Again, I do not own Miss Scarlet & The Duke...this is merely fanfiction!
I will post as I write, and as always, reviews motivate me. :)
Chapter Two
On her way to work, she glances at the cobblestone street to take a step. Her eyes graze over her dress and then for a moment, they fixate on the color of her dress, pink. She finds even when she doesn't try, her mind always floats to Duke. She thinks of that night by the fire, wearing her new pink dress.
"You look tired," She told him.
"You look beautiful." William replied.
Now she knows, that was love she saw in his eyes that night. She pats her dress down, realizing she should have worn blue.
She looks up at the sky, the sun peeks through the clouds and bounces off the window. It reflects bright light onto her face.
"You are my sunshine." She hears his voice in her mind as if it was not just written in a letter.
Okay, she needs to wear blue tomorrow and she notes to pray for rain.
It's not that she doesn't enjoy thinking of William, but he cannot be fussing up her brain, leaving her blinded by…what is this exactly? Love? No. See, she cannot be thinking of him. She needs a distraction. She needs a…
"Ah, a case! Wonderful!" She says as she eyes a woman standing near her office door.
"Excuse me ma'am?" Eliza says approaching the door.
"Ah, Miss Scarlet, it has been too long. It is so good to see you." None other than the woman from her first case has arrived.
"Clara? To what do I owe this most marvelous, yet intriguing visit?" Eliza reaches for the doorknob, opens the door, and guides Clara into her office.
"I remember how well you used your abilities to find me, and I was hoping you could once again access those same abilities?" Clara says as she sits in the chair opposite of Eliza.
"You want me to find someone? Who?" Eliza inquires.
"Yes, I want you to investigate a disappearance. Though, it's a bit of a personal affair. The man whom I have been courting, well he has gone missing." She says, looking at her gloved hands.
"Gone missing? Are you sure he is not just away on business? Or.." Eliza begins but is interrupted by Clara.
"I am certain that he would not just leave me if that is what you are insinuating. And, no, he is not away on business. This all has me rather unsettled. I don't know what to make of it. I have checked around at some of the places I know he enjoys, and I have asked his family, though, they only laughed at me and told me to bugger off."
"They laughed at you?" Eliza scoffs. "I assume you are not close with his family? Is there a reason? If you wish to hire me, I will need to know all of the facts."
Clara shakes her head, eyes skimming to the corner of the room,
"His family doesn't like us as a pairing. He is a bit younger than me and they give him a hard time about it. They accuse him of loving me for access to my estate."
"Excuse my forwardness when I ask this, but are you not also concerned about that given your past and Mr. Simm's motives?" Eliza questions boldly. But that's part of who she is, bold. Through and through.
"Felix is different. I swear it. I can trust him Miss Scarlet. I would like to hire you to find him." Clara reaches into her pocket, "I can pay your fee,"
"So we are clear Clara, you will not be paying me to also trust him, you are paying me to find him. Whatever means necessary. Whatever the truth may turn out to be. Yes?" Eliza confirms.
"I understand. Yes, do what you need to do. Just please, find this love of mine." Clara nods agreeing to Eliza's terms.
"Alright, when did you last see him?" Eliza opens her notebook to take notes on the disappearance.
"My, I believe it has been about erm, almost two weeks now. I also reported him as a missing person at Scotland Yard, but I have yet to hear from them."
Eliza rolls her eyes, no surprise there. They have their fair share and more of cases since the expansion and with Duke gone. Oh, not Duke again. No, she cannot teeter on this subject any longer, her mission is to be distracted, and not dwell on Duke. Back to the questions.
"Where did you last see him?" She asks Clara.
"We had just had dinner and he kissed me…" Clara raises her fingers to her lips, remembering the kiss no doubt. Eliza uses every tactic she has to keep her mind on Clara and Felix, and not let her mind drift to her own kiss shared with the man occupying too much space in her mind.
"And..?" Eliza says, eagerly wishing to move on.
"And, he told me he would see me the next day for dinner and that he looked forward to our Wednesday stew." Eliza furrows her brow.
"Wednesday nights are stew night? Noted." She pens the latest details.
"Yes, every Wednesday, we have stew." The woman smiles, very clearly in love. Her expression mesmerizing over the mention of stew. Eliza shakes it off.
"Alright Clara, and where is his place of business? And his address, please?" She states, hoping to finish up this conversation with this very lovesick woman, and get on with the ins and outs of solving this case. Those actions will keep her further distracted, as she so desires.
"He is an Accountant for Amos Smith Law Offices and he resides at the lodging houses at the corner of Cotton Street and Gower."
"We will be in touch, Clara. Thank you for coming to me. I will do everything I can." Eliza shuts her notebook, walks to get her coat and ushers Clara out her door. She follows close behind.
To Eliza's delight, the sun has gone away, hidden behind monstrous clouds. Rain is imminent. Absolute perfection.