"My goodness," said Mina as she stared at her naked friend. "Don't you normally wear a nightgown to bed, Lucy?"
Lucy looked down, noted her unclad state and shrugged. "You're right. I usually do. I wonder what happened to it."
"Don't you usually wear underwear underneath it as well?" asked Mina.
"Hey, don't get personal," said Lucy. "I don't pass judgment on you and Jane's little foibles."
"I'm sorry," said Mina. "I'm just trying to figure out what happened to your clothes."
"I guess I forgot to put them on tonight, I suppose," said Lucy.
"Seriously?" asked Mina. "Doesn't one of your maids help you with that?"
"Well, yes," said Lucy. "But I have so many maids I must have forgot to ask one to help me tonight."
Mina turned to the maid Tara and asked, "Tara, did you help your mistress dress for bed tonight?"
"No, Miss Murray," said Tara. "That must have been Fifi or Brunhilde. I -- ahem -- have other duties at that time."
"And what duties are tho -- Wait," said Mina. "Is that perfume I smell?"
"Why, yes, Miss Murray," said Tara.
"Why are you wearing perfume, Tara?" asked Mina.
"Oh, mind your own business, Mina," said Lucy. "My loss of clothing has nothing to do with Tara. Now that I think about it, it probably has something to do with that red-eyed gent I saw out in the garden when I went out for a midnight constitutional."
"What red-eyed gent?" asked Mina.
"The one I just told you about," said Lucy. "Apparently he was some foreigner or something. Anyway, he stopped to ask me for a light --"
"You don't smoke, Lucy," interrupted Mina.
"Yes, I know," said Lucy, not minding the interruption. "Anyway, he stopped to ask me for a light, I told him no, he looked me in the eye... I can't remember anything else after that. Next thing I knew, poor Tara was leading me inside the house and asking me if I wanted a cup of tea."
"Well, that sounds strange," said Mina.
"I'll say it does," said Lucy. "Tara usually leaves the tea-making to Brunhilde."
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