Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Can anyone explain to me WHY Lizzie stayed those 3-4 nights in a rooming house after her trip with Emma, instead of returning home?

From her inquest testimony:

Q. How much have you been away the last year?
A. I have been away a great deal in the daytime; occasionally at night.
Q. Where in the daytime? Any particular place?
A No. Around town.
Q. When you go off nights, where?
A. Never, unless I have been off on a visit.
Q. When was the last time when you have been away for more than a night or two before this affair?
A. I don't think I have been away to stay more than a night or two since I came from abroad, except about three or four weeks ago I was in New Bedford for three or four days.
Q. Where at New Bedford?
A. At 20 Madison Street.

The owner and her daughter were friends of Lizzie's.

Rebello, page 62 (Underlining is mine.):

Emma and Lizzie traveled to New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Thursday, July 21. Emma continued to Fairhaven, Massachusetts, for an extended visit with the Brownells. Lizzie remained in New Bedford and stayed with Mrs. Poole and her daughter at 20 Madison Street. Lizzie went to downtown New Bedford on Saturday, July 23, to purchase some dress goods. On Tuesday, July 26, Lizzie, Mrs. Poole and her daughter went to Westport, Massachusetts, to pay a visit to Mrs. Cyrus W. Tripp, a schoolmate and friend of Lizzie’s and another daughter of Mrs. Poole. They remained there for the day and returned to New Bedford so Lizzie could take the train back to Fall River.

On May 07, 2010, nbcatlover, who lives in New Bedford, posted the following information (Underlining is mine.):

Lizzie stayed with the Poole (or Pool) family in New Bedford. It was a "boarding house" in the sense that Mrs. Poole's daughter, Carrie, and Mrs. Poole's brother paid the widow money to live there, as they were the two people who worked outside the home. The house was on the easterly (or lower) end of Madison Street. It is no longer standing.
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I imagine Lizzie paid "board" to Mrs. Poole to cover washing bed linens and breakfast/dinner (though I cannot prove this). The Poole family was not at the financial level of the Bordens. So, yes definitely, Lizzie did board in a boarding house days prior to the murders.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/zxryh8s

Ok, that makes it clearer. She was visiting friends. Guess she wasn't in a big hurry to get back to Dad and Mrs. Borden.