<br/><strong>Rowena at the Bleakmore Estate </strong><br/><br/><div align="center">(http://i56.tinypic.com/14xpegg.jpg)</div><br/>Scarcely a few days had passed since the night of the murders and already the staff and Rowena's aunt had begun to worry and wonder about Rowena, she had been locked away in her private study and library for days emerging only when she must for food and relief.  Possessed by her quest for understanding she had poured over all the books in her study for a clue or glimmer of truth that might enlighten her, finding that the books she had where of little use to her however so took to what she was trained for and tried to find an answer from the otherworldly.  She days pacing and thinking and pouring over the books she had discarded again and again only to return to them once more in search of that elusive clue that would trigger the answer in her mind, of a night she sat a called upon her talents as a medium and conducted her usual ritual acts to try invoke a vision or prophecy to answer her quest for an explanation.<br/><br/>She had tried to discover more about the mummy from books and studies of Egyptian culture and archaeological digs, she wondered just what was so important about the mummy and why it had made her feel such a way perhaps the answer would come with the discovery of its origin she mused. But she found little to relieve her frustration there seamed to be no facts that could answer the mystery, she became more and more convinced that the answer would not be likely found in any of her books that she must search out the unknown.<br/><br/>Rowena stirred from a dazed state as she rested in a high back chair before her desk littered with books, an open tome laying in her lap a guttered gathering of candles scattered all about the table and room. She glanced up confused at the disturbance the rapping and bagging upon her door.<em>"Your Lady... Lady Ashwin are you well?"</em>The muffled voice was hard to place in her disorientated state but she knew well enough that it was likely her maid Rose, she sat herself up in the chair as the mumbling turned to garbled bickering and then there was a sharp knocking.<em> "Rowena Bleakmore Ashwin come out of there this instance, ever since that awful party you have been skulking and sulking away,  I don't know just when I thought there was some promise in your character.  Come out now Miss right now you hear me this is foolish behavior why its utterly unbecoming of a Bleakmore!" </em><br/><br/>Pushing her chair back slowly Rowena raised to her feet and took a moment to gather her senses and wake up, she moved away from the table and across to a mirror glancing at herself the signs of the past few days heavy in her eyes and face.  She turned and moved to the door and unlocked it and opened it up to see what all the commotion was about.<em>"What is it Maude!"</em>she exclaimed in a sharp cross tone her Aunt frowned and returned a look of anger and spite<em>"You have had callers asking for you young lady, Gentlemen here at the house asking for you by name. Who are they ? Is this to do with your Father again you mark me this will do you no good." </em>Rowena blinked and was a little shocked by her aunts tirade taken a back by the mention of callers who could that be.<em>"Well..who where they Aunt ?"</em>her aunt smirked slightly at Rowena and shook her head<em>"Oh it was not the Major or anyone from that party you seam so obsessed with if thats what your thinking my dear, no I do not know who they where only that there friends of your father likely they spoke to that awful servant you keep Barnabas."</em>Rowena frowned and poked her finger her at her aunt<em>"Barnabas is not my servant you know that Maude, he is a friend of my father and our family what that make you I don't know!" </em>she slammed the door in her aunts face.<br/><br/>Later that day Rowena made sorting herself out a priority and after a long relaxing bath asked for some tea to be prepared and for her footman to find and fetch Barnabas, she took her tea in the garden thougth the evening was drawing in close the sky had not entirely darkened.  She sat in her garden enjoying the cool air and reveling in her solitude and the treats and tea before her, she performed her usual ritual of reading the leaves of her tea but did not think there was anything of worth within the cup this eve.  Again and again her mind drew back to that fateful night she thought of all that occurred and those she had met, the Major was an interesting gentleman one she would not soon forget the fact he managed to distract Rowena's thoughts now said something to her.  She would have to see about arranging a meeting again soon, and there was that evening of the theater she had spoke of, a gathering of those present at the party could prove an interesting occasion and a great opportunity to discover more.<br/><br/>Rowena considered things as she enjoyed her tea and sipped at it as she sky begun to take on darker tones about her, the estate seamed so quite and still this eve lacking the usual noise of the local birds. Looking up and around from her tea she gasped and dropped her cup it tumbling cracking and shattering against the table before falling to the floor, she was sure of having seen something in the corner of her eye but when she looked it had gone. She stood up and peered about looking for signs to confirm the sight but quickly deciding that the time to be outside this eve was over, she had asked to meet Barnabas anyway and this was not something she want to investigate on her own.  As she walked to the place she had arranged to meet Barnabas she hurried her steps imagining seeing that big black scruffy dog again, always lurking in the shadows was it real or not was it someones dog got loose that seamed so unlikely how did it get into the estate.<br/><br/>She noticed Barnabas lurking about the bridge where she had asked and arranged time and again to meet with him when a discussion was needed, she knew that there was something on his mind as she approached by the way he paced back and forth and held his hands out of sight.  She glanced to him and leaned back gently against the stone supports and railing of the bridge,  she smiled lightly at him and spoke up.<em>"Some Gentlemen came to see me Barnabas ? I understand you spoke with them do you know them then."  </em>Barnabas nodded at Rowena and moved closer to her glancing around before looking to her and speaking his guttural damaged voice a chilling tone in the surroundings and approaching night.<em>"Your presence is requested."</em>Rowena spoke up curious as to what Barnabas meant<em> "My presence ? where and who requests such of me Barnabas ?"</em>He shook his head and reached out gently but firmly grasping Rowena's wrist.<em>"I can not say Rowena, all will become clear please come with me now we do not have much time." </em>Rowena glanced at his hand about her wrist and was slightly worried by the strange behavior in her companion not much made him nervous other than his reflection and social situations,  she nodded her head and smiled at him.<em> "Very well Barnabas lead the way I will follow."  </em><br/><br/><div align="center">(http://i53.tinypic.com/2myrg4n.jpg)</div>