Penny and Kate:

It doesn't take long to find something suitable for the banquet amidst the Men's sizable wardrobe. There's even shoes should Kate wish them. By the time you get to the banquet it is 6:30 and the sky is threatening rain. The building is very old and stately. It was once a great home but now it has been converted into a community center of sorts. Still, the decor is very fine and at the moment it has been decked out to the nines. The banquet is soon to start and most people have found their tables. As you enter you give your names to one of the serving men who finds it on a list and waves you to a large circular table that seats roughly 10 people. Mrs. Bentley is there, dressed far above her station and looking almost opulent. She seems pleased to see you and waves you over.

Penny found herself a suitable green dress with a somewhat daring neckline and matching hat, and assisted Kate with choosing her clothes and dressing in some of the odder items, such as a petticoat or corset, if desired. Afterwards, she collected her weapons from Master Frederick and inspected the mystical symbols inscribed in them. It wouldn't do to have them too closely inspected by others now.

She acquired a large bag from the Men of Letters in which they could conceal a few other small hunting supplies and weapons, then covered them all over with pamphlets for the National Woman Suffrage Association, books on feminism and newsletters from similar groups in Britain. Penny's own handbag carried some of her smaller and more innocuous equipment. She carried her enchanted umbrella, warded against both demons and the rain.

Privately, the prim and proper Victorian lady hitched up her skirts to Kate and revealed her small pocket revolver in a garter holster, along with several vital hunting supplies tucked under the band.

*

As they entered the once-stately home, Penny looked around, impressed at the decorations and the expense to which Mrs Bently had gone in the name of charity. Father Simon would no doubt be choking and spluttering at the misplaced extravagance. Penny supposed this was done less in the name of the poor than in the name of Emma Bently.

'Good evening, Mrs Bently. I must say, this is quite a splendid reception you've organised. My congratulations.' she greeted, playing up to the woman's ego.

Kate was more than happy to let Penny help her choose appropriate clothing for the evening. They settled on a dusty pink dress that was entirely too fancy for Kate's taste. There was much cursing from Kate as Penny helped her struggle into the corset. "This thing is more evil than anything we will face tonight," she muttered once she was dressed. Lastly she tucked her hair back behind her ear and secured it with a small hair comb.

She also followed Penny's example and strapped her gun to her thigh. She also tucked her butterfly knife, mace and a few other tools into a small clutch that matched her dress.

The banquet was full of eye catching decorations and interesting people. Mrs. Bentley waves them over and Kate follows Penny to the table smiling politely and giving her "good evening" as well.

Oh why thank you! I do what I can with the little I've been given. She glances over at a middle aged man drinking with others at the bar, her face frowning in distaste. You get the feeling this could be her husband. Ian's arrival confirms it as he strides toward the man with an outstretched hand. You recall he had received his own separate invitation from the man. It is paramount that you do not give away that you know the fellow. Her eyes flick back to you quickly and her face is pleasant once more. She quickly introduces you to her inner circle, giving you several names that are said so fast it's hard to keep track.I must say you clean up nicely. I wish I had the bust for such a dress my dear Penny, but unfortunately time is not always kind. But where is the good Father? I had thought he would be particularly supportive of our little charity. She looks around in disappointment. As she speaks you get the opportunity to glance over her dining companions. They are all women, ages ranging from thirties to fifties and all dressed quite fashionably. Their faces are smiling and polite, but there is something in their eyes that you don't like. As you speak a waiter brings a plate of salad and a bowl of creamy soup.

ooc: Responses and please roll a spot check

Penny's eyes followed Mrs Bently's, sighting a man who could only be Richard Bently seated at the bar, joined by Ian Shaw. The put-upon husband theory was growing in her mind. But the steely detective didn't turn her head and gave no other sign of recognition or interest.

She nodded and murmured polite greetings to everyone else at the table, deftly appraising each woman in turn. She'd been to enough high-class affairs to know when manners concealed hostility. Goodness, what a pleasant group this was. 'A pleasure to meet you. This is Kate Piper, I'm Penelope Baskerville.' She'd adopted another false name in this case, given the oddity of the "Dreadful", and the "Darkmoor" might be somewhat excessive.

Penny was a little peeved to be told she cleaned up nicely. Hadn't she already been so at their first meeting? Kate she could understand, but her? She was a little embarrassed to be complimented on her bust, not having all that much there, and realised the dress she'd chosen had given her a particular prominence in that department. She blushed a little, answering 'I have been to have enough balls and soirées at the manor, and in London and Paris, to know when to dress up and when to dress down.' she said casually, emphasising her upper-class English accent. Emma Bently was quite aspiring, so Penny expected she would naturally wish to attach herself to a member of the aristocracy.

'I'm afraid our good Father Simon must tend to his flock. An emergency involving a poor boy afflicted with polio, I understand. He does such good work in the name of his Lord.'


OOC: Were we invited to sit down?

A general Sherlock Scan over Emma's friends: Investigate 23, Sense Motive 20, Spot 13
08:58, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 23,20,13 using d20+12,d20+7,d20+9. scan: investigate, sense motive, spot (proper).

Spot 28. I forgot to set the dice for my scan, so I'll take this roll for Spot.
08:58, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 19 using 1d20. scan: investigate, sense motive, spot.

Do I need a Bluff check? Bluff 5. Erk, well, it should be quite believable.
09:25, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 5 using 1d20+1. bluff.

ooc: Forgive me, yes you were invited to sit down. And yes you will need the bluff check, good instincts. I'm going to give Kate a chance to roll before I move the story along, but I will inform you of your scan results.

There are 8 women total including Mrs. Bentley. Basically you get the impression that these women come from different walks of life, in spite of their being dressed to the nines. Some really do seem to come from wealth, others look out of place and are wearing ill fitting gowns and awkward embellishments that look a bit cheap upon closer inspection. You also notice an air of superiority amongst the truly wealthy, and a hostility from the lower members of the table. There are little glances and glares barely caught that lead you to believe this group has its fair share of inner rebellion. No one appears to be acquiescent to each other though, save for the case of Emma Bentley. They all seem a bit afraid of her, plastering on eager smiles and laughing a bit too quickly at her comments. You can also tell that one or two of the women are foreign, though they are doing their utmost to hide that fact. One is Romanian, the other Greek possibly? You caught the slightest hint of an accent upon their introductions.

Kate took her seat glad that Mrs. Bentley seemed more interested in Penny than in her. She did not give away that she recognized Ian and her face remained blank when Penny introduced herself with a different last name and lied about Father Simon. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night. Hopefully by the end of it they would know what Mrs. Bentley was up to.

spot :20 (16+4)

Emma listens to Penny's story with a small nod, though her eyes seem to show an almost alarming intelligence. She may or may not have believed it. Hard to say. In the meantime, she begins polite conversation, particularly interested in Penny's station. She asks about your family and social circles and gives Kate a polite smile as if to say, "You poor dear," in comparison to Miss Dreadful. Evidently you don't give off a wealthy nature. This does, however, seem to endear Kate to some of the lower women in the circle, who ask her many questions about her hair and her prospects of marriage and the like. Meanwhile though, you both notice that your waiter has the remnants of what appears to be fresh blood on his cuff. His face is blank and expressionless but unless he is also in the back slaughtering chickens, there likely isn't a good reason for that to be there....

Penny's eyes and ears took in all the details of Mrs Bently's circle of associates, from dresses fine and new and custom-made to those cheap and off-the-shelf, from the little looks to the flicking eyes. My, this was an interesting study in class and society. The genuinely wealthy carried themselves with superiority and arrogance, the less well-to-do and foreign were not reserved but jealous of their betters. It was a contest of wealth, class, and influence And though she'd place Emma Bently at upper-middle class, about fourth in the circle, she was clearly the most dominant personality, out of proportion with her actual wealth and class. That just left influence, and power.

Making polite conversation, Penny freely answered Emma's questions, answering with facts more general in scope than anything specific, and generally remaining discreet. Keeping her story truthful and and believable, she spoke more of the Darkmoors than their old rivals the Baskervilles, but cherry-picked what she needed from both clans and others in the moorlands. She doubted these people of New York could easily or quickly corroborate her story with the moors of far-off England. Holmes' Baskerville case — which Penny had consulted on — had only been last year, but Watson had not yet published and such incidents as had made it to the papers had surely not crossed the Atlantic.

As she spoke, she steered the conversation toward the matter of witchcraft, both to observe the reaction of those at the table and to tempt invitation as Kate had suggested. '...Why, the family dates back several centuries, surviving the Civil War and the Black Death, though the Inquisition was a particular thorn in our side. A few of my ancestors were even burned as witches! One old great-aunt for talking to her cat, of all things, and a family matriarch for apparently attempting to slay a rival lord with a hex-bag — a, uh, small bag filled with certain occult items. It's all quite fascinating.' The hex-bag was a far from commonly known item of witchcraft, so Penny had casually mentioned it to suggest her knowledge was somewhat beyond that of the lay-person.

Her eye was taken by the waiter with blood on his sleeve, and she observed the man's hands, dress, and composure. An accident with the kitchen knife or a fresh steak? But the waiter would not normally be involved in food preparation.


OOC: Scan the waiter: Investigate 17, Sense 18, Spot 23
21:27, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 17,18,23 using d20+13,d20+7,d20+9. scan: investigate, sense motive, spot.

Mrs. Bentley listens politely, her face a perfect mask of ignorance. Hex bags you say? How delightful! I've never heard of such a thing. It would make a sensational story, you know how spiritualism and seances are all the rage these days. Still, I hardly believe in such things. A pity about your poor ancestors. I'm sure countless innocent women were put to death for silly misunderstandings and the prejudices of an uneducated mind. She sounds a bit irritated by the end, and you can tell she has an opinion on the matter. Meanwhile the other women at the table look a bit uncomfortable.

Your scan on the waiter tells only a little. He appears to be nervous. His pocket handkerchief is creased and poorly folded. His hands are a bit shaky as he pours your drinks. His face though, is set and smooth. A mask of polite indifference. Quite a contrast to the rest of his manners.

ooc: Sorry, just waiting for Kate to catch up before I get too far ahead.

Kate interacted with the women at her table in a friendly but polite manner, answering their questions about her hair using the same story she'd given Mrs. Bentley about her mischievous brother. "I honestly prefer it short," she added running her fingers through her dark hair. "Who knows maybe it will start a trend?"

She scanned the room looking for anything out of place. It was interesting to see the different classes of women and how they interacted. She was not at all surprised to see Mrs. Bentley's pity looks cast her direction. Despite the fancy dress Kate was well aware that she was a fish out of water here.

Her attention turned to Penny as she spoke to Mrs. Bentley of her family and moved the topic to something much more interesting than hair styles and prospects.

Kate had noticed the blood on the waiters cuff. When he poured her drink she touched his arm lightly. She made sure to speak softly so as not to draw too much attention. "Are you alright? It looks like you have cut yourself," she pulled her handkerchief from her handbag and held it out to him flashing a concerned smile.

bluff 16 if needed for her hair comments

'Yes, it is quite tragic. The Church has always been frightfully uncomfortable with women of power... Perhaps it is just as well Father Simon could not make it tonight.' Penny joked lightly, looking at Emma and trying to recover from her earlier fumbling of the lie. 'Still, it does make for some delightfully grotesque dinner conversation, especially with the recent revivals of Druidism and witchcraft. Though I suspect those who currently dance about in robes have no real powers as our ancestors did.' she continued. Penny didn't expect Emma would reveal her practices so soon, and certainly not at the dinner table. Naturally, she would deny it first, even if in the company of her coven. But if she could just get Emma Bently to let slip a little something, she could start to make more firm inquiries.

The waiter was anxious, perhaps even afraid; though he stoically covered it, he was given away by his poor state of dress and the slight tremor in his hands. Blood on the cuff suggested he'd been working with his hands, perhaps cutting meat or cutting himself, or cutting someone else.


OOC: Is the blood on the inside or the outside of the cuff, and on which hand? Is the waiter right-handed? Can Penny determine the activity from the blood spatter?
Analysing a clue: Investigate 15
15:40, Today: Penny Dreadful rolled 15 using 1d20+13. investigate.

The waiter is taken off guard at Kate's question. He looks down at his cuff with what appears to be genuine surprise and turns pale. Wh-what? How did that get there? He examines it with an expression of increasing panic. The women at the table exchange nervous expressions but Mrs. Bentley is the epitome of calm. Oh my! Have you cut yourself good sir? Or perhaps you obtained it in the kitchens, brushing past some meat perhaps? She arches an eyebrow. The man looks up at her and for a long moment his face is blank, then he calms visibly, straightening his sleeve. Yes of course. That must be it. I had not thought of it. I never liked the sight of blood you see. He gives a small smile. Excuse me. And with that he leaves quickly. Emma continues on, undaunted by the exchange. She turns back to Penny, taking a sip of her dark wine. Real powers you say? I take it you are a believer in such things? I myself find it entertaining but hardly accurate. We would hardly be considered the weaker sex and given such low stations in comparison to men if we truly had any powers at our disposal. She smiles politely.

Meanwhile Kate, you see a familiar face enter and stride over to Mr Bentley across the room. Michael Jones....

ooc: Penny, he is right handed but the spatter is too hidden to reveal much, other than that it looks to be fresh and he should have noticed it himself without anyone pointing it out.

"I do hope he is okay," Kate mutters to the woman sitting next to her. Penny and Mrs. Bentley were nicely engaged in conversation so Kate took the opportunity to get to know her neighbor. "This really is a wonderful banquet. I can tell Mrs. Bentley has put a lot of work into the evening. Is Mr. Bentley here tonight? I'm always interested to see what the other half is like." She was well aware of Mr. Bentley's presence but played stupid for sake of conversation. The appearance of Michael Jones was a surprise. Kate took a sip of her drink to settle her nerves. She was pretty sure he'd never noticed her in 2013 but it was unsettling to see him here. She had to fight the urge to grab him and haul him out of the room. He was her ticket home after all.

Kate: The woman next to you seems pleased to make conversation. You get the feeling she is a bit neglected. She seems a bit mousy and shy and her attire is not nearly so fine as that of her companions. Oh yes! He's right over there. She points with emphasis, earning her a dirty look from one of the other women. Apparently it's not polite to point...She blushes but continues on nevertheless. He's a very good man, no matter what Mrs. Bentley says sometimes. All women complain about their husbands I hear. She looks at him again and gives a sudden smile of delight. Oh look! He's with Mr. Wickham! I haven't seen him in ages! He's a very big contributor to the organization you know. So generous! She gestures, this time in a more polite fashion, at Mike Jones.

Kate was relieved that her neighbor was so talkative. "He does seem to have a kind face," she said of Mr. Bentley. "A humble looking man," she added with a smile. "Not at all as I had imagined. And Mr. Wickham? The name sounds familiar for some reason. Is he of some wealthy background? How nice that he is such a large contributor."

If the waiter's sleeve had brushed against something, then Penny expected to be on the outside or underside of the cuff, and easily missed. But it was on the upper-side, and Penny expected that any reasonably attentive man would notice it, unless they were as distracted or anxious as this man clearly was. And Penny did not miss the significance of Emma Bently's interaction with the fellow, clearly providing him with a suitable explanation. This coven stretched further than she'd expected, if even the wait-staff were up to bloody murder. 'What is for dinner, anyway?' she wondered.

Going on, she responded to Emma with a touch of steel. '"The weaker sex" should not be disturbed at the sight of blood.' looking pointedly at the departing waiter. She went on 'I am... open-minded to the possibility. The new sciences of electromagnetism and the powers of mediums and mesmerists have shown us that there are phenomena in this world beyond the common sciences or what the Church would tell us.' Penny lowered her voice and said with a small laugh, as if to impart a naughty secret, 'I must admit, I found some old grimoires and dabbled in several spells and circles. It's all quite thrilling.'

Penny also noticed Michael Jones arrive, recognising him from the telephone device. Kate seemed to have noticed as well and had the matter in hand, so Penny paid him no attention.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Wed 29 Jan 2014.