Preternatural Phenomena | 21st, 11pm onwards

[Darlene Hamilton]

Darlene arrived to her friends doorway dressed in black muslin, a shapeless and non-descript costume, though she was not without the silver tiara atop her head. The tiara had been a gift from the Duchess, and would ward of evil, most especially that might enter the mind. Or at least that last  addition had been what Darlene imagined as she teased her curls to sit prettily around it. The young Viscountess had always thought her mind was her most vulnerable part. A mind that currently was filled with questions she might ask of the other plane.

She carried a freshly cut bouquet of moon flowers, white trumpet-shaped flowers that unfurl at night and reflect the moon's light, as a gift for the hostess. 

She was pale due to feeling both excited and nervous, while she'd been attentive to fixing her face with rouge to her lips - incase Thomas became present.  "Im not too early am I?" she asked as she was seen into Lady Ablemarles suite, with curious eyes wide as she looked around at the preparations made. 

[Blackguard]

It was not too early.  Elizabeth was finishing up her own set of defenses.  A smallish maid was closing the clasp of a silver and agate necklace around the neck of the Duchess. Silver earrings matched her own silver tiara.  There was a silver belt around her waist as well.  "Enough Marie," the Duchess snapped.  "Get brandy for the Viscountess."  

Elizabeth eyed Darlene with a smile.  "The black is perfect," she purred, thinking it was an adventurous color for Darlene.  "You are a haunting beauty tonight Darlene," she added.  The Duchess wore a gown of blood red, so as to stick out to the spiritual word.  She would have worn white but was practical enough to worry what the dust and cobwebs might do to it.

She saw the tiara and looked for earrings and necklaces as well.  "You can never have enough silver," she observed.  "I have a small pouch of salt for you as well."  It was said that evil spirits avoided salt.

[Darlene Hamilton]

Elizabeth was on edge, she snapped at her maid when she was usually gentler.  "Yes and make it a big one!" Darlene joined in the Duchesses mood thinking it fun  (Though in fact, Darlene had never been a big drinker, so likely most would go to waste.)

"You think I need even more silver?" in a sober voice she asked, also enjoying the gravity of the moment. "Haunting was not the look I was going for, but – ooh! Did you feel that Elizabeth! A sudden draft!"  A chill crept up Darlene spine, and she had the delicious  sense that tonight was going to be very scary. Perhaps they would even scream.

Moving closer to look into the jewellery box as the Duchess looked for silver earrings, she asked, "Who do you hope we might contact tonight? Surely you do not wish for just some random.  My dear, I might be foolish to hope so, but I wonder if my Thomas might visit? Although he likely disapprove of mediums as much in death as he did life. Still, one can hope."  

 

[Blackguard]

The maid scurried to the liquor cabinet. Unfortunately, there was no large goblet, so the maid poured the brandy into the standard one, but closer to the brim.  She returned walking slowly as not to spill a drop and get scolded.

The Duchess had a jewelry box of all things silver.  Darlene would see silver hair pins, earrings, rings, necklaces, broaches.  "If you see anything you fancy, it is yours," Elizabeth invited her best friend.  Darlene could have her pick.  Many had semi-precious stones attached.  There was a silver letter opener that looked like a small dagger.

"I shall make contact with grandfather.  He shall come surely if we are both present."  Darlene would attract the spirit for certain.  "Perhaps the Count can summon Thomas, but we need something that belonged to him in life," she advised.

When Darlene thrilled at a possible chill, Elizabeth froze in place, looking in all directions.  "Do you still feel it?  Maybe some spirit has sensed our being draped in silver.

[Darlene Hamilton]

Darlene did not even touch the silver letter opener, her experiences with such was enough.  But her eyes honed in upon a silver filigree brooch in the shape of a circle depicting a tree, it's branches and roots almost a duplicate of each other.  "Oh this would be perfect, it is like the trees of Oakham."

“Thank you my dearest.”  Claiming that pretty thing she fastened it on her bodice near her heart. 

"It would be lovely to hear your grandfathers wisdom again, he was a man of great vision." Darlene replied, while her hopes sunk.  "But I do not have anything of Thomas's."  Elizabeths reasoning made perfect sense, she could not even think of anything back in her room that she could send for that would be fit.

"It's probably better that he doesn’t talk to me any way, he would be unlikely to say anything nice." her husband was renown for lectures, and if he was watching over her still, he was unlikely to approve.  Still, she would have liked to have known his thoughts. 

 

[Blackguard]

"Perfect," Elizabeth gushed at Darlene's choice.  She studied the brooch approvingly.

"Thomas can wait for our next calling.  Forensi has warned that it is best to focus on just one spirit at a time.  He has also warned that restless spirits in the castle may come to us unbidden.  Some could be friendly ... but some not." A chill ran down her spine in expectation.

"Did you find a friend or two to join us?  Will they be needing silver tonight?"

[Davina Wellsley]

She had said she would come and so here she was.

Dressed in dove grey silk and adorned with several items of silver as Darlene had stipulated.

A silver disc hung from a silver chain at her waist and in her hair she wore four small silver stars that glimmered as she moved.

Her face was pale and she was thinner - a thing Poppy had noted as she could now lace her stays completely closed with no usual gap - but she did not seem to have much appetite of late.

Her encounter with Lady Mountjoy had not gone to plan.

It had left her with no energy and little desire to do much of anything.

Poppy rapped on the door and stood aside.

She would never allow her Mistress to go out alone and once inside she would make herself scarce yet aware of the surroundings.

If there was indeed some mischief afoot this night then she needed to keep her own wits about her.

Cuddling up to a servant or two would provide her with household gossip as well as other things that might be useful at some other time.

She could not ever forget that their very lives were at risk. Even at such a place as this.

[Darlene Hamilton]

"Oh certainly," Darlene agreed that her own wishes could wait.

Anyone who knew Darlene at that moment knew that she was lying.  She would not wait for months for Elizabeth to secure the Counts services again, no not she, she would pay the ceremony extra careful attention to the ceremony and then reenact it out when she was ready. 

"Yes I have invited two ladies, but no need for your jewellery box any more for I told them to arrive prepared.  One of the ladies understanding if not experienced in these things, while for the other it is a brand new field." Darlene replied, about to say more, when there was a knock.  " - but this might be them now?" 

 

[Blackguard]

Marie answered the door and escorted Davina and her maid into the presence of the Duchess and Darlene.  "Oh, and who is this?" Elizabeth asked.  Davina looked familiar to her, but she did not recall the name.  She awaited an introduction by Darlene.