Play@YSDC

The dining room of the Blackstone Hotel is unremarkable, much the same as any provincial hotel dining room that is past its prime. Cheap fading pictures adorn the walls, the furniture is well made but slightly scuffed and the odour of countless dinners and lunches lingers in the air unpleasantly. In the kitchen, the breakfast service is being finalised. Tea and coffee is brewing, bacon, eggs and kippers are being taken from the hotel refrigerator, and porridge is being warmed on the hotel's range.

Upstairs in their rooms, the characters awake. The lightening sky outside is leaden but the torrential rain has ceased, replaced by a persistent drizzle. It is 7.30am.

For Rosa Only,Your night has been extremely troubled. If the doubts put into your head by the photograph about your parentage weren't bad enough, you have had the most extraordinary and unsettling dream. In the dream you were dancing within a stone circle. Your very movements were strange: you held your arms to the side, leaping and whirling. Yet you executed the steps without thinking, your body moving instinctively, as though you had known the dance all your life. In the middle of the circle was a figure holding a shining knife above a human sacrifice. As the figure brought the knife down, you woke up.

For Helen Only,Your night has been extremely troubled. If the doubts put into your head by the photograph about your parentage weren't bad enough, you have had the most extraordinary and unsettling dream. You were lying down. There was a familiar, comforting smell around you, although you couldn't place it. Then you realized: the smell was soil. You felt enclosed, safe and warm. When you opened your eyes, you see only soil; and when you opened your mouth, soil rushed in. Yet you could still breathe. You were not scared. You sunk deeper and deeper into the earth, feeling safer and safer. Then, you woke up.

For Exeter Only,Your night has been extremely troubled. If the doubts put into your head by the photograph about your parentage weren't bad enough, you have had the most extraordinary and unsettling dream. In the dream you were dancing within a stone circle. Your very movements were strange: you held your arms to the side, leaping and whirling. Yet you executed the steps without thinking, your body moving instinctively, as though you had known the dance all your life. In the middle of the circle was a figure holding a shining knife above a human sacrifice. As the figure brought the knife down, you woke up.

For Dr Laws Only,Your night has been extremely troubled. If the doubts put into your head by the photograph about your parentage weren't bad enough, you have had the most extraordinary and unsettling dream. You were standing inside a stone circle. Others danced around you, with bizarre, ritualistic movements, whirling as they held their arms horizontally. When you looked down, you saw your brother Geoffrey lying prostrate beside an open grave. In your hand was a curved, ancient knife of a strange metal. You knew what must do. You sliced Geoffrey's throat, shoulders and calves, with diagonal strokes. Then, thank God, you woke up.

For Pedro Only,You had an untroubled night, though that last whisky chaser you took to bed was probably unwise. You desperately need liquid refreshment and a hearty breakfast.

Upon awakening Helen's first action is to light a cigarette, her second is to get up.
Putting on a Japanese silk dressing gown, a present from an admirer, she moves toward the window and pulls back a corner of a curtain for a look outside. Seeing the change in the weather from persistant rain to less persistant rain she thinks, Oh goody goody another fine day in the paradise of the North.
Angrilly she stubs out the cigarette and begins the process of transformation to acceptability in company.
By 8:30am she is ready to face the day, lighting another of her favorite Turkish cigarettes she leaves her room for the hoped for pleasantries of the Dining Room, having first made sure that her door is securely locked.
Putting on her best celebrity false smile she enters the Dining Room.
"Am I first down? How awfully tiring"

Rosa wakes suddenly, hands raised to fend off her nightmare assailant. A fearful scream dies in her throat as she realises where she is and she sits in bed for some time, hugging her knees until her heart-rate returns to normal.

After a while, she gets out of bed, pulling on her dressing gown against the chill. Not yet ready to see anyone else, she uses the jug of water and basin to have a quick wash before dressing. Pulling a brush through her hair, she can't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. Not one to normally bother with make-up, it takes her a little time to find the concealer tucked away in the corner of her toilet bag. As she applies it in the mirror, she can't avoid the haunted look of the reflection staring back at her. She glances out of the window but the dark sky and falling rain do nothing to lighten her mood.

She makes the bed and sits awhile, pondering the dream and the events of the night before, until deciding that breakfast might just take mind off things.

Rosa makes her way downstairs and into the dining room. "'Morning," she says, trying to stifle a yawn. "'How did you sleep?"

At Rosa's greeting Helen peers over the top of the newspaper she has been looking at to pass time.
"Morning darling. Despite the awfull bed I slept well, yourself?"
Although it didn't take an expert to recognise a bad nights sleep when one saw it. Of course, she thought to herself using the newspaper to cover her smile, that hagard, tired look could be her natural state.
Folding the paper she indicated the chair opposite her at the table, "Do join me darling" Helen was hoping that if the table was occupied the awful Exeter and his sychophant associate might sit elswewhere.

"'Thank you," says Rosa, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Helen.

"'I didn't sleep well," she says frankly, "'I don't think all that photograph business yesterday helped."

"I must admit", says Helen leaning across the table so as not to have to speak too loudly, "That I didn't sleep to well myself, what with odd dreams added to worrying about that silly photograph."
With her usual alacrity she produces a cigarette and fits it to her holder, then with a match torn from a matchbook that bears the name of some club or other, she lights it and drags smoke deep into her lungs.
Holding the lighted match before her she exhales blowing both the smoke from the extinghuished match and the aromatic perfume of the Turkish tobacco straight into Rosa's face, "You don't mind if I smoke", it wasn't a question.
"I suggest we have some breakfast, or coffee at least, than see if we can find a library in this god forsaken dump and find out who was the photographer on that picture".
Without waiting a reply Helen swivels in her seat and snaps her fingers at one of the hotel staff.
"Coffee, black"

Rosa coughs and politely waves the smoke away. When the waitress approaches to take their breakfast order, she asks for a cup of tea and says, "'Excuse me, do you happen to have a copy of the local trade directory?"

Exeter woke with a start. He couldn't believe his eyes when he checked the time and tried to go back to sleep again.

Exeter thinking:   No decent fellow is up and about at this time of day.

He lets out a loud sigh as he can't seem to find sleep again and gets up, taking his time to get dressed properly for breakfast. Rubbing the required number of tonics and potions on his face and hair, he smiles a reassuring smile at himself in the mirror.

"Now that's a lordly smile if ever I saw one!"


Exeter lights up a breakfast fag and leaves his room, heading down the stairs to coffee and coffee.

The middle-aged waitress approaches with Helen's coffee. She is dressed in the standard black dress with white apron and low-heeled black shoes. Her dark hair is slightly greying and tied back in a bun, with a black and white cap.

She places the coffee in front of Helen. Looking to Rosa she replies "They might have a trades directory at Reception madam, but I might be able to help. What is it you're after?" As she says this she pulls a pencil and notepad out of her apron pocket, ready to take the breakfast order.

Not wanting to give away to much information about the photograph just yet, Rosa replies "I'm looking for a local photographer. Could you be a dear and nip out to Reception and see if they have one?" She smiles winningly and orders tea, toast and marmalade for breakfast.

OOC,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4267447/]Rosa tries to persuade the waitress to fetch her the trades directory from the hotel reception. (1d6=1)[/url] Dash it all! :oops:

Although it is obvious that the waitress is not adressing her, Helen, says "A decent library, if such a thing exists up here"
Looking at the waitress pencil poised above her pad, "Just the coffee is fine. Now do you know of a library or not?"

Smiling a patient smile, the waitress says "I'm sorry Madam, I really can't leave my post here but I can answer both your questions anyway. The public library is on the High Street. Turn left out of the hotel and keep walking for about two minutes. It's the big red brick building," and here she looks pointedly at Helen, "on the opposite side of the road. As it happens, Wendall's, the only photographic studio in town, is four doors down from the library on the same side."

Looking down at her notepad she readies her pencil. Now, are you ready to order?"

Exeter sweeps into the room, a bright smile on his lips.


"A very good morning, ladies, you're quite the active sort to be up this ungodly hour."

He walks towards the table and proclaims to the room.

"I'll have a coffee and two croissants, love, with jam, no marmalade."

He assigns himself a seat at the women's table and crushes the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray.

Pedro appears after Exeter in the dining room. Seeing people in the room, he smiles and says:

Good morning everyone! Hope you all slept well.

He pulls a chair close to Exeter and joins the ladies.

Sorry for my arrogance last night, to leave without say good night. I think the last dose of Whiskey made me feel sick. But about the photograph, is everything is solved?

As first Exeter and then Silva sit down at the table without a simple by your leave, Helen arches her eyebrows and sips the steaming cup of coffee,

Helen thinking:   Men, arrogant bastards

.
To the univited table guests she smiles, "We were just discussing that very fact. It would seem that there is a very strong likelyhood that the picture was taken by the local photograpers, Wendalls, and after breakfast Rosa and I shall pay them a visit and see if they can throw any light on the photographs subjects"
Helen takes another sip of coffee awaiting the next declaration from his lordship and friend.

Between the arrival of the two men, Rosa manages to order her pot of tea and toast with marmalade.

"Wendells could be one option," she says. "To be honest, I haven't looked too closely at the mark - everything was a bit of a shock yesterday." Rosa reaches into her bag and brings out the photo, studying the mark to see if the photographer's name is incorporated in it.

Rosa sighs. "There's nothing to suggest a name," she says shortly. She puts the photograph back in her back and looks around, wondering where the waitress has got to with her cup of tea.

"What has everyone got planned for today?" she asks.

The waitress returns to the table with everyone's order, and asks Pedro if he requires anything.

A middle-aged man dressed in the garb of a travelling salesman - cheap but reasonably well tailored suit, black Oxfords, clean shirt and tie, etc - enters the dining room, nods a 'good morning' to the characters, and seats himself at the table nearest the window. He politely indicates to the waitress that he needs her attention when she's finished.

— Just coffee. Pedro says to the waitress looking at Rosa.

— Well, I wanted to walk around the city. But I confess that the shock of all in relation to a photography caught my interest. Is there anything I can do to help? Of course I like to help my dear friend Exeter to be able to sleep undisturbed.

He laughs and then inclines the body to whispers to Rosa:

— Actually I am a lover of mysteries and travel the world in search of it. I hope this becomes something interesting!

He leans back into his chair and smiled mysteriously.

Not quite sure if Pedro hasn't just made a pass at her, Rosa flushes and coughs to clear her throat. "Well, I think we plan to visit the photographer's first, to see if the recognise the mark. After that, possibly the library - they may have some old copies of the local trades directory or even some information about the couple in the photograph."

She looked around the table at her fellow guests. "Is there anything I've missed?"

"I'd say you haven't!", Exeter smiles a wide toothpaste smile at Rosa, "It's always inspiring to see such...dedication! Inspiring, indeed!"


He leans back in his chair as he sips his coffee and then declares to the room.

"Pedro and I were going to catch a train and head up North, but the old boy has a sweet tooth for mystery and I like to indulge him. Isn't that right, you old cock? So I guess you ladies will have the pleasure and we the honour of our assisting you!"

"Oh good..." replies Rosa, smiling weakly and glancing at Helen, wondering how she will take the news.

At the declaration from Lord Snooty, Helen almost chokes on a mouthfull of coffee, she smile weakly and waves a hand in an apologetic manner, "That's nice we can all go together like a jolly school outing"
Sarcasm is obviously lost on this brave son of the empire, and lost in translation to his friend. But it is a talent that Helen cannot resist employing. Julie had warned her in the past that it might cost her friends, but such friends she could do without.

There was something strange with the photograph and she was determined to find out what. Rosa, was educated and might prove usefull in the search. Whereas Exeter and his chum, Silva, might be a drag, but she had a feeling they would follow them anyway.
"I'm sure that having your assistance will prove invaluable old chap"

She thinks for a moment, "What about the doctor chap, he seemed to think he was in the photo too, has anyone seen him this morning?"

"Perhaps he has overlaid? " says Rosa.

Sitting watching Viscount Exeter, she can't but help think his overbearing manner may do more harm than good when they visit the photographer. "Given our number, Lord Exeter, perhaps it would be better if just two us went to see the photographer? The others could visit the library - look through some old business directories or even some old newspapers to see if they can't find out a bit more about the family before we see Mr and Mrs Barton at lunchtime. What do you say? "

"Capital idea, darling!"

Exeter puts down his coffee cup with enthusiasm, surprisingly not spilling any of the content.


"I'm not much for those smelly photographer's places anyway, Pepe and I here will take a gander at the library and see what we can wink out of it and we'll meet you girls back here for lunch time. Perhaps your doctor friend will have gotten up by then."

Helen lets out a sigh of relief, then in order to cover the show of feelings, sips the last of her coffee, then makes a face,
"Yuk cold"
She waves at the waitress, "More coffee as soon as you are able darling"

Rosa is similarly relieved. For a moment she thought that Exeter was about to pair himself off with her while forcing his companion upon poor Helen.

She glances at the clock. "Would one of you gentlemen care to call on Dr. Laws to see if he is well?"

Waking up, all too soon to be fully recovered from last night, Laws decides to sleep in. The horrific dream, no - nightmare, has proven more disturbing than he wants to admit to himself. No plans for the day. Just another day away from work. Nu rush.
Doing as he has on may an occasion, Dr Laws lets the curtains remain drawn until the maid knocks to turn the bed. That is the plan.

The attempted sleep is interrupted by a knock on the door.

Groggily Laws wraps the linen around his waist and staggers to the door. Opens, shielding his face to the unwanted illumination from the corridor. "Yes?"

The young chambermaid is slightly flustered.

"Sorry Sir, I don't mean to disturb you. I thought all the guests were having breakfast. I'll come back later to do your room. Sorry again."

With that she scurries off down the hallway to change another room.

The waitress moves away to replenish the coffees, and as she does so the salesman is successful in getting her attention. She seems to quickly take an order from him, then moves to switch on the wireless on the dresser next to his table before returning to the kitchen.

Seeing the characters look at him, he calls across a good morning. "Hope you don't mind the good old Beeb. Always like to get an early morning update on the world's events!" Unfortunately, all you can hear coming from the set is more of the static you first noticed in the bar last night although the salesman seems unperturbed.

"Oh, not a problem," replies Rosa who is rather partial to the BBC herself. "The wireless could do with re-tuning though. The reception is rather poor."

The salesman gives Rosa a slightly quizzical look, then turns his attention to the coffee that's been brought to him by the waitress.

More guests start to come down for breakfast, and a younger girl appears to assist the by now slightly flustered and harassed waitress, but of Dr Laws there is still no sign.

Laws mutters as the maid leaves.

Laws thinking:   No point in postponing the inevitable...

He gets dressed,splashes some water in his face from a dresser bowl and pulls the curtains.

Laws thinking:   At least the weather is consistent.

Laws walks down the stairs, yet another time. At the breakfast tables he helps himself to some boiled eggs and a cup of tea. Seeing the patrons of last night minding their business he finds a seat and nods to the left and right with a surly expression.

Rosa looks at the salesman, then at the radio and back, puzzled by his apparent lack of concern about the tuning. "Is it just me," she says, turning to the others, "Or is their nothing but static coming from the wireless?"

She catches sight of Dr Laws and waves to him, although he doesn't look in a particularly good mood this morning.

His morning brightens up when Rosa waves at Laws. He takes the gesture as an invite and finds a seat near her. "What´s going on here then?" The tone is not on par with his surly manner - it´s neutral, positively lacking the good-morning-mannerisms expected from everyone and all on vacation.

"Pardon my lack of manners, miss. Not a wink since last night. Must be the rain..."

"You're not alone in lack of sleep," says Rosa, "I had a restless night too."

She takes a sip of her tea and continues. "We were discussing what to do about the photograph. The gentlemen are to visit the local library while Helen and I are to visit the local photographer. You're welcome to join either of us if you wish? Many hands and all that!".

Rosa glances at the radio irritably and looks around for the waitress.

Pedro looks at the radio annoyed by the noise. He tries to focus on the conversation that happens on the table.

— Mysteries and dark secrets of the past do not seem to be the best sleep aid. I understand the grief of all. Well, for me the night was quiet. Be easy to manage a search in a old library.

"I´ll accompany you ladies, of course." Laws smiles and decapitates an egg with a spoon.

"Smashing," beams Rosa. "I just know that if we all work together, we'll soon get to the bottom of this unpleasant business."

"I say, the quality of the BBC keeps decreasing, doesn't it? What rotten luck!", Exeter finishes his second coffee and lights another cigarette.

"Top of the morning to you, Doctor Laws, I trust you slept well? I had the most dashing dream about ritual sacrifice and all that hocus pocus! Must be last night's consternation!"

"Do you really think so, Lord Exeter?" replies Rosa. "I thought the feature on the ''Opping 'Olidays' was very interesting."

"Oh very droll, Rosy! Don't tell me you're into that bucolic idolisation shmarmy marmy! Honestly, the state of public broadcasting these days!"

Exeter crushes his cigarette in the ashtray and takes another sip from his coffee.

"It's Ros-ah," replies Rosa tartly. "Please do me the pleasure of getting my name right." There is a moment's awkward silence, then she gets up and moves over to the sideboard. She studies the dials on the wireless set and then turns the tuning knob to try to get a signal.

Exeter seems to blithely ignored Rosa's comment and rants on.

Oh yes, I remember when my brother Perry was reading archaeology at Oxford, you could at least tune in to a decent concerto. These days all you have to look out to if the shipping forecast.

Despite her best attempts, Rosa struggles to tune the radio to any station. As she tries, the salesman gets up from his table and walks over to join her.

"I say, do you mind tuning back to the news, I'd just like to hear the end of that piece on Czechoslokakia?"

"Oh I do apologise," says Rosa. "I don't seem to have had any luck. Please do tune it back to the programme you were listening to."

She stands to one side to allow the salesman to re-tune the radio, a kernel of suspicion growing in her mind.

The salesman smiles politely and steps up to the set. Adjusting the dial he aligns it with the 'BBC' marker on the display and spends a couple of seconds fine tuning it. He steps back beaming. "There you go. Thanks very much, awfully kind of you, and there's only a couple of minutes left. Feel free to tune it to whatever you want when the programme finishes".

All characters in the dining room except Pedro,Strange - it's still the case that all you can hear is static. Must be something wrong with this chap...

For Pedro only,You hear the BBC news, currently an item about India.

"How very odd," says Rosa returning to her seat. "He seems to be happy with the tuning but I can't hear anything but static." She looks around the room, trying to gauge if anyone else is having problems with the wireless.

Helen looks up at Rosa's question and looks around the room. She shrugs her shoulders and makes a face, then says in a whisper loud enough to carry to the entire room, "What else would one expect from this centre of inbred country oafs. Don't you agree Exy dahling? Perhaps that strange noise is Czechoslovakian or some other ridiculous foreign lingo."

She turns her head and smiles at Pedro, "What do you think?"

To Exeter, Laws says. "Not a wink, old chap."

A bit later at the radio, he says. "Soon, we'll see the Lady in white, right?" He steps away from the malfunctioning apparatus and pulls Rosa by the elbow. "We off to the photographers yet?"

"Once we've finished breakfast, Dr Laws," replies Rosa. She glances out of the window to see if the weather has changed. "I think I'll be needing my coat and headscarf as well."

Helen also glances out the window and sighs,

Helen thinking:   no change still bloody awful

Looking at her empty coffee cup she addresses the company at the table, "Well, that's breakfast done. So if you're ready Rosa dear, shall we be off? Who knows we may even find an establishment that provides decent coffee"


Once more she briefly glances out the window to the gloomy rain swept streets of Keswick. "However" she adds, again in that loud whisper, "I somehow doubt it"

Yes, well, it's bally obvious it' not Czechoslovakian, is it, Hels? If you'll pardon the expression and all. This whole situation is highly unusual!

Exeter seems to ruffle his feathers and peers out of the window from his chair.

"What an idea to travel North, Pepe old boy, we should have gone to the Guernsey!"

Helen bridles at the misuse of her name by the obnoxious Count, but lets it pass.
"Yes Exy dahling, I'm sure you would have been much better suited to Guernsey. Still you toddle off to the library I feel certain that you will find something to interest you there, a Beatrix Potter perhaps?"

Finishing her breakfast, Rosa says, "Shall we go and grab our things and meet back at the reception in ten minutes?"

Pedro seems distracted with something he hears.

— Excuse me ladies, I was hearing something that caught my attention.You want to go now? Would you want a vehicle to get around in the rain? I can give you a ride.

For Abdul Alhazred,I can spend a point of credit rating for owning a car or buy one?

"It's only a bit of rain and it probably isn't far," says Rosa briskly. "A stout pair of boots and an umbrella to keep the rain away and we'll be fine, won't we Helen?"

"Absolutely dear", says Helen aghast at the idea of being driven around by someone unused to British roads. "Give me a moment to grab my things and I'm ready"

With that Helen rushes from the table to reapear mi=oments later with a cream coloured raincoat, a headscarf, and a pair of wellington boots. Her Mother had told her to be prepared for the worst, and she had duly come prepared.

"Gosh, that was quick!" says Rosa herself only halfway upstairs as Helen reappears. "Just give me a mo'..."

Five minutes later, Rosa's back downstairs, dressed for the elements with her headscarf tied firmly in place and an umbrella rolled up under her arm. "Ready when you are," she smiles and holds open the door for Helen.

"Thank you my dear. I like to be well organised and have everything easily to hand" As she goes through the door Helen casualy scans the room to see if his lordship was still holding court and if the doctor was coming.
"I find it also pays to travel light with a minimum of baggage" as she utters the word 'baggage' she allows her eyes to settle on Exeter.

Exeter just about finishes his last breakfast cigarette, seemingly oblivious to any comments, and calls out to the waitress.

"I say, love, would you be a sport and arrange us a taxi to the library?"

"Are you joining us, Dr. Laws?" calls Rosa from the doorway.

The waitress looks across the dining room to Viscount Exeter and says "Certainly sir, although it is only a few minutes walk?" Well used to the pecadillos of some of the hotel's guests she doesn't wait for a reply before walking out to reception and asking them to arrange a taxi.

Returning to the dining room she lets Exeter know the taxi is on its way and will be outside shortly.

"Ah, excellent! I'll get my coat!"


Exeter gets up, brushes off his trousers and heads upstairs to get his coat and then goes to await his taxi.

After a few minutes the taxi trundles up outside the main entrance to the hotel. The driver, a man in his late 30's with deep scarring visible on one side of his face, winds down his window and calls out "Taxi for Viscount Exeter?"

Splendid! Happy hunting and toodles!

Exeter opens his umbrella and calls out to Pedro.


"Come along, Pepe, you've bored these ladies enough already, you old scoundrel you!"

Exeter then proceeds to get into the cab.

"What ho, old boy! To the library and it would be mighty nice if you conjured up some sun on the way as well!"

— Come on! I'm coming after you!

Pedro says going toward the taxi. Inside the vehicle he cleans the water that wet his clothes. He feels younger when facing a mystery!

Turning his head to face the two gents sitting in the back of the taxi, the driver replies "Don't s'pose that sun will be back till the spring now sir. The library is it? Just a couple of minutes then. Just the two of you?"

Exeter nods and takes out another cigarette.

"Yes, man, just Pepe and me! Take us away!"

The taxi pulls away and makes it's way through the wet, increasingly cold streets of Keswick. In what seems like no time at all the taxi slows, and the driver calls back "Here were are Sirs."

Looking out of the window Exeter and Pedro both spot walking along the street the dishevelled looking man they saw in the bar of the Blackstone Hotel last night. He looks even more unkempt, and decidedly wet, this morning.

Dr. Laws appeared not to have heard. "Oh, I'm sure he'll catch us up," says Rosa after a few moments, telling the waitress to ask him to join them when he could. Moving out from under the canopy over, she holds her hand out to check for rain, then puts up her umbrella.

"Shall we go?" she smiles at Helen.

"Lead on dear" replies Helen, putting on a show of bon-homie as encouragement for the younger woman. "No doubt the good doctor will follow when he's finished stuffing his face with sausages and bacon".

She watches as the taxi pulls away from the kerb its destination the library a few yards up the street.

Helen thinking:   Ahh how the rich live

"Ah, excellent! Top show, old bean!"

Exeter hands the man the appropriate fee and gets out under cover of his umbrella.

"I say, Peders, look there! It's that horrible creature from the other night! He looks even more dishevelled now! How wonderfully disgusting!"

Exeter doesn't pay the poor man any more attention and heads into the library.

Pedro exits the vehicle striding toward the library. He notes the odd man and has difficulty recognizing him. After a while he remembers and just nods his hand while fleeing from the rain and say:

— Good day. I hope things are better today.

(bzr101 playing as Jonesy)

Jonesy looks up at Pedro, nods his head in a small bowing gesture and states, G'day to you Sir! I'm doin well, but can always do with a job and some food. The weathers a bit better'n yesterday, but can always get better. Where you gents off to this morn'in?

"Do you want to share my umbrella?" Rosa asked Helen as they walked down the street in search of the photographers. "I'm surprised you didn't bring one - the weather's always a bit iffy up here."

For a moment Helen is caught unawares by Rosa's question.

Helen thinking:   Next she'll be wanting to link arms and skip through puddles.

"Thank you, but I have a particular hatred for umbrellas, almost lost an eye once to one" She turns her face up to the sky ignoring the patter of raindrops on her eyelids, "I really wasn't expecting this... Bloody countryside. Anyway the waitress said it was only a short walk to the photographers"
She gestures towards the taxi which has come to a halt outside a building plainly marked 'Public Library'
"Hardly worth the effort, still what can one expect of the decadent aristocracy in this day and age?"

— Would you like a temporary job? Pedro says to the boy looking messy.

— Follow me and take care of my coat and hat. I need to conduct a thorough search inside the library. Maybe you need to carry some books too, if you do not mind. He says that taking off his coat and hat and throwing it to the poor man.

(bzr101 playing as Jonesy)

Jonesy catches the hat and coat, then carefully folds the coat to prevent wrinkes. He smiles at Perdo and says, Thanks to you G'uvner,
Jonesy's me name! I'll do me best to be yur man, let me know when you want anythin done, I'll do it up right quick and right proper.

Rosa flushes and moves her umbrella away from Helen. Glancing down the street, she sees Pedro passing over his coat and hat and tuts disapprovingly. "They've press-ganged that poor man into carrying for them now!"

She shakes her head and sets off down the road towards the photographers. "Things never seem to change for the upper classes," she remarks.