Pea coat on Piccadilly | 28th- Xmas 1677

[Hope]

Please add your time stamp when CW gets in and finds his visitor waiting!

 

#1 Langdon House

Located on the south corner of Picadilly, this large house seems almost out of place with the smaller town homes further up the block. Likely it is because it predates the development of Pall Mall and St. James Square.

 

Though the house shows signs of age from its Tudor origins, the walled grounds of two acres are well maintained, with a nice garden in back. There is an entry gate to the front, and a gate in the rear to the stables. A military man might appreciate the security of the perimeter.

 

The house has 3 levels plus an attic. The ground level hosts a small ballroom, parlor,dining room and study. The second floor hosts a masters BR, Missus BR, and a guest room. The third floor has three guest rooms, with the servants sleeping in the attic.

 

A rough looking fellow sat on the porch of Langston House, awaiting the Lord of the manor to get in. He waived away offers that he step into the parlor, nor did he take up cooks offer of a mug of soup to keep him warm. "I'm fine just here." the grizled fellow said putting and end to that subject... though now and then them indoors pulled aside a net curtain to see if he was still there waiting.

 

"No good shall come of this." Amy fretted, only to be shushed by cook and told to keep her nose out of his lordships business. Still, cook was shaking her head and tutting too as she returned to peeling tonights tatters. Boiled then roasted, that's how the master liked them best.

[Charles Whitehurst]

He had been gone just long enough to escort Catherine Sedley home and visit briefly with her daughter. There was still a plan to visit the palace afterward when he was informed that he had a visitor.

 

Moving out upon the porch, Charles greeted the gruff looking man. "I am Lord Langdon," Charles announced. His uniform was a dead giveaway. "What is this about?" It seemed too soon to be about Frances, but it was possible.

[Hope]

He had seen the Earl's carriage go past to his stables, and was stood on the step waiting when the door later opened. Serious grey eyes neath craggy eyebrows, and a beard that cant have seen a barber in months if not years.

 

"Lord Langdon, I am Richard Abercrombie." he gave a bow, as much as his wearied body could manage, "I ah, my inquiries have directed me to your doorstep, I am sorry to bother you milord, it is not my custom to call upon quality. I am but a humble seaman, finally returned to England."

 

Abercrombie was assessing the young lord as she spoke. It was plain enough that Charles was of a military background, the way he held himself, the angle of his chin and directness of his eyes. But what was the nature of this man?"

 

"I believe I own you a debt of gratitude." he couched, "for taking care of my sister, Abigail."

[Charles Whitehurst]

It was through suspicious eyes that Langdon appraised the seaman. He did his best to memorize the man's features in case they did not meet again.

 

"I was not aware that Mrs. Smith had a brother," he replied at last. "She has never mentioned the existence of a brother to me. What evidence do you have that you are who you say? Tell me of your family and why it is that you became a sailor and she married an MP," he urged. He would withhold judgement until he heard more, but Charles was suspicious of those who might seek to profit from Abigail's wealth. Yet, who would be bold enough to attempt to defraud an officer of the King and a man who led a regiment of soldiers that would hunt down a scoundrel? Surely there were easier marks.

[Hope]

The word Scruffy might have been defined by this man, who's unkempt hair was only the half of it. He had a blue flannel shirt that was gubby about the collar, and his sea boots were worn at the toes. Yet for all of his ill-prepare for the Earls high society, Abercrombie was ready for the question.

 

"She's not talked about me?" bushy brows furrowed, then eased as he sighed, "Well I suppose she believed me forever lost. You are not the first man to disbelieve me to be who I am. After the ship I was working on sunk, I've spent the last four years working my way back home. When I walked into the office of Hewitt, Neville & Sons they gaped in disbelief."

 

" 'Missing presumed drowned'."

 

"I may tell you Lord Langdon, there is no presumption that is troubling that to be told you should be dead."

 

"May... may I see her?" he made a half step forward, then pulled himself back. "As to her high achievement - as you must know she was determined to make something of herself. Me, I never had her ambition, in my younger years I yearned only for adventure. And admittedly adventure is what I got."

[Charles Whitehurst]

"No she hasn't," Langdon replied bluntly. "But then, she does not speak much any more. The loss of her husband made her fragile and unable to cope. She is getting better." Charles felt the need to lower the expectations of this man, just in case she was really her brother.

 

If the man was a swindler, he would have done a better job dressing and coming forward with a more convincing story. "Give me the name of the right person at Hewitt for me to contact about you. Get yourself cleaned up and presentable and you can come again this coming Sunday afternoon, right after church, to greet her. We'll see if she recognizes you then."

 

It occurred to him in that moment that this Abercrombie could threaten the wardship he had with Abigail and Frances. The King had ordered it but this man might be able to present a legal challenge. She won't recognize him and then I can send him on his way, he told himself. It would also give him several days to find Frances and return her to the household.

[Hope]

"Really?" the man replied, though not as surprised of this news as he might have been, perhaps lifes battering had numbed him to much. "I wish I could have come sooner, how long as it been now, months, years? The sight of her brother shall surely help her break from the melancholy of grief..."

 

"... and what of her daughter, she spoke of her so often. In letters. Little Frances."

 

"But no sir. I cannot simply leave my flesh and blood behind again."

 

"You must realise that having lost everything, it has been my very driving force to find my family again. It was for this very reason I was not content to leave a message with your servants, I needed to speak to you directly, and call upon your common decency to end this suffering my sister and I share. Abagail shall not care of these whiskers. Have your man head to the offices now, and I shall wait. He might speak to Mr Hewett himself, or the pay clerk Mr Watts."

[Charles Whitehurst]

"It has been over a year," Langdon advised formally. "You say she sent letters? Perhaps you have some that you can show me to authenticate your identity?"

 

"Frances is off on a brief holiday." That seemed true enough. There was no duty to say more to this stranger.

 

The man wanted to stay until his credentials were validated. "I am afraid that is impossible Mister Abercrombie. I shall send my manservant along in due course; but, until your identity is verified I shall not allow a stranger to sit upon my doorstep. If you are who you say you are, you shall see your sister soon enough. You have been apart for many years. A few days more will hardly matter. She is safe in my care and will be when you return to visit, clean shaven. Now then, tell me where you are staying and I shall send a note."

[Hope]

"They went down with the ship." Richard replied, slowly shaking his head.

 

"Tomorrow then." the man's anxiety was showing, "or need I get the authorities involved. Who are you to keep her, you are not our flesh and blood. Need I apply to the courts to see justice, or petition the king. I had heard you were a man of honor Lord Langdon, why make me wait a week when your question could be validated in half an hours. The offices are but a mile or so away."

[Charles Whitehurst]

Langdon's patience was beginning to wear thin, especially when the man sought to accuse him of unlawful behavior. "Mister Abercrombie," he began formally, "I am the legal guardian for your sister and niece. I became so when the Court of Wards was dissolved by the King. It was by His Majesty's decree that I become her guardian. You are free to seek the truth of things in the courts."

 

"I take my responsibilities seriously to protect Abigail and Frances. I am glad for her that a long lost sibling may have returned; but, I do not know you and you have no papers that prove your identity. I would be remiss to trust anyone until satisfied that their claims were confirmed and I am assured that such person means her no harm." He was not looking for an answer.

 

"If you wish to proceed, I need the following from you. First, I need to know where you are staying so that I can contact you by messenger. Second, I need a letter from you that identifies yourself and explains your history, at sea and before. It shall need to include your date of birth and birthplace. I will need to check your history. Ordinarily I would require a letter of introduction. It is how gentlemen make introductions. I will have my men check with Hewett and elsewhere before a meeting. If you object to this, it only adds suspicion that you are not who you say you are. If you are not who you say you are and you persist, you can rest assured that you shall be in Fleet Prison for the rest of your life. Do you understand me?"

 

Charles now paused for the man to either agree, or dig himself deeper. As he awaited the answer, the Earl studied the man's face more closely, looking for any familial resemblance to Abigail.

[Hope]

"Then you leave me no other recourse." Abercrombie was upset, though did his best to contain it. If Charles was not of the quality, then he'd have slapped in on the side of head and gone in to take his sister. This was not right. This was plain wrong. Why had the king designated this man previously unknown to the family as their guardian.

 

Charles issuance of demands made it all the more difficult, he wanted a letter of history, and all these other things too. And he, having barely made it back to London alive working as a deckhand... expression crumpled.

 

"I do not have all these things of what you speak." he uttered, "I have made myself known to the staff at Hewit and Son's and they are commencing a legal proceedings before they will release the money owed to me. They cant pay a dead man. My records need to be repaired. Until then, Mr Watt's, out of the goodness of his heart is allowing me to stay at his house, down on Friday street, number 30, third floor."

 

Perhaps it would be easier to divine family resemblance if the man was shaven.

 

"I shall wait here meanwhiles, perhaps to see her if she looks out the window." he stepped back off the step and looked up at the house once more.

[Charles Whitehurst]

"The legal proceeding will be a good step," Langdon replied, though he was beginning to think otherwise. Having no desire to release custody of Abigail and Frances, Charles was beginning to convince himself that the man was likely a charleton. While it might be better for Frances to have an uncle, it was not better for him.

 

The Smiths were wealthy. He had invested their money in purchasing Dorchester House and Bagshot. He had no desire to give up either until Frances married. Yet, his motives were not entirely mercenary. In truth, he was quite fond of Frances and his guilt about Abigail weighed heavily on him that he needed to care for her.

 

"I am afraid that will be impossible," he replied to the stranger's announcement that he planned to remain on the property. "Until your identity is proven, you shall be treated merely as a stranger claiming to be Abigail's brother. I have offered you an opportunity to meet her next Sunday afternoon. If she recognizes you and engages you in conversation that satisfies her as to your identity, then the rest of the legal proceedings will become less important to me." He knew that was unlikely given Abigail's inability to engage in social discourse normally. "Until then, I will ask you politely to take your leave and I do not want to be told that you have been seen lurking outside our house before Sunday, lest I contact the authorities. Do you understand?" His tone was not hostile but it contained an element of menace.

[Hope]

"You have me at a disadvantage, and endeavor to prolong your advantae." Abercrombie continued to look unhappy of the situation.

 

"While I would be greatful that you have looked after my family while I have been unable to do so, I find gratitude difficult to muster when you refuse to let me see my sister for neigh of a week. I wonder what have you to gain by such a drawing out of time. The world is a wicked place, all manner of throughts come into my mind of what you might think to use that time for. What do you intend to hide?"

 

Charles accused him of villainy, and now Richard also threw dirt.

 

"This is not the last you shall see if me, Lord Langdon." He lifted his hat back into place as he turned to make his exit.

 

 

 

OOC: fin! & do pm me the link to the Solicitors visit thread when you make it!

[Charles Whitehurst]

"I have no advantage in this matter sir. The advantage is to give me time to see if you are the person you claim to be. If things were different and a man showed up at your door claiming that he was an officer of the King and needed to whisk your sister away in that very moment, would you not demand to see his credentials and send him away until you were satisfied that the orders were valid? I think you would. Again, if you are who you say you are then you will be thanking me for this precaution one day." He paused to see if this argument had any impact. It would not upon a charleton surely.

 

"I think our business is concluded for the time being. " With that, he watched the man exit.

 

 

~fin for me