Thread: The Butcher's Bill (Prince x LeatrixSage)

The lace curtain shivered in Elisa's hand, clenched in a death grip between white-knuckled fingers. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking. On the street below a small crowd was gathering. A few would trickle passed when their gawking reached the point of rudeness. Others simply stood on the other side of the street and stared. A man in a bowler hat stood among them, wearing a monocle unlike anything she had seen before. It's red glow was disturbing. Who is he? Maddie whispered, her eyes and nose still red from crying. I don't know, Elisa answered her quietly, and then turned away from the window when his focus seemed to linger on the glass a little too long. Go sit in the kitchen, have some more tea. Elisa gently turned Maddie out of the room and pushed her down the hall. When she seemed to be moving under her own will Elisa changed course and headed for the parlor. Her heart pounded against her ribs and a deep ache began to grow in her chest. Her eyes stung and she blinked the tears again. 'I will not cry,' she swore silently. Guilt was choking her. She should have known something was wrong. How couldn't she have known something had happened to Claudia? They were the same... 'I should have known.' An unfamiliar voice broke her thoughts, and Elisa froze. She had nearly crossed the open parlor doors. Taking a deep breath, she took a couple of steps back, and then leaned back against the wall to listen. She wanted to know what exactly had happened to her friend. 'No, sister...' she thought. She wanted to know what had happened to her sister. They didn't share blood, but they had shared a secret unlike any other. They could hear the leylines sing. Taste them, feel them vibrating in their blood when they crossed into one. There was always that constant temptation to reach out with her mind and fold the energy into herself. She felt whole then. Claudia had understood. She had shared the same longing and fear Elisa had lived. Of course, Claudia's parent's hadn't tried to kill her... they had just gotten rid of her. A flash of memory floated in her mind's eye, but Elisa killed it before it could take root. She would not think of such things. Not now. What had happened to Claudia was sad enough without old ghosts tormenting her. Miss Cromley, thank you.. is Elisa here? I would appreciate the chance to speak with her, my dear kind woman. She froze for a moment, frantic, and then hurried as quickly and quietly as she could into the music room. Miss Cromely was a sweet woman, but she hated eavesdropping. She hated all rudeness, really. Soon enough, the spinster woman click-clacked her way into the hall, calling Elisa's name. I'm here, she answered a moment or two before poking her head into the hall. What is it, Miss Cromely? she tried to keep her voice even, praying that any oddness would be taken simply as grief affecting her. There is, she hesitated a moment, wrung her hands, and then went on, a gentleman here, Lord Colton, that would like to speak to you. To me, Elisa swallowed as she thought of the Viscountess's threats. If that vulture knew... Why me? Elisa, dear... Cromley took one of her hands and patted it gently. You know, you were the last to see Claudia, and you know her better than anyone else. You may know something that would help them catch whoever... whoever... The strain on the older woman's nerves was too much for Elisa, and her resolve to avoid the man crumbled. Of course. Go take some tea. Of course, dear, she nodded, looking around as if lost before offering Elisa a small smile, and then moving off to follow the younger woman's advice. While Miss Cromley seemed frayed, but calm, Elisa was frantic. She couldn't explain away the night before, although there was no one to place them at the theater. No one there had known them, so why should he ever know if she lied? Two women of no title or merit are sure to go unnoticed almost anywhere they were to go. Elisa made herself take a deep breath, and then blow it out quickly. Her shoulders relaxed and the tension left her body. No fear, Elisa,' she told herself sternly. Her high-heeled boots clacked over the wooden floor and the thread-bare satin of her skirts seemed to swish too loudly as she walked. She had doffed her short coat shortly after getting home, and now simply wore a cream colored blouse that buttoned up to her throat. A small brooch was pinned in place at the hollow of her throat. Her striking red and copper hair was piled into a tight coffer, not a stray strand to betray her. A picture of propriety, as was demanded by her place in a Dowager Viscountess's house. She clung to the image, and relaxed further. 'I have nothing to hide.' Lord Colton, she announced herself as she stepped into the parlor, dipping a short curtsy before coming further into the room. Miss Cromley says you have a need to speak to me? As she found herself looking into one grey eye and one red monocle, she felt a crack from in her confidence. That thing made her uneasy... 'why?' Her own eyes, the same hunter green as her skirts, shifted to the tea placement, and then she sat down and began to pour them each a glass. The motions were familiar and calming, they settled her nerves. How may I help you, My Lord?