Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 14:00:29 GMT -5
Laurel sat on the porch swing that hung from the vaulted ceiling of the wrap-around porch of her family's manor house. Her feet were tucked up underneath her in a most unladylike fashion, her boots leaving little black smudges on her white dress, which was already covered in The Professor's black fur. The cat was curled up in Laurel's lap, and Little Brother, the golden Welsh Corgi, lay belly-up on the swing beside the girl and the cat, enjoying the gentle rocking motion of the swing.
Laurel had a book in one hand, the other hand occupied by stroking The Professor's sleek black coat. It was a marvelous spring day outside, and Laurel couldn't have stayed inside even if she'd wanted to. Incidentally, she did not want to stay inside- her mother was in there, striking terror into the hearts of the house staff. Laurel wanted to be as far away from Anne Marie Wayland as it was humanly possible to be.
She would have liked to be out in the country, hunting with her father and five brothers, but they had left before the sun had risen and had failed to rouse her to come with them. She was still bitter.
"It's not fair in the slightest," Laurel had complained huffily to the animals now sitting beside her. "I'm a better hunter than James and Julian." But alas, she'd been left behind anyway, with no one but the animals and her horrible mother to keep her company.
Perched gingerly on the arm of the swing was a glass of red wine, which Laurel had sneaked from the kitchen under the watchful eyes of Hill, the cook. Laurel enjoyed the wine and the weather, as well as a lilting tune coming from inside the house, played on the old grand piano by one of the servants.
Laurel sipped the wine and turned a page of her book, wishing there was someone about to keep her company.
STATUS # COMPLETE FEATURING # LAUREL AND ANYONE ELSE WHO FEELS LIKE JOINING WORD COUNT # A FEW NOTES # SOMEONE JOIN ME! CREDIT # IRONICALLIZE_IT @ CAUTION 2.0
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 14:47:34 GMT -5
Well this is annoying, the man thought to himself, observing his notes. A somewhat frustrated sigh escaped his lips and he shut his notebook, pulling out his pocket watch to look at the time. The horse drawn carriage pulled up alongside the house he had been planning on stopping at and he listened as the hoof-beats of the horses slowed to a stop on the cobblestone road.
Grabbing his hat, Eric climbed out of the carriage before putting it atop his head and brushing himself off. His eyes took in the house before him, including the girl one the porch swing. Slipping his notebook into an inner pocket of his coat, Eric made his way up to the house, the driver of his carriage taking this moment to relax and have a smoke.
"Excuse me, miss?" the young man said, coming up to the porch and slipping off his hat as a sign of respect. She looked too young to be the lady of the house, but that didn't mean she hadn't seen anything unusual. "Detective Eric Calder, he introduced himself, doing his best not to smile. He usually smiled when introducing himself, but this... this was a case he was working on and it was rather gruesome so there was no reason to smile about it. "I was wondering if I could ask you or anyone else here for that matter a few questions about your neighbors..." The dead neighbors. A maid had found them just the day before, dead in their parlor, all of their blood drained. Yeah, just like Eric's first case... but this one, he would solve.
Eric was a young, handsome man of twenty-three years. His hair was brown in color and cut nice and short for the warmer seasons ahead. He was dressed in all black, shiny black shoes, pants... ok, well, his shirt was white, but that was it. He had on a black vest and a black coat over top of that, a silver pocket watch chain hanging from the front pocket. His eyes were a surprisingly piercing shade of blue, standing out against the black of his clothing.
word count: 370ish
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 15:35:34 GMT -5
Laurel, who had not been paying any attention whatsoever to her surroundings, jumped a bit when Detective Eric Calder made his presence known. The Professor was dumped unceremoniously from her lap as she stood, and the Corgi, who couldn't be bothered, simply twitched a fair-furred paw as though waving to the newcomer.
As the Detective introduced himself, Laurel offered a shallow curtsy to show her respect for the gentleman. When she raised her eyes to him once more, she could not help noticing that he was rather more handsome than many of the other gentlemen she had met since becoming "eligible."
"I was wondering if I could ask you or anyone else here for that matter a few questions about your neighbors..."
"What, the dead ones?" Laurel asked rather rudely, interrupting the detective. "I imagine they're rather more interesting now that they are deceased than they ever were in life..." She let her voice trail off, not the least bit embarrassed by her disrespect for the dead. She'd heard people whispering about the tragedy all morning as she'd sat on the porch, although she hadn't necessarily believed it to be true until now. Why would a detective show up if not to make an investigation?
Only then did it occur to Laurel that she'd not made the proper introductions. "Forgive me. I am Miss Laurel Wayland. I know it isn't customary for a young lady to introduce herself to a gentleman, but clearly the cat isn't going to do it, so I find the job was left to me." She offered a small smile. "Now please, ask away," she said by way of an invitation to join her on the swing.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 15:53:16 GMT -5
Eric had to admit, he was rather surprised at the way the girl snapped back at him, but he didn't show this. "Isn't everyone more interested in the dead, miss?" he asked her, cocking a brow. "Would you rather read about the rather boring prime minister of some foreign country or the murder victims whose ghosts still reside in their homes?" He'd rather read about the murder victims for sure.
It took Eric quite a bit of effort not to laugh at what she said about the cat. He was certainly use to witty women. This girl reminded him of his sister a little. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Wayland." He paused for a moment, eying the swing he was offered to join her on, wondering if this was appropriate.
"I was wondering, Miss Wayland if you've seen anything strange around the place lately? I'm sure you might have heard that your neighbors were found almost completely drained of their blood?" He knew how people liked to gossip. He pulled out his notebook, looking to her with his blue eyes. She was rather pretty... but he was here on business damn it. If he was anything like his brother, Aiden, he wouldn't have given a damn about this and probably would have had this girl in bed with him in minutes. Eric just didn't know how Aiden did it. Well, how he use to do it. Aiden had been acting very strangely lately.
"Has there been any new comers lately that you've noticed? Someone you might suspect?"
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 16:11:29 GMT -5
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Wayland."
"And yours," she said, returning to her seat on the swing. The Professor leaped onto the railing of the porch, glaring disapprovingly at Detective Calder. "Shall I send for tea?" Laurel inquired politely before answering the detective's questions.
"I was wondering, Miss Wayland if you've seen anything strange around the place lately? I'm sure you might have heard that your neighbors were found almost completely drained of their blood?"
Laurel raised a hand to her mouth to cover her gasp. "That's appalling!" She exclaimed. "No, I had not heard the rumours. How truly dreadful." Laurel was an empathetic woman, and she was quite shocked at the mere mention of blood, not to mention the idea of bodies being drained of it. "How..." She tried to think of a delicate way to phrase her question, a way that would not betray her true, morbid curiosity. "How is it possible for that to be the case?" She imagined the interior of her neighbor's house must be a dreadful mess.
She noticed then that the detective was looking at her with an odd gleam to his eyes. It was unfamiliar to her, and she would not confess out loud that it gave her a rather enjoyable chill. The piano music wafting out from the windows seemed to grow very far away as she looked at Eric Calder, as she realized just how blue his eyes were, how charming his little sideways grin was. She was brought out of her reverie by the rich voice of her new company.
"Has there been any new comers lately that you've noticed? Someone you might suspect?"
Laurel thought for a moment. "No," she said finally. "I have noticed no one new in the neighborhood. As for suspecting someone," she said with a mischievous little smirk, "Mrs. Next Door did insult my mother's roses last Tuesday. So I'd put Lady Wayland on your list of possible suspects." She winked at the detective.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 16:31:52 GMT -5
Eric watched as Laurel's expression changed. Yes, he agreed, the most gruesome thing he had ever seen or heard of. Even more mysterious though was- "Not even I know that Miss. The victims showed no signs of any cuts, except for puncture wounds in their necks Miss Wayland," he said, looking away from her for a moment and to his notes, reading once again the disturbing words written in his own hand upon the paper. "There was hardly any blood in sight."
He took in her words, looking back up to her and returning her smirk with one of his own as she winked at him. "I wouldn't put it past anyone's mother to murder someone over a bed of roses. I know my own mother probably would." He gave her a charming smile, trying to remember his next question. He was investigating a murder and here he was flirting! His face and neck went a little red and he tried to regain his official composure.
Clearing his throat, he looked back down to his notes, brows knitting together. "How well did you know these neighbors? Did you know them to have any enemies?" He glanced up at her, doing his best to focus.
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 16:54:22 GMT -5
Laurel suppressed a small laugh at the detective's comment about his own mother. They seemed to share a sense of humor, she thought with an inward smile. As he flashed a smile her way, she felt her cheeks flush pink. He was rather charming, wasn't he? She was glad to see that she was not the only one a little flushed by the flirtation.
As he continued to ask questions, Laurel examined her hands and listened patiently. "I did not know them at all," she said in response to his question. "We had never met, save to pass each other on the street when walking in the evenings. They never greeted us, so I can't imagine they were particularly friendly people, but that doesn't necessarily mean they had enemies. None," she said in closing, "that I was aware of, in any case."
Catching the eye of a servant through the window, Laurel signaled that a tea service be brought out at once. A manservant came onto the porch and offered to take Detective Calder's coat and hat for him, all the while shooting reproachful glances toward Laurel as though to say "your mother will have a fit if she learns that you are entertaining a gentleman alone." And perhaps she would, but that thought only brought Laurel savage satisfaction.
"So tell me, Detective," she said conversationally. "Is this the first case of such a gruesome nature to occur, or should I be frightened enough to leave the neighborhood?" She was not being a wit- she genuinely wanted to know if she and her own were in any danger.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 17:09:21 GMT -5
Eric politely handed over his coat and hat, knowing just as well as young Miss Wayland that their being alone together was... not exactly appropriate. But this was important. He wouldn't try anything with this girl... no, no way. Clearing his throat again and trying to rid himself of such thoughts, he looked back to Laurel. He had to admit... it was a rather nice name.... God damn it, focus.
He was eerily silent for a moment after she asked him this question. "No, it is not the first," he answered her, looking out at the street as he did so. "There was a case much like this one a few years back when I first joined the the force. The culprit was never found." He looked a little distant for a moment, a feeling of self resentment filling him as well as a tinge of bitterness. He had been the one to let the murderer get away. "As for you leaving town... I can't be so sure just yet, Miss Wayland. I am sure however that you should take caution."
He honestly could say that he wouldn't want something to happen to this girl. She was pretty and charming, a real catch. "Try to avoid speaking to people you don't know, make sure your doors are locked at night, everything like that." He gave her a serious look, staring right at her.
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 17:31:29 GMT -5
Laurel had meant to say something in response to the detective's warnings, but as soon as his eyes met her own she found that she had temporarily forgotten the entirety of the English language. "I- ah..." was all she could manage at the moment, but she was saved responding by a much worse fate indeed.
"Laurel! What are you doing?"
Anne Marie Wayland had come out onto the porch, mortified by Hill's announcement that Laurel was hosting a gentleman there, alone. "Forgive us, sir," Anne Marie said hastily to Detective Calder. "My daughter is very young and meant no impropriety. My husband is away, but if there is anything with which I may assist you...?" Anne Marie was the very picture of propriety, her hair coiffed perfectly and not a button out of place on her dress. Laurel, on the other hand, had her hair down about her shoulders- scandalous for any girl over the age of eleven, to be sure- and her white dress was covered in black smudges from her boots and blat fur from her cat.
"I was being perfectly ladylike, thank-you-very-much," Laurel muttered darkly, in a very un-ladylike manner. But her mother looked properly embarrassed, so the purpose had been served. "Mister Calder is here to inquire after the neighbors," Laurel explained, switching so quickly from surly child to immaculate young lady that anyone who did not know her might be utterly confused. "It seems something unseemly has gone on in their home."
Anne Marie looked aghast. "Oh my word, what may we do to help your investigation along, sir?" She inquired, her facade of concern invisible to anyone other than her daughter.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 17:51:47 GMT -5
Eric just about jumped out of his skin at the sound of the woman's voice. Face pale, he nervously jumped to his feet, knocking his hat onto the porch but not daring to reach for it. "Please Miss, she caused no problems what so ever," he said to the lady of the house, doing his best to keep this girl out of trouble. "I would have been better of sending for you rather than questioning your daughter out here alone." This was... well, bullshit. He would rather question Laurel over this woman any day. Not that he was attracted to the girl or anything... this was strictly business.
He regained his composure, finally leaning down to pick up his hat, dusting it off. "I was just asking Lau- young Miss Wayland here if she had noticed anything odd around the neighborhood lately and if she knew of anyone that would wish harm toward your neighbors." His face flushed a little and he kept his eyes focused on Mrs. Wayland and away from her daughter. He didn't want her to think anything was going on between them. "If you don't mind me asking Mrs. Wayland, have you noticed anything lately?"
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 18:38:02 GMT -5
Anne Marie Wayland looked the detective up and down before answering. "We don't associate with the neighborhood folk," she said with a sneer, apparently having determined that Eric Calder was not good enough to be standing on her porch. "I will not deprive you of your tea, seeing as my daughter has already offered it," she said haughtily. "But you must understand that she is impressionable and should not be exposed to such gruesome things." With that, the lady of the house turned on her heel and went inside without so much as a "good day, Mr. Calder."
Laurel, who was doing her best to look properly chastised while her mother was present, immediately rolled her eyes as Anne Marie disappeared through the door. "I apologize if I have been too forward," she said sullenly. "And thank you for coming to my defense, but I'm afraid you've now made an enemy of my mother. Woe betide you if you meet her in a dark alley," she teased, her mood brightening somewhat. "Ah," she added as Hill came around the corner with a tea service. "Tea."
Laurel took the tray from Hill and opted to set it up on the small table herself. She prepared two cups of proper English tea, presenting one rather gracefully to the detective. "Look at that," Laurel said with mock surprise. "It can present a cup of tea without hurting anyone." She smiled a real, genuine smile to the gentleman in front of her, and perched once again on the swing.
"So," she said conversationally. "You must meet the most fascinating people in your line of work, Mr. Calder," she said. "Have you ever had to chase a man down?" The thought of something so daring thrilled her.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 20:01:36 GMT -5
Eric couldn't help himself. As soon as the lady of the house took this tone with him, he arched a brow at her, almost in a challenging way. His expression pretty much said it all, that he knew she was being rude and insulting, but it wasn't going to effect him in the least. Her opinion of him didn't matter and it never would. Especially considering that the way she was going, it could one day be her murder he was investigating.
Turning back to Laurel, Eric just gave her another charming smile. "What's one more enemy on my list?" he asked her, smirking somewhat and sitting back down. He accepted the cup of tea, glancing at the door where Mrs. Wayland had disappeared. "She's about as friendly as a cougar, isn't she?" he asked, wondering if he should have said that at all.
Looking back at Laurel, Eric nodded his head. "I meet plenty of fascinating people. Plenty of crazy people as well," he said with a chuckle. "I can't even count how many people I've chased down Miss Wayland. One however did stab me in the hand once," he said, raising his hand to show her the scar on the back of it. "Would your mother consider that gruesome?" he asked with a chuckle. He really did like this Laurel girl. "Pinned it right to a table. Gave the man nearly enough time to get away, but I caught up with him."
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 10, 2011 23:06:47 GMT -5
Laurel gasped again and covered her mouth with a dainty hand as Eric showed her the scar that crossed the back of his hand. "Would your mother consider that gruesome?" He asked with a chuckle. Laurel offered a conspiratorial giggle and nodded. "She most certainly would," she said. "But your hand! However did you chase that man down, injured as you were?"
Without realizing it, she had taken his scarred hand in her own smooth one, and had given it a gentle squeeze. Upon realizing that she was holding onto his hand, she blushed deeply and asked, a little sheepishly, "how long did it take to heal? Was it horribly painful?" Stupid, she thought. Of course it was painful.
She let go of his hand hastily, smiling at him rather embarrassedly, which was unusual for Laurel. She didn't get embarrassed easily. She occupied herself with smoothing out her skirts and sipping her tea. She noticed with some annoyance that her mother had sneakily removed the wine glass. For once, Laurel was grateful for her mother's actions, because she would have be mortified for the detective to see her drinking in the middle of the day.
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Eric Calder
H U M A N
"I'm the hand that'll bring you down, bring you to your knees."
Posts: 34
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Post by Eric Calder on Mar 10, 2011 23:36:12 GMT -5
Eric smiled a little, letting her take his hand. "Had to yank the knife out of my hand and the table," he said, watching her expression. He noticed how soft her hands were and looked back down at his hand in hers. "Certainly it hurt. And if you don't mind me saying, Miss, it hurt like hell."
He watched her as she let go of his hand and smiled charmingly when he saw the look on her face. "I hardly thought about the pain at the time I guess. I was too determined to catch the man. After all, better for it to be my hand than someone's throat." He thought for a moment, trying to remember exactly how long it took to heal. "It did take a while for it to heal completely and for the pain to go away, but I can't be sure exactly how long." Eric had completely forgotten about why he was originally there, so wrapped up in their conversation.
He drank some of his tea, taking his time because he was rather enjoying herself. That and he knew that the longer he stayed there, the more pissed off the Lady of the house would probably be with him. "Life as a detective is rarely boring as far as I'm concerned." His eyes went back to hers, taking in their color. She did have a rather nice set of... eyes. Yes, eyes.
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Laurel Wayland
H U M A N
God on high, hear my prayer. In my need, you have always been there...
Posts: 74
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Post by Laurel Wayland on Mar 11, 2011 12:40:12 GMT -5
Laurel listened with rapt attention as the detective spoke. She had always loved mystery novels, though her mother tried her best to keep Laurel from getting her hands on any, deeming them inappropriate for a young lady. The Professor leaped without warning into Detective Calder's lap, nuzzling underneath his chin and leaving black fur all over Eric's clean white shirt.
"Professor, no!" Laurel chided, scooping the cat up into her arms. She tried to restrain him, but the animal was not to be held. He wormed his way right back into the detective's lap, where the cat curled up and promptly fell asleep, purring gently. "My apologies," Laurel said with an apologetic smile. "The Professor isn't usually so friendly. I'm quite surprised he's taken a liking to you." She realized she'd sounded rude. "Not that you're not worth liking, I mean. You're very charming, but The Professor hates people, you see. Especially menfolk."
Laurel sipped her tea daintily and hoped she had not offended her new companion. "So, Detective," she said, setting her cup down on the little table, "what are your theories about my mysterious neighbors?"
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