Emma Darkmoon, Mordecai Ashdown, and Dr Ainsworth have arrived at Howden Moor Hall in Derbyshire at the request of Emma’s cousin Dorothea. There appears to be unnatural sounds that are disturbing the locals and servants.
===========================================================================
Dorothea looks pale and not a little anxious, a tendril of hair from her normally immaculate arrangement has escaped and hangs across her eye like a deep scar.
[Emma]: “Oh, poor dear, calm yourself and take a deep breath.” Emma puts on an encouraging smile. “And then start at the beginning.”
[Dorothea]: "Oh, but it is good to see you again, dear Emma. And welcome to your friends also. I do hope, I–” She looks behind her, "I will get Branston to get your luggage.”
[Emma]: “I daresay you look like you need a calming cuppa more than we do. Or perhaps a spot of brandy.”
[Dorothea]: “Perhaps it would be best to allow you to get to your rooms and then we can all sit down with a little light tea?”
Doctor Ainsworth looks at Emma’s cousin. "Sleep deprivation exhaustion and, I wager, an iron deficiency from the pure looks of it. Do pardon my question, but I think I am close in my guess you have not had much rest the last week or so?”
Dorothea smiles tightly. "I think a combination of the two perhaps. Oh, sirs, please forgive my manners. My name is Dorothea Darkmoon. Welcome to Howden Moor Hall.” She looks towards the doctor. “And no. I-- we-- no one in the house has for some time now.”
Emma opens her handbag and produces a bottle with a bow neatly tied to the neck, which she holds out to Dorothea. The vintage matches the year of their births.
[Dorothea]: “Oh, oh my dear, that is so sweet of you! And considerate!”
[Mordecai]: “No worries. This must be a terrifying time for you. Hopefully we can be of assistance to solve the issue.”
Dorothea looks towards Mordecai. “Are you Dr Ainsworth? Perhaps you might prescribe something to help people sleep?”
Mordecai smiles with a slight but polite bow. “You have mistaken me for another, madam.” He indicates Dr. Ainsworth. “I am sure the good Doctor can work something out. I am merely a travelling salesman.”
The doctor sighs "My name is Doctor Ainsworth. A pleasure. Mister Ashdown over there is capable in most fields other than medicine. Ainsworth rummages in his bag "I have some pills that should help with iron levels …and some supplements ment for sailors actually but to prevent vitamin deficiency. This should help you and your staff… And some sleeping draughts.”
Ainsworth indicates Mordecai. "Besides whatever troubles you, I am sure this strapping fellow can take care of most problems, mundane or otherwise.”
[Dorothea]: “Oh, please forgive me, it is wonderful to meet you both. I-- Oh, thank you Branston. Please take our guest’s luggage to their room."
A large, heavy set man in his 50s comes down the front steps and moves with a slow nod and begins to pick up the cases. He manages to lift each of Emma’s cases under her arms.
[Emma]: “Whilst I have no doubt that the good doctor has something in his magical bag of concoctions, perhaps we had better get to the bottom of what’s keeping you up at night.” She smiles at the other man. “Good day to you, Branston, it’s been too long. You look in good health!”
[Branston]: “Miss Emma,” Branston says sonorously."
[Dorothea]: “Just the two cases. Emma?” Dorothea looks anxious again. “Are you not intending to stay long?”
Emma tilts her head. “Packed too much, packed too little… Be a wonder if anyone ever agreed that I packed just the right amount! And, of course, I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.”
[Dorothea]: “Thank you, my dear, that is such a relief! Branston will return for you two gentlemen’s cases in a moment, but in the meantime, we could enter the front parlour?”
The Doctor sighs. "Right…” He looks around "I wonder why I have the chills only looking from the outside… already.”
[Dorothea]: “That is something that I would like to bring up once we enter the house. Please, this way. You may find Gemma and the other staff in the kitchen, Molly.”
[Molly]: “Thank you ma’am!”
[Jeb]: "Ar… " Jeb departs with a soft crack of the reins.
[Mordecai]: “We´ll have to find out what it is and make you all feel safe again.”
Molly glances at the cat near the front gate with a slight frown.
The interior of the Hall matches the promise of the impressive facade. The walls and floors clean, the furnishings and wood panelling polished and bringing out the redolent mahogany finish.
[Emma]: “There is a certain chill in the air,” Emma murmurs, mostly to herself. “But the house looks as homely as ever.” Emma smiles as the familiar scent of the house brings back childhood memories.
[Dorothea]: “Please, make yourselves at home. I will call Gemma for the tea,” she raches for tugs a cord and a distant bell rings
[Mordecai]: “It is a beautiful home. almost like in a painting.”
Dorothea smiles a tired smile. “Thank you very much, you are very kind. It is a large house, too large perhaps for the people who dwell and work within, but have done my best to keep it all maintained. It is what Richard would have wanted.”
The doctor shivers slightly. "Indeed, a bit chilly but nice… Wonder why I feel a bit colder than outside, how strange…”
The door opens and a young woman in a black and white maid’s outfit enters pushing a small trolley with tea things upon it.
[Dorothea]: “Thank you Gemma, just set it down on the table please. We can help ourselves."
Gemma bobs a quick curtsey and heads back out of the room where her voice can be heard mingling excitedly with Molly
Emma eyes the Doctor warily. “I do hope you aren’t coming down with something, Doctor? Perhaps it was a mistake to interrupt your recuperation for a trip to the countryside.”
[Mordecai]: “Maybe the tea helps with warming all of us up. But it indeed feels like it is getting colder?”
[Dorothea]: “They say that the moors have their own climate, markedly different to the rest of the area. Normally ten months of rain and fog, with some sunlight in the other two months.”
Dorothea drifts into a reverie but blinks and smiles, looking at the tea things. “Shall I be mother?”
[Emma]: “Oh, please do.”
Doctor Ainsworth smiles "I am fine… I can’t explain it. There is a feeling that this place evokes, not awe or dread, only a sense of cold… Maybe I am imagining it but it does affect me somewhat. "The doctor reaches to collect his tea.
[Emma]: “An extra set of blankets apiece for the night wouldn’t go amiss, I should say. Wouldn’t want anyone catching a cold!”
[Mordecai]: “Since when did this cold weather occur? Is it unusual for this time?”
[Dorothea]: “One does get used to it. At times… Maybe I should explain my letter asking you to come here?"
[Emma]: “I rather figured that you didn’t call on me to relive old memories of hiding away in the old clocktower.”
Dorothea smiles tiredly at the wit. “Indeed, you know me so well.”
[Emma]: “Well then, why don’t we all make ourselves comfortable and you start at the very beginning.” She suggests.
[Mordecai]: “I believe that all of us have a talent to run into things and then solve them. So why not put that talent to a good use here.*
[Dorothea]: "Well, it is as I described in the letter, circumstances have been changeable recently. The staff have noticed, as have some of the locals. There has been talk of a large animal on the moors, screeching and howling in the night
[Emma]: “Has anyone seen this animal? Is it perhaps not just the call of an injured beast? Even small ones can be frightfully loud.”
[Dorothea]: "One of the maids, Eliza I believe, even said that she has seen it, or rather its silhouette on one of the small tors. She described it as a large cat, maybe even a “big cat”, practically human sized, or so she said. She did not make a lot of sense at the time and left my employ some little time later.
“But, as I say, I have yet to see, or even hear it, but the staff swear on the bible to what they have seen, and it is causing some difficulties with the people in the nearby village. There have been rumours that the beast has been seen in the grounds of the Hall."
The Doctor raises a eyebrow. "A large cat…? Could one have escaped from an exhibition and survived this long in the Moors?”
[Dorothea]: "As far as I am aware, there is no zoo within one hundred miles of here, and we have not had the circus pass our way in some years, and, to my knowledge, no one has been on safari.”
The Doctor nods. “Peculiar indeed…” He sips on his tea
[Emma]: “Surely an African wildcat would not survive this climate without human intervention?”
[Dorothea]: “There has been another unusual occurrence…”
[Emma]: “Do go on.” Emma encourages.
[Dorothea]: “The area domestic cat population appears to have… increased… substantially…”
[Emma]: “I was not going to mention it. You didn’t adopt a new litter, then?”
"The Doctor frowns and takes a biscuit "Indeed? Immigration? Or are we talking excessive reproduction?”
[Dorothea]: “Doctor!” Dorothea is momentarily shocked at the idea. “I am sure that I know nothing about that.” She relaxes. “Please forgive me, I am a little on edge. But no, I have no idea. They are all different kinds and colours and it is as if they have come from across the county to be here.”
[Mordecai]: “Wouldn’t the farmers try to keep the population small? Do the cats show strange behaviour?”
[Emma]: “I imagine that the farmers do not mind as long as the birds are kept away from the grains.”
[Mordecai]: “So we have one big mystical cat and a flock of normal ones? Did anything else happen, despite people being scared?”
[Dorothea]: “For the most part, they appear to just sit there, watching Though… and this is another source of tension with the village. A couple of dogs, not large ones, terriers I understand, have been found dead. Torn apart by small claws apparently.”
The doctor nods. "What was it again? An old Legend of the Islands… Cat-sìth? But surely that can’t be… We are far from Ireland, and not too close to Scotland…”
[Dorothea]: “Indeed we are not. We occasionally have a tinker pass by - he sharpens the garden tools - but no cat is seen with him.”
[Emma]: “Let us not jump to conclusions. Not every feral cat harbours a spirit.”
The Doctor sighs “The people of the Scottish Highlands did not trust the Cat-sìth. They believed that it could steal a person’s soul, before it was claimed by the gods…” He murmurs. "Ah sorry. Old Tales coming back to me from an Army friend…”
[Dorothea]: “Well, this may sound fairly unimportant, certainly no threat to the state, like I understand that you deal with on a day to day basis, but this is deeply affecting my home and my… reputation. I am holding onto my staff by my fingertips. The groundsman offered his notice the other day."
[Emma]:“I assure you that we will not leave until we get to the bottom of it!”
[Dorothea]: “I do appreciate you all coming here to help me and hopefully solve this little mystery.”
[Mordecai]: “Could someone have brought the cats here and spread rumours to maybe scare you and the staff? any old rivalries? interest in the property?”
The doctor murmurs, "The demonic Cat-sith called ‘Big Ears’ could be summoned to appear and grant any wish to those who took part in the ceremony. The ceremony required practitioners to burn the bodies of cats over the course of four days and nights. never thought those old wives tales could be true…” The doctor shivers.
[Dorothea]: “No, nothing,” She shakes her head gently but emphatically, “Nothing like that. Nothing in the family, it is normally rather quiet in this area, both geographically and family-wise.”
[Dr Ainsworth]: “I thought my army friend had a few too many pints when he talked about this stuff with his miss…
[Emma]: “Doctor!” Emma admonishes. “You’re meant to help Dorothea and her staff get a good night’s sleep, not frighten her more with tall tales!”
[Dorothea]: “I rather think that the best course should be to rest tonight and perhaps discuss this with the staff tomorrow? I am sure that they will be relieved by your presence, and I will instruct them to cooperate fully.”
The Doctor looks up. “Ah sorry, my dear. I… was thinking and that was all I could come up with. Maybe someone is trying this… “Wish ritual” that called the giant cat… Old wive’s tales and humbug, I am sure, but you never know… Aah my head hurts…” Ainsworth sits back and takes a deep breath. He looks suddenly pale. "Why do I feel like I am forgetting something important…?”
[Mordecai]: “We´ll get to the bottom of this. Maybe we can look around the surrounding areas after we have spoken with the staff tomorrow?”
Ainsworth takes another cup of tea "I am sure it’s only the fatigue.”
[Dorothea]: “If you can resolve this mystery and restore things to how they were, I would be ever so grateful.”
The doctor sighs "I am sure there is a logical explanation for this Incident that can be solved rationally.”
From outside comes the loud screech of a yeowling cat.
