Play@YSDC

Taking the Tube.
3:10pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

After finishing tea at the Ritz, Elizabeth and Caroline say goodbye to Timour and Johnny and make their way out of the hotel.

Apparently London's subway system, generally called 'The Tube' by the locals, is the fastest way to get around the city, and the closest tube station, Dover Street is right outside the Ritz on Piccadilly.


Dover Street Station


Dover Street Station - Elevators and Ticket Halls

The two ladies enter the station, and after spending a couple of shillings purchasing tickets that will allow them unlimited tube travel for the rest of the day, they descend to platform level using the stations elevators.

The whole journey takes fifteen minutes and requires a single change at Leicester Square station where they switch from the Piccadilly Line to the Northern Line.


Grooge Street Station - Tottenham Court Road

The closest tube station to the Penhew Foundation building in Grooge Street Station, which is located a little further north along Tottenham Court Road.


The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:30pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925


The Penhew Foundation

Despite the imposing iron railings, it appears that the Penhew Foundation is open to the public, a brass plaque on the railings by the bottom of the entrance steps lists the opening times:

The Penhew Foundation
35 Tottenham Court Road,
London,
W1

Open to the general public:
Monday to Friday
8:30am to 5:00pm

Director - Mr Edward Gavigan

A uniformed doorman stands at the top of the stairs, by the public entrance to the building.

Caroline looks at the imposing structure and then at Beth. Quietly, she says, "Beth, perhaps we should think about what we hope to accomplish here before we go in. We really don't know that much about Gavigan, and we certainly don't want to draw too much attention to our little band."

She pauses. "I expect that he'd be willing to see us--or you, anyway, given your social prominence." She smiles a little. "Perhaps we should just 'feel him out' to see how much he's willing to say about Penhew and the expedition."

Elizabeth smiles at Caroline. "Why Caroline, darling, you must be a mind reader. That is exactly what I was thinking. We can start as just interested tourists and see how much he's willing to say without having to reveal our role in things. We can choose what to reveal based on our impression of him." She looks up at the building with a mischievous look in her eye. "This will be fun. Shall we?" She waits to see if Caroline has anything more to say before they climb the stairs.

"We shall play it by ear, then," Caroline agrees, a bit pensively.

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:30pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

The doorman is very polite, he holds open the doors to the Penhew foundation with a smile as Caroline and Elizabeth approach.

"Good afternoon ladies, welcome to the Penhew Foundation."

Immediately through the front door stands an ornate wooden reception deck, behind which sits a male secretary who looks up and watches the ladies approaching.

"Good day," Caroline says to the secretary, smiling. Looking around, she says, "My, this is all very impressive. My friend and I are pleased to be here--it was practically our first stop."

Elizabeth puts on her most charming smile. "Indeed. I've heard there are such interesting artifacts here. Do you have tours available?"

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:30pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

"We certainly do, our Egyptian collection is right up those stairs, and there is always a member of staff available if you require a guide around the exhibits. There is a small charge of two shillings each to view the collection I'm afraid."

The secretary indicates a staircase to Elizabeth's left that leads up to the second floor, a wooden plaque at the bottom of the stairs reads "Public Exhibition Upstairs." There is also a mens washroom to that side of the entrance, at the base of the stairs. The Ladies room is to the right, while behind the reception desk a corridor leads right through the middle of the building, lined with offices on either side.

The floors of the Penhew Foundation are polished marble, the wood panelled walls contain numerous oil paintings.

"Oh, if we could have a guide, that would be quite lovely. I did study Egyptian history in college, but I'm sure my friend and I would get so much more out of the exhibit if we had an expert to explain the details to us." Elizabeth reaches into her purse and pulls out a pound. She hands it to the secretary and smiles. "Of course you can keep the change. In my experience foundations are always poorly underfunded."

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:30pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

"Thank you, that's very generous."

"If you wouldn't mind just waiting here for a moment, I'll see if anyone is available to give you both a personal tour of the building."

The secretary stands up and starts to walk away, down the corridor behind his desk.


[OOC: I've stopped here in case you want to speak to each other while the secretary is gone, or speak to him again before he leaves.
If you want to just get on with it, just make a post to say that you wait for him to return ]

In a stage whisper, Caroline says, "Let's see who they offer us and go from there. If it's not Gavigan, we can either ask so many pesky questions that we're referred to him, or we can act as if we might make a substantial donation, which should get him out of the woodwork."

Elizabeth chuckles. "We truly are of one mind. I almost just mentioned to the secretary that my family has always taught me to be generous, but in my experience the English prefer to keep things as subtle as possible. But if need be, I can easily become blazingly obvious." She grins, clearly enjoying the game. "Of course, we may ask many 'pesky questions' as well. I am truly quite interested in the subject, after all."

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:35pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Apparently Elizabeth's hint seems to have done the trick, after a few minutes the secretary returns with a tall, very well dressed man in his mid-fifties. They emerge from the first door along the right hand side of the corridor.

"This is our director Edward Gavigan, he has kindly said that he'll give you both a tour of the exhibition."

Mr Gavigan is wearing a excellently tailored grey suit, his short fair hair is immaculately groomed. He hold out his right hand in greeting and both Elizabeth and Caroline notice that Gavigan is wearing one of those new, terribly expensive and fashionable wristwatches. He looks the embodiment of a successful English gentleman.

"Edward Gavigan at your service ladies, I believe that you expressed an interest in a tour of our Egyptian exhibits."

"I have the next hour free, so I'd be delighted to show you both around."

Caroline offers her hand. "You're most gracious, Mr. Gavigan, to take time out of your undoubtedly busy schedule for the two of us." She looks around the building appraisingly. "I must say, I'm impressed already!"

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:35pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Mr Gavigan shakes Caroline's hand firmly and enthusiastically, "Please just call me Edward, and it's never a hardship to take a little time to show around such enthusiastic visitors."

After shaking Elizabeth's hand in turn, Mr Gavigan leads the ladies up the foundation's impressive staircase towards the second floor.

"This is the way to our exhibition hall, as you will see - we have an extensive collection of Egyptian artefacts, ranging from simple chipped pieces of pottery, to actual sarcophagi and the mummified remains of Pharaohs and their Queens - all exhumed I might add by expeditions that were funded in part or in whole by our Foundation."

"Tell me, how did two lovely young ladies from America come to hear of the Penhew Foundation? I had on idea that our fame had spread across the Atlantic."

"To tell the truth, Edward," Elizabeth smiles at the strangeness of such immediate familiarity, "I heard about some of the artifacts here while I was a student in college, but I am not knowledgeable about the Foundation itself." She raises her eyebrows in polite inquiry.

"And I'm afraid I know almost nothing about Egypt, let alone the foundation," Caroline offers. "I'm more than willing to learn, though."

The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
3:35pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Elizabeth wrote:"I heard about some of the artifacts here while I was a student in college..."

Edward nods, "Excellent."

Elizabeth wrote:"...but I am not knowledgeable about the Foundation itself." She raises her eyebrows in polite inquiry.

"Ah well, where to start!"

"As you may know, the Penhew Foundation was founded in 1905 by Sir Aubrey Penhew, a noted Egyptologist and explorer. Sadly Sir Aubrey perished leading an expedition to East Africa shortly after the Great War..."

The trio reach the second floor, the staircase rises right into the middle of the Penhew Foundation's impressive exhibit hall. Edward gestures grandly towards the exhibits, "...as you can see though, Sir Aubrey's legacy lives on though the foundation that he founded."

"The foundation has undertaken or financed a great many digs throughout Egypt - at Giza, Memphis, Meidum , Thebes, Hermonthis and particularly at Dashur - Sir Aubrey was considered to be a world renowned expert on the Dashur region."

"If you'll follow me ladies, I shall show you our exhibits."

Edward sets off towards the closest display cabinets.

"I imagine there can be no better monument to Sir Aubrey than this collection. How horrid that expeditions can be so dangerous, although I suppose that is part of the glamour." Elizabeth smiles like a girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"How good it is that you are able to carry on his work through this Foundation. I would think his are a hard pair of shoes to fill."

"The Dashur region? I'm afraid I don't recall what is unique to that region ... although I suppose I've come to one of the best places to learn." Elizabeth grins.

She happily wanders through the exhibits, genuinely oohing and aahing over the artifacts and maintaining a pleasant conversation.

As Beth seems to have things well in hand, Caroline merely follows along for now, confident that Gavigan is being fully forthcoming--at least for now.

The Exhibit Hall - The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
4:20pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Edward's face hardens for a moment when Elizabeth mentions Sir Aubrey's death. When she has finished speaking he says, "Sadly it was not the danger of the expedition that cost Sir Aubrey his life, but betrayal from within..."

Edward smiles before continuing, "...but that tale is not one for such delicate ears I fear."

"Anyway as you say this collection is a fine monument to his memory. Yes, many of our exhibits originate from digs in the Dashur region. Dashur was the site of a large necropolis, close to Memphis, which as you'll know was the ancient capital of Egypt."

"There are several large pyramids there, as well as a huge number of small pyramids and other tombs. Although not as famous as the Great Pyramids of Giza, they are actually just as archaeologically significant and interesting."

As the conversation continues Edward leads Elizabeth and Caroline slowly around the exhibits, he talks about each item in the collection in laborious detail. Sarcophagi, mummies, crowns, vases, sceptres, chests, assorted weapons and armour, plates, tools, coins - the list is endless, but no matter how significant or not an item is, Edward seems to know an almost overwhelming amount of information about it.

As they walk around the collection the ladies notice that although the collection includes some items exhumed by the Carlyle Expedition, it is all small items, pottery, tools and the odd weapon, none of the significant items in the hall are from Sir Aubrey's final ill fated journey to Africa.

Outside the Penhew Foundation's large windows it is beginning to go dark, and London's famous fog appears to be getting thicker.

Elizabeth politely listens to Mr. Gavigan's little lectures and throws sympathetic glances at Caroline. She looks somewhat nervously at the coming night, disliking the thought of navigating dark, fog-filled streets.

"Please forgive my forwardness, Edward, you have been giving us such a splendid tour, but I just cannot get what you said about Sir Aubrey out of my mind. I am sorry that it touches on what I am sure was an unpleasant time for you, but I must ask. Has whoever betrayed him been brought to justice?"

The Exhibit Hall - The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
4:22pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

When Elizabeth asks her question, Edward looks a little taken aback for a moment, he shakes his head sadly, "No I'm afraid not, they hung Sir Aubrey's actual murderers in Kenya of course, but the betrayer escaped justice."

"Sir Aubrey perished co-leading the Carlyle Expedition which you might have heard of. His co-leader and the expeditions main financier was a young man from New York named Roger Carlyle."

"Accompanying Mr Carlyle was a rather mysterious young African lady who travelled under the name Nichonka Bunay. Apparently the idea of Carlyle travelling to Egypt was originally hers."

"Miss Bunay claimed to have information regarding a dark period of Egypt's history during which a sorcerer is reputed to have ruled over the Nile Valley. Sir Aubrey has long been interested in researching this paticular period, if only to debunk the myths."

Edward looks angry as he continues the story, "Sadly the woman proved to be no more than a fraud, even her name appears to be a lie. The expedition uncovered lots of worthwhile items, most of which are at the Museum of Cairo or loaned to the British Musuem, but nothing they found related to the period in which Mr Carlyle and Sir Aubrey were interested."

"Realising that her cover would soon be blown the evil woman absconded with a rather large amount of money from the expeditions funds, to the sum of £3500 in fact. That's more than seventeen thousand American dollars!"

"Everyone was obviously terribly disappointed, and another of Roger Carlyle's friends Miss Hypatia Masters - feeling that the disappointment, combined with the summer heat, would serious affect both her own health and that of Carlyle's – suggested that the expedition spend the summer months in the relatively cooler climes of Kenya."

"Sadly whilst on safari, they rather injudiciously entered dubious territory, and paid for it with their lives."

Noticing Elizabeth glancing uneasily out of the windows, Edward says, "Yes, I'm afraid that our foggy winter evenings can be rather unsettling to visitors. If you're uneasy, then perhaps I could have one of our chaps accompany you both safely to back your hotel."

He points back towards the stairs, "You can both join me in my office for a cup of tea while you wait if you like, I'm sure I could tell some happier tales of Sir Aubrey's."

"Oh, yes, I remember hearing about the Carlyle Expedition in the newspapers, horribly tragic. But I thought it was all rather mysterious. I suppose I must just have a poor memory, since I don't recall having heard about this woman before. I take it nothing more of her has been heard since?"

Elizabeth is relieved at the offer of someone to accompany them home ... and then she thinks again. Mr. Gavigan seemed good enough, but suppose someone came later asking about Caroline and herself? If they accept the offer of the escort back to their hotel, then the staff at the Foundation will know where they are staying. So far they don't even know their names, since she and Caroline were careful to not introduce themselves. The cup of tea sounded nice, but, now that she had decide that they better leave on their own, she was hesitant to stay much longer.

She laughs. "Yes, the fog is quite peculiar to London, but I've been here many times before, and I don't mind it so much. Thank you for your offer, but I think we must be leaving now. Perhaps we can return later to join you for that cup of tea?"

The Exhibit Hall - The Penhew Foundation - Tottenham Court Road, Bloomsbury, London
4:23pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

"No I'm afraid that Nichonka Bunay disappeared from the face of the Earth, with rather a lot of money belonging to the foundation and Mr Carlyle."

Edward leads two ladies back towards the staircase, "Ok, if you're sure, then I'll show you both out."

Elizabeth wrote:"...Perhaps we can return later to join you for that cup of tea?"

"Oh of course, I'm here most days, you are most welcome to return. Perhaps I'll have more time to show you around the rest of the building next time?"

Caroline glances at Beth, happy that she's taken the lead here. Caroline is rather used to following her patron's (and friend's) lead, and it feels rather natural and comfortable to do so here.

The day's exploring may have gotten them slightly further than they'd been before, but it seemed like the puzzle was still just so many loose pieces, none of which seeming to fit well together.

Edward wrote:"Oh of course, I'm here most days, you are most welcome to return. Perhaps I'll have more time to show you around the rest of the building next time?"

Elizabeth smiles. "Excellent. We'll look forward to another wonderfully informative tour. Thank you for your time."

She plans on taking the tube back to the hotel, perhaps looking over her shoulder a few times to see if anyone is following them.

Tottenham Court Road - Bloomsbury, London
4:28pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Edward wishes both ladies a safe journey, and returns to his office.

Walking back towards Grooge Street tube station, both Elizabeth and Caroline keep their eyes open for anyone following them, but they don't notice anything untoward.

The evening rush is beginning and the foggy streets are getting busier.

Elizabeth feels more safe in the foggy streets because of there being so many people around. As they make their way through the crowds, she says to Caroline, "Well, we learned some interesting things today. I was tempted to stay longer, but I really don't want to be out after dark. If nothing else, I'm sure the gentlemen would be nervous. I hope they were happy with whatever car they found."

With the attitude of an experienced traveler, she confidently guides them back to the tube station and through the underground maze.

"This black woman seems to be of central importance, especially if, as it seems, she is still alive somewhere with stolen money," Caroline says. "Remember how important she was in Huston's notes?"

ETA:"Beth, I got the distinct impression while we were talking to Edward that ... now, darling, I don't mean this as any criticism, but I think you may have pushed him a little too hard. I'm not sure what else you or I could've done, but he seemed to be telling us everything honestly up until a certain point. Anyway, he seemed to figure out that we were fishing for information and started telling us something other than the full truth." She pauses. "That's what I think, anyway."

Caroline wrote:"This black woman seems to be of central importance, especially if, as it seems, she is still alive somewhere with stolen money. Remember how important she was in Huston's notes?"

"Yes, indeed, I think we must find out more about her. She seems to have had a sinister role in all of this."

Caroline wrote:"Anyway, he seemed to figure out that we were fishing for information and started telling us something other than the full truth."

Elizabeth frowns in disappointment. "Oh dear." A wrinkle appears on her brow as she thinks for a moment. "I really must work on my detective skills. Maybe it would have helped for us to reveal our true intent to him. He did seem honestly upset at what happened to Sir Aubrey. I just ... wasn't sure what was best to do. We do have an invitation to return, maybe we can go back tomorrow and talk with him more frankly.

"What do you think, how much of what he said can we trust?"

Hyperlink:

Elizabeth and Caroline arrive back at the Ritz in this post.

EDIT: (I unlocked this thread again so that you can finish your conversation here first)

Caroline responds to Beth's last question to her.

"If we want to know what Gavigan knows, it seems to me that there are only two options. One is to do as you suggest--be totally honest with him and trust that he's just suspicious of us for being nosy or a danger to him.

"The other option would be to do something ... more direct, or more hidden, anyway: try to sneak about or even break in." Caroline surprised herself a bit with the second suggestion, but the events of past days were changing her mind about a lot of things.

Elizabeth looks a little surprised by Caroline as well ... but thoughtful. "Hmm. I guess we should speak with the others and see what they think." She is unusually quiet and thoughtful on the way back to the Ritz.