Quiet Country People

[Dip]

Archibald followed the little Kinsley and got himself the tea. He sat himself down in the chair, and used one of the cubes that the girl had given him as a treat for little Lyall. He slipped it in his pocket, and almost let a smile play across his face as he felt the little mouse squirm around his coat. Soon he put two cubes in his glass, and nervously sipped from the cup. He looked around and inspected the 'mess' she talked about. Then, she talked of the twins, and he looked over back to her. He instantly looked down, into his smoldering tea.

"I assumed so... I just learned of their birthday this morning, to tell the truth. I-I completely forgot a present. Do you mind, or at all implore me to not, if I made a quick one up?" He asked, but it wasn't long till they switched topics and they were on the topic of last night. He put the cup down, and looked at his red hands. He looked at Eliza, and sighed. "No good," He answered.

"No good is happening here, Elizabeth. No good at all. Everything about last night... I'm not too sure myself about what has been real or not, to be honest. " He sighed. "The butterflies... Those butterflies... Oh hell, those retched things! They killed themselves, landing on the paper, I tell you. They knocked me right onto my back!" He hastily looked from side to side, and he motioned Eliza to meet him halfway on the table. He leaned in, and whispered to her, "If I were you, Eliza, I'd tell your family about what had happened... It isn't safe here. You're, what, fourteen? Thirteen? You have a long life ahead of you, no matter the state you're in now."

He sighed, and put his face in his hands. "Awful things are happening here... They're getting worse. So very, very worse..." Archibald paused, and looked up. "Uh... Has... H-Has a horse, by any chance, been... killed? Last night? I had a terrible dream... Well, I presume it's a dream... I sure do hope it's one..." He shook his head. "No matter, no matter, I'm just a little off my rocker today. Can you believe it's been years since I left my abode? I can hardly believe it myself..."

 

[Banana-senpai]

The white cat immediately caught the twins interest. Leanne greeted it with a happy little "Ohh hello!" momentarily forgetting that they were being led to the parsonage. They were reminded immediately when Mr. Weston told them to make themselves at home.

They exchanged that characteristically identical nervous glance of theirs, realizing that the prospect of having tea must have led them there. They hadn't had breakfast and they can never refuse tea, even if it was with someone they didn't know whether or not to trust.

The parson left them there and they stood awkwardly hand in hand for a moment. "I think he's still making fire." Allen said, peeking a little into the other room.

"Oh Allen, we have to go. We really must." Leanne said, holding Allen's hand in both of hers. "Mr. Weston is a nice man but I just can't tell what he's thinking. It's disturbing me."

"I know, I know." Allen said, trying to soothe Leanne by caressing her shoulder. "It's not very nice to just leave; he invited us after all. We owe him an apology, so..." Allen shrugged. "Don't worry, mother will want us back quickly by the look of things."

Leanne pouted uncertainly and surveyed the room for a moment as if afraid there will be a strange occurrence again. "Well, this place doesn't seem too peculiar."

It was quaint and cozy, in their opinion. Before they knew it, they were wandering about, tinkering with things and remembering to put them back at the right places and in the right positions. They had developed that skill from stealing keys from their mother when they were children. No door would be left unopened.

"I didn't know Mr. Weston had a brother..." Allen began, picking up a letter. It was unfinished, the penmanship was tidy and there were no stray ink blots.

"Allen, look at this." Leanne gasped. "Why would Mr. Weston have a rapier?"

"Maybe it's not his?" Allen said, peering at the said object. He wanted very much to pick it up. Test it and swing it and whatnot. Seems like Leanne wanted to pick it up too, she carefully reached for it. "Don't!" Allen said immediately, pulling her away.

"Why not? You certainly looked like you want to hold it, too." She huffed impatiently. Allen shook his head. "If he uses that, he's bound to polish it. He'll see prints."

She sighed deeply. "Oh look at us, Lenny. It's our twentieth birthday and we're spending it here." She sat at the edge of the table and folded her arms. Allen knew she was mostly being fussy because they were both hungry and she wasn't quite ready to be out and about after the events the day before. Add to the fact they still didn't feel comfortable around the parson.

"It will be alright, Lily." He said consolingly, taking Leanne by the hand and waist, leading her to the big chair by the fireplace. He sat down and let her sit on his lap. "We'll have our own little celebration later."

Leanne put her head on Allen's shoulder and sighed again. "I'm not so sure about the Fairy Pond."

"Somewhere else then." Allen said gently. Leann lifted her head so their eyes met. He smiled softly and caressed her cheek. "We're getting pretty close to freedom, don't you think?"

Leanne smiled slowly, her cheeks flushed from the thought. She nodded. Allen pulled her face closer and-

Footsteps.

"Here we are." Mr. Weston said as he reentered the parlor and began serving tea.

Leanne was on the chair and Allen was on his feet. "Thank you Mr. Weston."

"Yes, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Weston." Leanne said, taking a calming sip. "I hope you enjoy the little present, too."

"That jam is one of those Leanne makes." Allen said, again sounding quite proud and fond.

"It was?" Leanne said, turning to her twin who nodded after a sip. "I noticed the jar. Mother stores them, you know. And they go well with her pastries."

 

[Falcon]

Henry smiled as he listened to the sounds of the twins poking around as he prepared the tea. They may think they were being careful, But Henry had listened to enough people poke around his place in an attempt to learn about him that he knew what the noises meant, if not what it meant they were looking at. He was shocked, however, to find that when he returned with the tea tray it looked as though nothing had been touched at all. The twins were sitting and standing as if they had been in those spots the entire time. Henry very carefully did not try to analyze the looks on their faces to see if he could find a trace of guilt. They were guests and it was their birthday. There was no point in embarrassing them over the expected snooping. Besides, he had told them to make themselves at home. Most people were simply too polite to take advantage of that phrase.

"That jam is one of those Leanne makes."
"It was?"
"I noticed the jar. Mother stores them, you know. And they go well with her pastries."

"I'm sure it will be wonderful," Henry replied, as he moved to bring two much simpler chairs closer so he and Allen could have a place to sit. "I'm afraid the biscuits aren't up to your usual standards," he started uncovering a small plate of the food in question, "But I hope they will satisfy your hunger for a little while at least." He was too polite to mention he had heard one of their stomachs growling earlier. "If you're returning to town I can show you to the baker's shop. The Martin's have a wonderful talent for the craft so I'm sure you can find a much more satisfactory breakfast there if you so desire."

The biscuits he offered them were cooked very nicely, not a touch of burn on them, but they had obviously been cooked the day before and were rather bland. Henry had probably neglected to add the salt. Henry knew well that his cooking was serviceable at best, but generally he was the only one who ever ate it. He was also hoping that since it had been mentioned that Leanne enjoyed baking she would find a friend, or at least someone to talk too, in Mrs. Martin who was one of the few women he knew who could be genuinely warm, friendly and talkative, without also being a gossip. He was also hoping that a trip there might also eat into the time Mrs. Kingsley's note had asked him to buy for her so she could finish the birthday preparations.

 

[IceChateau777]

Dwynwyn McKinley, green

Dwynwyn woke up to some caterwauls of joy in the other room. What a night, she thought. Out of all of these days, how would she be able to have her fun here, in a place like this? Scuffling out of the bed, she rubbed her fatigued eyes. Sleeping in was not like Dwyn at this time of day, nor at this time of night--whatever the time was. Her short, red hair was in a bun for the night. She could smell something sweet from afar, and she was sure she had to get it. Whatever the occasion was, Dwyn was missing out!

Her eyes grew wide with sudden horror, and she zipped out of her bed. Dwyn had forgotten to mend up her bed, and she certainly forgot to remove her night gown. She was a stewardess, not some kind of defiant maid! Oh, she had to know what was going on, lest the children run like silly geese. Dwyn stumbled out of that room and into the hallway, where she could tell there was something going on. No wonder what Eliza would be doing!

She had to get up quick, for time was running out of her hands. Her shoulder-length hair looked a kitty's masterpiece. And then, something crossed her mind: loud noises, succulent aromas, children beaming with delight, and the creaks of the door. It took little to realize there was an event going without her!

Paisley slept with her the night before. Dwyn took a peek into the room, and she saw Paisley's bed made up. Feeling ashamed, the woman stormed back in her room, just to do the same. As she told Eliza, "An unkempt room makes an unkempt lady!" She thought the child was off to meet friends. 'Now where could that girl be?' The Irish Woman muttered, teasing at her hair. Dwyn had that faint smell of coagulated sweat from the night's slumber, so she figured it would do better to wash up.

 

[Midian]

Eliza shook her head at Archie's suggestion to tell her family.
"They would not believe me, any of us. Mama only believes in what she can see and while we still follow the Lord... She doesn't have a lot of time for anything else in the realm of belief. Do you think anyone would believe us except the people who were there? Or do the people here know about these kinds of things? I do not want people to think I'm crazy, and yet... I need to talk about these things to know that they weren't dreams. How did you know about the horses? One was killed last night, and it... Oh, it was just awful to see. Something just... slaughtered that poor horse. Are we in danger from it,Archie? But even if so... My family will not leave, so I suppose we will have to make the best of it. And I'm a little older than thirteen, thank you. I'm sixteen."

She cleared away their tea and nodded thoughtfully, putting a little milk in a saucer for David.
"As for a gift, if you have an idea of what to make for them, please let me know if I can help you?" she asked.
"I'm sure Leanne will enjoy any gift you make her, though. I believe she is rather taken with you, and wherever she goes Allen follows. Are there any supplies I can get you to work with? The watercolors, or something else...?"

Once Archie had given her the list she returned shortly with the supplies, setting them out before him and then sitting down curiously to watch.

 

[Mundane Monster]

She was in the middle of dusting the entire house as Isabella had ordered her to, when she began to have a vicious sneezing fit. With each breath came a sneeze and after a particularly brutish one, Pippa decided to take a break. After all, Isabella had been disappointed that she'd run about with concern for her own safety. She couldn't be upset if Pippa stopped dusting due to her health. Besides, Pippa was only going out for a bit of fresh air, and then she would race back inside and continue her tireless labor.

Except it was so nice outside. The sun was out and shining bright on her pale skin, and the dirt felt nice between her toes. It would truly be a waste to step outside with no intention of celebrating nature's good gifts. Glancing about and seeing none of her siblings, Pippa took a few hasty steps onto the road in front of her home. "I'm just going to walk about the property." The girl said to herself and began to walk, her arms swinging gaily by her sides.

By the time she was halfway around the manor, Pippa was ready to return to work. But not inside. Isabella had never given her a particular order in which to do things, she had just told her to do it. So Pippa could go and feed the pigs whilst still basking in the outdoor air. Of course she had to put on some boots though. There was a limit to what she would squish between her toes.

"Lunch time piggies!" Pippa called and the drove stampeded towards her, screeching and squealing the entire way. As she swung the slop bucket over to the feeding trough, a couple of piglets began to jump excitedly, demanding for food. "Alright, alright, just wait a second you silly beasts." Pippa laughed as she readied to dump the food. But before a drop could even fall, she heard a soft whistling from behind her. Rolling her eyes she shrugged it off. It was probably one of her brothers mocking her for having to do all the chores. Dumping the entire bucket into the trough, Pippa gave one of the sows a gentle pat, turned to go inside, then stopped dead in her tracks.

A butterfly. A blue one to be exact. She was about to lunge forward and try to catch the thing, when suddenly the pigs began to panic and started jostling the fence and trying to mow it down. A large crack sounded through the pen as the fence broke, and a pink and brown piglet named Mud Slug raced out, and dove into the bushes beside the manor.

Pippa let out a shriek of despair, and dashed after the piglet after pushing a crate in front of the broken part of the fence.

"Mud Slug get back here!" The girl yelled, diving head first into the bushes after the pig.

 

[Banana-senpai]

Biscuits are food, no matter how bland and whatnot. Allen is a breakfast man and he is hungry, so he thanked the parson again and gratefully ate as served. Leanne was intent with a few nibbles and a glance every so often to her brother, the parson and to his interesting mix of belongings.

Even though they were unsure of Mr. Weston's thoughts or if he had any hidden motives, they decided to follow him to the bakeshop he mentioned. Leanne wanted to learn a little more after all and neither Mrs. Kingsley nor Allen actually gave her the space to speak with bakers (or most other people for that matter). Besides, she had wordlessly "entrusted" Mr. Weston to Allen and he was brimming with questions to ask. Some of these questions were from true curiosity and the others were mostly to try and understand how Mr. Weston thinks. They want to know if he can be trusted.

"Are you good friends with the Martins, Mr. Weston?" Allen asked, but he wasn't exactly waiting for a reply. "I suppose you are. Leanne is happily baking with them, don't you think?" He sighed deeply, tuned in to every movement and expression of the parson, but looking truly troubled by something. "Mother doesn't want her to bake often, saying it's not fitting of her. I honestly don't understand. It makes her happy to bake and it doesn't do anyone harm. If that is so, shouldn't she do what she loves?" He observed Leanne from afar with a longing look in his eyes.

 

[Falcon]

The bakery was a rather large stone building in the center of town. The front room was filled with shelves of a wide variety of baked goods and the back housed several large ovens and a scrubbed wood table among the other things the bakers needed. Henry had never paid much attention to the craft. He was just thinking of slipping away when Mr. Kingsley drew his attention with a series of questions.

"Are you good friends with the Martins, Mr. Weston?" Allen asked, but he wasn't exactly waiting for a reply. "I suppose you are. Leanne is happily baking with them, don't you think?"
"Mother doesn't want her to bake often, saying it's not fitting of her. I honestly don't understand. It makes her happy to bake and it doesn't do anyone harm. If that is so, shouldn't she do what she loves?"

Henry was on the verge of giving a simple answer when he remembered who he was talking to. A young man, new to the country, and just on the beginnings of discovering what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. There was something about the question that, to Henry, seemed to ask something else. So He pause for a moment, and he prayed. Not out loud or for long, just a quick request for wisdom and the right words that could not be twisted, before he finally spoke.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Kingsley, that I cannot give you a direct answer without a clear understanding of both the context and all the parties involved with what you are asking.
"On the surface one might say that baking is good and harms no one, but let us say instead that a person spends all their time baking and never speaks to another, could it not then be called unhealthy? And just because a thing is pleasurable or enjoyable does not make it right. Are not thieves happy when they count their loot? What is beneficial for one may not be at all healthy for another, and what harms no one might instead harm one's own soul. Baking may very well be an innocent and enjoyable activity, but I am acquainted with neither the minds of your Mother or your sister. It may simply be that your mother wished your sister to spend more time out of doors, or perhaps she felt there was something else being neglected. There is always a greater picture to be considered, Mr. Kingsley, in all things. If something consumes our thoughts and time at the cost of all else it would be advisable to step back and reset our priorities. As our Lord says in Matthew six, twenty-one "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Henry paused and smiled at Allen. There was a twinkle in his eye that said quite plainly he meant no ill will towards anyone by his answer and had only wanted to make the younger man think and consider all points of view. A moment later he continued. "But I have known the Martins as long as I have lived here and they have always shown themselves to to be good, loving, kind, hardworking, God fearing people and I personally see nothing wrong in any friendship between your families. In fact I recommend it. There is no social circle to fear offending here." He watched for a moment and then bowed out. "If you will excuse me, I have business to attend to."

A moment later he had left the shop and was walking speedily up the lane, taking a farmer's cart path to short cut across several fields, and towards the Kingsley manor. He would arrive there some fifteen minutes before the twins.

 

[Midian]

Eliza watched Archie put together the twin's presents and sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the window. It didn't seem that there would be too many people to talk to about these odd goings-on, even if the townspeople did know about them. Apparently silence was golden when it came to anything to do with nature. Kept out of house and out of mouth was the policy, although Mr. Weston had been very friendly and helpful them. Eliza supposed, on some level, he had to because he was the parson, but he was also a kind man in general, it seemed.

She bent and picked David up, tucking him under her chin and cuddling him close. The little kitten had long resigned himself to his fate of being loved on and petted, so he allowed himself to drape bonelessly over her arm. The scritches under his chin were certainly nice, and as she did he purred loudly. Sometimes he wondered what had become of the hat man with the other cat, but mostly David's days were full of food and belly rubs.

However, his mistress seemed to see someone coming up outside because, against her chest, he felt her heart thump as she began to hurry back towards the front door. His little striped bottom swung in her arms as she made it to the front door, draping him over her shoulder to open the door.
"Mr. Weston, please come in! Everything is almost ready, and Mama wanted me to thank you for keeping Allen and Leanne busy in town. We very much appreciate it. Here, would you like some tea? Say hello, David! Isn't he getting just so big? He's getting absolutely spoiled, yes he is!"

She kissed David on the nose and set him free, leading Mr. Weston into the drawing room with Archie.
"How long do we have until they arrive?

---

[hr/]

Mud Slug had bolted into the countryside, soon leading Pippa into complete wilderness. She could no longer see her house or the pig, but now the morning had become grey and dim. Mist crept up around her ankles like shady fingers and suddenly, from behind, there was a loud 'crack', as if a branch broke. Turning brought her face to face with a young girl about her age wearing a dirty, tattered white dress. Her dark hair was poorly plaited and her eyes looked like they had been replaced with hammered gold, giving them a rather fly-like appearance.
"An ugly little Stonewall. Tell me, have you grown gills yet, you filthy creature?" she asked, pushing Pippa backwards. The grin that spread across her face was gleefully cruel, and she advanced on the young girl, her dirty fingers twitching in anticipation.

 

[Dip]

Archibald had worked diligently on the piece for the twins. He had decided to paint a portrait of the two, as he thought fit. He pasted a small smile on Leanne's lips, and a smirk on the other's. Sure, it was mildly inappropriate to be smiling in a picture in those times-- Archie himself had never done so-- but he saw it fit the two better than a stone-faced composure. He sketched, re-sketched, drew out, re-drew, and sketched again. By the time Mr. Weston had come over, he had finished the piece's outlines, and he very simply needed to fill the twins in with color and draw the landscape.

Every so often he reached over for a cup of tea, and every so often he felt little Lyall stretch. Oh, he did hope that nothing would interrupt the creature's rest. The last thing he needed was to run around after a mouse. He signed, put down the pencil, and nervously took a sugar cube. He placed it in his pocket, so it may keep the animal at bay for a bit. After he did so, he sipped his tea and went back to a silent work.

As he drew the background aimlessly, he found himself transfixed on the pencil in his hand. His hand moved involuntarily, and he didn't have any means to stop it. Archie continued this action for a long time, really. He hadn't been thinking. After he had set down the cup and picked up the pencil, it was just him drawing and drawing and drawing. He only snapped out of it when Mr. Weston shared his concern with him. Archie believed he said something about the way he didn't blink for quite some time, and he asked if he needed some water or such.

Archie blinked-- mostly for his concern, and looked over at The Parson. He bashfully put down the pencil, and apologized. "M-My apologies, Parson... I'm... I'm not entirely in the right mind this morning. But no matter of me, oh no sir, how are you?" Archie changed the subject as quickly as he could. "Would you, uh... Would you care for some-some tea? I'm sure there's enough left for plenty more cups of the brew... Oh, I'm talking up the room again, aren't I? Forgive me, Parson, it's been so long since I've been among folk... Common or not, it's good to be talking."

Archie stopped talking, and looked down at the drawing. Well, he had put in his two-cents of his visiting. No more for him this morning, he decided. Oh, he missed his home.

 

[Falcon]

Henry was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at the Kingsley household to be greeted by Eliza with the kitten draped over one shoulder. That meant his gift had been accepted by at least one member of the family, and of that he was glad.

"Mr. Weston, please come in! Everything is almost ready, and Mama wanted me to thank you for keeping Allen and Leanne busy in town. We very much appreciate it. Here, would you like some tea? Say hello, David! Isn't he getting just so big? He's getting absolutely spoiled, yes he is!"

With a smile he reached out to scratch the little animals ears with one hand as he removed his hat with the other and stepped inside.

"How long do we have until they arrive?"

"Provided they have not found my shortcut and walk at a normal pace, my best guess is about fifteen minutes." Henry answered with a smile.

A moment later he looked across the room to where Archie sat sketching at a table. "Are you all right Mr. Angstrom?" he asked as he approached. "You look like you're about to fall asleep with your eyes wide open."

"M-My apologies, Parson... I'm... I'm not entirely in the right mind this morning. But no matter of me, oh no sir, how are you?" Archie changed the subject as quickly as he could. "Would you, uh... Would you care for some-some tea? I'm sure there's enough left for plenty more cups of the brew... Oh, I'm talking up the room again, aren't I? Forgive me, Parson, it's been so long since I've been among folk... Common or not, it's good to be talking."

"Relax, Mr. Angstrom," Henry smiled as he pulled out a chair for Elisa so she could sit if she so desired and then settled into another close by where he could chat. "I don't bite. And for someone who I believe has not been outside his own home for a number of years, you are doing quite well. I believe the Kingsley family has been quite good for you, have they not? As for myself, I am well this morning. Thank you for asking."

 

[Mundane Monster]

Pippa had absolutely no idea what the nasty looking girl was talking about; Gills? What gills? She wasn't a fish or some tangle monster! And what did she think she was, pushing her like that? No one did that and got away with it without losing a clump of hair! Pippa advanced quickly with the intent of grasping the hideous girl's hair and tearing it from her scalp, but her smile stopped her. As soon as Pippa saw it, she was reminded of how a cat looks right before it claws someone to pieces.

It took a lot to scare Pippa, but this girl was doing it so well. She was creepy through and through. No normal person smiled like that. And Pippa would know because she wasn't a normal person either. But this girl was more than abnormal and freakish, something about her was eerie and horrifying.

To her own surprise, Pippa took three hasty steps backwards, and tripped over a stray root. She fell hard on her bottom, and wasted no time scrambling backwards.

"Go away!" She yelled, grabbing a handful of dirt and hurling at the thing. As soon as she heard the clumps fall she grabbed another handful and another, lobbing them in the general direction of the girl, and managing to scrambled to her feet. "I'll claw your eyes out!" She shrieked her nostrils flaring as fear induced adrenaline coursed through her veins.

 

[Midian]

"I'll claw your eyes out!"
"Oh, kind of like this?" the girl sneered, slipping both index fingers into her eye sockets and popping out her eyes.
"You and your friends need to stop poking around in the country. You're all going to get torn to bits, and that's just more enjoyment than I can bear," she said, grinning and wobbling her eyes on her fingertips.
"It might kill me, again. Of course, the first time is always the hardest, so why don't I help you get over the hump, huh?" she asked, ignoring the clods of dirt that were passing harmlessly through her. As she closed in on Pippa, however, the crack of a whip and creak of a wagon startled her. Through the thick mist they could make out a hulking form and a much smaller one riding in the wagon and the girl huffed, popping her eyes back into her face.
"Who wants to deal with them, anyway? Ugh."

The girl vanished right as the cart broke through the mist, leaving only the two and Pippa.

---

[hr/]

Eliza smiled as Mr. Weston petted David and gladly sat down in the chair he had offered her, putting David in her lap and stroking him as the two men talked. A servant hurried in with the tea and sat it down with a clatter, hurrying out just as quickly. Eliza sprang to serve the tea, bumping into Archie as she did so.
"Oh goodness, I'm very sorry Mr. Angstrom! Here, you both as guests, let me. Really, I have been feeling so much better since-- Well, since those butterflies, strangely enough," she said, lowering her voice. She glanced at Mr. Weston as though to confirm that he seemed to remember and understand what she meant.
"I meant to tell you, Mr. Weston, if you let Cat out at night, please be careful. One of our horses was attacked last night and-- and killed. I would hate to see that happen to anything else."

It wasn't long before the twins arrived and were ushered into the main parlor to be surprised with the cake and their favorite foods as well as the guests and presents. Eliza enjoyed seeing them receive their presents and food, smiling from her customary place in the corner as Mrs. Kingsley somehow kept Archie and Mr. Weston herded near Leanne. As the party wound down and the guests departed for home Eliza retreated upstairs, tired from the unused-to company. She collapsed over her bed and lay David on her stomach before she drifted off to sleep.

When morning came again Mr. Weston found that his front door appeared to be rather stuck, something outside apparently lying against it and holding it shut. When he finally managed to get outside through another opening, he found Eliza Kingsley lying against the door in her sleeping gown, feet dirty, bare, and blistered and skin damply chilled from the night air.

 

[Falcon]

When Henry left the house that morning for his customary walk up Taylor's hill to watch the sunrise, he found his front door barred from the outside.

"Don't worry, Cat," he told the anxious feline, who'd been yowling at the door, patiently, "I'll bet the roots of the black berry bush just got over excited again. This'll be what, the fourth time in six months?" It was with a leisurely attitude that he tucked his Bible under his arm and exited out the back intending to leave the roots alone until he had returned from his walk. It wasn't until he came around front intending to join up to the main path that he realized how mistaken he'd been. Eliza Kingsley lay against his door, in her nightdress of all things, feet bare and blistered.

He rushed to her side and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she was only asleep, though he couldn't seem to wake her, and given her condition and the cold and damp of the morning he determined it would be best to get her indoors. It was extremely fortunate that it was still early, he mused and he picked her up and eased the door open using his elbow to work the latch. Otherwise someone might have seen and both their reputations would be shot. As things stood even if the truth were known it still would not be entirely proper for a man in his position to carry an unconscious girl into his home. Maybe if he were fifteen years older, or had a wife and children of his own, or perhaps if she were in daywear and not her nightdress . . .

There was another problem Henry mused as he lay her down on the sofa, adjusted a pillow beneath her head, and covered her with a blanket in the best form of decency he could manage. As the parsonage was situated outside of town he had no near neighbors of which to go to for help, and he could hardly just take her home in her current state without first informing the family and requesting a decent change of clothing. Neither did he feel comfortable leaving her along for the length of time it would take to do so, or have anyone to send a message with who could be trusted not to start rumors. But at the same time it wasn't strictly proper for him to stay either, yet, if she was going to be found outside an unrelated man's house at least the parsonage was reputable. He also considered sending a message for a Doctor, but without knowing what had happened, that too could damage her reputation. Best to get her home and let her and her family decide what was best to be done, the fewer people who knew a thing the less chance for rumor. Besides, if it were only a case of sleepwalking the least he could do was spare her any chance of embarrassment.

He frowned for a moment, and turned to stir up the fire to heat the room before he remembered that one of the village women had brought him a bag of clothing to give away to the needy. Perhaps there was something that would fit Eliza in there . . . and come to think of it she might just barely get away with dressing up in his clothing for the walk back. No one would think anything of two men walking along to road, though that wasn't strictly appropriate either . . . Henry felt a sudden pang as he realized he was more than willing to keep this little fiasco a secret between himself and the Kingsley family, or even just himself and her parents.

He turned then to tap lightly on her cheeks in a second attempt to wake her. Eliza Kingsley should have some say in how she got home again, whether she could walk or if a carriage should be sent for, and if for some reason he did need to leave her and fetch a doctor or cart he wanted to at least be sure she knew where she was and was not afraid to be left alone.

"Miss. Eliza? Miss. Eliza, I need you to wake up. Do you know where you are? Do you know how you got here?"

Cat jumped up onto the sofa and settled atop Eliza's feet

 

[Kura]

"Gy! Gy jou eediot. Joor going to hit a hole in the road if joo aren't careful. Ze last ting I need is for our child of a Monsieur to whine about 'aving to buy a new cart." A low rumbling noise followed the shrill sound of the Lovelace Maid's voice, and Bibi quickly snarked back in return. "Yes, vell, next time joo are needing someone to feex joor suit because joor hulking body cannot easily be contained, joo should no more look for me! I - Oh! Stop ze cart! STOP EET."

Bibi stood as soon as she was able to see Pippa through the mist, throwing a hand into Gy's face and causing him to swerve a bit before the cart finally came to a stop beside the child. The French woman quickly smoothed her skirt, and without a word Gy immediately stood and took her hand to help her down.

"Are you alright, child? Joo look as if you have seen a ghost." Bibi exclaimed, offering Pippa a hand. Gy could be seen in the background checking the surrounding area for what may have frightened the girl, returning to stand directly behind Bibi when nothing was found.

 

[Midian]

On the couch Eliza didn't stir for quite some time, and she might have been feared dead were it not for her regular and easy breathing. Every now and then her eyes could be seen flickering under the delicate lids as though she were dreaming, but it wasn't until Cat settled on her feet that she groaned softly and took a deeper, awakening breath. Her eyes fluttered open as would be befitting of the heroine of any romantic tale, and slowly they focused on Henry. For a moment she looked at him placidly, as one does when waking up and seeing familiar surroundings, but the next moment he saw the harsh spark of realization behind them and she jumped up, only to wince and gasp at landing on the raw and wet blisters. She sat again, hastily, and wrapped her arms around herself.
"How did I come to be here?!" she asked, pitiful with alarm and fear. When it didn't seem as though Mr. Weston intended to harm her, or knew any better than she did how she'd made it to the parsonage, she drew the blanket around her and absently petted Cat, staring at the floor.
"I-I'm so sorry, Mr. Weston. I know this will cause a great deal of trouble for the both of us, and I-- If I had had any intentions at all in coming here, I certainly wouldn't have intended that. The only thing I remember is going to sleep in my own bed, and then..."

She trailed off, seeming to try to remember.
"There was someone else, a-- a woman. That's all I can remember, I'm sorry. I don't know how to get home. I cannot walk with my feet done so badly. If-- If I could borrow some clothes, perhaps we could ride very quickly to my home? I doubt anyone except are awake, and I could get to my bedroom without trouble for either of us. I don't mean to make you feel dishonest or-- or anything like that, but who would believe nothing untoward happened? Like that room, I don't think people are going to believe the things that have happened to us."

---

[hr/]
Meanwhile, at the Lovelace Estate, Mssr. Lovelace went over the guest list again. He'd given the invitations to Bibi to distribute and had tried to compose the list so that it didn't look like he was only inviting nubile young countrywomen. To that end he'd tried to mix some families and bachelors in there, going so far as to invite the young Angstrom man in the hopes that the little shut-in wouldn't come. He'd also invited all of the new Kingsley family, hearing it was largely made up of women, and he'd even invited a few of the older Stonewall girls. It was only three days until the party, and he was looking forward to it as much as he looked forward to anything. He'd even sent an invitation to the parson in Brighton just to up his male count, although he doubted anyone of the clergy would come around more than once.[/hr]

 

[Mundane Monster]

After a moment of hesitation, Pippa took the strange sounding woman's hand. She stole a few glances--Well, she stared openly at the hulking man behind the woman, and decided right then and there that she liked him. Maybe even more than the man with the pretty hair. Err--His hair. Not the man.

"I'm fine." Pippa stated quickly. She most definitely wasn't going to admit that she'd been frightened. What would the woman think of her then? She would think that Pippa was a weak little fool who clung to her mother's skirts and cowered before the slightest breeze! Wiping the dirt from her hands and really only succeeding in smearing it, Pippa crossed her arms and let out a little 'hmph!'

"I was acting!" She said loudly and stared off into the distance. "I was only pretending to be scared but really I was practicing for a role!" She had taken that excuse from one of her younger sisters who, whenever she was caught looking like a dolt, she would claim that she was acting. No one ever really believed her but it seemed to make her feel better. Normally Pippa would have just kicked the woman or bark at her, but she wanted to be the big man's friend and she doubted he would like her if she kicked his friend--Or lover.

 

[Falcon]

"I would never suggest dishonestly myself," Henry answered, "but perhaps it would be best if we could get you home unseen and avoid any awkward questions." He rose to his feet, keeping his eyes polity on Cat. "If you do not believe you are in need of a doctor then I will go and ready the cart while you dress. There may be something in here that with fit you," he handed her the bag of random hand-me-down clothing, and reached above the sofa to insure that all the curtains were tightly closed.
"The parsonage is fortunate enough to have use of a mule that is perfectly suited to the pulling of a cart, though she does take a while to catch and hitch up . . . I'll knock before I return just to be sure you're ready."

He left Eliza then and took his time about hitching the mule to the cart. When he checked his pocket watch, hastily hiding it in his waist coat when done, he noted that twenty minutes had passed. Henry made a point of knocking heavily on his own door when he returned, waiting for Eliza to give him permission before he entered.
A short time later he had gotten her settled in the cart and was driving them both along the shortest way he knew of to the Kingley's manor. So far it seemed they were lucky, the only souls they had seen being a couple of cows and a stray dog.

 

[Banana-senpai]

Art, like music and pastries, relax the twins. They stood together, admiring the portrait Archie gave them which Allen displayed in Leanne's room. They talked for a while, but they were exhausted from having to deal with a lot of people at the party. They often kept to themselves, making them a little weary when in crowds. They slept beside each other, forgetting to even pull the sheets on themselves, much less to change.

They did have time to clean up in the morning before their mother noticed that they were in the same room. They have gotten very good at sneaking about, specially in situations like these. It was quite early and she can no longer get back to sleep, so Leanne decided to wake Eliza up. She liked to be the one to brush Eliza's hair or so they can choose matching dresses.

"Eliza?" she called out, knocking on her sister's door. She came in, knowing that it usually takes more than that to wake Eliza up.

She stopped, seeing that Eliza's bed was messed but empty.

"Leanne. Good morning," Allen greeted from behind, giving her a one-armed hug. He looked over to Eliza's bed. "Come on, have Eliza ready, let's all have breakfast together.

"She isn't here. Wasn't she downstairs already?" Leanne said in confusion, but there was a cold weight in her stomach that told her something was wrong. A little meow from somewhere near Allen's feet alarmed her. David looked up at the twins innocently.

"No, I didn't see her down there, I figured you two would be doing your morning routine together or something." Allen picked up the cat and caressed its fur.

"Allen, I think she's missing." Leanne said hoarsely.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Isn't that the parson?" Allen said to Leanne as they rode together on Joseph. Allen pulled on the reigns, making the horse stop for a moment. "He's heading this way, isn't he?"

"Allen-oh-that's-Eliza!" Leanne called out, waving. She tried to get off the horse in haste, but Allen told her to hold on as he let Joseph run. He stopped by the cart, quite alarmed that Mr. Weston had Eliza. "What happened here?"

"Eliza! Where have you-oh my goodness!" Leanne was off Joseph in seconds and was beside the cart at once.

 

[Midian]

Eliza did her best to get the hand-me-down dress to fit, tucking and tying as much as she could before Mr. Weston knocked on the door.
"I'm dressed!" she called, making a few last-second smooths to the bodice before he came in. Her hair was still wavy and messy from her rough pillow of foliage, and still indeed contained a leaf stuck in there that she seemed to be unaware of. Even though the dress was the smallest he'd had, it was still too large for her, her slipshod fixes notwithstanding. One side of the dress had crept across her shoulder almost to the edge of it. She tried to adjust it, but then the front sagged down too far and she hastily yanked it to the side again.
"I suppose we should go before we waste any more time," she said, her voice trembling a little with nervousness. Eliza was desperate for the incident not to get back to her family and to just be able to slip inside unnoticed. It also made her exceedingly nervous to be alone with anything that wasn't female or Archie. Not that she didn't trust Henry not to be a gentleman. He was the parson, after all, and surely parsons did not have the same inclination to sin as others.

Getting into the cart proved a little difficult since the dress was too long for her, but Eliza tucked part of the skirt under her arm and managed to climb in, sitting on the buckboard and trying to rearrange her skirt. As they drove into the countryside she was quiet, her hands folded in her lap as she looked around at the misty hills rolling by. After a time she tucked a little hair behind her ear and smiled over at him.
"Thank you for doing this even though it could've caused you trouble. I really appreciate not having to walk home again."

However, they soon came upon the twins and Henry could see Eliza almost physically trying to sink through the seat of the cart and down into the ground. She forced herself off of the cart after a minute and limped over to the twins, motioning for them to be quiet.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Mr. Weston was kind enough to bring me so that I didn't have to walk all the way home. I think I must have been sleepwalking, because I don't remember how I got into Brighton Village," she said hastily, doing her best to skirt the fact that she'd been sleeping on the parsonage's doorstep and it was Henry who'd given her the dress.
"But to keep Mr. Weston from having to go the rest of the way to our house, could I ride with you two? Were you going anywhere?"