Chapter 7: An Unexpected Visitor

[Rooter]

OOC,Percy will patrol the upstairs hallway.

[Philulhu]

OOC,FitzWilliam will cover the stairway and surrounding rooms, as last time.

[HoneyDog]

The companions take up their positions for the night, as the cold takes over the house. It is quiet again as the servants and family are snug in their beds, only our heroes are braving the cold.

As Isolde is patrolling the corridors, exchanging a word with FitzWillliam, they both hear what sounds like a loud giggling coming from the library.

Isolde & FitzWilliam,Roll Listen.

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam stopped as he heard the noise and listened carefully.

OOC,Listen (25%) [dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

Isolde stops with her hand on the Captain's arm. She whispers,"You go, I'll keep watch for anyone in the corridor; or people trying to escape." She mutters under her breath.

Listen 25%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam nodded briskly, then moved up to the door and opened it sharply. He stepped into the library and said, ”Who’s there?! Show yourself!”

[HoneyDog]

Isolde,There is something strange about the quality of the voice – high-pitched but guttural. Isolde might wonder if it comes from a human mouth…

There is no answer to FitzWilliam’s challenge. In the corner, there is the sound which furniture makes when it scrapes across the floor.

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam crossed the room quickly, in the direction of the corner. ”This has gone on long enough!” he snapped. ”Come out at once!”

[aine]

Isolde keeps her thoughts to herself for the moment and waits patiently in the shadows, watching and listening as an idea formulates in her mind.

[HoneyDog]

Silence greets FitzWilliam again. As Isolde waits, she sees a small shadowy figure disappear out the door.

[aine]

Isolde follows it as quietly as she can.

[HoneyDog]

Isolde rushes to the corridor, but whatever caused the shadow is gone. As she stands, scanning the corridor, there is a loud crash from the direction of the study. In the quiet of the night, it must be audible all over the house.

[Philulhu]

Captain FitzWilliam heard the crash but quickly decided to ignore it and moved up to the corner of the room, to see had made the scraping noise.

[aine]

"Not again!" Thinks Isolde as she hurries to the study.

[Rooter]

Percy also hurries to the study on hearing the crash.

[HoneyDog]

FitzWilliam seizes upon the area where the noise came from. His heart beating, he pulls back a chair – making an identical scraping sound – but there is nothing there.

Isolde and Percy rush to the study. They burst in and look around.

Although the room is ill-lit by their lanterns and the faint moonlight seeping through the curtains, they are able to see the source of the noise. The portrait of Sir William, which had hung above the fireplace, has been removed and now is upside-down in the ashes of the fire. The heavy oak frame is smashed; obviously the source of the noise.

The face of Sir William seems to be obscured by something.

[Mr. Handy]

Alexander races to the study. "The one time I don't have my vigil in the study..." he mutters under his breath.

[Rooter]

Percy moves to the fireplace and carefully examines the face of the painting.

[HoneyDog]

The investigators are soon joined by members of the household staff, including Josephine and the butler, Howard. Shivering in the cold, they regard the fallen portrait silently.

Percy stoops and examines the painting more closely. Gingerly touching the dark form obscuring the features of Sir William, he holds his fingers up to the light so that he can see better.

Percy,Percy is fairly certain that it is blood.

[aine]

"Please, everyone else stand back. Let the captain examine it first. Can anyone see anything else odd in the room?" Isolde commands. She takes a small crystal on a silver chain from her pocket and starts to slowly pace the room with the crystal dangling from her fingers. She watches it intently.