Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter 3

[ewancummins]

The Terrace-

Denys says-

''No boneyard here- no. Poor Maggie is the only one who has died here.''

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

The Terrace

Dorgio enters the terrace amidst Benn and Denys' conversation of the dead girl, and any chance he had of having an appetite for is solidly buried. "Yes, the girl," Dorgio says, pulling up a seat. "Did she have any family, any who would have called on her since she passed on?" In his mind, he turns over a grisly possibility of exhuming the girl's body, but to what end? So little made sense, and yet there was less than a full day to put the pieces together before the night came, and with it whatever had attacked Everline.

[ewancummins]

The Terrace

Dorgio enters the terrace amidst Benn and Denys' conversation of the dead girl, and any chance he had of having an appetite for is solidly buried. "Yes, the girl," Dorgio says, pulling up a seat. "Did she have any family, any who would have called on her since she passed on?" In his mind, he turns over a grisly possibility of exhuming the girl's body, but to what end? So little made sense, and yet there was less than a full day to put the pieces together before the night came, and with it whatever had attacked Everline.

"No, she was an orphan."

He pauses, his face creased with sorrow.

"I hadn't planned on hiring anyone younger than eighteen or nineteen- and preferably older than that. Children remind me of the daughter I lost. But this girl, Maggie, she was alone, and her contract-holder would have sent her to scrub floors in a Pont-a -Museau brothel. I think we all know how that would have ended. I couldn't help it- I had to buy her indenture. You understand, I'm sure."

Denys finishes his tea and eats a finger sandwich; quince jelly on rye bread.

"I'm sorry I don't know more about what happened to Maggie, Dorgio, Benn. She seemed perfectly healthy, and then she simply died. Whatever it was that killed her, her face was fixed in a look of terror. What scared her...we may never know. Maggie can't answer our questions now."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio pours a cup of tea for himself, and for once resists the urge to supplement it from his flask. "Yes, better a life here than in the brothels. But tell me, Denys, what if there were a way to contact spirit? It is...not a thing I enjoy doing, but it may be worth it to learn the poor girl's fate, and to make sure none others are in danger."

He may not enjoy invoking that particular prayer, but he'd certainly made use of it. He thinks back to his rage-filled days after Evie's death, when he'd stalk the streets of Pont and beyond, hunting down the killers of women. More than once he'd performed the ritual and made the corpses of the murderers to talk, to learn more of what drove them in their madness.

But that as a long time ago. At least it seems that way to Dorgio.

"Speaking of spirits," he continues, careful to not soak his mustache as he sips his tea, "This is something dwelling in the chapel ruins, it may be a undead thing. We have plans to purge it as soon as we can."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Tragic, most tragic," says Primeiro after Denys' description of Maggie's death. "Perhaps she had some defect in her heart at birth. I know of such occurrences. The person may live a normal, happy life for years, and then..." He lets the sentence trail off. He meets Bennedict's and Dorgio's gazes with a doubtful look.

"Speaking of spirits," he continues, careful to not soak his mustache as he sips his tea, "This is something dwelling in the chapel ruins, it may be a undead thing. We have plans to purge it as soon as we can."

Primeiro seems a little surprised at Dorgio's directness, but he simply watches Denys' face to see his reaction.

[ewancummins]

Denys frowns.
"What, now? You say there's some sort of ghost in the abbey? And you want to use necromancy to speak with Maggie??"
He lowers his voice,
"If you think it necessary to protect the innocent...Alright, do it-- but you must do it in secret. None of the servants must know anything about it. Go to her grave at night. "

[Adam]

Benn points with a crescent roll. "You may rest assured that we will be as discrete as we can. The last thing we want is to overturn your operation here. If there is a threat here, we need to make sure and deal with it before guests start to arrive." He sets the roll down on his plate, wiping his hands on a cloth napkin. "I was going to wait to be more discrete, but since we are laying cards out on the table, I was speaking with a member of the staff last evening. She had said that Maggie was having night terrors prior to her death. It is probably superstition, but the girl seemed to think that it had something to do with her room. Some dark spirit dwelled there, preying on the girl, and ultimately leading to her death." He shrugs. "It may be that dealing with the spirit in the ruins may also correct the danger here in the house, whatever that may be."

[Ail]

Eustace gets to the terrace at last, with a gray and almost tired look. He arrives just in time to hear Benn speak of Maggie's room. He greets Denys Sancerre and the other guests at the table, nodding to them.

"Say, Benn, if that is true, it might be interesting to check Maggie's room. Ms Denys, would you mind if we checked it out later on?"

Then he approaches Benn and says non-chalantly: "Everline is feeling better now, and she will come up for breakfast, but she did ask for Charlotte to help her with her dresses. Something about the right choice to wear, women's things, I'm sure."

[ewancummins]

"Maggie's room- yes. She shared it with another girl. It's a closet in the servant's area now. Of course you can look it over when you like. "

Denys refills his own tea cup from the kettle, after he does the same for anyone else nearby who wishes more tea.

"The abbey ruins--yes, it sounds to me as if you'd better take a second look. If you want to do that before more guests arrive, you had better go soon. I expect the next ship to arrive within a couple of days, perhaps even tomorrow morning. That depends on the wind."

[steveflam]

Everline's room

As Eustace leaves, Juergin arrives. Entering, he tells her "Benn was not in his room, Miss Everline. Hey, everybody left? Left you, in your state, alone?" The lad frowns for a moment, unsure as to why everyone has left her alone. "Do you want anything? I can get you hot water drawn for a nice bath. I am sure there are some things that can be put in the bath to sooth some of your aches and pains. Oils and lotions. Sometimes my Mama uses them to relax in her bath."

[ewancummins]

The Terrace-

Then he approaches Benn and says non-chalantly: "Everline is feeling better now, and she will come up for breakfast, but she did ask for Charlotte to help her with her dresses. Something about the right choice to wear, women's things, I'm sure."

Charlotte rises, Jonas in her arms.
"I'm going to help Everline. I'll be back soon."
She leans over and kisses her husband on the cheek, then heads for the stairs...


Everline's Room-
Juergin pushes the door open to find Everline dressed in worn traveler’s clothing, her long chestnut hair a mess of knots and stray locks. Without her fancy clothes and careful coiffure, she looks like a frightened (if grimly determined) girl, and not a proper Dementlieuse lady. She might only be fifteen or sixteen years old, to look at her.

The girl doesn't seem to notice Juergin's presence-- not until he speaks.

[RocEter]

The Terrace.

Thom arrives shortly after Charlotte leaves. He split ways after his brief conversation with Dorgio, taking a detoured route the terrace, for his own reason. Thom grabs himself a few rolls and some tea and finds himself a seat, he gives every one a slight nod of his head before sitting down and starts eating.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Maggie's room- yes. She shared it with another girl. It's a closet in the servant's area now. Of course you can look it over when you like. "

Denys refills his own tea cup from the kettle, after he does the same for anyone else nearby who wishes more tea.

"The abbey ruins--yes, it sounds to me as if you'd better take a second look. If you want to do that before more guests arrive, you had better go soon. I expect the next ship to arrive within a couple of days, perhaps even tomorrow morning. That depends on the wind."

"I'll be happy to accompany someone back to the ruins, gentlemen," says Primeiro to his fellow guests after Charlotte leaves. "I don't like to leave a mess behind. I have little experience in fighting spirits or shadowy creatures, however. Those with whom I've crossed swords have been a little more... fleshy."

He smiles amiably at Thom as the man takes a seat at the table. It's as though their disagreement of yesterday has already been forgotten, or at least dismissed.

[Adam]

Benn's eyes narrow at Everline needing Charlotte's assistance. "What happened to Frauleine Everline anyways? Surely she is capable of handling a simple illness?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline starts slightly when Juergin speaks, and when she turns around her hand goes for the morningstar once again. She refrains from actually loosening it from her belt this time, however, and just gives Juergin an odd look.

"The big man with the horrible drink called you a 'wild child of the sea'," Everline says. "It seems to me that you are more domesticated than you've been letting on. It's not such a bad thing, I hasten to add."