her very being. She surrendered willingly and returned his fervency passionately.
TBC
* My wife said this line referred to when they no longer hid their feelings for each other, hence Daphne's last line.