The Doctor stood over the dead girl's body, looking down at it. Charlie and Albus stood by his side and Mr. Carson stood a couple of meters behind them. The Doctor had sent Rose and Scorpius to calm down the other guests and try to continue the party, while Fred was passed out is his room.
"Brilliant!" muttered the Doctor. "I knew this trip would be interesting!"
Charlie elbowed him in the ribs. "Keep the excitement to a minimum."
"Oh right," said the Doctor looking slightly ashamed.
He knelt down over the body and pulled a magnifying glass out of his jacket pocket. He handed it to Albus. "Look for clues."
"Where?"
The Doctor threw his hands up in exasperation. "I don't know. That's what Sherlock always says! This isn't exactly my forte!"
Mr. Carson grumbled behind them. "I'm sorry, Doctor, what did you say?"
"I said, 'could you fetch Lady Mary for me?'" said the Doctor. "I need her to explain something to me."
"As you wish, Doctor Smith," said Mr. Carson, turning around and exiting the pantry.
"So, clues?" asked Albus.
"Yes, look for blood or fingerprints. Or crime stuff," answered the Doctor.
Charlie knelt down by the Doctor as he started to examine the girl. He ran his hands behind the girl's head, looking for some kind of wound. He frowned. "No mark on the head."
He began to run his hands across the girl's sides, feeling for a wound. He looked up and shook his head. "Nothing on her sides."
The Doctor started to brush his hands over the girl's front. Charlie reached out and slapped his wrist. "Maybe I should…?"
"Why?" asked the Doctor confusedly.
She hesitated. "Never mind. Carry on."
The Doctor shot her a look before searching the girl's front for any indication of her death. "Nothing."
"Let's turn her over," suggested Charlie, pulling out her wand. She pointed it at the girl and said, "Rotasio!"
The girl lifted up and rotated, before landing softly on her stomach. The Doctor nodded approvingly and continued to examine the body. Frustratedly, he looked up again. "Nothing."
"So there's no indication of her death?" Charlie said.
The Doctor nodded. "Whatever killed her didn't leave a mark. I can't think of anything from this time period that could."
"What about poison?" asked Charlie.
"There would have been some indication around her mouth. A blemish or a smell," said the Doctor.
Charlie inhaled sharply. "The killing curse could do this. If there's a wizard or a witch here…"
The Doctor pondered this for a second. "Possibly… But why murder a kitchen maid?"
A sudden exclamation from Albus brought him out of his thoughts. Charlie and the Doctor ran over to the other side of the large pantry where Albus was on the ground, looking at something with the magnifying glass. The Doctor took it from Albus and looked down.
"Plot twist!" yelped the Doctor, clapping his hands. He pulled a vial and Q-tip out of his pocket and swabbed some type of gooey substance into the vial. He jumped up and ran out of the pantry, yelling back at them. "I need to run these to the TARDIS and run some tests. Go up to your rooms. I'll catch up with you in the morning!"
A silence enveloped the room and Albus and Charlie eyed each other. The latter was the first to break the silence. "I suppose, uh, we should go back up to our rooms now."
"We could," said Albus, his face unreadable. "Or we could stay down here for a while. Talk for a little bit."
"That'd be nice," said Charlie. "Except for that dead body laying on the ground right there."
Albus looked put out. "Oh right."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the pantry, almost knocking over Lady Mary. He let go of Charlie's hand immediately. "Oh! Apologies!"
"It's nothing," said Lady Mary. "Is the Doctor still in there?"
"No, he just ran off back to the TARDIS to run tests on something," answered Charlie. "Sorry."
Lady Mary rolled her eyes. "I look forward to the day when someone teaches that man some manners. The universe would be a much better place."
Albus smiled. "Ah, but then he would lose most of his charm."
Laughing good naturedly, Lady Mary replied, "That's very true." She paused. "I suppose I'd better go up now before Anna starts to worry. All the guests are about to go up to bed and I suggest you do the same. It'll be a long day tomorrow - most days with the Doctor are."
She nodded to them and turned around. Albus looked to Charlie. "Do you want to go up?"
"I suppose we should," said Charlie reluctantly. "Perhaps another time."
Charlie reached out to Albus's hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back and they started to walk to the stairs, still holding hands.
"You've got to be kidding me," moaned the Doctor. "Why is it always morphic residue… I hate shapeshifters…"
He sighed and started to walk towards the doors of the TARDIS. He patted the wall and said, "I don't know when the last time I slept somewhere else was. Must've been when I was staying with the Ponds…" The Doctor smiled to himself. "Oh Amelia…"
A gong broke the Doctor out of his melancholy. Standing in front of the Doctor was man in servant's clothes. He looked very familiar to the Doctor.
"What the hell?" breathed the man.
"Do you like it?" asked the Doctor awkwardly, not quite sure what the social norm was in a situation like this.
"It's… it's… bigger on the inside," the man whispered.
The Doctor beamed. "I like that part." He looked hopeful, hoping that the awkward situation had been resolved and the man was satisfied.
The man frowned. "Who are you?"
The Doctor's hopeful look faded and he sighed. Clearly, it wouldn't be that easy. Then, suddenly, the identity of the man struck the Doctor. He began to smile. Some might have described it as wicked, others as excited, and others as devilish. "So, Thomas, ever wanted to visit the future?'
