<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="background-color:#050505; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#101010; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"I thought you said you had her tailed?"</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #BFFFBF">"Well, I did. Seems I put my trust in the wrong man."</span><br/><br/>Mary leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching as Percy made himself a sandwich. She was wearing an uncharacteristically bitter frown.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Explain to me, again, how she is still alive? And in our <span style="font-style: italic">house</span>?"</span><br/><br/>Percy sighed and put down his mayonnaise-laden knife. <span style="color: #BFFFBF">"I couldn't,"</span> he said. <span style="color: #BFFFBF">"It was an oversight. Someone hid her, or she hid herself, and we missed her. But,"</span> he said, returning to his unfinished sandwich with fervor and a vicious grin, <span style="color: #BFFFBF">"she <span style="font-style: italic">is</span> in our house. And we have many friends who like to stop by at odd times of the day."</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~¨.*~:".´-*+~:".-*~¨.*-".-:´~.:`+`-*¨:~</div><br/>He had never needed it, but when Victor most wanted to, he couldn't sleep. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as if it could explain to him exactly why he had invited a strange woman in his home. She'd be out first thing in the morning, he promised himself. And then - then there was his father's archive. For the first time in years, he was thinking about it again. What was Percy hiding in there that could be so important that he'd corporeally punish a child for trying to find out? Victor groaned and buried his face in his hands before he got up and left his room.<br/><br/>He let his feet carry him wherever they wanted in the dark, silent house. Of Percy and Mary, there was no sign. Subconsciously, he was retracing the route he had taken when he originally tried to follow his father, descending from the third to the ground floor. The fire was still smoldering in the parlor fireplace, casting a little light that Victor did not need to see. <br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF40">"Evenin' coz!"</span><br/><br/>The familiar voice startled Victor out of his thoughtful trance. In the low light, Victor had failed to notice the man in one of the armchairs. He wore a deep red waistcoat and a wolfish grin as he sat sideways in the great chair, legs slung over an armrest. He waved cheerfully at Victor, who had no idea what to say.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF40">"What, cat got your tongue? Or did your attractive friend take it?"</span> His grin, if possible, widened, showing teeth that were just a little too pointed. <span style="color: #FFBF40">"I thought redheads were your thing, but any port in a storm, eh?"</span><br/><br/>"She's not at all like that, Henry," Victor said stiffly, having finally found his voice. "What are you doing here?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF40">"What a way to welcome your guests,"</span> Henry pouted mockingly, then jumped to his feet. He strode up to Victor, standing so close their noses were almost touching. His eyes had a wide, manic sheen. <span style="color: #FFBF40">"Just stoppin' by, is all,"</span> he whispered. Victor instinctively took a step back.<br/><br/>"Stop by elsewhere," he snapped. Henry shrugged. <span style="color: #FFBF40">"I would, save I promised dear Justine I'd wait for her here."</span> If Victor could have gone paler, he would have. <br/><br/>"Justine is here?" He choked. His cousin answered with another shrug and stuck his hands in his pockets, withdrawing a pocket watch. Victor decided not to wait for any other response. Knowing his cousin, he would deliberately not answer until he had performed at least five completely meaningless little actions. Instead, he turned on his heel and fled, going straight for the leafy green room. It was bad enough with his parents here, he didn't want to think of what his cousins might do if they smelled unexplained strangers.<br/><br/>He reached the the bedroom where he had left Arya, and his heart sank. The door was unlocked. Worse, she wasn't even in there.</div><div style="background-color:#202020; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">Notes:</span> </span></div></div></div>