Cold November Shame

Blogophilia Week 22.7 Topic: Cold November Shame

Bonus Points:

(Hard, 2 points) incorporate the character Sherlock Holmes in your blog

(Easy, 1 point) incorporate a token of love (i.e., a ring, love letter, etc.)

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Cold November Shame ~ A Murder Mystery by Christine Wichman c. July 2014

London, England  November 29th, 2014

A string of chauffeured luxury cars made their way to One Cornwall Terrace, the most prestigious address in London.  

British Socialite, Lulu Dagger was hosting an elegant dinner party honoring the return of her beloved husband Blade Dagger, who was finally home from his latest assignment as an MI6 agent. It was no coincidence that the Dagger’s palatial estate sat perched between Regent Park and the infamous Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes Museum was actually a front for the top secret M16 Headquarters.

Jensen Bond, Blade’s partner in abating crime was the first to arrive to the party. Her blonde coiffed beehive and stunning black sequin dress made her a stand out as she exited the silver Bentley. 

Lulu stood in the foyer, donning a gorgeous Dior classic chiffon dress. She was a vision in lilac with her long dark tresses cascading around a show of glittery diamonds.

“Jen Darling!” Lulu cheek kissed her long time nemesis and faked a gorgeous flash of a smile.

“Let me take your coat, Dear.” Lulu then passed the faux mink off to a house maid, standing at the ready, and turned to welcome her next guest. 

“Sir Nigel, wonderful Polo match Saturday! Do come in. Blade is in the Library offering port, cigars, and tales from the trenches.”

“Splendid. You are looking well my Darling, very well indeed,” Sir Nigel snuck in a lascivious bum grab with his lingering hug, then made his way down the hall to the Library.

Lulu continued to greet the next six arrivals and then popped into the kitchen for a last check on the catered dinner.

“Chef La Roux, are you sure we have enough canapes circulating? Or shall we serve up some fresh Hors d’oeuvres ?” there was no answer.

“Chef La Roux? Chef?” Lulu suspected the Chef was busy in the pantry, and could not hear her prattling on, so she made her way to the butler’s pantry, where she was shocked to find Chef La Roux and Starling Lark, her personal assistant, in a very compromising position. In lieu of making a scene, Lulu chose to ignore the indiscretion and hurried back to the shiny stainless steel kitchen. Lulu then lifted pot lids and sniffed the simmering sauces. The smells were so delightful, it seemed things were heating up as nicely in the kitchen as they were in the pantry.

“Lulu!?” Margaux Van Morrison, was searching for her best friend. “Lu, where are you? The natives are getting restless!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming…” Lulu raced from the kitchen to join her guests in the receiving room. 

“Brace yourself Lulu, you won’t believe who Ivy Moss dragged in with her tonight?”

“No, don’t tell me…has she actually brought that Irish scoundrel, Upton O’Goode into my house?”

“She most certainly has. Blade is going to have a seizure when he sees him.” 

“She has some nerve,” Lulu vexed her perfect brows. “Well, we shall just kill them with kindness, until they take the hint and leave.”

Lulu and Margaux made a grand entrance into the lavish white and gold room, conversations halted and heads turned to see the pair of lovely women before them.

“Ladies and Gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to have you here at Number One Cornwall Terrace. I promise you it shall be one bang up evening. I invite you now to raise your glasses, in welcoming home my wonderful husband Blade Dagger.” 

Clanking and chatter could be heard as Blade made his own dashing entrance into the room, his movie star good looks and slightly dangerous swagger gave off the slightest air of unrepentant arrogance. 

“Thank you ever so much for showing up. So good to see all of you again, it has been some time, some of you are unrecognizable,” Blade squinted a glance across the room, “In fact now that I look around, I don’t think I actually know half of you lot.” 

Blade turned to Lulu, “Darling, really must you flaunt your current lovers so blatantly.” 

Lulu blushed at her husband’s tasteless joke. “Well you always said you like to keep your enemies close, didn’t you Dear?”

“You Sir, what is your name?” Blade shouted from the otherside of the room. The hired piano player shifted nervously on his bench, and tugged at his bow tie. “Me? I’m Harlen Keyes, just here to entertain.”

“Carry on then.” Blade smiled, raising his glass toward the man, “Do you know ‘Tiny Dancer’?  It’s my wife’s favorite.” 

It was not Lulu’s favorite. In fact Lulu was quite sure that was Jensen’s favorite song and shot her husband a very dirty look.

An hour or so of polite conversation ensued, and then the dinner bell sounded with Lulu instructing all the guests to find their places at the dinning room table. The long fanciful table sat six guests on each side, with Lulu and Blade rounding it out at opposite heads of the table. To Blade’s left, Sir Nigel and to his right, Jensen Bond, who must have switched place cards with Margaux, as she was now sat to Lulu’s right and Upton O’ Goode had squeezed an extra chair in on her left, beside Ivy Moss. The other guests included Lord and Lady Flatbush, record mogul, Hy Toonce and his wife Pandora. The elusive graffiti artist, Bagsy, and the well known bloggo team of Phil and Lia. Lastly, the distinguished actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who ironically portrays the recent Sherlock Holmes on television. 

Blade tapped his knife to his Waterford goblet and made his own announcement. “Two things chaps: One, I hope you are hungry and two, I hope no one here is a bloody vegetarian. Let’s eat shall we?.”

Three tuxedo clad butlers made their way into the dinning room carrying silver covered dishes, with pomp and flourish, they began to serve the guests an array of meats and starches. Ivy’s look of disgust revealed she was the closet vegetarian. 

“Go on just shove it onto my plate then,” Upton whispered to his date. The girl had clearly missed a few meals in her day, as London’s current  “It Girl” and top model, uber slim Ivy sipped at her water and made conversation with Bagsy. 

“So any new sightings I should look out for?” she grinned.

“Nah, I’m taking a break from London, going to Istanbul for a time, plenty of walls to christen there.” 

“Istanbul is lovely isn’t it?” Lady Flatbush added.

“Won’t be for long,” mumbled Blade, as Jensen pressed her knee into his and gave him a secret giggle.

“You are terrible.” Jensen whispered. “He’s famous you know. People adore his Art.”

“Art?” Blade huffed, “He scribbles on walls. I hardly call that Art, Dear.”

“Oh you of so little culture, there is something to his work, I think. It excites me. Gives me a rush to stumble upon it, like a hidden treasure in a lost maze.” Jensen was now gazing at Bagsy with adoration in her eyes. Blade took a swig of his wine and grimaced.

“Marg, keep an eye on that blonde, she seems to have designs on your man now, as well,” Lulu’s voice was hushed but her tone commanding. 

Margeaux glared toward Jensen, no one was going to thwart her plan for pulling the great Bagsy tonight. Bagsy however was setting his sights on a secret flame…Pandora Toonce. The mogul’s wife and he recently shared a clandestine romp backstage at a New Order Concert in Los Angeles. Bagsy was determined to continue the affair. Pandora, however was anxious to keep her marriage afloat and was avoiding all eye contact with Bagsy.

“So Lord Flatbush, when will you and Lady Flatbush be moving into your Castle in the Highlands?” Benedict Cumberbatch was making small talk while cutting his filet.

“Hopefully before Christmas,” mumbled Lord Flatbush through his bushy beard.

“We are in the midst of some renovations at the moment,” Lady Flatbush interupted, eager to explain in great detail the undertakings at the Castle, “We are replacing the moat with an endless river, and adding a water slide to the North tower which will drop right into the Loch.” 

“Oh dear,” Lulu was biting her tongue. The selfish indulgences new money and new titles took with Historic perfection enraged her, but these were her guests, so she was silent, though her expression spoke volumes. Wanting to change the subject she turned to Phil and Lia, “I read in the papers, they will be making your Blog into a book? Tell us when shall we be able to buy it on Amazon?”

Phil had his mouth full of Duck L’Orange, so he gave the floor to Lia. “Oh yes, it’s so exciting. Who thought a little old blog about us, would soon be the buzz of literary circles. It’s mostly a he said, she said expose on modern coupling. Much like the blog has been.” 

“Sounds delightful,” Lulu rested her chin in her hands and feigned complete attention. 

“What a lovely ring,” Lia was distracted by all the tiny diamonds flashing at her while she spoke.

“Oh yes, this is Blade’s mother’s engagement ring, given to her by Prince Thespian of Astalot. He was her first true love. Sadly he was trampled to death by a herd of escaping Elephants. 

“In India?” Lia was aghast.

“No, no, Ringling Brothers, sad, sad story…but I do love this ring,” Lulu admired it lovingly as she watched the stones catch the overhead lights and sparkle about the room. 

“Nothing like a great token of love, it somehow keeps their story alive doesn’t it?” Lia was now noting to herself to include Phil’s first gift of a sand dollar, as the cover image for their book. 

As the Dinner conversation began to take off, there was a flickering of lights and soon a temporary black out. With the heavy drapes closed, and a wall of mirrors in the Dinning Hall, it was indeed pitch black.

The guests were all a twitter, and Lulu called down the table to her husband. “Blade could you check in with Mr.Howling please and see if this can be remedied.”

“Yes Dear, right away Dear, ” Blade sarcastically excused himself from the table, secretly pulling Jensen along with him in the dark.

Others could be heard rumbling and shifting about, as well. Lulu announced “Please remain calm, I am sure we shall have the lights back on shortly.” 

A good amount of time passed, and there was no sign of Blade returning, so Lulu excused herself from the awkwardly silent guests, to investigate. Within moments there came a blood curdling scream from the Library. Soon after, the entire dinner party stood mortified over the freshly discovered dead body. 

Sherlock Holmes, or rather, Benedict Cumberbatch spoke up, “Well, well, this certainly is a Cold November Shame, someone ring the Police. No one leaves this house until the Inspector arrives.”  

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FELLOW BLOGOPHILIANS AND CREATIVE FREINDS: I challenge any writer who reads this blog to solve the mystery! Don’t worry I have no idea how this ends, so your imagination is not limited to a correct answer, just a creative speculation!

In the comments below write down your own theory as to;

Who was killed? 

Who did it? 

What was the motive? 

What was the Murder Weapon?

The most creative and entertaining theory, that matches up with the story wins a virtual Margarita on me 😉

TO SEE THE LIST OF SUSPECTS AND A POSSIBLE VICTIM GO TO THIS LINK: