"Bittersweet"
Jack the Ripper is choosing his victims for a reason," Lizzy told Mey-Rin over breakfast, "At least, that's what Mr. Undertaker said. And they each had their uterus removed by someone skilled. Mey-Rin…"
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth?" the woman asked, her voice soft and encouraging as Lizzy puzzled out the case.
"What we have to go on is this: the state of the victims, their backgrounds, and the medical experience of the murderer. So…we look into the murdered women, and see if there's a connection other than their occupation. And even better if this leads us to someone with a medical background. Aunt Ann can probably help us there," Elizabeth sighed, and set down her teacup.
"She and Lau are coming over for lunch, so we have the morning to find out what we can about the victims. If we're to accomplish anything at all, we'd best get going."
Discovering anything new about the murdered prostitutes was more difficult than they had presumed, however. Official channels had turned up virtually nothing about the women who lived in London's shadows, and they'd only had time to put out the word that the Watchdog was looking for information before they'd had to rush home again.
Lunch was a return to normality after the hectic morning, and Lau and Angelina plied her for information.
"What have you learned?" her aunt asked as Grell hovered anxiously at her shoulder, and Lizzy sighed.
"Not much, I'm afraid," she admitted, "As you know, Mr. Undertaker said that the killer removed an organ, and I've been trying to find out more from my informants, but either they don't know anything, or they're being extremely tight-lipped. I'm going to wait and see if anything comes up, but…."
"I see," Angelina murmured, and Elizabeth looked at her in concern.
"Is something the matter, Aunt Ann?"
"It's just," her aunt frowned, "you shouldn't have to live your life like this, Lizzy. You're only a child, and yet for the sake of the Phantomhive family, you break taboo, you consort with unsavory people, and you deal with things that would disturb grown adults! At this age, you should be worrying about clothes and shoes and who's attending what party, not…not this."
"Auntie," Lizzy smiled, and reached out to take her hand, "I do do all of those things. I definitely keep up with the latest fashion," she giggled, "But I have responsibilities too, although I keep them separate. You…If I had my choice, you wouldn't have gotten wrapped up in any of the Evil Nobleman's cases at all. You're my aunt, and you know me, not the Queen's Watchdog. I've grown up with the Phantomhive legacy my whole life, but this…this shouldn't be your problem. I guess we both want to protect each other, don't we?"
Aunt Ann's eyes looked suspiciously wet, and she gave Lizzy's hand a squeeze.
"Yes," she said, "I suppose we do."
"Bittersweet:" of feeling, of taste, of the colors red and yellow