I looked at my reviews and it seems like you would like this story to continue so consider it done but I'll be doing this by a 'episode by episode' basis. Basically, each episode will be split into 4 chapters and if my readers enjoy my writing, I will continue but if you hate it, tell me and I will try to improve it or make it back into a one-shot.
Thanks.
It would be my honour to dedicate this chapter to 2-Hearted-Human( I'm glad that you found it interesting.) and Alyssa love (The girl who seems to love Doctor Who as much as I do.)
The Doctor walked out of the TARDIS, Luna and Donna following closely behind him. Outside of the wooden blue door was a large English manor house, surrounded by lush green grass. The sun shone down on the scene, showing that England was capable of having good weather once in a while.
"Oh, smell that fresh air." The Doctor told them, turning around slightly on the spot. "Grass and lemonade with just a little bit of mint. Just a hint of mint, must be the 1920's."
"You can tell what year it is, just by smelling?" Donna asked, amazed at the time lord. It seemed that he was never short of surprises. To her, that man was a complete puzzle… wrapped in an enigma… and tied together tightly with a ribbon of complete mystery.
"Oh yeah." He replied, a grin on his face.
"Don't listen to him Donna; he'll have you believe anything if it makes him look good. Basically, he saw the huge vintage car driving up the road." Luna explained, leaning against the ship casually, checking the chipping green nail polish nonchalantly before pointing to the sleek black car.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He tried, attempting to look very innocent but the mischievous glints in his eyes were an obvious sign of his lie. Sadly for him, his previous companion knew all of his tricks and didn't believe him for a second. With a sigh, she took both of their hands and dragged them over to the house so they could peek at the man who was getting out of the gorgeous car. When this happened, the time lord couldn't help but intertwine their fingers, humming quietly when he felt her warm fingers slip between his own.
"Good afternoon Professor Peach." A snobby looking butler greeted with a proper English accent, causing Lu's nose to crinkle slightly in disgust. She couldn't stand people who thought they were better than everybody else and despite his position, she had a feeling that he was just like that.
"Hello, Greeves, old man." Prof. Peach replied before turning to face the sound of the oncoming bicycle as a ginger man rang his bell. Instantly, the three observers knew of his profession, due to the white collar standing out against his black outfit.
"Ah, Reverend."
"Professor Peach. Beautiful day, don't you think? The lord's in his heaven and all's right with the world." The priest greeted, getting off of his bike then handing it over to the butler who seemed to accept it reluctantly.
"Reverend Golightly. The lady Eddison requests that you make yourselves comfortable in your guest rooms. Cocktails will be served on the lawn from half past four."
"You go on up. I just need to check something in the library." Peach told Golightly, but when the reverend sounded interesting, the professor was quick at telling him that he wished to be left alone for that certain expedition.
"It's supposed to be a party… All of that work will end up being the death of you." He claimed then walking into the house, intent on going to his room so he could freshen up before cocktails were served.
"Never mind Planet Zog. Give me a party in the 1920's anytime." She claimed, a huge smile spreading across her face while squeezing her friend's hand.
"I don't blame you babes. Zog has rubbish weather. We went for my 319th and believe me, the only thing that's any good is the sunset; it looks like the sky's filled with fireworks." She whispered into the other woman's ear.
"The trouble is, we haven't been invited." The Doctor said but then he reached into his pocket, pulling out his trusty brown wallet that held one of his favourite possessions of all time. His psychic paper.
"Oh wait, I forgot. We have."
"Do you know what this means Lu?" Donna asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Dare I even ask?"
"Costume change!"
At that moment, both aliens groaned at the prospect. The Doctor because he knew how long it took the ginger human to choose an outfit and Luna because she knew how big the wardrobe was, making it practically impossible to find the perfect outfit within the first half hour.
The man of the group stood outside of the TARDIS, waiting for the girls to get dressed appropriately. If you asked him, they both looked lovely but he didn't want to spoil Donna's fun. However, he re-thought that idea after half an hour so, with a huff, he began to bang on the ship's door.
"Come on or we'll be late for cocktails!" he called, hoping the fruity drinks filled with both sugar and alcohol would persuade the ginger temp to hurry up a little bit. Luckily for him, it worked as the door opened and Donna stepped out in a lovely brown dress with golden beading decorating the whole front, a matching purse in her left hand.
"So, what do you think? Flapper or slapper?" she asked.
"Flapper. You look lovely but if you don't mind, could you tell me where Loony is?" He said with a small smile but the only reaction he got from his companion was a wink. Looking towards the door, he saw her walk out and couldn't control his jaw as it dropped to the floor at the sight of her.
She's replaced the vest with a creamy coloured blouse, her jeans with a pair of flared pinstripe trousers to match the tight waistcoat she wore, showing that she was definitely a woman. Then, perched on her head, was a black trilby. All in all, she looked like a 1920s criminal… and he liked it. A lot.
"I don't look that bad, do I?" she asked, looking between her friends with a look of fear on her face but it melted away the moment Donna shook her head.
"You look gorgeous babe. Don't you think Doctor?"
"Y-Y-Yeah… absolutely stunning… b-beautiful in fact… wow." He mumbled, looking away for a brief second in order to collect his thoughts. After a few deep breaths, he felt confident enough that he could ignore it and turned back, offering both arms to his lovely companions who took them with a giggle. Once both were securely latched on to their 'escort', they set off towards the garden.
Out on the lawn, the staff had been hard at work, setting up tables and placing the finishing touches on all of the refreshments. In the background, a record played, filling the air with a soft jazzy style of music.
"Look sharp everybody. We have guests!" The housekeeper called out, gesturing to the Doctor who walked up to her with his current companion on one warm and his previous on the other, both smiling at something he'd said as they walked up.
"Good afternoon!" Lu called, using her spare arm to tilt her hat in a polite fashion. She knew it would be odd to see a woman in a suit but there was no way she was wearing a dress. Been there, done that and bought the T-shit after promising never to wear something so constricting ever again. So, to avoid being stared at, she decided to try and act as casual as possible while slipping into a soft southern accent she'd picked up while travelling with Jack. In England at that time, when discrimination was only acceptable behind closed doors where the public couldn't hear, it was a safer option to come from America as they wouldn't question her.
A footman approached them all, prepared to orders for their drinks.
"Drink, sir? Madams?"
"Sidecar, please." Donna ordered.
"Oh, an ice tea would be amazing, thank you darlin'." Luna told him, ignoring the look that the Doctor shot her.
"And a lime and soda for me, thank you." The Doctor added, subtly shaking his head at the behaviour of his best friend. In all the time he'd known her, he learnt that it was better to just leave her be in certain situations. Most of the time, she knew was she was doing but in the rare occasions she didn't, he generally did.
"May I introduce Lady Clemency Eddison." The butler called to the new guests as a small woman walked forward. Both aliens, intent on getting into the party, greeted the older blonde woman like an old friend who they hadn't seen for ages, going slightly over the top.
"Lady Eddison!"
"Ah, My beautiful Lady Eddison. I must say, you're a sight for incredibly sore eyes.". They both took a step forward, taking a hand each before lightly shaking it.
"I'm the Doctor, this is Luna and the lovely lady to my left is Miss Donna Noble… of the Chiswick Nobles." He answered, gesturing to each woman in turn.
"Good afternoon, my lady. Topping day, what? Spiffing! Top hole!" Donna said in a very fake accent which was supposed to sound posh but, to Luna, sounded a little insulting to those who owned one. Mainly, the butler.
"Babe, believe me, you really don't want to do that." She whispered to the other woman.
"We were simply thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady." The Doctor interjected but the woman showed no signs of recognition, like he knew she would.
"I believe we all met at the ambassador's reception ma'am. Sorry for the slack introduction by my friend here. I'm Luna Campbell-Geddes, the daughter of Auckland and Isabella." She amended, a small smirk creeping onto her face. That's when her plan clicked in the Doctor's mind. By passing off as the American ambassador's daughter, the woman couldn't deny knowledge or else she wouldn't be able to get into certain circles. One thing that all people cared about in 1920s, power. Power came with a title. What better than the first baron Geddes.
"Oh Luna, Doctor, Donna, how could I possibly forget you? I apologise but one must be sure of one's identity with the Unicorn on the loose." Lady Eddison covered. Of course, her choice of words sparked an interest in the Doctor.
"A Unicorn? Really? Brilliant! Where?"
"Uh, the Unicorn. The jewel thief? And nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again, snatched Lady Barrington's pearls from right under her nose." The Lady clarified, just as the footman returned to hand the trio their drinks.
"Hm. Funny place to wear pearls." Donna muttered as she took a small sip. Luna, having a mouthful of sweet ice tea, choked slightly from laughing and swallowing at the same time. The Doctor, seeing this, gently rubbed her back while she took a few deep breaths to right herself though the ginger woman noticed that he rested his hand on the small of her back, despite the fact that she was fine and dandy within a few moments. Because of this, she lifted her glass to her mouth once more in order to hide a grin from the pair.
"May I announce the Colonel Hugh Curbishley and the Honourable Roger Curbishley." Greeves called, a young man appeared, pushing an older man in a wheelchair.
"My husband and my son." Lady Eddison said in a way of explanation.
"Please forgive me for not rising. I haven't been the same since the great flu epidemic back in '18". Colonel Curbishley claimed, a certain undertone of pride, as though he was proud to have survived it.
"My word!" Roger exclaimed, looking at Donna and Luna, his eyes dragging down though not in a perverted way… more like a practised manner. "You are a pair of super ladies. How did you ever wind up with such precious compliments on your arm?" he asked the Doctor.
"Hmm, I like the cut of your jib. Chin-Chin."
"Hello, I'm the Doctor." He introduced himself, shaking Roger's hand firmly.
"How do you do?"
"Very well, thanks."
The footman then approached, a silver tray in his hand with a glass on the top, presenting it to the young Curbishley.
"Your usual, sir."
"Ah yes, thank you Davenport." Roger said, giving him a rather suggestive look over the top as he took a deep drink from it. "Just how I like it."
"So how come she's an Eddison, but her husband and their son are Curbishleys?" Donna asked both of her friends, looking at them.
"The Eddison title descends through her. One day, Roger will be a lord."
"Think of it this way honey, If she took his title, there would be no one to continue the name on. Sort of like how it is in your time. Noble would have been your father's name so you took it on." Luna explained, taking a sip of her drink. Donna nodded, sort of seeing the sense of it.
"Miss Robina Redmond." Greeves announced, a beautiful young lady dressed in black and red trailing behind him.
"She's the absolute hit of the social season. A must…" Lady Eddison informed them before rushing over to greet the other woman. "Ah, Miss Redmond."
"Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady." Robina told her, shaking her hand gently.
"Reverend Arnold Golightly."
"Ah, Reverend!" The Lady host called as he approached. She took his hand and guided him over to where everyone else had gathered. "How are you? I heard about what happened at the church last Thursday night, those ruffians breaking in."
"You apprehended them, so I heard." The Colonel interjected.
"As the Christian fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses." Golightly said. "Quite literally in this case."
"Some of these young boys don't half deserve a decent thrashing." Roger claimed.
"I couldn't agree more, sir." Davenport said, exchanging the empty glass in Roger's hand for a fresh drink. The trio couldn't help seeing the small look they gave each other, their fingers lingering slightly before Roger cleared his throat lightly.
"Typical! All of the decent men are on the other bus."
"Or they're Time Lords!" The Doctor added, sounding quite put out. Lu couldn't help but giggle slightly at his behaviour before leaning up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Don't worry Theta… no man will ever compare to you." She whispered, her lips brushing slightly against his ear, causing him to shudder lightly as a grin split his face. 'There she is! My little Loony's back.'
"Now, my lady, what about this special guest you promised us?"
"Here she is." Lady Eddison answered as a woman walked towards them. "A lady who needs no introduction."
Everyone applauded as the woman walked across the lawn, looking highly uncomfortable about being the centre of attention.
"Oh, no. Please don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison, honestly, there's no need." She said before walking over to the Doctor, Donna and Luna, offering her hand to the older woman.
"Agatha Christie."
"What about her?"
"That's me." The woman replied.
"No!" Donna exclaimed. "You're kidding me!"
"Agatha Christie!" The Doctor marvelled, shaking the woman's hand enthusiastically. "I was just talking about you the other day. I said 'I bet she's brilliant'. I'm the Doctor, and that's Donna, and this is Luna. Oh, I love your stuff! What a mind! You fool me every time. Well…almost every time. Well…once or twice. Well…once. But it was a good once.". With a sigh, the youngest woman lifted her hand to clamp over his mouth which caused him to huff slightly.
"I must beg your pardon ma'am. My friend may have a Doctorate but I swear, when his brain disconnects from his mouth, he will babble until he forgets to breathe once more."
"Well, I must say that you make a stunning pair." Agatha told her, smiling which caused blood to rush to her face, staining them a deep red colour that almost matched her hair in its brightness. Again, Donna couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction, noticing the Doctor's cheeks tint a little pink too but he was the first to recover.
"Oh no no no. We're not married…"
"Of course not, neither of you are wearing wedding rings." Agatha replied.
"Ah… you don't miss a trick" he said, impressed while examining his hand.
"And I'd stay that way if I were you." Agatha told them. "The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture."
"Mrs. Christie." Lady Eddison interrupted. "I'm so glad you could come. I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books.". Once she'd finished her praise, she looked at the area behind the famous author, expecting to see her husband but didn't see anybody else there which confused her slightly.
"Uh, is, uh Mr. Christie not joining us?" she asked.
"Is he needed?" Agatha asked. "Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"
"Don't give my wife ideas." Curbishley joked, looking over to his wife.
"Mrs. Christie, I have a question." Roger called. "Why a Belgian detective?"
"Excuse me, Colonel." The Doctor said, taking the paper off his lap.
He moved away from the assembled group, his companions moving to stand with him.
"Belgians make such lovely buns." Agatha replied, making everyone laugh.
"Where on Earth is Professor Peach?" Roger asked. "He would love to meet Mrs. Christie."
"He said that he was going to the library." Golightly said, glancing in the direction of the large house.
"Miss Chandrakala, would you please go and collect the professor?" Lady Eddison asked.
"At once, my lady." The housekeeper replied with curtsey before heading towards the house.
"At once, my lady" Luna mocked, giving Donna a playful curtsey which caused her to chuckle. "I honestly don't know how people can seem to enjoy servitude. That or at least hold their tongues in front of their employer. I couldn't stand it."
"When have you ever been a servant?" Donna asked, confused. Even the Doctor couldn't help but listen in, momentarily ignoring what he wanted to show them.
"On Gideon. We're not some great race… sure, our technology's up to par with other good planets but at its heart? It's all built up on slavery. When I was 100, I was sent off to work for the King, doing everything he needed to be done. It was supposed to teach me my place, according to my parents. All it did was show me that I didn't enjoy being bossed around … and that Theta's visits were what freedom tasted like. Also explains why they sentenced me to death…"
"How?"
"The 1200 year old King came onto me when I was 260 so I dumped a bucket of hot soapy water onto his lap before reminding him that I was still a minor and to keep his hands off. Bad mistake, travelling with Theta. I grew up with free will, something my people didn't encourage. In fact, they strived to get rid of it all together. That's really what caused the rift between my people and his people. Different values. So, when the fool could get me back, he did. " She shared, the dark expression lifting off of her face when she saw that the other alien of the group was holding a newspaper.
"Sorry Theta… What did you want to say?"
"The date on this newspaper." The Doctor said softly, her words still floating around in his head. She'd be a servant? He hadn't even asked her what she did when she came back. He just took her away from a week then dropped her back into a role of servitude with a personality trait everyone hated. He couldn't imagine it, people hating free will.
"What about it?" Donna asked.
"It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared." The Doctor told her.
"This is wicked! Well, not for her but how awesome is this? We're going to know why Agatha Christie went missing!"
"I don't understand." Donna said.
"She just discovered her husband was having an affair." The Doctor explained.
"You'd never think to look at her, smiling away." Donna said.
"Well, she's British and moneyed." The Doctor said. "That's what they do-they carry on. Except for this one time. No one knows exactly what happened-she just vanished."
"Tomorrow, her car is going to be found by the side of a lake. Ten days later, she just pops up in a hotel in Harrogate with no clue on how she got there or about what happened. Afterwards, she never spoke of it until the day she died, creating one of the greatest mysteries of all time!" Luna carried on, finishing the story. When it came to history, she was a brain box.
After living through most of it, like pushing boxes at the Boston tea party, visiting WW1 and meeting the Beatles, she got a thirst for it which was to be expected. During her time on Earth, she spent most of her time reading between training Torchwood recruits and sleeping.
"That means that it's about to happen." Donna said softly.
"Right here, right now." The Doctor agreed, nodding his head.
Both of them turned to watch as Agatha laughed and talked away to all the other guests.
Suddenly, everyone was distracted by the house maid, Miss Chandrakala, running out of the house. She screamed loudly, her arms flailing all over the place as she got closer and closer to the group of upper-class men.
"The professor!" she yelled. "The library! Murder! Murder!"
"So…anyone else getting the Cluedo vibe yet or is it just me?" Lu joked, bumping her companions lightly on the arm with hers.
Please Revie