Lechance

Santiago stepped out of the smithy and wiped his brow. It was really, really warm in there. Warm enough that even he was getting a bit wiped out by it. He couldn't understand why. He'd been around forges all his life.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him. There were those odd skittering sounds he'd been hearing recently. Sounds he couldn't place and that he couldn't figure out what was making them.

He hid all that concern when someone approached. A smile and a nod.

"Good day."

Sadie had been feeling a little under the weather. She'd come home early from the store, ate very little at dinner and ended up her evening curled on a divan in a quiet parlor, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea at easy reach.

She looked up when someone entered and smiled. "Hello," she said. "How are you this evening?"

Missy ran into the lobby of the Beloved's hotel laughing. A group of the Beloveds and chaperones she had been walking with were all smiling, laughing and talking animatedly, as they all bumbled in together with her. Clothing was rearranged, and calls went out for towels and fresh baths to be drawn.

They'd all been caught out by the sudden downpour, and Missy was still trailing water everywhere when she turned around and nearly fell straight into the arms of someone passing. "Oh, please, my apologies," she blustered, trying to straighten herself out.

Late in the afternoon, a small crowd gathered in a field to participate in the gathering of the final harvest of the season. They loaded it into a decorated horse-drawn wagon and followed it into town, singing songs and waving sheafs of hay.

More people followed along as the parade passed them by, leading them into the square that normally held the merchants but had been cleared earlier for the celebration. There were still a few booths set up but they'd been converted to homes for games. The growing crowd was invited to march to the cathedral for a short service or to stay at the square to help set up for a feast.

Lanterns were lit all around the buildings and the square, casting a warm glow. There was just the slightest nip in the air but that would be dispelled when the dancing started later. Enormous amounts of food were heaped on a banquet table and long tables were set with glittering china and strewn with bouquets of late-blooming flowers.

( Letters to Ascendants )

( Beloved )

Hattie rapped lightly on Missy's door. "Missy? Would you care to join me downstairs for tea? I've been baking..."

Daisuke had brushed his best suit clean and made another trek to the hotel. He waited patiently in the lobby for Missy to come down in answer to the card he sent up. When she appeared on the stairs, he stood and bowed, then straightened and asked, "You are Miss Lee, yes? I am Daisuke Shimada."

Tables had been dragged into Jonas' office and pushed together to help provide space for those invited to the meeting. Mrs Andrews had provided sandwiches and cakes, and her teenaged daughter was helping her in providing teas, coffees, and squashes as people arrived. His staff, including Deputies Andrew Charles and Ifan Jones, Mrs Andrews and her daughter, Ms Smith the administrative assistant, along with several chaperones from the Hotel, were milling around making light conversation with new arrivals.

Jonas waited until people had settled, and were all sat down around the tables. He stood up to address them all.

Wednesday daytime, and Jonas sends out personal telegraphs to the following people, either to their own residences, or addressed privately via the Hotel:
Santiago de la Vega
Simon Belgrave
Julian MacKallister
Benjamin Simoneaux
Daisuke Shimada
Missy Lee
Jonathon Stanton

The message reads:

'The Acting Sheriff of this town, Mr Jonas Wilder hereby invites you to an informal meeting to take place on this Sunday the 26th of October. The meeting will commence at 6pm in the Sheriff's Office. This meeting is to gather together a consultancy of sorts to discuss ongoing and current reports of unusual activity received by the Office.

Light refreshments will be available, and appropriate chaperones will also be in attendance.

Please feel free to bring along any persons you may feel will assist. Your help and assistance in these matters would be much appreciated.'

Jonas also talks to his staff, including new employee Leo Coleman, to inform them of the upcoming meeting, and to request their attendence also.

( Letters to Ascendants )

( Beloved )

Missy was sat at the table outside the front of the Hotel, frantically writing and drawing in her journal. She had her monocle up to her right eye, and looked to be completely in her own little world, muttering occasionally to herself. 

She'd gotten quite used to some of the chaperones at the Hotel already. Mrs Sheedy had done an excellent job of matching her up with some of the gentler, quieter ones. Mrs Sheedy herself still unnerved her slightly though. The two chaperones that she was currently out front with had been very gracious about leaving her with her own space, setting up on two chairs a small distance from her with their needlepoint, and Missy was quite relaxed about their presence.

She was therefore fairly startled when a shadow passed over her journal, and she dropped both her pencil, and the monocle to the floor. "Umm.. good day to you,  just hang on one moment. Ah, yes, got 'em. Good." 

She polished off the dust on her monocle with her sleeve, and pocketed it quickly before her visitor could see before looking up at them.