Cheap Gothic Soap Opera, Part 52

"Elizabeth...I love you," stuttered Bob.
"I know. You just told me. For the third time," muttered Elizabeth in an exasperated fashion.
"Well yes," said Bob, "But it seems that almost every episo- I mean day! Day! Ha...ha...ha. Well...it seems that almost everyday you have forgotten our previous day's conversation, and I have to tell you of my love for you again."
"Well if we must have a conversation, I feel we should go into the courtyard. I hear much better with the fountain."

"Now then," said Elizabeth once she had sat down on a bench in the courtyard under a hideous rococo tree, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well Elizabeth, to be honest, I wanted to tell you that I feel we should cancel our picnic at the graveyard tomorrow."
"But whyeverso?" She plucked a rococo painting from the tree and began to nibble on the frame.
"Haven't you heard. There's a maniac out on the loose who's been strangling kittens. Strangling them with a knife."
"How awful!"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I said yes."
"Oh."
There was an awkward silence.
"Well," said Bob, "I guess I'll go search for Sarla." He brushed past the tree, and a couple Trombeau's fell off.

Suddenly one of the cooks burst threw the courtyard door, sending Bob into the fountain.
"Miss Elizabeth! One of our cleavers has gone missing, and we were wondering if you'd seen it."
"No."
"Oh, sorry. It's just that Higgins told Jeffrey, who told me, that he saw you take the knife and stab Hugo and Matilda. Come to think of it, Higgins and Jeffrey were stabbed too. Well, goodbye."
The chef left just as a cleaning lady rushed in.
"Here's your clean laundry. I had an awfully hard time removing all the blood from your dresses. How did you get so much blood on your clothing anyway?"
"Oh, just here and there."
"Sounds good to me." She left just as one of the maids arrived.
"Excuse me, Miss, but about that dead kitten we found in your bed, what do you want us to do with it?"
"Just throw it away, or make a stew out of it, I don't know."
"That's a good idea! I'll tell the cook right now."
She left the courtyard just as Bob was removing himself from the fountain.
"Maybe it's the excess of water in my brain humours," he said," but I thought I heard some things. Are you the-"
Elizabeth's hand was already on her knife, waiting for the completion of Bob's question...

(OP: Nate, March 27 2007)