Chapter 4: Day Two

[Philulhu]

OOC,OK, I’ve amended my original post.

Having gone around the shelves again, Vic was no further forward. She was hot and bothered and was seriously contemplating going to find a lake and going for a swim, although she suspected Mr. Forby and his brother-in-law would probably not approve.

Fanning her brow, she wandered back through to the dining room, where Dr. Campbell was examining the fireplace. ”Are you having any luck?” she enquired.

[Mephistophilis]

A little unsettled by Fred's warning Harry thanks him and heads past the mausoleum and through the trees to take a look at the quarry. He is pleased to be outside on such a hot day but still finds himself sweating uncomfortably in the sun.

[aine]

"Houses like this always have ghosts but often the ghosts are very secretive." Isolde replies and then drops her voice. "oo, yes please." She whispers conspiritorially.

[Mr. Handy]

"Not yet," says Alexander. "I'm certain there's nothing hidden in this fireplace, but at least I've eliminated it. I'll just have to move on to the next one."

[HoneyDog]

OOC,We'll have to finish up Isolde's and Harry's stories before lunch.

George looks around to check that they’re not being watched, and then beckons for Isolde to follow. He leads her out the back door and heads towards the stables, making sure that they are not seen.

Once inside, George heads beyond the stalls containing the horses and brings Isolde to a small cage, containing a ferret.

“I trapped him” George says earnestly. “I want to be a doctor when I grow up, so I’m learning about anatomy through dissection. When I get over this cold, I’ll operate.”

He turns to Isolde. “I can’t get rid of this cold. I think Mother might confine me to bed again. If that happens, could you feed him for me? Fred is supposed to, but he’s old and he forgets.”


Harry sweats freely as he tramps through the undergrowth. The spinney has been left to go wild and it is tiring in the extreme heat. Still, the sound of the birds and insects is soothing.

Harry,Roll Spot Hidden.

[Mephistophilis]

Harry Spot Hidden: 60%,[dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Harry,After a while, Harry arrives at the site of the quarry. As Fred describes, it is clearly a dangerous spot, and Harry is well-advised to stay clear of the quarry edges. This is not a spot one would want to visit in the darkness. Adjacent is what looks like a hut which is in a bad state of disrepair, almost overgrown by vegetation. Apart from this, there is no signs of life or of recent usage.

[Mephistophilis]

After much scrabbling and sweating Harry arrives at the edge of the quarry. He peers gingerly over the steep edge and quickly backs away. He sits on a rock for a moment and mops his brow. Taking out his pocket watch he sees it is nearly lunchtime. As he turns to leave he notices a tumbledown hut off to the side of the quarry. 'No point coming all this way and not taking a look' he mumbles to himself and starts to investigate among the encroaching weeds.

[HoneyDog]

Harry,Harry enters the doorway of the hut. It is in very bad repair, and as he looks around in the gloom, it is obvious that this place was abandoned a long time ago. [ooc]Roll Spot Hidden.[/ooc]

[Mephistophilis]

Harry Spot Hidden: 60%,[dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

Isolde wrinkles her nose at the smell of caged ferret. "Er, well caught." She says lamely but she's met with worse in her years as a governess. "What does he like to eat, George? Worms? Or is he more a bread-and-milk kind of fellow?"

[HoneyDog]

Harry,Harry can make something out in the corner of the hut, a heap of cloth or something. Looking closer, it seems to be a burlap sack, fashioned to fit over a torso. He also uncovers a hideous mask, with a pair of jutting fangs, and mud-covered animal-skin paws made to fit over human hands. [ooc]Roll Natural History[/ooc]

Isolde,“Worms!” George says happily. “Oh, thanks awfully!” “George!” comes a call from outside. “It’s lunchtime soon! Where are you?” “I’d better go” says George “See you later!” He scampers away.

[Mephistophilis]

Harry Natural History: 10%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

Harry pauses to roughly sketch what he sees. He lightly handles the mask to investigate what it is made from and returns it to its resting place. He tries to cover up any signs he was there and turns to return to the house glancing warily about him on the trek back.

[HoneyDog]

The hot and tired investigators meet again in the dining room. George has developed the sniffles and is warned that after lunch he will be confined to his room. At hearing this, he casts a meaningful look at Isolde.

Lunch is again a simple and unappetizing fare. The invalid Forby, who is looking paler and more withdrawn than before, is fed liver, much to his dismay. He also expresses his distaste for the lack of progress on the part of the investigators, reserving particular ire for Alexander.

“Dash it man! What am I paying you for? Are you making a fool of me?”

His eyes look feverish. The others family members try not to meet his gaze.

Halfway through the meal, a very sweaty and tired Harry appears.

[Mephistophilis]

'My apologies' says Harry, 'I became a little sidetracked down by the quarry'. He looks around the room to see if there is any reaction to this from Forby, his family, or any staff in the room such as Bates.

OOC,If there are no staff in the room Harry will casually slide his notepad over to Forby and ask him if he recognises any of the items he has drawn. If there are staff he will wait until they have left the room.

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   Bates is in the room, as is Gertrude, Forby and George.

Harry's announcement stirs no reaction from anyone.

"Please be seated, sir" Bates tells him.

[Mephistophilis]

'How have the investigations been going?' asks Harry.

[Philulhu]

Vic glanced warily at Forby before she spoke. ”I’m still going through the books in the library but I haven’t found anything yet.”

[Mephistophilis]

'How about you Dr Campbell? says Harry. 'After luncheon I have a little task I would appreciate your assistance with. Then I thought I might investigate the carriage house, stable, and dairy unless anyone else has already taken a look?'

Harry decided that he would talk to Alexander after the meal about what he had found at the quarry. Now did not seem like the time to tip off anyone else in the house about his discovery until he had the chance to show his sketches to Mr Forby in private.