As the familiar blue light around her faded, Terry looked around in exasperation.
"Well, this is just great. I hope the Doctor manages to figure out where he left her Majesty or else we're never going to be able to go back there again." She muttered as she strode away from Ten's console and toward the Tardis door.
With one smooth movement, Terry opened the door and stepped out - only to almost knock Donna over when she bumped right into her.
"Oh!" Donna exclaimed as she wobbled on her heels after Terry collided with her. The redhead's hand shot out to grab the Doctor's arm, and she barely managed to steady herself.
"Oh! Sorry, Donna." Terry exclaimed.
Donna waved away the Time Lady's apologies while the Doctor beamed when he saw who had joined him.
"Angel! Just in time for the party." The Doctor gestured toward the bushes behind which the Tardis was currently hidden and from over which they could hear lively music.
"I can see that." Terry observed even as she eyed Donna's flapper dress appreciatively. "You look lovely, Donna."
"Why, thank you, angel. You don't look so bad either." Donna smirked and Terry grinned.
"Why, thank you, Ms. Noble. However, it does seem like I'm a little bit overdressed."
The Time Lady moved behind the Tardis door once more, but not before she added with a mischievous grin, "I'll be right back."
A very short while later, Terry was just short of giggling alongside Donna as the pair and the Doctor waltzed into the garden party that, by the looks of things, was just getting started. An anxious housekeeper was hustling the servants along and the invited guests were starting to appear around the corner of the house. The trio of uninvited guests however reached the party area first - probably because they had parked right inside it. Not that anyone would know that.
'It's all about confidence.' Terry mused to herself at the same time that the Doctor called a loud, friendly greeting.
"Good afternoon."
At once, a smart footman appeared as if from nowhere to meet them. "Drinks, sir? Ma'am?"
"Sidecar, please." Donna answered without missing a beat, drawing a raised brow from the Doctor.
Terry used the moment to chime in, "Gimlet for me, please and thank you."
"And a lime and soda, thank you." The Doctor rounded out their order. The footman bowed before he walked off to fetch their drinks just as the butler announced the arrival of the party's host.
"May I announce Lady Clemency Eddison."
The trio of friends turned to see a rather short and older but still beautiful woman stride into the garden. For a moment, the name and face seemed familiar to Terry; and then the moment passed and she shrugged off the sense of deja vu as the Doctor opened his arms wide toward the woman walking toward them.
"Lady Eddison." The Doctor held out his hand with a warm smile.
The charming hostess shook the Doctor's offered hand at once, but she was unable to quite hide her confusion as she asked, "Forgive me, but who exactly might you be, and what are you doing here?"
Donna's smile faltered slightly, but the two Time Lords were unfazed.
"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor answered like it explained everything before he nodded at his companions. "And this is Miss Terry Storm of the Gallifrey estate, and Miss Donna Noble of the… Chiswick Nobles."
The Doctor trailed off slightly toward the end, making Terry suppress a laugh. She almost failed, however, when Donna piped up in a wonderfully terrible posh accent, "Good afternoon, my lady. Topping day, what? Spiffing. Top hole."
The Doctor glanced at his companion incredulously.
"No, no, no, no, no. No, don't do that. Don't." He muttered under his breath so only Donna could hear, before reaching into his pocket to produce his psychic paper for Lady Eddison. "We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady. We met at the Ambassador's reception."
As soon as she saw the paper, Lady Clemency's guard lowered and she gave them a warmer smile.
"Doctor, how could I forget you? But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose."
Terry paused as the words rang a clearer bell in her mind. She reexamined the classy woman before her even as the Doctor lit up excitedly.
"A unicorn? Brilliant. Where?"
"Uh, the Unicorn." Lady Clemency corrected as she took one of the drinks being offered by the footmen walking about the garden, before she explained for the Doctor, "The jewel thief? Nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose."
The footman from earlier returned as Lady Clemency spoke and offered the trio their drinks. Terry took hers absently as she looked around, slowly realizing where and when exactly she was, just as the butler announced the arrival of his master.
"May I announce Colonel Hugh Curbishley, the Honourable Roger Curbishley."
Terry turned to see, as she'd expected, a handsome, dark-haired young man pushing an elderly and slightly portly man in a wheelchair.
"My husband, and my son." Lady Clemency introduced the trio as Roger brought his father to his mother's side.
"Forgive me for not rising." The colonel apologised as he gave them all a friendly smile. "Never been the same ever since that flu epidemic back in eighteen."
Terry almost snorted. Instead, she hastily shook Roger's hand before she could give herself away.
"Pleasure to meet you." Terry's mind wandered momentarily as she looked at the man in front of her - a man who was destined to die tonight. Unless she could stop it.
"The pleasure is all mine." Roger replied charmingly before he reached over to shake Donna's hand. "My word, you are both super ladies."
"Oh!" Donna giggled delightedly at Roger's flattery while Terry and the Doctor exchanged amused glances. "I like the cut of your jib. Chin, chin."
"Maybe stop her before she embarrasses herself." Terry suggested mentally.
"Yeah, Donna does seem to latch onto the wrong men, doesn't she?" The Doctor agreed before he said aloud, "Hello. I'm the Doctor."
"How do you do?" Roger shook the Doctor's hand politely, although his tone was simultaneously a little bit warmer and cooler than when he'd greeted Terry and Donna.
Terry suspected why as she saw the footman (Dave… Daven… Dave-something…) approached them once more with a drink on his drink.
"Very well." The Doctor was saying to Roger, when the footman cut in smoothly.
"Your usual, sir?"
The footman offered the drink he carried up to the young lord, who was quick to turn to meet the other man and grab the offered glass.
"Ah. Thank you, Davenport. Just how I like it."
Davenport, as Terry now knew his name to be, bit back a smile while Roger's eyes lingered a little too long on the footman. Terry smirked as she watched the brief but heated exchange before she turned her attention back to her own friends as Donna started whispering to the Time Lords.
"How come she's an Eddison, but her husband and son are Curbishleys?"
"The Eddison title descends through her." The Doctor explained in a low undertone. "One day Roger will be a lord."
Donna's brow rose while Terry's eyes moved toward the entry to the garden. She saw a flash of bold red, and she coughed slightly.
"Eyes up - here comes trouble."
The Doctor glanced at Terry curiously before he too looked over as the butler (Terry thought she recalled his name was Greeves?) announced the latest addition to their party.
"Robina Redmond."
The fashionable, dark-haired beauty sacheyed her way into the garden, smiling foxily while Lady Clemency murmured to their small group, "She's the absolute hit of the social scene. A must."
It was at this point that said pretty lady reached them, and Lady Eddison smiled with perfect politeness.
"Miss Redmond."
The beautiful young woman smiled winningly in response as she shook Lady Eddison's hand. "Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady. What super fun."
The second sentence, Miss Redmond addressed to the wider group. But Terry was not the only one distracted as Greeves announced loudly, "Reverend Arnold Golightly."
A fairly young, fair-haired man strode in next. Terry couldn't stop the slight narrowing of her eyes as she observed the apparently genial, middle-aged man. But she kept the polite smile on her face as Lady Eddison, having already guided Miss Redmond toward the refreshments where Roger deftly engaged the lady in pleasant conversation, greeted the reverend.
"Ah, Reverend. How are you? I heard about the church last Thursday night. Those ruffians breaking in."
"You apprehended them, I hear." Her husband added with a note of approval and admiration.
Golightly inclined his head slightly, accepting the unspoken praise, but - as though he felt compelled to add - he said softly, "As the Christian Fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses. Quite literally."
"What is it?"
Terry started just slightly as the Doctor's voice sounded in her head. She looked over, realizing only now he had been watching her while she observed Golightly's interactions with Lady Eddison intently.
"Nothing for the moment." Terry answered mentally. The Doctor made a face; he knew what that meant.
But their attention was drawn away as Roger chimed into his parents' conversation with Golightly with a loud, "Some of these young boys deserve a descent thrashing."
"Couldn't agree more, sir." Davenport was quick to add as he took Roger's empty glass, as if there by mere coincidence. It could almost have been believable… if the two men hadn't exchanged what appeared to be an attempt at a covert, lustful look.
Terry's lips twitched however, especially when Donna, who had by now noticed the two men's strange interactions, muttered crossly, "Typical. All the decent men are on the other bus."
The Doctor paused. "Or Time Lords."
It was almost like a question, one that Donna answered with a cocked brow. Her eyes looked him up and down once as she did, her expression unimpressed the entire time. Her reaction said it all, and Terry was fighting laughter as the Doctor sulked into his glass while Donna turned away, the winner of that silent showdown at the same time that Roger addressed his mother once more.
"Now, my lady. What about this special guest you promised us?"
Immediately, Terry brightened just as Lady Eddison gestured toward the front of the garden.
"Here she is."
Everyone turned in anticipation as a blonde woman around her early thirties entered the garden while Lady Eddison announced, "A lady who needs no introduction."
All the guests applauded the bashful newcomer, who begged, "No, no, please, don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison. Honestly, there's no need."
Terry could feel the Doctor's curiosity bubbling beside her as he glanced from her to the newcomer, but she could only keep her eyes on the approaching blonde. The newcomer was definitely not as striking as Miss Redmond had been; even her dress was a much more sensible and muted blue. But her blue eyes held a cool intelligence that outshone Miss Redmond's calculating gaze and told anyone in her presence that, despite her shyness, this was not a woman to be ignored.
Terry smiled in anticipation as the blonde woman naturally reached them first at the edge of the small garden party and the newcomer stuck out her hand to Donna first.
"Agatha Christie."
At once, the Doctor's mouth fell open and his eyes swiveled over to Terry excitedly. She grinned and nodded while Donna, oblivious to her friends' silent communication behind her, stared at Agatha in confusion.
"What about her?" The redhead asked.
Agatha blinked, also startled. "That's me."
Terry could see the moment the penny dropped as Donna's mouth dropped wide open.
"No!" Donna gasped, glancing at the Doctor and Terry briefly before she looked back at the living legend in front of her. "You're kidding."
Agatha smiled awkwardly, looking confused and a little embarrassed. The Doctor was quick to jump in as he greeted, "Agatha Christie."
He shook the famous author's hand, even as he continued enthusiastically, "I was just talking about you the other day. I said, I bet she's brilliant. I'm the Doctor. This is Terry, Donna. 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."
Agatha seemed slightly taken aback although still flattered, when Terry chimed in, "Don't mind his ramblings, Ms. Christie. He is truly a fan, as am I. It's truly wonderful to meet you."
"And you, Miss Terry." Agatha answered kindly, shaking Terry's hand next. She paused however, and examined Terry's face for just one second longer than was considered polite. "Your eyes are a very interesting colour."
"Yes, the product of an affliction I was born with, I'm afraid." Terry answered without skipping a beat, even as she snuck a glance at the Doctor. It hadn't skipped her notice that the Doctor had failed to say anything about her new eye colour when he first saw her, which meant she would meet a younger him at some point… which, in turn, meant that her eyes weren't going to change back any time soon.
Terry tried not to think about that as she watched the Doctor grin at her fondly, none the wiser about her eyes although the curiosity lingered. She sort of liked it, the innocence in the Doctor's gaze which meant he was too young yet to understand what the change in her eye colour meant. Terry wasn't entirely certain when he figured out the truth about 'Daemon', but she vaguely recalled the Doctor not recognizing her even when he saw Daemon's gold eyes at Journey's End. If she had to guess, it was something he'd only figure out after he regenerated into Eleven.
Shaking off those darker thoughts, Terry added aloud, "But at least life is never boring."
"Yes, I suppose so." Agatha murmured, seeming to slip away into her own world as well for a second at Terry's words.
Terry didn't press her as Lady Eddison cut in smoothly, drawing Agatha's attention once more while the Doctor and his companions watched on from the side.
"Mrs. Christie, I'm so glad you could come. I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books. Er, is, er, Mr. Christie not joining us?"
The hostess glanced around questioningly and Terry saw Agatha's smile falter for just a second before the strong mask was back. With a shrug, the blonde answered instead, "Is he needed? Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"
Colonel Curbishley chuckled. "Don't give my wife ideas."
As the group gathered around Agatha, the Doctor snuck around the outskirts of the group and to the Colonel.
"Excuse me, Colonel." The Doctor murmured as he took the newspaper sitting on the colonel's knee. The colonel himself just waved the Doctor away, goodnaturedly but absent-mindedly as he listened to Agatha talk. Terry watched as the Doctor returned to her and Donna before he opened the newspaper.
"You could have just asked me." Terry observed in their minds just as Roger asked loudly, "I say, where on earth's Professor Peach? He'd love to meet Mrs Christie."
"Said he was going to the library." Golightly piped up helpfully at the same time the Doctor answered Terry telepathically, "I know, but I wanted to see it myself."
"What are you two talking about without me?" Donna whispered, looking at her friends expectantly even as behind them, Terry heard Lady Eddison request of her housekeeper, "Miss Chandrakala, would you go and collect the Professor?"
The housekeeper's response was lost to Terry as the Doctor explained to Donna, "The date on this newspaper."
Donna glanced at the date printed at the top of the newspaper the Doctor held. "What about it?"
"It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared." Terry explained in a low voice.
Donna's eyes shot up, startled, and she turned to stare at where Agatha was currently laughing with the others at something someone had said.
"What?" The redhead gasped.
"She'd just discovered her husband was having an affair." The Doctor explained. Donna shook her head, observing the blonde author currently chatting animatedly with Roger and Lady Eddison.
"You'd never think to look at her, smiling away." Donna murmured, still sounding somewhat shocked.
"Well," the Doctor shrugged. "She's British and moneyed. That's what they do. They carry on."
"Except this one time." Terry chimed in. The Doctor nodded slowly.
"No one knows exactly what happened." He continued to explain to Donna in a low voice. "She just vanished. Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake. Ten days later, Agatha Christie turns up in a hotel in Harrogate. Said she'd lost her memory. She never spoke about the disappearance till the day she died, but whatever it was…"
He trailed off meaningfully and Donna whispered in realization, "It's about to happen."
"Right here, right now." The Doctor agreed, a second before a scream sounded from the mansion.
"Professor!" The housekeeper, Miss Chandrakala, screeched as she ran out of the mansion and toward the garden in absolute terror. "The library! Murder! Murder!"
Donna's jaw dropped while the Doctor's lips pursed. Terry meanwhile looked at her companions.
"Well. Let the games begin."