The hackney carriage rambled on, traversing the congested city roads, a serious discussion taking place within.

“Who found the body?” Jongdae questioned Sehun.

“Two men who ply the river, looking for corpses.” Sehun answered.

Minseok wondered if the two men Sehun was referring to would turn out to be Taemin and Minho, Jongin’s brothers. Minseok had met them when he was on the run, they had given him shelter in his time of need.

“Is there anyone that can positively identify her?” Jongdae followed up. It would matter little if the body was found if there was no way to confirm her identity one way or another.

“Victoria’s brother is in town, newly arrived, however we have not been able to locate him.” Sehun explained. Minseok watched as Sehun, a serious expression on his face, described the events surrounding the discovery of the deceased woman. Minseok was amazed at how mature Sehun sounded, how much he had grown up in just a short amount of time. It was mind boggling.

Minseok’s attention was momentarily diverted from Sehun to Luhan when he felt his husband’s hand find his own, gently squeezing. Minseok realized Luhan was likely feeling overwhelmed. It would be his first time helping with an investigation – at least one that was not focused on Minseok himself.

Minseok squeezed Luhan’s hand back, hoping that the gesture offered a bit of comfort amid the chaos.

***

The Wayside Exhibition was held in an ornately decorated building constructed expressly for the exhibition. The building was a mixture of large glass panels interspersed with oriental themed architecture – the size of the structure was enormous, a place meant to indicate that to the world that the exhibition was of great import – that this exhibition, this country was at the forefront of all that was cutting edge in the world.

Junmyeon found the architecture impressive, he couldn’t help but stare up at the ceiling as he walked through the cavernous place, leading to more than one incident where he almost collided with someone.

“Watch where you are going.” Changmin pulled Junmyeon to his side, putting an arm around his shoulders “Or I dare say you will never make it out of here alive.”

The exhibition was swarming with people, proving the public’s fascination with the latest in technology. Small booths lined the walls, with larger exhibitions held in one of the long halls that jutted off from the main thoroughfare. Trees and statues were part of the décor, as if to indicate this building was in fact a great achievement of man – giving the place scale.

“Sorry.” Junmyeon decided it was best to focus on watching where he was going. His Father had ducked into a lecture on the fascinating topic of road structure, specifically how to make a road more level and last longer. Junmyeon and Changmin had mutually decided the topic was not for them, leaving the Earl to eagerly listen to the hour long presentation.

“Junmyeon, old boy, what have you been up to of late? I feel as though for the last few hours we have conversed but not really caught up at all.” Changmin asked, his eyes flitting about the place as he took in the wide range of sights of the exhibition.

“I have been learning the family business, largely.” Junmyeon thought about the long hours he spent with his father, The Earl, learning how best to manage the estate and the investments of the family.

“Ah, yes. The business. Quite important thing, that.” Changmin laughed “And to think, I have to actually learn a business.”

Junmyeon wasn’t quite sure what to make of Changmin’s words, because to Junmyeon managing an estate was a business. There was income and expenses and a lot of decisions to be made. Sure, he wasn’t worrying about a large shipping fleet or exporting and importing of goods – how treaties effected shipments or how to make the most money with the smallest effort – but he was very much invested in how his family fortune faired. Before Junmyeon could suggest to Changmin that he also was managing a very real business, the older man yanked his arm, leading him to a booth.

“Will you look at that, old boy?!” Changmin marveled. The booth was medium sized and held a bevy of what appeared to be agricultural equipment. A man was in the booth, currently offering a lecture to a small crowd of people.

“Yes, the important thing to remember is crop rotation…” The man started explaining one of the mechanisms, Changmin hanging on his words.

“It is amazing to think what the modern farmer can do, how much he can achieve on only his little plot of land. No longer beholden to the master of the estate.” Changmin whispered, not wanting to interrupt the speaker.

“Yes, I suppose that is rather amazing.” Junmyeon stared at the speaker, feeling as though he had perhaps seen the man before, but he couldn’t place him. He was certainly unique looking, with a rather handsome side profile and an animated way of speaking that was reflected in his dark brown eyes. Where had he seen him before?

“Sorry to interrupt, but what is the point of all of this equipment if you are only going to be using it to fill the coffers of those who already are wealthy beyond imagination? Certainly a simple farmer could not afford such marvels.”

The small crowd turned to look at who had spoken. He was a tall man, blonde, with a posture that spoke of good breeding. His expression showed disdain, though Junmyeon wondered if he was someone who might always look like that, whether he meant to or not.

The speaker in the booth looked flustered, blushing slightly he answered “Sir, the equipment and methods I am speaking of are affordable to the average farmer, tenant or not. I sir, am descended from tenant farmers. I designed such marvels to be of benefit to the masters of the estates as well as those who own their own tracts of land.”

“Is that so?” The tall man cocked his head to the side. “Yet you yourself are an estate manager, no?”

The speaker flushed again. “Yes, sir I am. And rather proud of it. I have been working on the D’Adderleigh estate for many years now.”

Junmyeon knew where he had seen him now – of course, it was Yixing, the D’Adderleigh estate manager. He hadn’t seen the man in years, not since they were young. Since they were rambling about with Minseok and Jongdae on the D’Adderleigh estate, making good use of their youth by playing about the large acreage.

“D’Adderleigh?” The tall man seemed to recognize the name. Junmyeon noticed he spoke with a slight accent. Was he French? “Pray, is D’Adderleigh currently in town?”

“I am not sure why you ask, sir. If you need to see him I can relay a message.” Yixing answered curtly, his annoyance starting to show.

“Yes, Please.” The tall man smiled “Tell him the Comte Labeaux – no, tell him Kris would like to see him at his earliest convenience. He shall know where to find me.”

With that the tall man turned and left, Yixing quickly recovering and launching back into his speech. Junmyeon watched the man go, curious how he knew Minseok. As the man passed by Changmin, he nodded slightly, Changmin returning the gesture. Did he know Changmin as well?

***

They arrived at an old building near the East End, a building that still bore the early timber frame façade that marked the place as having been constructed prior to the great fire.

“They brought the body here.” Sehun explained as he took the lead, pushing open the door and holding it open for the other men to pass. The building reeked heavily of smoke and some other, unidentifiable smell.

“It was used for tanning, I dare say.” Jongdae remarked, having understood the wretched smell as soon as he set foot in the place. Sehun guided them a door, opening it he announced their arrival.

Minseok looked behind him, noting that Luhan looked pale. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.” Seeing a deceased person, likely bloated and decaying from their time in the river, was surely not going to be a pleasant sight.

“I am alright.” Luhan assured his husband, offering a weak smile. He wasn’t so sure that was true once he was inside the room.

The woman was lying on a table, her body was indeed bloated from her time in the river. She was dressed in what appeared to be a white dressing gown, or underclothes. Rigor mortis had set in, her posture alien and inhuman in appearance, her hands clutched tightly as though she was holding on to something.

A man, whom Jongdae greeted warmly, leading Luhan to believe he must work for the Home Office, explained “Two men found her this morning. There aren’t any signs of injury, appears she drowned.”

Jongdae neared the body, inspecting the woman’s arms, her face, her neck. “Do we have a positive identification?”

“No, sir. Though this was found in her hands. A rather odd thing, if you ask me.” The man produced a small crimson colored feather.

“A feather?” Jongdae took the object, turning it around under the light cast through the small windows of the room. “I wonder if it means anything.”

Luhan found his attention focused on Jongdae, so much so he didn’t notice that his husband suddenly looked pale, very pale. Luhan never did notice the fact, it was Sehun who pointed it out.

“D’Adderleigh, is something the matter? You look ill.” Sehun’s words drew everyone’s attention away from the curious feather and to Minseok.

“I…I think I know who she is.” Minseok could barely get his words out. Because he never thought he would see her ever again.

“Who?” Luhan asked, Jongdae echoing the question.

“She is Victoria’s maid. I – I” Minseok swallowed “Made her acquaintance in Normandy.”

“Her maid?” Jongdae looked back at the body “This does not bode well for Victoria. I wonder if her maid had disappeared with her.” Jongdae had been markedly frustrated at how quiet Victoria’s servants were being on the matter, not giving the Home Office any more information than was absolutely necessary. The bare minimum was what they had to go off of.

Minseok noticed that Luhan was staring at him, a questioning look in his eyes. He noticed but he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact he noticed. No, he wasn’t ready to explain himself. Not yet.

“I dare say our first point of business is gathering more information from Victoria’s staff. Luhan, Minseok, can I entrust you to the task?” Jongdae asked, Minseok blinking hard once then twice, trying to will his mind to the present.

“Yes, we will visit her residence.” Minseok answered, his tone flat. Luhan was still staring, questioning.

“Very good. Sehun, please follow me back to the office. We need to see what we can do with this feather, if there is anything to do with it at all.”

Sehun nodded vigorously, showing once again his overeager attitude to please.

***

“How did you meet her?” Luhan asked once they were alone, sitting in a carriage on their way to Victoria’s townhouse.

Minseok knew that the questions would start coming fast and furious, he had tried in the short amount of time he had to brace himself for Luhan’s query. “When I was newly arrived in Normandy I made the acquaintance of Kyuhyun. Victoria was with him.”

“And how does that end with you meeting Victoria’s maid?” Luhan was curious, very curious. His curiosity was particularly increased by the way Minseok had reacted to seeing the woman. He didn’t just recognize her, he knew her.

“Are you suspicious of me, Luhan?” Minseok blurted out. He wished he could take his words back when Luhan visibly flinched, turning his gaze to the carriage windows.

“No, Minseok, I am not suspicious. I am curious.” Luhan answered curtly.

“I am sorry, forgive me.” Minseok sighed “I was at Victoria’s home one evening for a soiree. The maid was there, that is how I met her.”

“What is her name?” Luhan asked, his tone still cold, clearly Minseok’s words had struck a deep chord within.

“Angelique, I think.” Minseok wasn’t quite sure that was her name. The French were like the English – they tended to decide their servant’s names on a whim. An Elizabeth became an Abigail because her mistress told her so, a William a James and so on. It was the life of the serving class.

“How…very French.” Luhan murmured.

They reached Victoria’s townhome in a little under an hour. The three story home was in a nice neighborhood, though far from the top of the top in terms of location in the city. Modest even, if compared to some of the homes of high society.

Minseok and Luhan alighted the carriage, Luhan paying the driver and reaching in his coat pocket for his calling card. Minseok did the same. They approached the front door, up five stone steps, Minseok knocking loudly on the door.

It was less than a minute before a butler pulled the door open. The man, elderly with a wizened look about him, eyed Minseok and Luhan suspiciously. “May I help you, sirs?”

“Yes. We are here on business for the Home Office. I am wondering if we may step inside.” Minseok answered confidently. The butler eyed the two calling cards that were being held out to him, then looked up to the two young men.

“I am sorry, sirs, you may not come inside. The family is not at home.” The butler made a move to close the door, Minseok moving to use his foot as a barrier, not letting the butler shut them out.

“I am well aware that your mistress is not home, which is why we are here. We have important news, if you care to allow us entry.” Minseok said quickly, hoping he would pique the butler’s interest.

“What news, sir?” The old man asked, Minseok happy his plan had worked.

“I shan’t tell you unless you let me in.” Minseok answered, smiling.

“Well that is rather unfortunate, sir, as I will not be letting you in.” The butler ignored the fact that Minseok’s foot was in the doorway, shutting the heavy wood hard, Minseok only pulling his foot away with seconds to spare before he would likely have been crippled.

“Well that most certainly did not go well.” Luhan stared up at the townhouse, considering if they could break in at a later time, Minseok doing the same. The two men were too busy studying the front of the home, the location of the windows, to notice a carriage pull up behind them, the occupant alighting.

“What a pleasant surprise.” A voice drawled from behind.

Minseok and Luhan jumped, turning around they found themselves face to face with a tall man, a cane in his hand, a smirk on his face.

“To think I thought it might be rather difficult to find you, D’Adderleigh. It was so very kind of you to come to my home yourself.” The man smiled, suddenly raising his cane he wrenched his arm back, ready to swing.

Minseok barely avoided the cane as it came crashing down, the man intending to strike him.

---------------------------------

a/n- And Kris has arrived! I wonder how Minseok knew the maid, and why Kris is angry? Hm..

Thanks as always for the kind comments, the upvotes, and the subs. I really appreciate it <3- LC