Epilogue

An entirely different bird waking Miss Fisher with it's rather annoying interpretation of a warble, was absolutely no nightingale. On a brief glance from blurry eyes it looked more like a pigeon. It flew away, however, before she had managed to shake the sleep from her heavy brain and lift her head. Her lips curled into a smile as the vivid memories of the last night returned, just a brief moment before she noticed the absence of one Detective Inspector. She chewed on her lip in thought, battling down the worry that tried to sneak into her heart and instead made use of her sharp mind.

The morning light had already gained enough warmth to tell her that it was impolite to still be lying in bed and if memory didn't betray her it was a Wednesday. Which meant, Jack Robinson likely considered it his duty to appear at the Station.

In fact, the Inspector had crawled out from underneath her heavy body around 8 o'clock, later than he usually would have as he'd found it completely impossible to leave her warmth behind any earlier. Considering that he had exited his office in the previous afternoon with no explanation whatsoever, he'd feared that he might have to answer some uncomfortable questions on his return, but that somehow hadn't seemed capable of wiping the grin from his face. The Inspector had concluded that he would have to work on this, lest the criminals in this city would think he'd gone mad. He hadn't, however, attempted to hide the spring in his step as he'd taken the stairs in his crumpled suit, down to a rather curious looking man behind the reception, had instead greeted him friendly before stepping out into a sunny morning.

Phryne Fisher knew none of this and she didn't have time to contemplate the possibilities further, as a sharp rapping tore her from her thoughts.

"Room service, ma'am," a maid called from the parlour. The interruption was welcome, Miss Fisher realised. Her stomach was growling, doubtlessly due to the exertion of last night. With a quick movement Phryne was out of bed and flung her morning gown over her naked shoulders. The girl that greeted the barely dressed woman with a curtsy was tiny, with pretty dark curls which seemed about to burst out of the restraint of her cap.

"Thank you," Phryne smiled, fishing for her purse in order to give her a generous tip while the young girl sat down a silver tray laden with so much food that Miss Fisher couldn't imagine eating it all herself. She remembered dimly that she had hoped for company when she had ordered breakfast and a tiny twinge of disappointment announced itself. Why did Jack have to be such a dutiful spoilsport? Then, of course, that was something she rather appreciated about her Inspector. 'Her' Inspector. The smile snuck back onto her lips before she realised that the maid was still standing in the middle of the parlour and she herself was clutching onto her purse absorbed in romantic thought. She'd have to work on that unless the whole of the Windsor should think her a lovestruck fool.

"Will that be all, Ma'am?" the girl asked with another curtsy and Phryne gave her a warm smile and a banknote that she didn't bother to look at closely before dismissing her. The excitement on the maid's face told her that she had probably been even more generous than intended.

With a whistle on her lips, Phryne shoved the rest of the money back into her purse, when something caught her eye. In some confusion she pulled her notebook free and frowned. She couldn't remember returning it to her things. Her eyes swept back to the sofa where Jack had lost his restraint yesterday afternoon and to the small side table on which she could have sworn she had left the booklet. In quick resolve she flicked through the leaves and found between mostly empty pages finally a messy hand. It took her a moment to decipher the hurriedly written words.

"I hear Strano's is not the only place in town serving good wine..."

Hastily she flicked further until she found another note.

"Bella Notte, 8 o'clock."

Phryne shut the booklet, her head whirling with thoughts. She remembered the "Bella Notte", a small Italian restaurant that she had once visited with Dot for an investigation, a long time ago. She recalled wild wine growing down the walls of the small courtyard, the summer breeze playing in her hair as she enjoyed the red wine and the melody of heated lunch conversation in the foreign language. It was certainly not the kind of restaurant that she generally frequented, the creme de la creme of Melbourne's society didn't bother with places like this one. Which might have been more an encouragement than a hindrance for Jack to pick this particular restaurant for... what? A romantic rendezvous? Or some investigation he counted on her help in?

She opened the notebook again, flicked to the last page in hope for some explanation.

"You might wish to bring your pistol for the eventuality of someone dropping dead into the soup. In case of no murder, as unlikely as that seems in your presence, you may have to settle for my company."

Warmth crept up from fingertips, pooling in her chest. So, he had arranged a date. A public date of the romantic kind.

Restoring the booklet carefully into her purse, Phryne turned her attention to the breakfast tray. Thoughtless hands spread butter onto toast and stirred sugar into tea, while she pondered his proposition. She wasn't entirely certain if she appreciated to be ordered around by a man's whims. Particularly when they disappeared from her bed without even saying goodbye.

Grumbling she flung herself onto the sofa, black silk slipping from her knees to reveal her thigh.

She realised that she had come to rest just where he had lain yesterday and before she knew it she had pulled the pillow free and inhaled his scent which still lingered in the fabric. She frowned. Dear God, she was in far over her head!

Argue with herself all she liked, she would be strutting into Bella Notte no more than ten minutes past eight, expecting Jack to be sitting at a table, his dark eyes glittering in the candlelight.

For some reason the idea didn't scare the Honourable Miss Fisher as much as it should have as she finished her breakfast. In fact, someone watching her might have been amused by the radiant smile that wouldn't leave her as she went to get ready for a day which promised to get interesting.