Glorious Horrors [ Vinaein & Andro ]

[Andronica]

Adler Estate - London, England, 12th of September 1817

---

"Come away from the window. I made you tea."

It was a sweet voice, a musical cadence, that lured Amelia away from the window of the lavish terraced house. She looked over her shoulder slowly to see her cousin's wife. There was something in Lilian's bearing that broke through the grey cloud hanging over the brunette's head and showed her a few glimpses of true sunshine when she smiled. It was contagious, and it had Amelia smiling as well. A demure little mannerism that showed just a flash of her white teeth against full pink lips.

She smelled the tea before even walking away from the writing desk to the chaise lounge were Lilian sat, patting the firmly packed seat with a dainty little hand. Similar to her namesake, Lily was the very epitome of an English Rose, with blushing cheeks and a frame of strawberry blonde hair around her delicate heart shaped face.

Amelia took a seat and placed her hands neatly in her lap where she unconsciously thumbed a folded letter. Through the semi transparent paper was a distinctly feminine cursive script that Amelia had been pouring over.

Lilian's hand touched Amelia's exposed back of her cream chemise she wore which fell just below her shoulders, with only a light mossy green overcoat that hardly competed with the fireplace. She liked feeling the cool kiss of the air against her alabaster skin.

"I missed you at dinner. Are you not feeling well?" Lilian asked in an attempt not to try but to still show concern for her friend, perhaps the only one Amelia had since coming to live with her uncle, Lord Adler, and his heirs, since her father died. As an only child and unmarried it left her in quite the precarious situation over the last few months of sorting out his estate.

"Admittedly, I think I've worn out my welcome" chuckled Amelia in reply, offering another smirk as she tried to discourage Lilian's worries. The brunette flicked the letter upright to her friend's view and she found her thick dark lashes come to a stop over her hazel eyes, like polished river rock, like the note was putting her into a trance. "Uncle means well letting me stay but with father's estate in ruins, and without any prospects, I can't in good conscious become a burden here." Then she took up a cup of tea, inhaling the notes of perfumed bergamot and spice that soothed her as well as Lily's voice.

Lily took the opportunity to snatch up the letter with widened eyes. Dainty finger hurriedly peeled back the cracked black wax seal embossed with a raven and unfurled the letter fully. "So you're going then? To Ravenhallow?" asked Lily. She sounded almost breathless as she re-read the letter for what was perhaps the tenth time since Amelia shared the fateful and strange new.

"I have no choice," Amelia answered, smile lopsided. She put the tea cup down to receive the letter again and was greeted by another of Lily's famously bright smiles. The latter leaned over and planted a hand on Amelia's leg with a gentle squeeze.

"Imagine a whole estate of your own! Think of it as an adventure. A new start."

Ravenhallow - North Yorkshire, 17th of September 1817

---

The coachman dropped her off with an unusually curt attitude and had stayed only long enough in the drive to pull out her trunk onto the gravel. Then he was gone with horses whinnying uncomfortably into the foggy lane through neatly maintained walls of ivy and roses. Looming above and before her sat the formidable estate which was to be her inheritance. Amelia strode up to the front door and plunged the great brass knocker down thrice, then stood back waiting patiently.

After a moment when no footman appeared and the door remained untouched, she stepped forward again with a small confused furrow on her brow. All around her she could hear the birds on distant branches cawing and chirping, and... not much else. The quiet was beginning to make her listless. Unnerved.

Just then the door swung open to reveal a slightly shorter woman dressed in a dark grey dress. She was middle aged and had her greying ginger hair pulled back into a white cap around her bun. Nothing short of scrutiny phased through her eyes as she peered at the young woman. From her reaction it was clear to Amelia that she wasn't expecting anyone to come calling.

"May I help you, ma'am?" she asked.

"I am Lady Amelia Adler. I was advised to come to Ravenhallow on the request of my distant relative." Amelia's surprise showed and it made the other woman's scrutiny turn to suspicion at such a vague answer. Though miss Adler extended her hand with the letter hurriedly for the woman to read it and her already pale freckled face seemed to blanch further.

"Ma'am... Lady Adler, excuse me --" She fussed with the letter and turned it back to Amelia as she folded it neatly, flashing the signature marked with an S at the bottom.

"The Talbot family has called Ravenhallow home for centuries, and it's descendants are quite alive and well within its walls."

 

[Vinaein]

Laura Talbot counted the steps as she ascended the great, winding stairway of Ravenhallow, a frozen mahogany typhoon that led up, up into the frigid heights of the ancient Talbot home. She had counted the steps since childhood, a little game whenever she had raced up along that spiral. One, then two, then three...most lost count when they hit the thirties, but Laura knew it by heart, having long grown used to the climb.

Her shoes clicked upon the wood, a heavy trod that brought her up to the top. She mentally ticked off 'sixty-five' with a smile curse towards her ancestors for such a jape. Truly, there was no cause to have so many blasted steps, corridors and passageways in the creaky old place, Laura thought to herself, her red hair arranged in a tight knot at the back of her neck, blue eyes peering passively down the dimly lit hallway. The servants and staff were busying themselves downstairs to prepare for Uncle Sebastian's arrival within several nights, the notice having arrived quite suddenly the previous evening. Of course, Laura had not yet revealed to her brother she had written to him and asked him to come back to Ravenhallow after the last full moon.

She paused before a heavy oak door. "Lucian? Lucian? I know you can hear me. Lucian, don't play silly games, I am far from in the proper mood for it." She sighed, giving him a moment before she opened the door, no sooner than her hand closed about the knob than she heard her twin brother roughly growl his assent to her entry. "Good," she said quietly as the door creaked open.


Her brother looked up from his desk, staring back at her with a calm expression, dark hair neatly combed. He was dressed in a simple dress-shirt and trousters, his mouth set in a calm frown, his face freshly shaven at least. Laura gave a heavy sigh. "Finnegan delivered supplies again. I was rather hoping the notion of a good meal might set you to rights, if you would not mind taking lunch with me in the gardens?" Her smile belied her concerns as she walked over, bringing a hand to rest upon her brother's shoulder, a scar beneath her dress throbbing at the proximity to him. "You've had yourself...shut in here for days. What could you possibly be reading here?"

"Genealogy," his voice was rougher than she would have liked. "Family history, all the things you take such pleasure in yourself, Laura."

"Well, that was just rude," she said, an icy tinge to her voice. "You're achieving nothing locked away here, reading about our great-great-great-whatever, you know. You could enjoy the grounds, take a walk near the marsh, or on the moors. You used to love it, remember?" She took his hand in hers, not minding how cold it was. "When we would race there together? With the hounds outside? What was your favorite's name again?"

"Bertram," he whispered, voice suddenly heavy with nostalgia. "Great beast that he was, as I recall." His face cast a sudden shadow as he took a heavy breath. "Of course...have you been to town lately?"

"If you're asking about Moonwell, then yes," Laura said, a calm look in her eyes. "I have."

"And what did they say...?"

"Wild beasts on the moors now. There's been a party organized, hunters from afar. Uncle Sebastian's on his way shortly." She ran her hand across his back, to his shoulder. "Lucian. It wasn't- "

"Laura, I would be dreadfully grateful if you did not add to the burden. Would it please you if I came down to eat with you?"

"If you do not treat my company as a burden."

"Why, you're being such a blessing," he said, a trace of the old bickering as Laura could not help but smile, listening to the gentle, whispering rattle of the wind through the top floors. "...I'll be down shortly," he said. "Just...let me collect myself."

"Good. I'll ask Cora to prepare a spot," she said in response, squeezing his shoulder. Her brother, her twin, joined to her from birth, bound by blood, equally haunted in this estate where they had lived their entire life.

"And you'll see the Gatehouse is secure for the month's end?"

"Of course, Luke," she said gently. "Just as ever," she added with a gentle smile to her reddened lips. She turned and left him. "Ten minutes!"

"Fifteen."

"FIVE then!" she added in a way that left no further room for argument. She left his room, feeling a sudden chill, eyes closed for a moment before she walked on, songs ofher youth echoing in her head, the eerie whispers across the Moors that had been the lilt of children's voices.

In Autumn, I met my true love
The next month she passed away
When she did returned I did so beg
Haunt me not today.

One of many such little ditties, she thought as she stalked downstairs, seeing the servants gathered. A frown came to her face as she waited before she walked up, her dressed billowing about her. "Harriet? What is this?" she asked mildly as the elderly servant looked up.

"A..woman here, Miss Talbot," she said, mystified in expression and voice. Laura mouthed that.

"Is she...selling something? Asking for alms? Is she from Moonwell, what- "

"She says...she's inheritin' the place, ma'am! She has a letter!" The servant looked just as confused, Laura's mouth opening slightly. She looked up to the railing ahead, gazing back to see the new arrival before rushing forward to demand an answer.

Above her...Lucian Talbot made his descent, a look of mystified curiosity now upon his face.

 

[Andronica]

No, surely there must be some kind of mistake... she thought as she stared forward into that drained face.

Amelia looked at the surprised face of the ginger haired maid as she handed back the finely penned letter, each of them aghast for different reasons. Although despite the gesture, the dark haired woman did not take the letter back as though touching it might very well burn her delicate skin. She was in shock and confused at how the boon of that letter might instead be a grave error. Now of all times without her father and without a husband. Should the news reach home it would absolutely ruin her.

Harriet peered at the letter down between them but hardly seemed to notice that a younger girl with auburn hair had come about her side. She was tentative and meek in appearance, yet her gaze also held a sort of animosity at seeing an unknown face.

"Stay here, Evelyn," advised the senior maid. By now Amelia assumed she was the head of house for the servants by the matronly way she dressed and carried herself. She was able to at least swallow her worry and unbound her furrowed brow in the presence of Lady Adler and the younger maid. With a squeeze of Evelyn's shoulder she turned to whirl away muttering a quiet, "stay here, please" as she went.

At her turning Amelia's increasing distressed self could see that a few other servants were gathering in the hall trying and failing to glean who came knocking unexpectedly. It only compounded her poor fortune that a splendidly dressed lady began to descend the stairs to see her servants in a fuss. The older maid made a neat bee-line towards her. She spoke low, and so far away that Amelia could not catch a word of it. Though she toed the threshold at the front door awkwardly and could feel the warmth in her cheeks rising as some discussion was being had at her embarrassed expense regarding the letter.

Whatever was said sparked life in the other lady of good breeding and she hurried to the door with Harriet in tow still clutching the letter.

Amelia began to stammer out a greeting when the gap closed. "I... Good day. I'm so sorry to be a bother. My relative must have transposed the name or the address." After all, what other explanation could there be? Then, it would come to the matter of where exactly Amelia was intended to go instead, if not Ravenhallow.

 

[Vinaein]

Laura heard this all out with a vacant, neutral expression. "She what, now?" Her voice was sharp. "She said WHAT now? There's a letter?" Her voice was harsher than she may have intended, Lucian walking behind her. Harriet looked nervous, wringing her hands together, an expression of trepidation refusing to die on her face. "Harriet, I am not upset with you, please don't be silly," Laura made her voice gentle now. "I simply want to get to the bottom of this. Someone arrived with a letter. Saying they own out property...?"

"Oh, good," Lucian said, a cheerful bent to his voice. "That means we can leave. What say we get out of here, Laura? We can go stay with Uncle Sebastian! That would be wonderful, wouldn't it? Perhaps time in Devonshire? We could even go to London-

"Brother dear! Not amusing!" Laura snapped back, before clearing her throat. "Yes. Now, then," she said with a very calm voice, even a bit of chill to it. "I would like to see this for myself," she said as she gestured ahead. "If you do not mind?"

The manor was abuzz with the servants now, all concernedly murmuring among themselves while Lucian tried to calm them down. "Never fear, never fear," he said. "I am happy to inform you that for the moment, you remain stuck with us, with perhaps higher wages to compensate for this." Laura gave him a look and he shrugged lightly. "We can afford it," he said. "Couldn't spend this damn fortune in ten lifetimes if we wanted to," he added. Not that Laura cared about the money, but her brother's whims and japes could prove mighty annoying when he was in these moods of his.

When she saw the senior maid, Laura's heart lifted, Lucian stepping beside her. The woman seemed to be of age to them, this strange beauty who had shown up on their doorstep. Lucian stepped forward, wearing fine enough clothing to receive a mysterious visitor, thankfully enough. Laura's lips pursed as they came forward. "My name," she said. "Is Laura Talbot. That name still has some meaning in a place like this," she added, more severe than she might have intended.

"My sister doesn't bite. At least not since we were children wrestling in the gardens. Fear not- "

"Lucian, be quiet!" Laura snapped, before she cleared her throat, Harriet having led the woman to her. "This," she added. "Is Ravenhallow. You are absolutely in the right....let me see that letter immediately."

"Well, I wonder if it's official," Lucian looked at the woman, his head tilting curiously. One look from him told him the woman's confusion was genuine. "Well, madam, you have certainly broken up the monotony with your attempt to abscond with our ancestral home. I'm sorry to say it's rather difficult to carry, might be a touch heavy without the proper bags to carry it in. Won't you come in and we can attempt to get to the bottom of this?"

 

[Andronica]

Lady Amelia - if she could still proudly wear that mantle without rebuke - swallowed hard in the face of the fearsome woman at the door. She looked roughly around her own age with perhaps a few years off in either direction, though there was a hardness in her eyes that made the other lady wonder at the age behind that tone. Indeed, she sounded like she ran the place and there was not one syllable that Amelia didn't hang on to as she nodded to Laura's introduction.

"Yes, of course, Lady Talbot," began to say the dark haired stranger, "I don't mean to bring into question your family's legitimacy. Only, this letter seems well crafted, and if this is the correct place then I'm at a loss as to how I would be inheriting it when the lot is clearly not vacant..." Of course very briefly in her mind she knew there were some old money families lurking about their estates stubbornly without a pence left to their name. Too proud of a legacy to see if handed off even as the roof above began to collapse in with rot.

This was hopefully not one such instance, yet Amelia travelled without a chaperone or even a friendly face in accompaniment so she was left on the back-foot if Lady Talbot planned to challenge her.

Though while Laura looked a bit judgmental and haughty in the doorway, Amelia had not seen her brother 'til he came closer to remark. He was tall, dark, and certainly intimidating with a sharp wit that appeared to bemuse his sister rather than lighten her mood, should that have even been the intention. While Amelia let Laura review the letter with a scrutinizing gaze, her attention was carried off by the brother as he surprisingly welcomed her inside.

"Perhaps... for the day, until we sort this out." She looked up and around the manor, then toward her own lone bag that the coachman left haphazardly nearby. A small smirk gilded her pink lips as genuine relief fluttered over her expression for respite from his sister's severity. "Indeed, I did not pack accordingly, so I apologize for being a disappointment in that regard. Though I am sure you're not entirely upset by the news, Lord Talbot," answered back Amelia.

"Shall I put the tea on?" Harriet piped up from behind Laura, taking a cue from Lucian. Relief was evident on her face as she was no longer the scapegoat of Laura's confusion and shock.

 

[Vinaein]

The shocked look in this strange woman's eyes almost gave Laura a start, maybe a bit of guilt. But once the gauntlet had been thrown, to remove it would've demonstrated weakness. Laura tilted her head, feeling her brother behind her as her lips pursed even more, a deep breath coming to her lips as another maid named Elsie remained on standby, clearly recognizing the volatile situation. There were proprieties to be observed at the moment and this strange woman with her bizarre news had just succeeded in ruining Laura's day.

Lucian cleared his throat, an amused smirk resting upon his lips, his eyes glinting as he came up beside his sister, hands folded within the pockets of his coat. "Lady Talbot. Look at her, she has quite the sense of etiquette about her, you can tell she's from the court, city perhaps?" He stared at Amelia, his eyebrow tilted up as his lips curled there, an amused bearing on his face as if this sudden revelation was the most amusing thing he had heard in years.

"Ah, excellent then. See, Laura, it's settled. She can come in, out of the dreary cold," Lucian clicked his tongue delicately. "You've never been to the moors, I take it? They're hardly temperate, they're not much to look at, the mist clings to you like a living thing. It's warm inside Ravenhallow, at least. You should learn that, if it's to be yours!"

"Lucian..." Laura said sternly. "Unappreciated...but yes, let us allow her within," she said as she gestured. "For the day...until this is sorted. From whom was the letter posted, may I ask?How did you receive it? Why on earth would you not pack- " she cut herself off, aware it may have been the wrong question. "There was nothing to inform you...Ravenhallow was truly occupied...and had been for years?" She tried not to rise to the bait, until the maid asked...

"Yes, tea sounds just delightful!" Lucian called. "Our surprise usurper will surely wish to see the tea we provide here," he looked at Amelia. "Lucian Talbot," he said. "To speak for myself...and whom do I have the dubious pleasure of addressing this day...?"

 

[Andronica]

The shock and bristled reception of her arrival was eased into when the reigning Lady of the house was joined by her brother, who appeared to have a more relaxed nature than his female counterpart. To not have so many servants scrambling to peer from the banister or hall at the abrupt newcomer - and the embarrassment of the estate's current situation at being occupied - did at least help the brunette's shoulders to relax a bit when eyes drifted away from her to the male heir. She didn't escape his gaze, either. Oh, on the contrary, she was very aware of the way he looked over her as he stood assessing in the threshold with Laura to keep her from boiling over.

"Thank you," Amelia eventually murmured when both siblings conceded to let her in. She picked up her bag allowing the finely crafted leatherwork to lean against her dress, hopefully untouched much by the elements except for a bit of cold. Her warm eyes travelled down to the bag when Laura's volley of questions commenced and she tried to answer them both in earnest.

"I haven't travelled outside of London much in recent years, and never to the moors." The young woman followed them into the foyer which was, as Lucian pointed out, quite warm compared to the brisk chill outside. A welcome respite if only for a moment.

The chief maid with ginger hair scurried past down the yawning maw of the corridor. Her eyes followed her into the arched doorway which surely led to the adjacent kitchen. There was a distant clatter of silverware as the teapot and cups were gathered onto a tray and boiling water prepared for the fragrant leaves.

"I received it as all letters arrive... the lack of a defining signature did pique my curiosity but mine is quite the extended family, and this arrived at a rather coincidental time. If this is someone's idea of a jest it's a very strange and specific one indeed." She skimmed past the handful of nitpicking comments as Lucian's query brought her mind back to the fore

"Amelia Adler," she introduced herself, turning a bit on her heel to face him more properly, and then nodding to his sister Laura as well. "Pleasure to meet you both despite these circumstances." Her hand clutching the bag moved to her front and she grabbed the handles with both hands now. There was a faint squeeze as if to ground herself from the discomfort that she bore behind her smile.

Harriet bustled out of the kitchen through another doorway Amelia could not see, but heard her perfectly as she rounded the hall in the adjacent parlour at their right. Three fine porcelain cups were laid out with a steaming pot of tea in the centre. Caught off guard like the rest of the servants, her experience provided the wherewithal to remain crisp and composed as she awaited her betters to serve them in the front room without injecting herself into their conversation.

 

[Vinaein]

"Never to the Moors," Lucian's voice lifted, his lips curling in merriment as he examined the woman there. He did not seem to be taking this remotely seriously, but his gaze slackened slightly. He donned the mask of the master of Ravenhallow, Lord Talbot, with all that went with it. The change was striking, his aloof manner utterly subsuming him as he waved a hand. "You hardly know what you are missing then. They can grow quite beautiful by lay or by night, by sun or by moon light."

Laura eemed to stiffen, not finding such a manner amusing. "My brother fancies himself a poet," she said with a delicate veneer, all while her hands moved spasmodically at her sides. Within the foyer were a manner of great seats, lush carpeting and a roaring fireplace, the orange glow of the fire casting dancing shadows about the walls. "We tend to keep the flames lit. The climate is rather, shall we say, difficult at times living here. Even in summertime, there ever seems to be a chill here."

"You'd be forgiven for thinking it haunted," Lucian almost quipped, Laura doing her best not to throttle her brother at that moment, even as Lucian extended a hand to this Amelia. "Amelia Adler, welcome," he said. "I cannot deny this seems a rather strange way to meet, but coincidences do make for fascination, do they not?" He gave a delicate shrug. "Well, what matters is you are here now and are apparently in no hurry to depart. Ergo, we shall compensate, and having a fascinating houseguest with a fascinating story is scarcely the worst that might occur today."

"Amelia Adler, there is no reason to be concerned with this," Laura said delicately. "Please forgive my, perhaps, brusque manner at meeting you. Lucian is right, we have a reputation for being hospitable. We should endeavor to live up to it, no matter the circumstance." That was at least half a lie, there was little hospitality within the history of the Talbot family. Perhaps infamously so. But she wanted to make a good impression. And keep Lucian from talking about moonlight.

"No need to appear the frightened mouse, Miss Adler," Lucian said. "Are you hungry? In need to refreshment? You look tired, please have a eat in a chair by the fire. One of our old seats-or is it your seat now? I cannot keep track." He acknowledged Harriet gently, taking the tea as he brought himself to his own seat, gesturing to the nearest one. "I would love to hear your story if you think it worth telling."

An invitation and a challenge all in one. How perfectly Talbot of him.

 

[Andronica]

Lady Adler watched as the lord and master of Ravenhallow shifted at the mention of the moors, or her lack thereof in experiencing them. Something strange was cast over his expression that she could not place but it was such a mere flicker she hardly registered it as a stark contrast to his rather laid back, if a bit cheeky, presentation. The man was seamless at least to strangers, for his sister's muted ire didn't escape Amelia, who perhaps had a knack for reading her fairer sex better than the gentleman.

"It is quite pleasant," insisted Amelia gingerly when Laura mentioned the roaring hearth nearby despite the time of day. Indeed, the sun hadn't set yet - or what could be gleaned of it through the fog and grey outside, and yet the threshold reminded her of a brisk autumn night in London that begged for warm blankets and piping hot tea. Being invited further inside had abated that gnawing chill considerably. Despite the pleasant weather back home it didn't seem to extend itself to the old ancestral manse yet.

Despite a few seconds of initial hesitation, Amelia reached for the extended hand Lucian offered as she was led further into the lush furnished foyer. As directed she took a seat managing to poise herself on a wing-back chair wrapped in emerald velvet opposite the Lord himself. "You are both very kind, truly," pointed out Amelia. A lopsided smirk of sorts had formed on her lips now that they were somewhat acquainted by name. Without anyone of significance present to make her back stiffen with rules of proper decorum, she spoke more plainly. "You have no obligation to provide your hospitality considering the... abrupt strangeness of our meeting, but I appreciate your extension of it none the less. I'll endeavour to write home and not burden you more than a few days at most."

When Harriet came around with the tea and broke up the uncertainty the three had been dancing around silently, it was a welcome respite. She murmured her thanks as the older maid set the tray down after delivering Laura her cup as well, then made herself scarce.

"Tea is plenty for now. My appetite isn't quite present in lieu of this unexpected meeting, though I'm sure it will rear its head by dawn. Then I can properly sample the quality of this kitchen, hm?" She fired back a little joke following the lead of Lord Talbot who had not let her presumed acquisition rest since spying the letter. It had clearly vexed Laura though, so she did not play so heartily into it beyond that retort. For now.

Amelia took a sip of the hot tea then set the porcelain back into the saucer. She looked up between the two siblings, noting how they felt almost like opposing sides of the same soul. Reserved and lackadaisical. Cool and inviting.

Once more her attention turned back to Lucian. "A poet with a thirst for a good story goes hand in hand, don't you think?" she answered. Then her back straightened and her somewhat informal expression tensed to match it. "Though I'm afraid you would be remiss to hear there is not much to my tale. Given present circumstances I am not sure it would be appropriate even to share." At least, not so soon, thought Amelia. She was a private woman prone to her daydreams and being lost in reading spells for hours, but Laura was like a burning rose in bloom against the wallflower and Lucian matched her fire with candid witticisms.

 

[Vinaein]

The mention of moors brought memories to Lucian despite himself; memories of the moors, of the moon shining above them. His smile had faltered somewhat, his breath coming in slow and measured rasps for a moment as his smile suddenly seemed a painted and strained thing as if it was only worn to repress a bleak and harsh memory. He recovered with seamless aplomb, a memory best left buried now as he faced the mysterious woman who had come to their abode. Laura seemed to be taking this so seriously, to her credit.

"I suppose that Uncle Sebastian may also find this amusing, my dear sister?" Lucian offered as Laura held her own tongue, her lips pinched and pursed, even as she managed to cure herself of her own momentary displeasure. Her hands folded before her, her demeanor settling to the ladylike expectation that she was intended to fulfill. Her breathing was also deep as Lucian steadied himself along with her. The twins seemed to draw strength from one another, playing off one another's emotions as they traded looks.

And so Lucian took Amelia's hand, leading her towards the foyer. "Kind?" He asked with an amused edge that only grew sharper. "You think us kind, truly? It has little to do with that...perhaps. Maybe I am just bored and this is the most excitement I've had in a while. Tell me, do you have any other place to go, Madam Adler? Before you arrived here? Another place you may stay...?" He dismissed her next words with a shake of his hand. "Come now, we have every obligation of treating a guest....there's clearly been some confusion to untangle. Exciting, isn't it?" He noted Laura's expression. "Oh, let me guess, exciting is hardly you'd choose."

"Putting it mildly. It is something to untangle," Laura groused softly as she sampled the tea. "Presuming you are...sampling the quality of our kitchens...or showing presumption- "

"She can happily share in dinner, Laura. The chefs make too much anyways. It might as well go to an extra mouth," Lucian pointed out. "But I see our guest fancies herself a poet. Even in mundane stories, there might be a measure of poetry..." He looked closely at Amelia, slightly fascinated by this happening. "But do guard your secrets...you'll find Ravenhallow holds a great deal of them within the walls...you may as well add to them..." The hollow look in his eyes for a moment seemed to overwhelm him, but it was gone in an instant.

"Well, we cannot have TOO many secrets," she pointed out. "You are in our home, and if you mean to stay here- "

"I've already determined she is," Lucian said with a shrug. "Why not, dear sister?"

 

[Andronica]

Amelia looked between the siblings and openly seemed to admire their closeness for a moment, although she surely tried to hide the wandering of her glassy eyes upon them. The youngest Adler was practically estranged from her elder brother and her own father hadn't been the most warm of men. Though she took great comfort in Lilian's presence and wished sorely to have had a sister like her - or any sister at all to confide in. Trying to catch herself from looking at the siblings so blatantly, Amelia's gaze went down to the still surface of her tea.

"I've already determined she is," Lucian said with a shrug. "Why not, dear sister?"

But before the pair were to launch themselves into a spat over the abrupt arrival of their guest, which Amelia already felt a hefty guilt and embarrassment over, she decided to intervene. Lucian gave her the impression he was the type of man who enjoyed many things in life, in particular the consumption of words.

"Are you quite interested in poetry, Lord Talbot? Or have you a favourite author?" asked Amelia. She placed her cup down on the fine porcelain saucer, which glinted with a floral pattern outlined in precious gold.

Once the query launched innocently from her lips, their wayward guest took a pause. There was a barely discernible waft of air from the left that made her curious expression falter. She glanced sidelong at the open hall beside them quickly enough to catch a receding silhouette - a woman, tall and graceful, with golden hair.

Yet when her eyes reached the fringe of her view, she saw no one was there. Amelia cleared her throat softly and hoped her wandering gaze was executed covertly enough that the siblings hadn't noticed her divergence from the conversation.

 

[Vinaein]

Laura's gaze flicked sharply back to Amelia, her lips pursing to form a colorless line upon her face. Amelia was watching them far too closely for her own tastes, though the heiress of Ravenhallow made no comment on the subject at the moment. She was wondering too much about this brand new visitor, her intentions and too much else at her end. She was not quite trusting the other women yet, her eyes narrowing as she looked over Amelia, Lucian's lackadaisical nature still grating upon her. The house, at this time of day, had a slight chill running through it and Laura was suddenly quite pleased for the heat of the tea that she sipped. From long practice, she betrayed nothing upon her face.

Lucian was settled back comfortably in his seat. If he gave any indication of a lack of comfort, it was not writ upon his face. One leg crossed over another, the tea being delicately and politely sipped before Amelia ventured a question. "Ah, you are an educated and worldly woman, Madam," his eyes had lit up at that. "As a matter of fact, I do. We manage to get poetry and novels even here in the countryside far from London, if you will believe it." He waved a delicate hand, the smile never leaving his face. "I confess myself as a lover of Keats, Byron, Clare, Shelly...you might even call me a romantic." He chuckled at his own joke. "As far as writings go...have you read any of the more horrid novels they've mentioned? Oh, I'm told so many critics will hiss over them, but read the fascinatingly lurid things wherever they can. The Monk was simply scandalous. Delightful, though."

"My brother has a fondness for the macabre that is ill becoming," Laura's tongue grew sharper. "Something more proper might be best- "

"Such as what? Those dreadful trave, novels portraying parts of the world as savage pits? Spare me. I far prefer tales of crumbling castles, of Otranto and such...those that show darkness within even the most proper and civilized of men. Uncle Sebastian always loved those. So did Aunt Francesca."

"They would," Laura muttered with a cool look in her eyes, setting down her teacup. "If we are getting to know one another, what of you?" She asked her guest. "Poetry, writings?" She noted the the draw of Amelia's gaze to the hall, not looking herself, though a shadow passed over her own expression.

Lucian only waved a hand. "Think nothing of it. This old house has a way of making you see what is not truly there. We've all experienced it ourselves. More than once...it's not so insane to see things, Amelia. It's only madness when they see you in turn."

 

[Andronica]

The strange visage that Amelia caught out of the corner of her eye was soon dismissed by the siblings flanking her. She felt a small flush of embarrassment mixed with a strange, fleeting feeling of concern that crawled up the back of her throat - the latter which she tried to drown out by focusing on the next sip of tea. Although it was a relief after the veiled exchange of glances for miss Adler to note that the siblings were surprisingly... unaffected by her mild reaction, and what she had focused on. Clearing her throat, Amelia followed Lucian's remarkably calm demeanour as he waved her worries off.

"Of course. These beautiful old manors are so full of character, it can sometimes make the imagination run wild," she answered a bit stiffly as though an explanation was needed. The words seemed to come out before she could think on it, and she almost yearned for another glimpse fluttering in her periphery to focus on.

Veering back to the topic at hand, their wayward guest placed her cup of tea down gently in her lap and turned to look at Lucian.

"Byron, Shelly -- they are fantastic, are they not? I admit I admire the romantics, the closeness with nature--." Amelia paused and leaned back on the thickly padded lounging chair. She smiled politely. "I suppose you have a taste of it yourself here, in Ravenhallow, and the moors you speak so highly of." While the status of the siblings and in particular Lady Laura's gaze were able to make Amelia feel somewhat uneasy, she felt quite the opposite about Lucian even for having only just made his acquaintance. He was far less cold and reserved than his sister to the point where it was as though she was speaking to an old friend.

Beside them from the adjoining corridor, the dutiful chief maid came pattering quietly into the open parlour. Harriet leaned towards Lucian and spoke in a hushed tone to be as little of a disturbance as possible.

"Sir, lunch is being prepared. Will the Lady be staying to join you and miss Talbot for the meal? I can have Evelyn draw up a room as well." Harriet gazed up at Amelia for a few seconds while she spoke and looked curious about the girl's circumstances, but there was certainly a hint of judgment as well.

 

[Vinaein]

At the alert reaction from Amelia, Laura's mouth pressed into a firm, hard line, her eyes narrowed grimly as she looked at the interloper. She sucked in a breath, not vocalizing her thoughts now, while red colored into Amelia's face. Laura's hands tightened about the teacup as Lucian's voiced turned rather solemn. "There's so much to discover in places like this, and more people here than you might think," he said airily, Laura sighed but did not rebuke him.

"You may...grow used to that," she said quietly. "Are you used to such manors, Madam? Was this the norm when you lived...wherever it was before now?"

"Please...' murmured Lucian with a gentle smile. "Let us not be cruel, my dear sister...not to such an august guest now.." he turned to Amelia. "All awkwardness aside...we shall surely find you a place at Ravenhallow, Milady Adler. This is quite the experience. Who knows, we may share a common bloodline through all this. Would that not be something?"

He chuckled at the mention of how the imagination could run wild. "Imaginations are sometimes to be trusted above all else, my friend..." he said gently. There was no apparition to catch her, though Laura glanced about, as if suddenly nervous.

"...Yes. Imaginations do have a way of running wild, more wild than the beasts at the Moors," she said. "but scarce fit topic for tea....not with all this going on now." The mention of poetry drew her interest, one thing the twins shared a love for.

"Ah, you're a cultured woman, Milady Adler!" laughed Lucian. "Yes, indeed...Byron...Shelly...Keats is a delightful one as well...but Shelley..."Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair!" He laughed softly. "We have quite the library I can show you...though I warn you, it is quite easy to get lost there...please do not think ill of my sister. This is just a surprise for now....let us mitigate that with a meal!" he jumped to his feet. "The chef makes quite the repast here..." He offered Amelia to join them...

All while pretending he could not see the figure in white that lurked behind Amelia's chair for just a moment, invisible to all but him or Laura should she have watched, lurking just near Amelia before it was gone. Lucian suddenly badly wished to be outside in the sun for their meal.

 

[Andronica]

Whatever example of female cordiality and demureness Laura had was easily shed like the turning leaves of fall at a moment's notice. There was no doubt left in Amelia's mind that the Lady Talbot was most displeased with her unannounced guest. Despite the situation being embarrassing Amelia's behalf there was apparently no respite for the young woman waylaid by a false letter, written by a devious hand yet to be revealed, if at all. Sitting there opposite that fiery gaze contrasting so much with Laura's porcelain veneer was becoming a little unbearable even in polite company like Lucian, who tended that flame with years of experience.

So Amelia turned her attention toward the brother foremost, considering he was actually willing to make conversation. What was doubly surprising was hiss good attitude about the whole situation!

"Thank you, truly. I will write home to arrange my travel as soon as I have the opportunity. Though it is such a specific letter, I wonder if you aren't correct." Amelia dared a smirk as she came out of her shell little by little. And perhaps the topic of the Romantics and poetry would coax Laura to be less vicious with her over the course of their abrupt tea time chat.

"Ozymandias is my favourite of Shelley's. Fleeting but powerful," Amelia beamed at the mention of the library. "I would be delighted to take a tour of the place at your leisure." She followed Lucian's lead as the maid came to discuss the luncheon arrangements and happily assented to enjoy a meal. The maid lifted the silver platter that the tea was brought on originally and extended it to Amelia, who was just sipping the last of her cup. She laid it there to be taken away for a fresh pot.

Completely unaware of whatever stood behind her, Amelia only felt a faint chill come down her shoulder. She reached up almost unconsciously to tug the collar of her riding jacket a bit closer to her neck.

"Please lead the way," she said, finally standing up to join the siblings.

---

Just as Lord Talbot proclaimed, the chef was indeed a master of his craft. Outside in the back courtyard where only a dismal amount of sun peeked through the overcast sky, there was a spread being arranged on an oval table large enough to hold at least four. The gilt iron was covered with a white cloth and a tray was brought out on Lady Talbot's original request to dine with her brother that morning. Finger sandwiches and pastries lined the tiered tray that offered a casual yet beautiful lunch, while heavier fare could be brought along at once.

Harriet made a reappearance with the fresh pot of tea she'd gone to fetch while the siblings were still rising from the parlour.

"Will that be all?" inquired the maid, who, after laying down the tea took to standing with her hands folded neatly against her front. Her eyes roamed slowly from Laura to Lucian, but were wary of making contact with Amelia.

 

[Vinaein]

Laura was not only like the falling leaves of an autumn tree, she was unmistakably a prickly woman, defensive for reasons that one could only guess at. The gazes she and her brother shared would not be easily missed by the new arrival. Though Ravenhallow remained about them, as it ever had. Laura simply sighed, doing her best not to look in the direction of Amelia for a long moment...until at last she dared match her eyes.

Lucian's gaze was intense, even as a sorrowful little smile lingered upon his lips. "You'll find this place has a manner of getting within your head," he murmured gently. "Everyone here is used to it. I would presume in your hurry to claim information for it, you had not the time to investigate altogether much of Ravenhallow's history? Is there even much information of that where you're from? I suspect not. You would probably appreciate the library from what you say," he added. "We get new shipments every so often. The fortune isn't what it used to be, but I'd wager we could still manage to buy a block or two in London."

He added a soft chuckle at the next words from Amelia's lips. "Please, perish the thought...you are welcome for a time. Enter freely and leave some of the cheer you bring. Lord knows the place could use it."

"Luc- "

"Am I lord here or am I not?" Lucian returned with a shake of his head. "You might do well to go into Moonwell while you're at it. The bakery is delightful, the seamstress produces fine outfits...it's quite the place. You'll just have to forgive the superstitions and keep from the moors on your own...there are, as I said, superstitions...but the glory is long past, of course. Much like Ozymandias..." He shook his head. "We have the staff on call, people come and go...but relations can be strained. Strained indeed...there's history here. There's so much of that, indeed....but to this way, is a good meal."

Lucian ate with a delicate manner, but he and Laura were clearly famished. They enjoyed the sandwiches there, trying not to simply stuff them into their mouths. "Thank you, Harriet," Laura said, while dabbing at her lips. "I...was perhaps a touch overly harsh with you earlier, madam," she said primly to Amelia. "Apparently you are blameless in this odd affair. I will be happy to show you to a room later and see that you are run a bath, well cared for..." She paused a moment, tapping a finger against the table.

"Uncle Sebastian is due soon enough as well...our mother's elder brother, he's been here for us since we were born. He'll likely be able to lend a hand on this. I would...merely recommend not venturing out much at night." She looked up at the sky. "Particularly at this time of year...it tends to storm in the evenings."

"The old place is sturdy, though!" her brother added, before he grinned at Amelia again. "So, tell us...what's the news out of London these days?"

He tried to ignore the gaunt figure standing behind Amelia's seat. Pale, wasted, with black sunken pits for eyes. The gash of a mouth smiled briefly, before it faded into the hollow of the door.

Just another ghost of Ravenhallow, indeed. But they were harmless. As long as you knew what you were doing.

 

[Andronica]

Amelia was grateful that Harriet did not immediately pick up her tea cup when she interjected. It was the only thing holding her back from spitting out a gasp at Lord Talbot's remark. In that lackadaisical manner she was quickly growing accustomed to, he spoke casually about how their fortune could afford a few blocks in London... and that was erring on the side of skint compared to the ledger generations ago. Although to go hand in hand with his boldness, he was also genuine. Quickly that comment was followed up by his allowance of Amelia to tread the grounds and more specifically, the library he stoked her passions with.

Soon though, the trio moved out back, and the conversation resumed much as it had before: with Lucian so endearing to her company and his sister tottering between frosty glares and forced politeness. The meal was sumptuous yet light, truly taking Amelia aback, and so she focused herself on that instead of the siblings as much as possible. Since her arrival earlier that day at Ravenhallow, and its embarrassing revelation, she nearly forgot her appetite to keep the blush of mortification at bay.

Delicate fingers brought a white kerchief up to her mouth which she used to dab away the remnants of the splendid meal. Even for a mere lunheon it was a feast. Gratitude to Harriet and the staff was plain on her face when she beamed at the woman who came to pour more tea into her cup. She chose to round off the meal with one of the small fruit pastries provided. She doubted she would have room for dinner at this rate. She was granted another sweetness in the form of Laura finally releasing that vice grip of judgment from her person, too.

"I would love that, thank you Lady Talbot." She smiled warmly trying to project a modicum of real friendliness in hopes of maintaining a good accord with the mistress of the manor. Then the smile turned a bit lopsided as she chuckled quietly. "The journey was a bit longer than I anticipated, so I am very much looking forward to refreshing myself and having a good night of rest."

More a curiosity than a curse now, Laura brought up the matter of that mischievous letter. Amelia nodded in earnest at the mention of an uncle. "Surely he will have an answer for us, or at least some well sought advice on the matter." Although... she recalled the letter being signed with an 'S' and nothing more. The young Lady Adler bit her tongue for now. To digress she swatted her hand into the air, completely unaware of the ghastly apparition behind her save another cool chill she took to be the breeze of the turning season.

"I do love a good rain storm. If I'm lucky, I may have the fortitude to remain awake to enjoy such a thing one of these nights." Amelia smiled between the siblings and continued, an expression which then faltered about London. "Nothing particularly worth mentioning in fine company. More riots in the trade districts during the summer..." And typhus, political upheaval, and much more. She exhaled her dismay through a measured sigh.

Amelia visibly admired the open beauty at Ravenhallow though, so far removed from such things as illness and streets choked with tattered men and women.

"You are lucky to live out here, it's splendid. I would love a walk through the gardens and the courtyard after our meal is concluded, if you would be so kind as to entertain me?" Indeed, despite the towering gothic structure's cold exterior, the grounds were maintained beautifully in the back to present a more cheerful atmosphere for their luncheon.

"Moonwell - the town nearby - what sort of place is it? Was it once land owned by your ancestors?" she continued to ask, hoping to ply the siblings and Laura in particular with enough interest as good manners dictated for such an unexpected guest. And truly, she did have a budding morbid fascination about the place since Lucian mentioned its... history.

 

[Vinaein]

The siblings were suddenly silent as a graveyard in the dead hours of the night, both doing their best to focus upon their guest and ignore the haunting passages of the ghosts of Ravenhallow, avoiding accusatory stares and beckoning gestures while Lucian attempted to devote himself to the arts of conversation. Lucian spoke passionately of the house, with as much passion as he might evoke from any subject at all, all with his trademark pleasant smile that so many in the house and town were accustomed to.

The lord of Ravenhallow kept his polite gaze upon Amelia. "I should endeavor to warn you, we do have some relatives who flock to the place from time to time," he paused to chuckle at the inadvertent joke. "You might even call it...a murder of Talbots?"

"That jest hardly makes sense, brother. We are not crows," Laura said primly, a soft laugh escaping Lucian in turn.

"Are we not? We dress in black, black hair and eyes are quite genetic if all the portraits are to be believed and we hunker down upon Ravenhallow like great scavengers picking clean the bones of some mighty beast." He threw a wink towards Amelia to make the jest obvious. "Come, we may have had an awkward start to all this, but as they say...why let it spoil the rest of the day. Enter freely and leave some of the happiness you bring then," he added upon Amelia's mention of her journey. "I assure you, the rooms are comfortable at least. Remote we might be, but we do understand the way of silken sheets and comfortable beds. I hope it will accommodate as well as the Londoner regions you are accustomed to?"

It was safe, he told himself. Perfectly safe here, with no indication of danger for one who could not see the lurking specters within Ravenhallow. Lucian turned his eyes up. "The observatry is where I spent most of my time as well...I tend to research and study there, when I am not dining. In fact, I sometimes forget to eat. sometimes I even forget I am alone," he added as he gazed up, seeing the brief reflection of a face lurking behind the window pane up on high; a face with gleaming eyes and a lupine grin.

"Trade districts indeed!" Laura said, hoping to distract as she took a gentle sip of her tea. "I am not sure it is fortune, more the happy accident of birth, in the end....as for the grounds, I can see no reasons why not. Lucian is the historian, I have little doubt he will serve you well there."

"Why, yes!" Lucian cut in at the end, his grin growing as he pushed aside the empty plate. "Moonwell has a fascinating history of its own, the rents are technically still owed to us, but...well, since my great-grandfather's time, we've had a habit of waiving the fees, you might say. Uncle Sebastian says we're too soft. It's a pleasant enough place. With...superstitions."

"Rather, you won't catch anyone outside on the full moon," murmured Laura. Lucian's mouth gave a light twitch.

"Superstition is an unfortunate artifact of heritage down in the countryside, you see, more than London, I have no doubt." He said as he set down his cup. "Amelia, might I tempt you to offer you a view of the library, should history intrigue you? I confess one of the rather unfortunate consequences of being the idle rich is that we have so much surplus tim and little worthwhile to spend it on! I can hope that this will be a cure for that, if you are not bothered to hear a child of privilege prattle on for history and myth that matters to nobody outside these walls and that town?"

 

[Andronica]

Of the two siblings it seemed that Laura placed her brother on a pedestal when it came to understanding the history of their vast ancestral home, and for his apparently immense interest in it. Luckily for Lucian, Amelia was very fond of history, and ate up the offer to be guided through the promised library. A broad smile touching her pink lips made it quite evident that she was beyond happy to accept such a way to pass the time. With it, she was sure the library would be a convenient way to forget the strangeness of her arrival at Ravenhallow. After all, Lord Talbot already looked elated to have company!

Rejuvenated at the prospect, the young Lady Adler put down her tea cup and shifted back to stand from her chair. She smoothed out her simple dress with a smile that looked like it was stuck to her face. Books, history... it brought an element of familiarity to the woman who was clearly out of her depth at Ravenhallow.

"Splendid, Lord Talbot! Please do show me to the library." She turned just slightly towards the manor but didn't take the first step, only peering back at the great house from her periphery. She would wait for Lucian to take the lead rather than impose on him by running ahead in her eagerness, which would be especially foolish seeing as she didn't know the lay of the place yet. Though she would have been equally happy to be given free reign to explore its vast and voluminous halls.

From the corner of her eye she spied a dark figure moving along the perimeter of the courtyard, holding close to the walls. She only assumed it was one of the many staff and let the dark figure slink out of her mind just as quickly as it had left her vision.

"Besides poetry, and the consumption good literature in general, I am quite the glutton for history, Lord Talbot. If Ravenhallow has no shortage of anecdotes to share, do not spare me a single detail." She imagined there would be far more lengthy discussions at hand, too.

All of that prior tension was simply unfurling from her shoulders when she began to follow Lucian back into the manor to seek out the great library. Just as the other areas of Ravenhallow she passed through, the library was no exception regarding the impressive Gothic revival architecture and older areas of Tudor design, at least.

There was a sitting area across from a stoked hearth that climbed up the wall with an impressive stone mantle, and on it the ominous portrait of some progenitor. Across the room were a seriess of large bay windows overlooking the grounds. Everything was dark and lush and welcoming, with a faint whiff of old parchment. But as wonderful as the decor presented itself, Amelia was enthralled by the rows of books floor to ceiling high.

"I doubt I could read half of what is here if I read a book every day of my life..." she marvelled.

When she looked up she found herself lost for words yet again to see a map of the sky painted across the vaulted ceiling. Every constellation was painstakingly painted then tipped in pearls.

There was no way for Amelia to hide the smile on her face, mixed parts excitement and contentment. Then she turned to Lucian whose dark hair looked even more coal black under the muted warmth of the room despite it still being daytime. His eyes too took on more of a sheen in the dusky light.

"So, Lord Talbot, I leave it to you: where shall we begin?"

 

[Vinaein]

There was a strange sort of happiness that settled into the siblings when they saw Amelia's enthusiasm at the very prospect of the library. "Don't get too excited," Lucian cautioned her at Amelia's quick prompt to lead her to the library. "I assure you, this is only because everyone here knows of the histories and superstitions that telling them would be dreadfully dull." He glanced to Laura. "If my sister has no objections?"

"I would merely caution you to choose the histories wisely," Laura murmured in a form voice, before a smile spread over her lips. "By which I mean to say," she added delicately, "that some are....dreary and dull. I doubt you will be intrigued by decades worth of business ledgers, hardly exciting."

"But of course. Lady Adler, if you would?" Lucian asked as he signaled for her to follow him within. He stepped forth, beckoning Amelia to follow him within, past a tall and gaunt man with gaping and ragged pits for eyes that he merely stepped through as if it was made of leering mist. "The library...we used to spend hours there, before our parents passed," said Lucian as he crossed through a dimly lit corridor. "I fear it's quite large. It can appear intimidating at times. Don't be altogether upset to hear some talking about sounds in the evening. the creaks and groans are natural to such an old place. Shadows do play at the walls, too...where to begin?"

He walked the walls towards the library as if he had done so a thousand times before. "Ravenhallow was first built back in the days of the wars between King Stephen and Queen Mathilda. In fact, our ancestors were quite known for changing sides with the way of the wind, but they ultimately ended up on the side of Henry...in fact, they had a canny knack for choosing the proper sides well and were rewarded with the land here. Nothing special, but...mercantile ventures kept money in for the proceeding centuries. Unfortunately, plague, war and such kept the family rather compact...The place was rebuilt, though, following a..." he hesitated. "Fire. A century ago, thereabouts. Restored with no small expense. Lord Talbot went quite mad after his wife died and...believed their children had been replaced," his voice went soft for a moment. "Taken by things in the night and set fire to the manor. The children survived, he did not, but the reputation was rather sullied for a while and the scars carried lingered..." He glanced at Amelia for a moment.

"Ravenhallow had a long history, Miss Adler," he added as he gestured about them. "Not all of it good. I find it important to impart honesty as well as the glories...but you are correct, more to these books than one could read in a lifetime." With no small measure of pride did he gaze upon the myriad tomes of Ravenhallow's vast library.

But standing amidst the books, the youthful glow to his face shown through, a sudden joy to those features. "There is some good, though..." he chuckled. "The superstitions might be a place to begin..." he strode to one shelf, selecting a book of heraldry. "One benefit of these silly little titles and noble lines is you're often able to trace geneaology quite a ways...ah, there he is." He set the book down.

"Our ancestor, first lord of Ravenhallow, Henrik Talbot..." the picture, medieval in style was of a stern, black haired man with a hawk-like glare and a short goatee. "It was rumored he was a sorcerer in his day," Lucian said. "Before his son, our ancestor William Talbot inherited, after all those rumors about old Henrik. They said he knew magic. That he dabbled with grim rites under the moon. That he knew how to cheat the bounds between life and death...but that, of course, is ridiculous."

Especially as his shade was standing right behind Amelia at the moment, the bloody leer upon his lips a pale shadow to the redder, wider grin carved across his throat.

 

[Andronica]

Amelia followed Lord Talbot through the library with great interest as they passed walls stuffed to the brim with books. She openly marvelled at the tomes. Some of which looked bound in leather and gold scrawl that were old enough to crumble in one's hand if they weren't careful, and so she opted to merely observe and be in awe of the place... for now. Then Lucian's pleasant voice began to fill the air between them as they toured the library. Beginning to recount his longevous family history made the young woman pause. The brunette offered him a quizzical look which soon became amusement.

"Replaced? Your ancestors believed there were faeries out in the moors?" She only teased during the lapse, but immediately regretted the playful remark when Lucian continued in a far more macabre direction than she anticipated. The visitor gasped softly at the sordid tale of fire and ruin, even going so far as to avert her eyes in a bit of shame at making such a jest in poor taste. Thankfully, the reigning Lord Talbot was... exceedingly kind and charismatic. He did not hold it above her head and in fact seemed more than eager to recount the rest of Ravenhallow's extensive history to the unexpected guest. How she came to be so lucky despite her ill fortune was beyond Amelia.

When they paused by the grand hearth holding up the family's progenitor, miss Adler looked up at Henrik. Even in a portrait he had such a gaunt and serious expression that it felt like his eyes were levelling judgment upon her over an eon.

She moved to rub her hands across her upper arms to combat the sudden chill that goose pimpled her fair skin, despite the stoked fire before them.

"Ridiculous to our modern ears, perhaps, though it must have been something wickedly intriguing and scandalous centuries ago," Amelia said in regards to talk of powerful magic. A little smirk carried the corners of her mouth upward. "What of you, Lord Talbot? Do you believe in such things - magic, or the afterlife?" Her head cocked slightly in curiosity about his answer. She enjoyed how easy it was to speak to the stranger, especially when he welcomed her into his home like they were old friends quickly remembering each other after years apart.

Though, that damnable chill was relentless. Amelia took a step toward the hearth with hands extended. She moved right through old Henrik's red phantom, dispersing the spectre invisible to her hazel eyes. She chuckled softly. "I confess I've got quite the unhealthy adoration for tales of the esoteric and grim. Though I imagine you guessed as much from our previous discussion." Nor, did it seem, to be Laura's cup of tea.

 

[Vinaein]

For the first time in a long time, Lucian was enjoying the company of someone he did not know. It was occurring to him that Amelia was quite the seeker of knowledge herself. The look in her eyes when he mentioned even the dreariest of histories regarding the Talbot line indicated a rather infectious joy to her, that made him grin all the wider. "Ah, I would hardly call them faeries," he said with a playful crook to his smile. "Though there were stories of those as well, dating back to ancient peoples...there were other things, though..."

He made his voice as ominous as possible. "Things of the earth, that were there long before there were people to name them. Things that slept deep. The sayings went that the earliest Talbots and the people of Moonwell inherited some of those rituals in remnant. It's even said some of those might still be...somewhere written in the library, but I have hardly ever seen any sleeping monsters in caves or on yonder moors." He did not raise any hint of perturbation at her own jesting. Her innocence was, in fact, quite refreshing compared to what Lucian was used to.

He didn't even lose his smile at her own statements after. "I do remember it is a wonder age of reason and enlightenment, but we still have the family chapel tended to. I confess I am a rather lapsed sinner of late and have not attended to offer prayers...in fact, Ravenhallow was never particularly Catholic even before Henry VIII decided he wished to take over the English church...we were a touch remote, so we evaded suspicion from both Mary and Elizabeth, though King James took some interest after. You might even say there were accusations on of the Ravenhallow brothers at times was a witch himself. It came to nothing, of course...ah, but listen to me ramble, I've not even answered your query!" He laughed softly. "I believe in the natural magic of things. The rising of the sun and moon, the sprouting of flowers...if a thing as magic exists, it must be part of a natural order we do not understand. The same must be true of spirits and the afterlife...what of you, My lady Amelia Adler?" He asked.

"do you believe in Faerie stories yourself, or in the immortality of the soul? Or do we cease when our hearts and brains do, as the poet Shelley believed?" He paused as she stepped through Henrik, scattering the spirit like mist.

"Esoteric and grim is what we do best in Ravenhallow," he said as he gestured about. "Ah, I know..." he reached to one shelf, selecting a blue book. "It's a book of folktales...rather grim ones, in places, but my mother used to read me this one as a boy..you won't find copies in London, they were written regionally and only a few copies exist. Perhaps some light reading while you are here?" He asked. "if you don't mind tales of druids and lunacy, of sleeping things and wolves..."

The door opened and Lucian glanced upwards. "Laura? Is that- "

"I should make mention, Luc..." his sister called. "We've received word Uncle Sebastian shall be by shortly...and he asked you and any guests to see him in the family chapel."

 

[Andronica]

For what it was worth, Amelia could listen to Lucian recount tales and histories about Ravenhallow and its storied progenitor for the rest of the day. She watched him with rapt attention while he recounted even more strange and fascinating morsels of lore that had her wanting more, even if it was likely embellished for the sake of being sensational to his curious guest. The fact that he entertained her was more than appreciated so she hung on his every word adding a lilting 'oh' or gasp or nod where it would mean the most as she practically inhaled his words. Then, of course, the conversation moved back 'round to the Lady in question.

She smirked, a strange lopsided thing, and shook her head. "You would be forgiven for missing your prayers, I imagine. That is the nature of such spirituality, isn't it?" Amelia supposed. A sigh filled the space between them while she collected her thoughts to words next.

"Some light reading would be splendid, Lord Talbot! Even if I do not particularly believe in faeries or an afterlife, I can still find the utmost enjoyment in reading such tales. Particularly the grim and dark variety," she added as a nod toward their earlier discussion of Shelley and the like. A pale hand emerged from her front where it had politely been clasped with the other in order to take the offered book. Her movements were slow in reverence of its significance to his youth. Those bright hazel eyes looked to him as she questioned him further about it. "Did you have a favourite tale?"

Though, whatever else she had to say on the matter was cut short as soon as the words left her mouth. The door of the library opened to reveal the cool expression of his fire-haired sibling.

Oh. Suddenly, Amelia felt quite out of place. It was one thing to come unannounced and misguided to land in the hospitality of one Lord and Lady, who for the most part took it in stride. It was another matter to feel like she was lingering when he had extended family about.

"I can make myself scarce," offered Amelia. "In whatever room you have available. It would give me much needed time to write home and arrange my return so as not to impose further." Much as she would love to spend a summer exploring Ravenhallow... There was still no indication Lucian's family was her family, and the misdirection of the letter left a sour taste in her mouth.

 

[Vinaein]

Seeing Amelia's rapt attention struck a chord within the Lord of Ravenhallow. Lucian Talbot's lips curved upward higher; the man had a handsome face that wore its smiles easily, even as they did not always reach his eyes. But her enthusiasm was wholly unfeigned and infectious. Lucian was finding that it ignited a spark within him; how could he not appreciate the discussions at hand here when he had such an audience? His hands folding behind his back, he tilted an eyebrow up with Amelia's smirk.

It felt good to be out of his room, with an unfamiliar face. Part of him wished to still be locked away in his own chambers where he need not worry about the opinions of others. But most of him wanted to be right here alongside their mysterious visitor.

And if he kept his eyes on her, he need not focus on the shades all about them. And she had such an interest in the clergy, apparently. "For matters of the spiritual, I confess I am a lapsed man as churches go. It ha been quite a while since we had a reason to offer prayers of thanks and we have seen much to make us doubt in the benevolence of the beyond." If only she knew how literal that was.

"Ah, truthfully I would find the absence of faeries and the afterlife to be a happier notion," Lucian said in a somber tone as she took the book. "Would you ever want to see something like that, Milady Adler? A creature that was not human, that does not reason as you do, whose wants are of a wholly alien variety, whom you might offend to your detriment without ever knowing why and which may alter the course of your eternity, down to your bloodline? I speak, of course...only hypothetically!" He said, his grin returning. "But I would scarce care to be in a room with those true faeries...or beings older than they...." He tried to overcome the awkwardness, suddenly recalling a tale.

"Ah, there was one of a prince, cursed udner the moon- " he stopped short at the intrusion, turning his head to Laura, her hands clasped before her.

"You know Uncle Sebastian hates being kept waiting," Laura said before turning her eyes toward Amelia. "...If you have hopes of arranging a letter, it will have to wait. The carriage has departed and none will arrive now. It is not safe to travel at night, with the offices closed...you'd need to go into Moonwell and even then, letters would take time to travel- "

"Is that our mysterious visitor?" The voice was smooth, subtle, coming from behind Laura and accompanied by the sound of fine shoes upon the hard floor. A silhouette hung there in shadow, of a man tall and lean, with fine black hair worn short and a handsome face. "I would not dream of abandoning her in our discussions....Lucian, have the fine Lady Adler meet us in the chapel, there's a good lad."

The footsteps receded, Laura hesitating before forcing another smile. "You heard them," she said softly.

"I see your name is making its way around the household," Lucian told Amelia. "Uncle Sebastian is quite keen on information."

"Evidently. Since I did not tell him that," Laura added with a sidelong look at her brother.

 

[Andronica]

Amelia felt sidelined at the arrival of the siblings' mysterious uncle, and her hopes of escaping what might be a personal get together by an interloper were dashed when Laura said she would have to wait to pen and post her letter. The brunette swallowed hard at the sudden awkward spot she found herself in. Like a prey animal the man's smooth voice washed over the room and painted it with his charm before he had properly set foot inside the library. She was both bewitched and a bit frightened at the tall, handsome man who came through the doorway having apparently knowing about her presence already before she could offer a polite introduction to ease the transition of her... untimely arrival.

But he left her in more confusion than anything else. Amelia looked towards Laura and then at Lucian's face, subtly, seeking an answer as to how their uncle knew her name. Unless he was the one who sent for her? Surely his visit to Ravenhallow the same day as hers, and his name, would be the bearer of that cursive 'S' upon the letter beckoning her to the ancestral manor.

She waited until the man's footsteps receded back into shadow, then opened her mouth to give that thought a voice, while simultaneously hoping to not butt in.

"Your Uncle Sebastian?" she opened, looking away from the siblings to rifle through the small purse attached to her skirt. The gently folded letter was stowed there and she hurriedly brought it out. "If he knows my name then perhaps this letter wasn't a cruel trick at all." Her words were filled with hope at that idea. To prove her point or at least bring emphasis to it, Amelia unfolded the letter and handed it back over to Lucian to share with his sister if he wished. Lady Adler's finger pointed decidedly to the vague signature at the bottom of the letter.

"Either way," Amelia added, "I would very much like to meet your Uncle now." Despite her bravado about his very forward decision regarding a mysterious discussion, she had to swallow a sudden pang of anxiety quietly.

After all, the man had given them no choice in the matter with her summons to the family chapel. A place that the young woman hadn't frequented for many years in any capacity.