Book the Second, Chapter the Fourth: A Domestic Quarrel

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Mais oui, Madame Highdark," Vincent remarks, frowning. "I have previously detected a, how do you say, malign presence in zis part of ze house underground. I think for ze safety of ze young mademoiselle I at least should examine zis pool before ze couple arrive, non?"

"I see no reason for concern," Lady Highdark responds, "However, if you wish to make such an excursion, I shall take advantage of your errand. Wait here a moment, please."

She rushes out of the room, only to return a moment later with her arms full of peacock feathers, dried flowers, and such items.

"I task you to place these within the Hermit's Cave in an artistic manner, trusting to your Gallic instinct for such matters," she says, filling Vincent's arms, will-I nill-I, with the motley collection of decorative furbelows and geegaws. "Hurry, now, whilst I prepare Georgina for her wedding night!"

(Whether this refers to aid in dressing and styling her hair, or in supplying motherly advice, remains an unanswered question, as she draws Georgina aside for private consultation, leaving Vincent carrying his burden.)

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Lepus mutters the lines of prose to himself, but it's meaning eludes him for now. He shows the paper to Henry.

"Mayhap an aspiring poet, yesno? You say the finger patterns match our mysterious tamperer? Must be the lady then..."

Casting impropriety aside (not that such things matter to the wanderer), Lepus inspects the women's clothing and accoutrements, looking for any signs of identification (labels, hair strands on brushes etc.). He also checks the size of the clothes, in case he can match them with any females he has encountered in the household.

There are no inscriptions to found upon the various items of feminine vanity, this not being common save when such are gifts from a wealthy lover; in this instance, the objects seem to be of modest value, and appear to have been used for some period of time, as if they were in the possession of the female in question before being stored in this peculiar room. As for the size of clothing, they suggest someone of average height and slender girth. There are a few strands of light brown hair to be found within a brush. Thus far, said clues do not reveal the exact identity of any particular person, as they might belong to any one of several servant girls, to name only one possibility. (Surely it is not unknown for Master and Maid to play the ago-old game of seduction, one against the other, although it is not often easy to tell who has the upper hand.) They do, however, eliminate the female members of the family, all of whom possess much darker hair, as well as, for example, Miss Ravenscroft, who is much taller than the clothing would indicate, and who is crowned with tresses the color of a raven's wing.

Spoiler:

Having elected to retain possession of the walking stick for now, add one to your Perversity.
You will also become somewhat shorter of temper.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Quite," Henry replies to Lepus. "We shall soon unmask her. We'll get samples from everyone in this house soon enough. It's only a matter of time." He looks around to see if there's a writing desk or something similar.

There is indeed such an article of furnishing, equipped with paper, ink, and quills.

[jp1885]

"Pah!"

Lepus tosses an item of clothing aside, hissing with disappointment.

"There be nothing of use among these rags!" He turns to Henry. "Hast thou precious 'science' told thee anything?"

[Rooter]

Meeting the capitaine in passing, Vincent hurriedly explains his errand to the cave should the soldier elect to accompany him.

[SunlessNick]

William will go with Vincent, offering also to share the unwieldy collection of burdens that have been imposed on him.

[Mr. Handy]

"Science takes time," says Henry. He begins to search the writing desk. "Perhaps there is more written down than just the poem."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

A careful search of a few crumpled sheets of paper left on the writing desk reveals only some lines of romantic poesy, much scratched out and rewritten, seemingly left behind by one not very skilled in the arts of Erato. The author frequently compares the object of desire with Ceres, in a rather clumsy manner. There are also one or two metaphors relating the writer to one being instructed in the ways of love by another more experienced, although these are less than fully developed.


___________________________________________________________________________

William and Vincent, like supplicants of Hymenaeum, carry their festive burden from the manor home, past the tennis court, the rose garden, and the Temple of Cotytto, to the secluded Grotto Pool. By walking along the deep blue waters, spring-fed from unknown depths and sheltered from above by an overlay of moss-laden granite cliffs, one passes beyond to the so-called Hermit's Cave. This proves to be a small recess, floored with surprisingly dry, soft sand, compared to the wet, rocky ground found in other nearby areas. Traces of fires, long burned out, provide evidence of previous occupation. It is a place where one or two persons might withdraw from the elements and spend some time in relative comfort. Currently there is a supply of bread, cheese, and sweet wine provided for the expected newlyweds, as well as pillows and blankets of a type normally made use of by the servant class. Clearly someone has prepared, well in advance, for the happy couple.

[jp1885]

Snatching some of the sheets of poetry from Henry's hands, Lepus peers at the doggrel.

"'tis nought but the mewlings of a babe!" he spits. "There be nothing of interest here - let us away!"

Without waiting for his comrades, Gypsy stalks towards the wall, impeded somewhat by his limp.

[SunlessNick]

"I must concede the appeal of this place to a romantic soul," says William. "But for your other purpose here, is there anything i can do to assist you in your examination, or is it best that I merely remain quiet while you concentrate?"

[Mr. Handy]

Henry goes with Lepus and leaves the sealed room. "Ever since you acquired that stick," he says, "I've noticed that you are behaving more and more like its former owner. You are even limping like he did. You didn't do that before."

[jp1885]

"'tis nothing!" Lepus snaps. "Thou nags like an old woman - leave me be!"

He clutches the stick to his chest.

[Rooter]

"I am not sure, Capitaine," Vincent replies at the Hermit's Cave. "It is ze waters I am thinking of, and ze evil thing underground. We will arrange Madame Highdark's feathers like a Paris boudoir, non?" While doing this he mutters an incantation to Detect Evil.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The magician's spell reveals that the waters are very weakly contaminated by a source of evil, which lies at a great distance, but is not actively present in the Grotto itself.

Not much later, a procession of the younger and more personable of the female servants, dressed for the occasion in what our more romantic artists imagine to be the wear of ancient Greeks, leads the newly wed couple to the Grotto, where they are presented with many good wishes. The party of attendants then dashes away, with many a giggle and jesting word.

The bride and groom thanks the two gentlemen for their gracious aid in decorating the Grotto.

______________________________________________________________________________

After all have passed back out of the sealed room, it will be quite apparent that Lepus has not only acquired a limp and a foul temper, but is most reluctant to part with the walking stick, clutching it to himself as if it were a treasure of great value.

By the time a full investigation of the room has taken place, the ongoing collection of finger marks has yielded its intended information; to wit, that the heretofore unknown markings belong to Miss Rye, governess to the young twins.

[jp1885]

Leaning heavily on the stick, Lepus spits at the mention of Miss Rye's name.

"Gah! We are fools for not seeing it sooner! The woman goes about as would a ghost - unnoticed, unheeded and vengeful! A mistress for the poor crippled heir yet ignored and unloved!"

He harrumps, tapping the stick noisily on the floor and glaring balefully at the assembled company.

"Idiots the lot of us! Catch her we must, before she realises she is exposed!"

[SunlessNick]

OOC:   Presuming William and Vincent are reunited with the rest of the company:

"Indeed we must. Much makes sense in light of this revelation," says WIlliam. "Then we must decide what to do with this walking stick." He proceeds to relate the change that took place in Harold once he lost the stick - now evidenced by the reverse having befallen Lepus.

[Mr. Handy]

"We must take care when confronting her," says Henry, "lest she escape. She too may be able to pass through walls, though she does not own the stick. She could have simply touched it when the young man owned it to enter the secret chamber, or she may have her own means of doing so. We should also look into the origins of the stick and see if there is a way of lifting the curse that accompanies it."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

These matters require some thought and precaution, it being best to retire for the evening and meditate upon the best manner in which to confront the heretofore unremarkable Miss Rye. (That personage is, of course, easy to locate during daylight hours, the twins being under her care all the while.)

A few days pass. It being a truism that one cannot subsist on love alone, eventually Georgina and Henry return to the manor house, in evident high spirits. Lady Highdark takes occasion to draw her eldest daughter into seclusion for private conversation, from which she returns with a smile and Georgina with a fetching blush upon her cheeks. As if to steer the thoughts of the assembled guests away from speculation concerning their discussion, she raises the subject, apparently apropos of nothing in particular, of dreams.

"Do you believe," she inquires of all, "that dreams are premonitions of future events, clouded in such manner as the prophecies of the Pythoness?"

"Rot," Lord Highdark remarks, rather bluntly. "More likely the product of ill-prepared victuals."

"Perhaps," she continues, "but Georgina relates a most curious dream she had last night. It seemed as if a great, dark, storm-riven ocean wave grew out of the ground, inundating Highdark Hall and all within its walls. Am I not correct, my dear?"

"Yes, Mama," Georgina replies. "I was most frightened, silly girl that I am, but Henry was able to comfort my childish imaginings." The pair gaze into each other eyes with obvious affection.

[jp1885]

The happy nuptuals pass Lepus by; such romantics meaning nothing to the increasingly grouchy fellow.

However, at the mention of portentious dreams, he snorts a mirthless laugh.

"Why is it that clever men, when presented with such things, reason like idiots? There be a lake of evil under the house - 'tis only a matter of time before it rises."

When his comrades speak of the stick, he clutches it defensively.

"Dost thou think old Lepus does not know what this is doing to him? Did he not ask yon dunderheads to take the stick off him? But nay, they let him keep it."

"Old Lepus sees it clearly, so he does. Thou would have me walk through strongroom walls and steal for you, yesno? Then thou wouldst let the poor gypsy take the blame!"

[SunlessNick]

"If you've asked to be relieved of it," says William, "give it to me now. We can take turns with it as necessary until a more permanent solution can be found."

Regarding the dreams, he says, "I am not a man to believe in preternatural portents. Yet I have seen many peculiar things of late, and it is not in the nature of a soldier to disregard warnings."