In a London flat, two people danced, pressed as tightly as they could get to each other. Late summer rain brought blessed relief from the oppressive heat outside, but the heat between the couple was just starting to ignite."You're engaged?" Eloise tried to prevent her disappointment showing. Emma Nolan was one of her oldest friends. "That's wonderful news, darling! We should celebrate."


Emma pulled her hand back with a wistful smile. "Simon is such a dear, but terribly old fashioned, you know. We would be married now if it weren't for him. He lost his job as a reporter and simply refuses to have the ceremony until he has a job again."

"I'm sure it's out of care for you." She consoled. Emma was too proud to ask for help. Even in school, she wanted to do everything herself. "Tell you what, I'm looking for an estate manager. Bring your Simon around and we'll see if he's up for the job."

"El, you can't be serious?" Emma took a step back. "That's too much. You must promise you'll sack him if he doesn't do well. I couldn't bear to put you out."

Eloise laughed at her friend's dramatics. "If I don't like the look of him, I won't even offer the position. You worry too much, darling. I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it."


Archie Hopper descended the stairs to the restaurant. Glittering people danced around the ballroom in the center as people seated around the edges leaned into one another to give their judgements upon the couples. Marco's was one of his favorite restaurants in London. The food could not be matched.

"Archibald!" An elderly man embraced him tightly. "So glad you could come tonight. I have your favorite table ready. Come, come." He led him around the swirling couples to a table. "You're not here to arrest one of my customers are you?"

He laughed and patted his friend on the arm. "No no no. Tonight I'm here for the pleasure of your menu, I promise. As of tonight, I'm on holiday."

Marco's son August had been involved in a murder investigation years back. Archie's work with Scotland Yard was the only reason the young man had been found innocent. The only thing August was guilty of was poor judgement and theft. Still, the case brought him a friend in Marco.

"For you, my friend." Marco gestured to the table. "I have a few people to greet and I'll be back to ask about your holiday."

Archie glanced up at a young couple dancing. The young woman's face was glowing with love and happiness. As they turned, he saw the gentleman's face was just as enraptured with her. It made him happy to see a couple so equal in their adoration of one another. Too often he saw one party more attached to another. This couple however was the essence of love itself.

"Ah, the lovely Emma Nolan. Stunning, yes?" Marco smiled. His friend as quite the romantic. He was certain if Marco was 10 years younger, he'd give that young man a run for his money.

"And very much in love." He smiled. The world was so full of darkness, he enjoyed seeing something so pure.

"Look, there's the famous detective." Someone whispered to his left. "What is his name?"

"Archibald Hopper." Her companion replied.

The couple at the next table was an unlikely pair. The woman sat in a cloud of smoke and entitlement as her companion, a far younger man offered her more champagne. The man's eyes stayed focused on the pearls dripping from her. Such a contrast to the couple dancing with nothing but love in their eyes.

A rich voice began singing A Kiss to Build a Dream on and his attention shifted to the stage. Not only did Marco serve the finest food in London, but he also attracted the talent of the world's finest musicians. Ursula Otterbourne was the best jazz singer of the day. Though he'd known her back before her marriage. Ursula Mariner was no less enchanting in their youth. Her dark eyes sparkled when she caught him watching her. Archie felt his face burn under her gaze. Her green dress flowed smoothly around her as she moved about the stage.

As dinner continued, he took note of the couples seated nearby. The woman with the pearls was dancing with a different man, the one he assumed was an assistant. Although Archie could see how attached he was to her. The young couple were ignoring the world around them as young lovers often did. Another voice broke through his reverie.

"Mr. Hopper?" A woman stopped at his table and rested her hands on her jeweled walking stick. He rose quickly from his seat and watched a little perplexed as her assistant brought a chair and she sat down. "I'm Maleficent Van Schuyler."

"Oh, won't you please join-" he began.

"Miss French is my nurse. She'll sit over there." Mrs. Van Schuyler waved vaguely behind her. "And make sure that silly man brings my order over here. I can't stand when my food gets cold."
Miss French nodded and murmured a quiet affirmation before hurrying back the direction they'd come from. "Sweet girl. Completely dependent on me, of course. Her parents died of that awful influenza outbreak. Belle needed an occupation until she can find a suitable husband and I agreed. No knowledge of anything not in a book though."

"Then it's quite fortunate she found you, ma'am." He acknowledged with a polite smile. Mrs. Van Schuyler was of the belief that class and money made your benevolence worthy of such polite noises. Personally, he hoped Belle found someone who didn't feel threatened by her intelligence.

The room seemed to still as a new young woman entered. She was wearing a gold silk dress that seemed made for American film stars. "Eloise Gardner." His dinner companion said in a low voice. She just inherited quite the fortune. Her father was one of those American millionaires. Nouveau riche as my mother would say."

"Eloise!" The happy young woman rushed to greet her. "My dearest El, you must meet Simon." She gushed and took her friend's hand.

Miss Gardner made the right noises of protest, but Archie could tell she wasn't opposed to the scheme at all. Especially when she gazed at the man standing to greet her. He bowed over her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Emma speaks very highly of you." Simon said as he scratched behind his ear nervously. Archie noticed the tips of his ears going red as he blushed.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Doyle." Eloise Gardner smiled at him. "And congratulations are in order. Emma is such a dear. You're quite lucky."

Simon smiled brighter and kissed Emma's knuckles. "The luckiest."

A new song began and Simon tried to convince his fiancée to dance with him. "Darling, please…" he pled.

"Why don't I dance with you?" Miss Gardner suggested in an innocent tone. "After all, I hate to leave you on the dance floor alone. And anyway, Emma never did get the hang of this one,
For one moment, Simon Doyle's jaw clenched and something besides innocence and love flashed in his blue eyes. But in a blink it was gone as if it never happened. "Oh, Simon, it's alright. Eloise is such a beautiful dancer, I'm sure I should only make a fool of myself."

Before Simon could agree or disagree, Miss Gardner swept him off to the dance floor with her. Whispers erupted about how lovely they looked together. No one in the room that night could miss the electricity that seemed to come alive as the pair danced.

Archie felt a terrible storm was about to send hearts shattering across the rocks