<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;">Mary Stearkenfinn watched the girl closely as she told them of her interest in the Summers Massacre.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Ah, yes, I remember that,"</span> she said quietly, turning her gaze to the fire. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"A dreadful story. I read about it in a broadsheet, although I don't recall the mention of this supposed surviving child."</span> She smiled lightly. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Are you sure you didn't stumble upon a farfetched conspiracy theory, Miss Grey? And why would you expect me to know anything about them?"</span><br/><br/>"That was my suggestion," Victor interrupted, much to his mother's surprise. "Adrianna asked me the same question, but like her I am too young to know the answer. I thought asking someone else might prove fruitful to her."<br/><br/>Mary turned her attention to Arya, her head cocked a little to the side, her expression puzzled. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Whyever haven't you asked one of your professors then, dear? Or perhaps a police officer?"</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #BFFFBF">"You know how officers are, my dear, never too happy to answer silly questions,"</span> came a voice from another door before Arya had a chance to answer. Mary smiled; a warm, genuine expression.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"About time you came out of the library, Percy,"</span> she said, rising from the couch to give a pale man with dark, wavy hair a kiss on the cheek. He gave her a loving smile in return, before nodding to Victor, who nodded politely back.<br/><br/>"Adrianna Grey, an acquaintance of mine, and university student doing a project on the Summers family," Victor said, gesturing to Arya in the couch. Percy beamed.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFFFBF">"But of course, nothing like a good scandal."</span> Victor hastily got his dad up to speed with the discussion, shooting Arya an apologetic glance - he didn't want her to think he thought she wasn't capable. Percy seemed far more fascinated by the prospect of a mystery survivor than his wife.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BFFFBF">"Now, wouldn't that make for a grand story! Just one such as I would want to write! Do you read much, Miss Grey? Of course you do, being a student, but do you read for your own amusement? We have the most fantastic library, I spend many hours there myself. Not that I think you'll find much in the way of investigative journalism there, but you must see it some time, if not tonight, some other time! Why, but it's late! We should have a late supper, a midnight feast! Jenkins, where are you..."</span><br/><br/>Percy disappeared as fast and suddenly as he had appeared. Mary watched him leave with a fond look in her eyes. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"He's right, it is late, but I couldn't eat. Won't you stay the night, Miss Grey?"</span> She waved a hand at the dark ceiling far above them. <span style="color: #FFFFBF">"It's a big house, and I wouldn't want a young lady out alone in the middle of the night. You must stay, I insist."</span><br/><br/>Victor was not at all thrilled about his mother's suggestion. Arya had no idea what she could be saying yes to. He doubted anyone would harm her, but still, if she had known that a family of vampires had just offered her tea, a library tour, and a bed for the night, she would probably have run screaming, and rightly so.</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>