Thomas was unsure as to how to broach the subject that was in his head, but given he had hoped to make a special trip to gain the answer perhaps it was time to ask. "Sir can you describe the time in the woods when you were not in the company of Sam or myself ?"


-

Master Fox looks perplexed at this interjection and almost as though he might tell his beekeeper to go forth and multiply, but swallows and invites his bride with a look to settle her mass of delicately striped skirts on his knee, if she will. Janet obliging him with her plain wool cloak bundled in her lap, he slips his arms about her, takes a deep breath near her shawled shoulder and makes an answer:

"I went forward as you two concealed yourselves to make a run for it, going loudly to draw attention to myself away from your patch of bracken. I did not approach the mere or...the tree at once, circling about them somewhat. I was severely dizzy from the fumes, in...a poor state of mind, and felt I should have been oppressed by flies and such biting things as generally attend befouled ponds, but was not. At any rate the plan worked, and the Lady's stag came at me through that mental - and perhaps physical - haze, very fast and with little chance to avoid him, though of course I did, if barely."

"Enough contact was made that the beast's antlers grazed my chest and became tangled with my clothing, and I...I had my knife in hand already, you remember that, and stabbed him twice, to the hilt, in the throat. He slammed me to the ground a couple of times then threw me several yards in untangling himself, and I suppose...I hope I passed from consciousness, or else lay there amongst the moss and bones stunned and hallucinating wildly, unable to call out."

He swallows, smoothing over Janet's skirts with his left hand as though he might brush away the tension from his lady, the telling having leached it from himself. "I...believed I saw the stag's flesh knit to itself like a woman drawing tight a seam, and the mere's water gather up the blood, and then...darkness. Dreams of a nature I cannot, will not try to put to words. I came to and staggered out of the wood, and you saw me again, and, ah..." he trails off, very aware of his should-be mother-in-law come up to his side and how small the back of the back of the pew separating them seems to be.

Mrs. Criddle narrows her eyes at him but waits to be sure of a natural gap in the conversation before stating what business has brought her in. She looks at the bloody coat over the pew-back, the bloody waistcoat set on the seat and the red blot gone dull yet carefully kept from touching her daughter's clothing making Master Fox's shirt, though none of these seem to get him in less trouble.

Belatedly, Maggie drops a curtsy to Missus Criddle and ventures a closed-lips smile to Janet.

"Good evenin' to ye both." Her speech drops back into its customary soft burr now that she no longer feels like a prisoner in the dock.

[[GM edit: confusing terms of address mixup.]]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:20, Mon 01 May 2023.

Janet returns Maggie's smile with a nervous one of her own, a little pale from Master Fox's story or whatever hot water she's in with her mother, or both. Her mother nods to Maggie's bobbed greeting, but since Long Tom seems to be ruminating on what was spoken of before she gives her almost-son-in-law a look that confirms he knows what she knows and comes to the point:

"A duel?"

Her tone has less mercy in it than the gamekeeper's. Janet tenses a little further.

"I...well, yes. He did try to kill me before, it's to settle...ah..." Master Fox falters and frowns down at their hands as Janet's finds his and laces their fingers. Flushing slightly, he looks up at the older woman and gently disengages his right hand after a quick squeeze, reaching out to Janet's mother. When she puts her hand in his he grasps it with sincerity.

"Ma'am...mother," he addresses her in the general sense, though there's a faint, timid desire to be allowed to call someone 'mother' again. He swallows and rallies, looking up into her face. "...I beg your forgiveness, and hope you know that I would sooner personally rend the world apart than hurt your daughter. She is my life, and for a moment I forgot that I could cease to be at a bullet whilst she was still breathing - I am sorry, my darling - the risk is low, but..."

Mrs. Criddle gives him a steady look, wanting something more concrete than apology. Master Fox takes a long breath and holds it a moment in thought. "-if I sent for the father of the bride, we could be married tonight?" He looks hopeful. "We have witnesses, and a vicar, and we can always do the ceremonies, pomp and dancing later. I...I even have a ring that I was taking over to your house for your husband's inspection."

He reclaims his hand to fish awkwardly in his waistcoat and show it to her, then gives the loop of bright and plaited gold to Janet to turn over in her fingers. "What do you say, my love?"

"I...I'll do it, if my parents agree," Janet says, flushing with excitement and bashfulness to be caught fascinated by the gold. She manages not to kiss the youth she sits on, but only just.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:28, Mon 01 May 2023.

Thomas steps back once Mr Fox had replayed his story for the gathered crowd. He also wanted to not crowd the man as several others joined the knot of people. He lead Lucy away as he thought on his own time in the woods again.


-

Andrew listens quietly to Mister Fox speak with his bride-to-be and her mother, not feeling that he has sufficient standing to even greet them.

Glancing over his shoulder, he looks for his own mother, suddenly craving a word with her, in hopes that her wisdom might settle his troubled thoughts. His mind continues to shift to Jim Stone, alone and doomed in his cell, wanting to find some way to bring a halt to the morning duel.

Maggie relaxes a bit as talk of marriage lowers the tension. Looking about, she can't see Robin among the crowd of neighbours. She moves closer to Andrew Sexton.

"Andrew, where's Robin?"

She also realizes Mercy Westcott hasn't turned up yet.

Even as Maggie addresses him, Andrew can see his mother talking with a small and serious group of villagers across the church. Robin, however, is not to be seen.

“…did that sound right, for what happened?” Lucy asks her brother quietly.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 38):

"We saw none of it .. so..." Thomas continues to watch the door.

"You were on about seeing something that wasn't the stag, though," Lucy mutters, concerned. She joins his concentrated staring for a moment, but seeing nothing of interest outside at present save the odd light bobbing about amongst the further houses, she goes and sidles up to the Doctor in the manner of one awaiting audience.

Meanwhile, Master Fox picks a couple of men to make their way through the uncertain, hare-haunted dark to fetch the father of the bride and calls out: "Vicar! Might I have your attention a moment?"

Cecil excuses himself, promising his charges that he remains available to them, and makes his way across the nave. He pauses to greet Janet and Mrs. Criddle before turning his attention to Nathan. "How may I be of service, Squire?"

Janet gets a look from her betrothed that prompts her to flush a little and make reply: "...he'd like you to marry us right now - when my father gets here, that is. If you please, Reverend."

"...due to this duel he's got into," her mother adds, causing the couple to simultaneously flinch somewhat at her tone.

Cecil inclines his head in acquiescence to the pair. "I would be delighted. With your leave, Squire, I shall don my proper vestments and return forthwith."

Master Fox indicates with an amiable wave that the officiant should feel free. "Indeed, so much the better if at least one of those present is suitably dressed."

Cecil catches some murmuring between them as he turns to his new mission: "...oh, but should we have sent someone for my brushes and a dress for tomorrow? If I...i-if I'm your wife tonight?" Janet's breath is almost taken by the realisation of the sudden leap she's about to take.

Master Fox's reply is muted near his darling's ear; from the Doctor's perspective the pearly flash of Fox's teeth beside her barely rose-pinked throat is something like jewels placed around her neck. "...I'll have the maids re-arrange you something most excellent from what my family's kept, dove, before you rise, even. When we're wed, my house shall be your house, my relations' things your things, my sheets your sheets..." His tone drops to sweet sub-audibility, presumably in a brief suggestion of other services at her disposal.

No. Maggie's lips form the word but without sound. How can Vicar agree so readily to this notion with some evil abroad in the night and Fox's true nature (to her mind at least) still uncertain. And this madness of a pistol duel with poor Jim Stone--

She sidles over to Polzeath, murmuring, "Can Doctor not stop this madness? Surely, Squire's too weakened by his wound for nuptial exertions and a duel. I daren't approach th' Squire. Do you call Doctor over so's I c'n speak privily to him."

She moves two steps away from the man to await Doctor's presence. Why doesn't Mercy come?

Polzeath returns her a look that's as anxious as she is, but does as he's bid, moving smoothly and quietly to his master's side. "Zir..." He leans in to speak very softly, just audible above the more relaxed muttering of the people in the church.  Polzeath shudders. There's a current of excitement going about the building now at the prospect of being present at the Young Squire's wedding, abbreviated ceremony or not.

The doctor listens to the various people vying for his attention, taking it all in, but also trying to concentrate on something else. Finally he nods to Polzeath and raises a hand to quiet Maggie "Please Ma... Miss Yendale, I think it best you keep quiet given recent events. I understand your concerns, let me have a word with the squire."

He then closes the small distance between himself and the young, soon to be married, couple "Master Fox, if I might have a word please?" he looks about for a quiet corner of the crowded church and spotting none, gestures towards the door "A quiet one."

He moves to the exit.

Master Fox gently excuses himself from under his bride and rises, not very willingly, to follow the Doctor outside. He seems to breathe easier in the cool, just-damp dark of the churchyard, despite his wound. He listens to what the Doctor has to say, standing quietly with the light behind catching his fine embroidery and the fox-red of his hair. When the reasoning is laid out, he gingerly leans his shoulders back against the wall and takes a long breath.

Maggie drifts toward the door. She keeps to the shadows of the porch while focusing all her attention on Fox and Doctor.

Not knowing what Doctor intends to say, she is on guard against any aggressive response from the Squire.

Maggie slides past Long Tom, perhaps the only one present more obvious than she is, and out into the porch. The two men seem to be talking quietly and reasonably beyond, the Doctor's tone persuasive, the Squire's tense but earnest.

[[Maggie, take a Listen roll to make out any of their conversation so far, then a Stealth roll to see if you can get any closer without being noticed. This is a private discussion, after all.]]

Mistress Yendale’s inquiry about her brother sent a jolt of concern through Andrew. When they had set out to find Jim Stone, Robin had remained at the inn, but now Andrew was uncertain of where his apprentice had gone.

Stepping over to his mother, he asked, ”Mother, have you seen Robin about anywhere since we departed the inn?”

His mother blinks at Andrew's sudden query, having seemingly been discussing the removal of the corpse from the vicarage with Martin Easom's mother and some other solemn-looking wives. "I've not seen him, but I don't know when all were afoot from the inn, either. Was he not with you and the Bees?"

Seeing that the query isn't that helpful in alleviating her son's concern, she adds: "Y'know how Long Tom gets wrapped about in his own buisness, could be he's not thought to tell you that Robin's gone home up to Yendale. The Collinses are here too: if he was at the inn, whoever was at the bar would surely have seen him leave if it was before the black water buisness."

She looks at him with concern, worried that he's worried but taking things in their turn. Outside the night has dark enough to catch and spring away with a dozen boys.

Though she strains her ears, Maggie cannot pick out the words that pass between the two men. She doesn't trust her chance to creep closer without perhaps offending Doctor or drawinfg further ire from Fox. She stays on the porch, observing and not lulled by the quiet of their discourse.

Margaret Yendale rolled 52 for Listen 20, 50 for Stealth 40

In reply to Nathan Fox (msg # 31):

Sam listens intently as Master Fox speaks of the events in the woods, glancing over as he sees Mrs. Criddle approach. While he had had dreams of his own, he wondered if Master Fox's dreams were related. "Master Fox, could you explain what sort of dreams you had?"