London - All day Saturday
Jan. 9th, 2021 08:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
notfinishedyetWhile Enola was missing out on the first weirdness of Fandom, she was definitely having her own kind of experience. Which was trying to get to London without attracting attention.
There was of course a change of outfits on the train. Enola had once used the guise of the Widow Posey before and while she was able to get away with it in Basilwether, using the same outfit in London was not a chance she wanted to take.
Instead she spent the time in her private car changing into a dowdy grey dress, a formidable hat along with a grey woolen cloak and a dainty little muff. Hence the Widow Posey identity was removed to reveal her new identity: The shy Mrs. Ragostin, young bride to Dr. Ragostin.
Getting a cab at the train posed no issue, nor was it a problem to make her way through London though she did get several looks. Walking around Fandom would have never got a second look but here in London there were several top-hatted gentlemen who clearly disapproved.
Ignoring them, Enola made her way to a rather fashionable street and to the Alistair residence. The help tried to dissuade "Mrs. Ragostin" away as Lady Alistair was not receiving visitors, but Enola's calling card as well as her fictional husband's business card was enough to convince Lady Theodora to grant an audience.
As Lady Theodora was dressed for receiving anyone, Enola met her in the boudoir instead of the morning-room. Lady Theodora was quite distraught and when Enola entered the room whatever makeup the lady had put on was washed away from her tears and her desperation was readily apparent.
And also very young. Navigating the social graces through tea and gossip, Enola learned that Theodora was Sir Eustace's hird wife and he was considerably older than her. In fact Lady Theodora was not much older than the missing Lady Cecily who was a daughter from her husband's first marriage.
By the end of their tea, Enola had not only gained Lady Theodora's good graces, they were now co-conspirators against their respective (and in one case fictional) husbands. Knees almost touching and clinging to each other's hands, Enola made her move. "I wonder if I might be able to see Lady Cecily's room. Perhaps I might notice something that the police detectives might have overlooked."
"I don't see how," Theodora said shaking her head. "I gave them everything they asked for."
Enola blinked. "So they did not actually go into her room?" Enola asked carefully.
Apparently no one had even thought to grant the detectives access to the rooms as it would have been a breach of decorum.
With a bit more tea and marmalade tarts, it wasn't hard to convice the child bride and have access granted to Lady Cecily's bedchamber.
Lady Cecily's personal maid escorted Enola to her room which at first glance appeared to be of sweetness itself. However further inspection showed otherwise. Expensive china and porcelain dolls stood neglected. The typical "handicrafts" of a young lady were hardly worth looking at. Framed pastels looked like blobs as did the so-called "flowers" made of coloured wax.
A review of the room and questioning of the maid revealed that Lady Cecily had been garbed for slumber and her bed was most definitely slept in. Nothing else in the room had been found missing. A review of the set up of the room showed that the back window had been opened to let in the night air while the rest of the house windows and doors had been locked tight for the night. The ladder that had been found by the detectives had been used on the back window. Some letters had been handed over to Scotland Yard but further questioning revealed that the letters had not come though the post but had been hand delivered. An investigation of the desk found the typical things an aristocratic girl would have... until Enola found a hidden stack of journals in the back of a drawer.
And for some reason the entries were all written backward. And required a mirror to read them properly. Interesting enough, the most recent entries were not of a girl set on running off with an unknown man. Indeed they were more concerned with the suffereing of the world. About children without proper clothing and parents without enough money to feed them.
Hardly the writings of a girl set to run off with an unknown man. Enola also found some additional letters that her mother did not hand over. With handwriting that was very different. However the letters were to a
Putting the journals aside to peruse later, Enola noticed one more thing in the drawer of Lady Cecily's art stand. While it contained most of the art supplies you might expect, most of them were untouched. However the sticks of charcoal were practically gone and what was left were stubs. Looking about the room and on the easel all of the work there was clumsy and in pastels.
This started a more thorough search of the room aided by the reluctant chamber maid. Eventually charcoal drawings were found hidden behind both the dresser and the wardrobe. Large drawings of scrawny children playing in the gutter with a dead fish. Hatless women standing under a street lamp to sew. A barefoot boy kneeling on the cobbles to shine a gentleman's shoes. And many many more.
Compared to the pastels, the charcoal drawings were neatly done and accurate. All of the people were depicted boldly and with unblinking honesty that they could not be possibly done from imagination. Enola thought back to her short time at Mrs. Harrison's finishing school. It was there that Mrs. Harrison had outlined in no uncertain terms what a lady should use as a subject for their art.
Based on these drawings it was readily apparent that the subject choices here were unladylike and in some cases disturbing.
Enola had seen many people like this when she had first escaped to London. The question was, how did Lady Cecily know them? A girl born to life of leisure and a baronet would have never been exposed to that side of London.
Carefully rolling up the drawings and taking the books in tow, Enola returned to the boudoir of Lady Theodora, making promises to share her discoveries with Enola's fictional husband and promises to keep the contents of the journals to herself and with complete discretion.
Lady Theodora was more than grateful and compliant. In fact when Enola took her leave, Lady Theodora embraced her and kissed her on the cheek in gratitude.
The footman hailed her a cab and Enola spent the ride to her scheduled portal feeling like a fraud. While her motive to find the missing girl was honest, the complete hoax she perpetuated to gain information and raise the hopes of a mother who was possibly a few years older than her weighed heavily on her mind.
Looking at the rolled up drawings and journals she had taken, Enola wondered if she were up to the task. Finding a nincompoop like Tewksbury was one thing. He practically published his motives and destination.
Finding Lady Cecily was going to be an entirely different matter. If she was even still alive.
[OOC: NFB & NFI. Text modified from The Case of the Left Handed Lady]
There was of course a change of outfits on the train. Enola had once used the guise of the Widow Posey before and while she was able to get away with it in Basilwether, using the same outfit in London was not a chance she wanted to take.
Instead she spent the time in her private car changing into a dowdy grey dress, a formidable hat along with a grey woolen cloak and a dainty little muff. Hence the Widow Posey identity was removed to reveal her new identity: The shy Mrs. Ragostin, young bride to Dr. Ragostin.
Getting a cab at the train posed no issue, nor was it a problem to make her way through London though she did get several looks. Walking around Fandom would have never got a second look but here in London there were several top-hatted gentlemen who clearly disapproved.
Ignoring them, Enola made her way to a rather fashionable street and to the Alistair residence. The help tried to dissuade "Mrs. Ragostin" away as Lady Alistair was not receiving visitors, but Enola's calling card as well as her fictional husband's business card was enough to convince Lady Theodora to grant an audience.
As Lady Theodora was dressed for receiving anyone, Enola met her in the boudoir instead of the morning-room. Lady Theodora was quite distraught and when Enola entered the room whatever makeup the lady had put on was washed away from her tears and her desperation was readily apparent.
And also very young. Navigating the social graces through tea and gossip, Enola learned that Theodora was Sir Eustace's hird wife and he was considerably older than her. In fact Lady Theodora was not much older than the missing Lady Cecily who was a daughter from her husband's first marriage.
By the end of their tea, Enola had not only gained Lady Theodora's good graces, they were now co-conspirators against their respective (and in one case fictional) husbands. Knees almost touching and clinging to each other's hands, Enola made her move. "I wonder if I might be able to see Lady Cecily's room. Perhaps I might notice something that the police detectives might have overlooked."
"I don't see how," Theodora said shaking her head. "I gave them everything they asked for."
Enola blinked. "So they did not actually go into her room?" Enola asked carefully.
Apparently no one had even thought to grant the detectives access to the rooms as it would have been a breach of decorum.
With a bit more tea and marmalade tarts, it wasn't hard to convice the child bride and have access granted to Lady Cecily's bedchamber.
Lady Cecily's personal maid escorted Enola to her room which at first glance appeared to be of sweetness itself. However further inspection showed otherwise. Expensive china and porcelain dolls stood neglected. The typical "handicrafts" of a young lady were hardly worth looking at. Framed pastels looked like blobs as did the so-called "flowers" made of coloured wax.
A review of the room and questioning of the maid revealed that Lady Cecily had been garbed for slumber and her bed was most definitely slept in. Nothing else in the room had been found missing. A review of the set up of the room showed that the back window had been opened to let in the night air while the rest of the house windows and doors had been locked tight for the night. The ladder that had been found by the detectives had been used on the back window. Some letters had been handed over to Scotland Yard but further questioning revealed that the letters had not come though the post but had been hand delivered. An investigation of the desk found the typical things an aristocratic girl would have... until Enola found a hidden stack of journals in the back of a drawer.
And for some reason the entries were all written backward. And required a mirror to read them properly. Interesting enough, the most recent entries were not of a girl set on running off with an unknown man. Indeed they were more concerned with the suffereing of the world. About children without proper clothing and parents without enough money to feed them.
Hardly the writings of a girl set to run off with an unknown man. Enola also found some additional letters that her mother did not hand over. With handwriting that was very different. However the letters were to a
Putting the journals aside to peruse later, Enola noticed one more thing in the drawer of Lady Cecily's art stand. While it contained most of the art supplies you might expect, most of them were untouched. However the sticks of charcoal were practically gone and what was left were stubs. Looking about the room and on the easel all of the work there was clumsy and in pastels.
This started a more thorough search of the room aided by the reluctant chamber maid. Eventually charcoal drawings were found hidden behind both the dresser and the wardrobe. Large drawings of scrawny children playing in the gutter with a dead fish. Hatless women standing under a street lamp to sew. A barefoot boy kneeling on the cobbles to shine a gentleman's shoes. And many many more.
Compared to the pastels, the charcoal drawings were neatly done and accurate. All of the people were depicted boldly and with unblinking honesty that they could not be possibly done from imagination. Enola thought back to her short time at Mrs. Harrison's finishing school. It was there that Mrs. Harrison had outlined in no uncertain terms what a lady should use as a subject for their art.
Based on these drawings it was readily apparent that the subject choices here were unladylike and in some cases disturbing.
Enola had seen many people like this when she had first escaped to London. The question was, how did Lady Cecily know them? A girl born to life of leisure and a baronet would have never been exposed to that side of London.
Carefully rolling up the drawings and taking the books in tow, Enola returned to the boudoir of Lady Theodora, making promises to share her discoveries with Enola's fictional husband and promises to keep the contents of the journals to herself and with complete discretion.
Lady Theodora was more than grateful and compliant. In fact when Enola took her leave, Lady Theodora embraced her and kissed her on the cheek in gratitude.
The footman hailed her a cab and Enola spent the ride to her scheduled portal feeling like a fraud. While her motive to find the missing girl was honest, the complete hoax she perpetuated to gain information and raise the hopes of a mother who was possibly a few years older than her weighed heavily on her mind.
Looking at the rolled up drawings and journals she had taken, Enola wondered if she were up to the task. Finding a nincompoop like Tewksbury was one thing. He practically published his motives and destination.
Finding Lady Cecily was going to be an entirely different matter. If she was even still alive.
[OOC: NFB & NFI. Text modified from The Case of the Left Handed Lady]
