Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Two

[ewancummins]

"I say," Everline says, her tone of voice very mild. "Didn't some of your other guests say they were going to explore the old abbey? I should hope they thought to bring their umbrellas..."

Denys replies,"Yes, the men all tramped off to the ruins. Melmoth will look after them, I'm sure. Now, why don't we get back to the chateau?"

[ewancummins]

After waiting in a cave mouth for the brief, but violent, downpour to cease, the excursionists return to the chateau. The track is muddy, but the party reaches the great house shortly before sundown.

Now, as the shades of night draw down, any guests who care to eat are gathered in the dining hall.


Denys is not present. Neither is Dorgio's female companion.

The hall (the same one in which the party had luncheon earlier) is well-lit by candles, and a balmy sea-breeze flits through the open windows.

Servants bring in bowls of fish soup, plates of crabcakes, and baskets stuffed with baguettes.

[Ken of Ghastria]

After a change of clothes and a few minutes to freshen up, Primeiro sits down to eat. "I was going to hold off on dinner until more scholarly matters had been attended to," he says, "but the call of these crabcakes is impossible to resist." He takes a bite and savors it for several seconds, as though trying to absorb and memorize every sensation. "Excellent," he says simply.

Now moving on to the white wine, he says to Everline, "Mademoiselle Vaughn, how was your excursion to the highly touted baths? Was it as thrilling as our trip to the abbey ruins?"

__________________________________________
If Rock has Everline being somewhere else for dinner, I'll revise the post.

[steveflam]

Juergin changes and heads down to the dining hall. Grabbing a plate of food, he says to anyone listening. "I am goink to deiner library to read. See you later."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline is most definitely at dinner. She is vocally present when Juergin makes his statement: "Young man! A poor upbringing is no excuse for poor manners. The meal of the evening is sacrosanct, so sit down and eat your dinner in company like a civilized human being, or so help me, I will arrange for you to receive a long overdue spanking."

Having spoken, Everline turns to her fish soup, and raises an eyebrow at Primeiro's question. "Oh? Was there some excitement at the old Abbey? I had a lovely tour of the baths; a very fey place, well worth visiting."

[steveflam]

Juergin turns and looks right at Everline, eyes narrowing "You, Mein Frau, are not my mother. I will eat in the library. Secondly, do not lay a hand on me, is dat understood?" He turns and walks away with the plate in his hand.

[steveflam]

Juergin exits the diniing hall and heads for the library. Once there, he sits in a chair and eats. As he eats, he talks to himself in a low voice, then stops and finishes his meal. He places his plate on a table and walks over to a panel of books. His search takes a few minutes and he removes a book from a shelf and sits in a chair. Concentrating, he opens it and begins reading.

[PathOfDreams]

Though he was one of the first to arrive for dinner, by the time he takes his seat at the banquet, Petrie is far from the lanquid self he was before his jaunt to the ruins. It is apparent to him, and perhaps to most others, that his liquor has worn itself free of his mind. Though he does not eat rapidly, the shear amount consumed would choke the finest of war steeds. One would think, to witness his feast, that he had never tasted the bounties of the sea, or that he was not actually an accomplished fisherman and diver.

Petrie is quiet through the meal as it is difficult to be understood with entire crab cakes in one's maw. Upon finishing his second mounding plate, he reaches for the newly opened bottle of peat liquor and swaths from it deeply.

Sitting back in his chair he observes the verbal tussle between the sailor boy and the rather upright woman, Everline. "You know lass..." he offers in a calm demeanor, "It seems that wee lad there doesn't care for your definition of manners, and rightly I can't blame 'im. Juergin's a wild boy o' the sea, and I imagine shortly, wif 'is experiences, 'e'll become a wild man. Might be best to stay on 'is short list of friends. We aren't all from the upper reaches my dear."

Petrie offers his bottle of peat whiskey to any who'd have it, "Now this 'ere... this'll make ya think you're from heaven. Please try some everyone, 'fore it's down my gullet."

[Ail]

Eustace is happy to arrive to the manor without further incident, and goes to his bedroom to clean up. He comes down in a fresh suit of clothes to enjoy the dinner. This is usually his favourite part of the day.

At table, he looks bemused at the crabcakes, something he had never seen before. He tries them a little doubtful, gives them two bites and then eats one entirely.

Politely, he says:

"They're good, a little strange but good. I think it'll take some time until I get used, so I'll just take another one."


As Juergin gets up to flee to the library, Eustace says
"Ah, my boy, it may be your way of living life, but if you were in MY library, I certainly would not allow you to go in and eat there. After all, it would be MY books and they are not to be handle by dirty, greased hands. Have you any idea how precious a single book is, how long it takes to copy a single one of them?!"

He blushes a bit as he is powerless to prevent the boy from going. Then he turns to Everline.

"Yes, those ruins are unfortunately more interesting than we thought at first. We will have to return in the morning, as there is some danger there, some disembodied spirit that we need to banish as soon as possible. We were not prepared to do it today, alas, so we'll return as soon as possible tomorrow. Wouldn't that perhaps be interesting to your readers? May be no need to tell Mr Sancerre, though."

[ewancummins]

In the book room


Juergin has opened a printed bestiary. The pages are illustrated with woodcuts of the animals or monsters described in the short entries.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Upon returning, Dorgio takes a few minutes to enjoy a cigarillo and splash cold water onto his face before joining the rest at dinner. He is in truth unsurprised to find Eliana absent from the dinner--and the captain as well. But it being unsurprising does little to salve the sting to the priest's pride, so he quickly sets to pouring a mug of wine. Mindful of his companions' suggestion that he cut back on his drinking, he adds a finger or so of water to the mix.

Despite his relative temperance, he can't help but laugh at the row between Everline and the boy. "I wasn't so different when I was his age."

"But now that we are settled down, Eustace, you had been saying something of the inscription at the temple? What was it saying?"

He gladly takes the bottle from Petrie, and forgetting his attempts at moderation takes a great slug from the bottle. "Burn out my eyes, it's like drinking a swamp!"

[steveflam]

In the book room


Juergin has opened a printed bestiary. The pages are illustrated with woodcuts of the animals or monsters described in the short entries.

The lad peruses the book as he eats, being quite careful not to get the pages dirty as Eustace mentioned to him. He makes ample use of the napkins he took from the dining room, two in fact. Once his meal is terminated, he puts the book back exactly where he found it. Taking a closer look at the library now, he tries to discern if the books are placed alphabetically, by topic or however else they might be placed.

[Adam]

As Bennedict returns with the group, he anxiously excuses himself, turning and rapidly returning to his quarters to check on Charlotte and his son.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Yes, those ruins are unfortunately more interesting than we thought at first. We will have to return in the morning, as there is some danger there, some disembodied spirit that we need to banish as soon as possible. We were not prepared to do it today, alas, so we'll return as soon as possible tomorrow. Wouldn't that perhaps be interesting to your readers? May be no need to tell Mr Sancerre, though."

"Some danger indeed," says Primeiro with a rueful smile. He turns his head to show Everline a nasty scrape against his jaw and cheekbone. "The footing is, ah, precarious in spots."

He gladly takes the bottle from Petrie, and forgetting his attempts at moderation takes a great slug from the bottle. "Burn out my eyes, it's like drinking a swamp!"

"May I?" He then takes the bottle from Dorgio, sniffs it, pours some into an empty glass, and quickly swigs it down. His eyes bulge for a moment. Then he smiles broadly and says, "Ezra's bones, Petrie! That's pure poison. Magnificent, my fellow! You must have the constitution of a wild boar!"

[ewancummins]

BENN'S ROOM

As Bennedict returns with the group, he anxiously excuses himself, turning and rapidly returning to his quarters to check on Charlotte and his son.

Benn finds Charlotte in their shared guest room, bathing young Jonas in a copper basin.
The black-haired beauty looks up from her task and smiles at Benn as he enters the room.


"Benn, darling, how was the trip to the ruins? Lots of fun?"