Hello dear readers – if there are any still out there! Here is the first new chapter in (ahem) 5 years. Just a short little chapter to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully it's in-keeping with the previous!

Xxx

It was late afternoon by the time Holmes and I reached the home of Thomas and Eliza Wentworth, the last couple on our list of those who had attended the late Claudette Greenwood's dinner party. We had interviewed somewhere in the region of a dozen guests, and the grand sum of what we had ascertained was that she was a well liked and admired woman, an excellent hostess, and that her marriage had been showing signs of strain. Things were not looking particularly bright for my friend John Greenwood.

From what we had learned from other guests, Eliza Wentworth was quite the socialite and had the reputation as a bit of a gossip.

Holmes and I were shown around to the rear of the property by a young servant who announced our presence to his mistress. We found Eliza Wentworth taking tea in her garden, with two small dogs circling her ankles searching the ground for treats. The brim of her large white feathered hat obscured her face from our view.

"Mr Sherlock Holmes? As in the detective?" she asked, looking up at us. She was a handsome woman in her mid-thirties with bright piercing blue eyes. Holmes nodded "and this is my friend and colleague Dr John Watson". I smiled and nodded.

Mrs Wentworth leaned forward, "oh how exciting, you must be here about poor Claudette, mustn't you? Please sit down gentlemen – would you care for some tea?" she asked.

"No thank you Mrs Wentworth, we shall endeavor to take up as little of your time as we can manage. We were hoping you may have some insight into the matter at hand - if you had noticed anything peculiar and so on."

Mrs Wentworth picked up her tea and took a sip. "Well, there was one thing…I don't know how relevant it is…" she started.
"The smallest triviality could be of the greatest relevance" Holmes prompted.
"Well, on the night of the dinner party I remember Claudette had abruptly excused herself halfway through our conversation - as there had been a man at the door to speak to her. I caught a glimpse of him as I was heading to the powder room - I recall having seen her speaking to him once before – during a luncheon a week or so previous. The reason I remembered him so clearly was because he was such a rough-looking creature with fiery red hair – not the sort of person a woman of Claudette's standing would usually converse with – not that I'm judging mind you." She hastily added.

"Oh no no, of course not" I replied kindly.

"Please continue Mrs Wentworth" Holmes prompted, with a hint of weariness creeping into his tone.

"He handed her a large envelope and she handed him a small envelope. I ducked out of sight when she turned around to head back into the dinning room – I didn't want her to think I was snooping or anything" Mrs Wentworth said with a small laugh.

Holmes looked thoughtful at this new information. "Just one final question Mrs Wentworth, can you think of anyone who would wish Claudette any harm?"

"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but there were whispers about that sister of hers spending a little too much time with the good Doctor, if you understand my meaning. Have you spoken to Emily?"

Not long after leaving the Wentworth's the weather took a turn for the worst. Rain started to pelt down upon us as we went in search for a cab.
"I wonder who the man at the door could have been?" I wondered out loud as we hurried towards the nearby hansom cab we spotted at the nearby corner.

Holmes tutted as he climbed into the cab, sitting down opposite me. "Clearly he was a detective of some sort, most probably delivering evidence that Claudette intended to use for the divorce proceedings."

"Would it be worth tracking the man down?" I asked Holmes, dabbing my face with a handkerchief.

"From her keen description I can narrow the field down to two men, however I do not think this is the most important line of enquiry for the moment. I think it's about time we talked to her sister…"

xxx

Hope it was ok - just think of it as a warm up chapter from the long absence! lol Deary me, still can't believe its been 5 whole years! I still haven't finished it, but I'll try to get it done in a little less time! lol