Sacrifice [Radiosuitcase] x [AutumnRaven]

[RadioSuitcase]

Mr. Morgan was quiet while looking thoughtfully at his wife. He was not a cruel person by any means, though some would say he was not the kindest of men. It took an extraordinary person to earn his respect, and for the most part, when it came to his family at least, nothing was ever good enough.

"You may be on to something." He answered finally, leaning forward as he pulled open a drawer in his desk. Bringing out a large book, he flipped it open, scanning the pages with his eyes. It was his date book, something he used for appointments, important events, and to keep track of all the little things that occurred each day, "We have five days..." He murmured to himself, running a finger down the page, "As you know, I have to leave tomorrow, but I will be back by the next morning." Could he cancel that trip? Unlikely, the friend he was meeting wouldn't appreciate being canceled on without notice.

"Perhaps we can send someone into town. Tell them to find someone who is willing to do a few tasks outdoors, for a room and free meal." He didn't like it, it was wrong. But what choice did they have? The best course of action was to feed it someone who wouldn't be missed.

-

Jane set her bag down on the end of the bed, feeling a sort of inner joy she had been missing for a long time. A room, one that she wouldn't have to share with another. How could she have gotten so lucky? She was determined now to impress everyone, to keep this job for as long as possible, to keep this feeling.

"The western wing?" She turned around, having forgotten for a moment that Edward was still there, "Is that nearby...?" Jane had no idea what part of the house the servant's quarters were in, or where in relation they might be to that forbidden area of the house. She felt lost, but she wouldn't let that deter her, "It must have been wonderful growing up here, with all of this space." She smiled brightly, the frightening noise from earlier all but forgotten.

[AutumnRaven]

Fingers still tremulous, Mrs. Morgan quietly wiped away a few tears that had spilled over onto her cheeks With the wrinkled hanker chief. Her thoughts scattered to who they would possibly be able to send On such short notice, who they would be able to spare for a few days. In the end, she concluded that it would be a similar result if they had just decided To sacrifice one of the servants. They would be shorthanded.

But a slightly nasty idea suddenly formed within her, Fueled by her earlier irritation and offense. "We cannot spare any of the servants. The only one that we could possibly do without would be that girl who arrived today. Why not send her and that son of ours? We could do without him for a few days and it would buy us some time with... It." She said, enjoying the idea the more she thought about it.


The happiness he had witnessed on her face was something that Edward was not entirely used to, Influenced by his mother and father and their own happiness. This seemed somehow more genuine Then that And it attracted his attention and curiosity. All That he showed outwardly however was a slight tilt to his head

"Indeed. I had a very happy childhood. I found excitement in exploring the vast amount of land we have." He said casually, thinking about all the headaches he gave to his parents and the many times he himself attempted to sneak into the west wing of the house. "You are currently on the eastern side of the estate, But there is also the western and northern wings of the house. We have stables, Gardens, and a small forest and lake that are included in our land."

[RadioSuitcase]

"A new maid?" Mr. Morgan had no idea, but then, he left the hiring of servants to Mrs. Martin. He was certainly not going to answer inquiries, or speak to anyone 'new'. That was all left to Mrs. Martin, and she had done an excellent job of it for many, many years. "Yes, I suppose we could spare Edward, and a maid who has not begun working yet." The house wouldn't be short-handed, and it would get its meal.

"We should send them off tomorrow morning, and have Edward know that it is very important he return with someone suitable before Friday. We will telll him it is for..." Mr. Morgan paused, "Charity. He would like that." Standing from his desk, Mr. Morgan stepped towards the fireplace, pulling on a cord that hung from the wall. Inside the servant's quarters, a bell would ring above a placard labeled 'Library'. As it happened, Roger and Mrs. Martin were standing close enough to see and hear. Roger set out towards the library, while Mrs. Martin headed towards the hall.

-

Jane seemed to be completely enthralled with everything Edward spoke of. Gardens, a lake, a forest... She wanted to run outside in that moment, to find and see all of these things. But, of course, that would not be possible. Eventually, she would be shown these things, but only to know where they were. Maids were not to go exploring, or have picnics by the lake, or pick flowers in the garden, when there was work to be done. And by the size of this place, she had a feeling there would always be unfinished work. "W-well I hope I will get to see all of these things soon." She replied, though some of the joy in her voice had faded.

Down the hall, footsteps could be heard approaching the two, and Mrs. Martin finally appeared. She was a short, round woman, with a head covered in dark curls, and a warm expression on her face. Immediately, the word 'Grandmother' came to Jane's mind, and she felt relief. She had been certain Mrs. Martin was going to be a female version of Roger.

"Oh, Mr. Edward!" Mrs. Martin smiled affectionately at him, "What are you doing down here? Bothering the new maid? Hello, young lady. I am Mrs. Martin." The Head Housekeeper would never speak that way, if Mr. and Mrs. Morgan were nearby. She had worked for the family before Edward was born, and knew exactly how everything worked.

Though, even she had never ventured into the Western Wing.

[AutumnRaven]

Rising swiftly to her feet, The last of the tears were quickly wiped away into memory As Mrs. Morgan replaced The silk handkerchief Back into her pocket, straightening her dress carefully as She did so. Fingers quickly brushing over her hair to see that it was still properly in place,, Her green eyes quietly resumed their hard glassy Quality, her face growing distant.. She then went to stand by her husband, Silently meeting his gaze And giving her head one solemn nod before the door to the library opened.


After A quiet moment in which footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway, Edward wasn't really surprised when Mrs. Martin Appeared in the doorway next to him. His head lifted slightly, shoulders squaring, But he offered her a sly Smile and a quick wink Of one of his brilliant blue eyes. "Ms. Jane, This is our head housekeeper And for many years she was my nanny." As if realizing this fact for the first time, a comically horrified expression blossomed onto his face. "Please, don't go telling embarrassing stories about me when I was a child. Especially anything that involved you swotting My bottom after catching me snitching food from the kitchen."

[RadioSuitcase]

"Oh, I would never dream of painting you in such an unflattering light." Mrs. Martin smiled affectionately at Edward, repressing a motherly urge to ruffle his hair into a mess, "Yes, I have worked here for many years, Ms. Jane, and I hope you will stay with us. We are severely lacking in young people around here." Though why that was, she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was easier for someone younger to run from a job in a haunted house, than it was for an older person. The former could easily find a new job. Mrs. Martin herself couldn't imagine working anywhere else.

"Now Edward, I am sure there is something else you should be doing now." Mrs. Martin shooed him away with a quick gesture of her hand, "You know how much your mother dislikes your being down here."

Jane watched the exchange with an amused smile on her face, feeling a sense of 'home' already. With pleasant people such as this running Morgan Manner, how could they be short on help? Already, Jane couldn't think of any other job she would rather have, or any other house she would rather be at, and she hadn't even started yet.

"It was very nice meeting you." Turning her eyes back onto Edward, Jane gave him a polite bow, silently hoping she would see him again very soon.

-

In another part of the house, Roger was having a quick conversation with the master of the house, asking no questions as he was shortly dismissed from the library. Once more, he entered the servant's quarters, in search of Edward, to let him know of his new task.

[AutumnRaven]

The smile that he received somehow made the heart within his chest Squeeze pleasantly In ways that Edward had never felt before. It confused and enthralled him at the same time, Leaving him with the feeling of wanting more. But it was true that he should be somewhere else, Doing something that would best suit his status, in other words, something that would please his mother. Wry Humor touching his thoughts, he nevertheless returned the smile and bowed His head towards Jane in a farewell. "As it was a pleasure for myself as well. Take good care of her Mrs. Martin." He said, blue eyes alight with amusement as he quickly bent down and pecked The housekeeper on the cheek with a gentle kiss, something she had done for him as he was growing up. And before either woman could react to what he had done, he turned on his heel And vacated the room With swift steps.

Thoughts turning to other matters, other things that he could occupy his talents with, Edward Found himself considering heading towards the music room. He had picked up the habit of playing the violin After the family had Attended a concert with one of the master violinists Bringing the show to a Cresendo. Not to mention that it drove his mother crazy at the idea of her son doing something so feminine. Chuckling quietly under his breath, he increased the tempo Of his steps, determined to practice the violin now. It was about that moment that Roger appeared at the other end of the hallway, Though at work wasn't planning on giving him much more then a nod in passing.

[RadioSuitcase]

"Sir." Robert stopped in front of Edward before the young man could walk past, "Your father has a task for you." As he spoke, Robert felt just a little uneasy; it had been such an odd request, especially from Benjamin Morgan, "He wants you to leave for town tomorrow, to find a suitable person to tend to the grounds." The older man furrowed his brow, the instructions repeating in his head. There had been something wrong in his Master and Mistress's eyes, "Preferably someone who would work for food and shelter. Your father said it was for... 'Charity.'"

Charity, sure. That did not sound suspicious at all, coming from people who had never shown any sort of charity before. Sure, the Morgan's had done things for the poor, but only for appearances. It was never out of the goodness of their hearts, rather, it was to look good to their equally rich friends and acquaintances. Of course Roger would never say these things in front of Edward, though the boy probably knew that this was an unnatural request.

"We can not spare anyone from the house to accompany you, so it was suggested you take Miss. Reade along. She has not started working yet, so there would be no extra burden on us."

[AutumnRaven]

Charity? The word almost burst out of Edward, incredulity bubbling up in his thoughts.. He was very much aware of the fact that his parents were Extremely selfish people, sparing no attempt to appear more kind And Rich then all of the other upper-class that they infrequently associated with. The idea of them doing anything at their Expense was truly laughable.

But Roger, however, was never one for joking. So the fact that he had come to Edward with this task meant that it was truly something he was meant to do, Something his parents had really asked for. Thinking carefully over the request, or demand, The young man gently chewed Over the details before he finally spoke up.

""If you could please tell Mr. Jones To have my horse and one of the best stallions ready, we will leave after lunch..." He said carefully, thinking over any necessities they would need for the trip. "And please inform Ms. Reed That I will expect her to meet me by the stables at that time.... And if you would please ask Mrs. Martin to have bags prepared for the journey. Thank you Roger."

[RadioSuitcase]

"Very well." With a swift bow, Robert had passed Edward in the hall, heading for the kitchen where Mrs. Martin and Jane currently were. The two ladies were observing the wall of bells, each connected by string to some room of the house. Jane had never been in a house large enough to warrant such a system; she was quite impressed, hardly noticing the butler as he entered the kitchen.

His news was delivered, and it left both women feeling bewildered. Send Edward away to town, to find some poor thing desperate for work, and food? What awful scheme had the Morgans cooked up? Jane personally could not see it as anything too suspicious, she had no idea just how out of character the request was. The girl was much more worried about being sent away with Edward. Nervousness, and a strong feeling of embarrassment pervaded her mind. Would he want to talk with her? What would she say? She had nothing interesting to talk of, no way to keep someone like him entertained. She was going to make a terrible fool of herself.

Though they were not to leave until after lunch, if felt as though only seconds had passed. Too soon, Jane found herself outside again, though this time accompanied my Mrs. Martin. It was cold, and a few snow flurries fluttered through the air, as they walked towards the stables. She was tired, having spent the morning traveling, but she repressed the urge the yawn. It would not be professional to yawn, or to even look tired at all. Stopping near the doors to the stables, Mrs. Martin disappeared inside, calling out for a 'Mr. Jones', while leaving Jane alone with her increasingly distressing thoughts.

[AutumnRaven]

It didn't take long for Mr. Jones To make his appearance, coming-out of one of the stalls That he had apparently been cleaning, if the straw that covered his clothes was anything to go by. He was a short and slightly stocky Middle-aged man, With hair that was a bright orange in color and skin that was nearly up skewered by freckles. He broke into a smile when he saw Mrs. Martin And managed to brush off some of the straw from his shirt as he Walked over to her. "Good morning Mrs. Martin, lovely as always. What can I do for you?" He asked in a cheerful voice, taking a moment to look past the woman at the stranger standing outside of the stables. She was most likely the new made that had been hired, therefore he didn't ask any questions about her presents. He Did call out to her however, saying, "It'll be warmer if you come inside Missy. None of the horses will bite.." After he said this, he chuckled softly and returned his gaze To the head housekeeper.