Dear Louisa,

Chapter 5 - She's Gone!

In the break room beside the foyer, a book finds itself on Sonya's hand. Her tired face struggles to read. She closes the book and looks out into the distance. What an argument that bastard decided to put on her face, but what a stupid thing she did trying to get her point across. 'Just got carried away,' she thought.

But any account of death only reminded her of her poor father. A clergyman killed in the house of a farmer and not one soul knew who decided to kill him. She knew one thing, though. That someone out there was very eager to bring him down. He wrote criticisms of the church for it's betterment, piles of argumentative essays about what religion ought to be.

She wanted to cry but couldn't. Not a single tear, even when she brought herself to release it.

"Oh, Papa. Why did you go?"

A creak of the door let her know of someone's presence. She shuffled her posture.

"Oh, I didn't know there was someone here," said the unexpected company.

It was a lady, her skin was dark and her eyes, solemn. Her hair was curly and woolly and Sonya found it beautiful. Her dress was a dark rich cobalt blue, and she had a few peacock feathers in a headdress.

"It's alright. I didn't really need to be alone, anyway."

The woman closed the door.

"What a night, I take it you're the infamous lady who, well, alerted us," She said, with utter hesitancy.

Sonya let out a smile and nodded. Then she suddenly remarked with, "You look rather dashing in that blue dress."

"Oh really? Thank you. Oh, but I was rather left out at the party. I guess people like me are, well, rather unpopular. So, you see I went to my room because, again, I felt rather left out, and I saw this strange man on the hall. He had a mask. But that didn't matter, I just decided to go in my room and just wait the thing out a bit. I don't really like parties but this party is something I have to be grateful about. I'm lucky my father was able to find his way into the royal councils. He works very very hard and then I heard your scream! I locked the door and..." the lady pauses as if she realized something and proceeded to say,

"Oh, I'm so so sorry, I am quite the chatty type. It's just that I never really get a chance to talk."

"Don't worry. It's far easier to listen than to read." Sonya said. She stood up, placing the book she had back onto the shelves. "What's your name?"

"Lady Leila Evans, Daughter of Sir Gideon Evans." She smiles, her bright white teeth showing. "Oh wow, It's the first time I've had to introduce myself that way'

Sonya chuckles and says, "I'm Lady Veronica of Freeman Isles. Now, tell me. You said something about going to your room and seeing a strange man, was he  in a suit perhaps?"

Meanwhile, Tom had looked into the scene and traced the murderers possible whereabouts after the crime. Before all this, he had called upon his father to send for a detective and several soldiers to the estate. This was upon the Request of the Count.

A few halls beyond the setting of the crime, he found something shiny on the ground and took it. The shining came from a golden plate-shaped object. There was a hinge on it's right side and a photo of a young Marie Antoinette.

'Is this from a pendant?' Tom asked himself in silence.

With his eyes darting around, the room began to feel a bit more chilling.  He walked back to the scene of the crime to see Arthur sitting on a chair with a pursed lips. To see him like this, a rise of pity came upon Tom.

"I shouldn't have invited him."

"We didn't know a thing, Arthur. Don't beat yourself to it."

Arthur let out a deep sigh with teary wet eyes. Swearing in hushed tones, he stood up.

"I'm going to turn in for the night, now."

"We still have dinner."

"I'm not exactly hungry."

Sharp sounds of running echoed through the hall. A frantic young woman in a white dress with ribbons ran towards the young men. They quickly stand, Tom taking out a short blade. She stopped with heavy breathing.

"No no no no, I'm not being chased. " She heaves a longer breath, and proceeds to say. "Though I'm rather flattered that you dashing men are ready to save me."

"Lady Margaret?"

"Why yes, I'm glad you could remember me." She posed.

An awkward silence ensued, until Margie realized that she had not told them of her predicament. With her shuffling about, a profuse shower of apologies are released from her embarrassment.

Arthur was visibly amused at this, to which she gave him a content look. Though, the expression she bore quickly changes to a face of worry.

"Oh but my predicament is rather something very serious. Louisa is missing!"