Chapter 7: An Unexpected Visitor

[Mr. Handy]

"It doesn't sound like His Lordship's ghost could have been responsible," says Alexander. "I can't imagine him doing such a thing."

OOC,Occult roll (5% base skill) about the braided manes: [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Isolde,Isolde knows a ghost wouldn't be responsible. This phenomenon is associated with witches, or faeries.

[aine]

"It sounds like a witches knot. Witches braid the mane when casting a spell using knot magic. Which may be the case if there is a witch amongst the gypsies. Folklore also says that the knots are made by fairies. I rather believe the former though. Maybe the gypsies are still cursing the Allinghams or someone wants the gypsies to take the blame. Whichever, it isn't good news." Isolde shakes her head.

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, I agree with your conclusion," says Alexander.

[HoneyDog]

OOC,I'll begin two new subthreads for each group later.

[HoneyDog]

Isolde and Melody arrive back at Bargrove Manor before the men, who stagger in later, utterly exhausted. They are revitalized by hot baths and hot brandy, together with a fortifying lunch.

Intelligence gathered in the morning’s excursions is discussed, and plans are made, as the sky outside fades to a deep white, and the temperature continues to drop.

[aine]

Isolde concludes her account with, "So nobody at the church was too bothered by our activities. However, the village spokesman warned us repeatedly not to tamper with the stone and the Reverend was not even happy about us holding a seance at the stone- and yet no one will tell us why! It's so exasperating!" Isolde flings up her hands in disgust.
"Please tell me you had better luck." She says to the men.

[Philulhu]

”Not especially,” replied Captain FitzWilliam, wearily. ”Very much a statement of what we already know. They claim Hob’s Field is cursed, but we got little more than that from them.”

“The said that they had no hand in Lord Allingham’s death and the only other thing of note that they said was that the curse on the Allingham’s would not be lifted until an Allingham man repents for the actions of their ancestor.”

[Mr. Handy]

"They warned us off from the stone too," says Alexander, "but they wouldn't say why. How can an Allingham man repent when there are none left? Or are there? Perhaps we should look into recent family history. There could be a relative we didn't know of. Whoever he is, he'd have to have been born less than forty years ago."

[Philulhu]

”While the Allingham family survives, their is an option for a male heir,” replied Captain FitzWilliam. ”Lady Allingham is unlikely to have any more children unless she remarries, so that leaves Ursula’s progeny, if she has any.”

”Did we ever determine whether Walter and Charles Allingham had any offspring?”

[Mr. Handy]

"I don't recall even considering it before," says Alexander. "Anything is possible. Even if they had not been married, sometimes young men..." He clears his throat. "The Reverend would no doubt know if there were any children. He seems to know everything about everyone around here."

[Philulhu]

”Well, for God’s sake be discreet! If Lady Allingham gets wind of any hint that we thought her husband had been unfaithful or sired a child outside of marriage, she’d likely have us horsewhipped all the way back to London, even if it does mean the family curse is lifted!” said Captain FitzWilliam.

[Rooter]

"Wouldn't the servants be a more likely and convenient source of such gossip?" Percy suggests.

[aine]

"Perhaps Melody could ask the servants; they'd be unlikely to tell one of us for fear of their jobs. I could ask Rev. Shelbrook when I see him tomorrow. From what we learnt about the disposition of many of the Allingham men, I'd say there must be a fair few descendants on th other side of the blanket. However, doesn't the curse only affect the direct heirs?

I suppose Ursula must be safe, being female." Isolde sighs. "And now I'm having doubts about holding a seance tonight but I don't know what else we can do."

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's see what we can discover today," says Alexander. "Then we can decide what to do next based on what we learn. Melody would be ideally suited to talking to the servants. I shall consult the book I found on the Allingham family and see if we may have missed any out."

[aine]

I'll come with you to the library, Dr McKenzie. I never finished reading my book either. Plus that Allingham book might be worth a look.

Ooc,[quote]One is a slim, privately-printed leather-bound book entitled A History of Bargrove Parish, dating from 1750, and written by a Thomas Worthington. It seems to detail facts and legends about the area. The other is a thick, gilt-embossed book written by the late Charles Allingham while he was a student at Cambridge, and printed solely for the Allingham family. It is named The Allinghams of Bargrove Hall.[/quote]

[HoneyDog]

Melody spends the afternoon making discreet enquiries about the possibility of any other distant members of the Allingham family existing, but the servants haven’t heard of anything. It seems that there were only William, Amanda and Ursula.

Alexander and Isolde consult their books again, but learn nothing further than what they already know.

By the time they have finished, evening is drawing in, and outside, the moors are beginning to freeze over in the cold.

[Mr. Handy]

"It appears that Lady Amanda and Ursula are the last of the Allinghams, at least as far as we can tell," says Alexander.

[Philulhu]

”For now, at least,” replied Captain FitzWilliam. ”But at some point in the future, if either were to bear a male child...”

”So what do we intend to do?” he continued. ”Do we still plan to hold a seance in the field tonight?”

[aine]

"I'm happy to go ahead with it but we'd better go now before it gets dark. Hopefully the carriage is stocked and ready to go. We might find it's too cold but we can at least try. Let's meet in a quarter of an hour in the hall." Isolde stands up ready to leave.