<br/><strong>Rowena prepares for a trip</strong><br/><br/>Rowena awoke again in her study where she had taken to spending her time again pouring over books and consulting tea leaves, when she had not been trying to coax forth answers from her books and mind she had resulted to the cup and the abilities gifted her by what she thought her mothers sacrifice in giving her life. She also spent much time troubled and torn by her growing fondness and feelings for the Major, she had managed to live in ignorance of such thus far and kept the thoughts far from her mind she knew that could not be and she had in part felt it only a distraction.  But now having met the Major she questioned those thoughts and begun to understand the love of her Mother and Father,  her Father feared for her of course and had warned her against such things for it had been to the loss of her Mother that she was born.  He had never shown any resent to her of course and Rowena loved him dearly but she was filled with dread by his stories, and of the sadness of the loss of her mother and the thought that they had known was it truly a curse.  Rowena question it now, it seamed so silly why would the gifts supposedly given to her by her mother mean she could no herself have love or be a mother could they really claim her life was she so cursed.<br/><br/>She stretched out cursing that she had once more fallen asleep at her desk her aunt would have a fit if she knew, not that she was not already doing so over her recent behavior.  Rowena more and more wished she could just sent the woman away she had her own house and family after all, why did she feel the need to meddle in her life so she had her own children even if they where grown up and getting on with life. She sighed and glanced across at last nights cup before her pushing the cup away at the sight of that dog like creature once more, why did that keep turning up in her cup her mind was brought back to that stray she had seen in the garden yes that's what it must be. She got up and rung the servants bell, making herself busy making herself more presentable while she waited for her lady's maid Rose to attend her.<br/><br/>Rowena answered the knock at the door swiftly and peered out smiling glad that it was Rose who answered her call and not one of her mothers lackeys intercepting the call, she spoke softly still slightly tired from her unusual sleep of late.<em>“Miss McMullock please see to it that a bath is ready for me will you, have there been any replies to my correspondence yet at all ?”  </em><br/><br/><em>“I shall see to it, and no there has been no response to your invitations as of yet however there was a letter for you from a gentleman I believe.  Barnabas took it for you Lady Ashwin your aunt tried to intercept it I believe, shall I have him sent for ?”</em>Rowena nodded and smiled to Rose<em>“Yes please Miss McMullock.” </em>She closed the door and went back to her thoughts and preparation for the day ahead, opening the curtains in her study and wincing slightly at the bright light as it shone it from the garden.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i56.tinypic.com/2qurkno.jpg)</div><br/>Several hours later after her bath and a meeting with Barnabas Rowena sat down in quite seclusion on the terrace of her garden, overlooking the estates gardens she smiled taking a sip of her tea and examining the letter before her tentatively teasing at the envelope with her letter opener. Finally she decided she could wait no longer and that doing so was silly, she opened up the letter and begun to read it's contents while she enjoyed the garden air and her tea taking the occasional tentative sip.  She did not even notice the familiar sign of the dog in her cup when she had finished and went back to strolling on her way back to her room rereading the letter.<br/><br/>Finding Barnabas herself again she told him of her intent and that she wished to travel to Brighton, agreeing that it would be best not to tell her aunt she left the organization to Barnabas and trusted her staff to be discrete well aware that she was far kinder to them than her aunt. She spent the remainder of the day preparing a travel case ready for the trip, not entirely sure of what she should take in the end she turned to her Lady's maid for advice confiding in Rose the reason for the trip.  With some suitable clothes for the sea in her case and some fitting fashion for travel Rowena was ready for the trip, it was a nice distraction from her troubling thoughts and that night she slept more normal than she had for the past few days only nervous about the fact her aunt might discover her plan.<br/><br/>