The cart stops beneath the station lamp. The driver helps Melody down while his dog stays pressed close, its growl fixed upon the well-dressed gentleman entering the doorway.
the cart driver
Constable! Quickly, sir. This young lady was bound upon the railway, and two men fled when we approached.
A constable emerges from the cramped office, startled awake but reaching for his truncheon. Behind him, Wren steps nearer, studying the stranger’s polished coat and sealed envelope.
Horace Vale
Horace Vale, solicitor. I have urgent business concerning Miss Melody. Her household has already been informed of the danger.
Wren
That seal, sir. And the hand upon it. They resemble the marks on the paper carried by the taller fellow.
The dog bares its teeth and lunges against its lead, barking sharply at Vale. Vale retreats half a step, keeping the sealed note conspicuously between two fingers.
the constable
No one passes this threshold until I know precisely who sent that note, and why these villains knew where to find her.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish who sent the sealed note
✓ Quest Accepted
Determine whether Horace Vale serves the master
“Does Horace want me dead? Is Horace the secret master of the henchmen?”
YES, AND MORE (Likely, rolled 6)
Horace Vale
You mistake the matter entirely, Constable. Miss Melody must not leave this station alive, and the sealed note bears the order.
The admission falls into the lamplit room like a dropped pistol. Wren snatches the constable’s arm before he can approach Vale, while the driver’s dog erupts into furious barking.
Wren
There, sir! He confesses the purpose, and the seal matches the master’s instructions. Take him before he destroys the evidence.
Horace Vale
Fools. You have no warrant for detaining a solicitor.
the constable
I have a witness, a threatened young lady, and your own words. Put up your hands, Mr. Vale.
The constable bars the doorway as Wren moves behind Vale, cutting off the street. The driver closes the station door, and the sealed envelope slips from Vale’s fingers onto the floor.
the constable
Wren, secure that letter. Miss Melody, you shall remain under this roof tonight. We will send for your family under guard.
“Does Wren grab me and the letter and escape the area to the sawmill?”
NO (VeryUnlikely, rolled 43)
Wren reaches for the envelope, but the constable steps between him and Melody, one hand firm upon the solicitor’s shoulder.
Wren
No sawmill, miss. The law has hold of this room, and the letter must remain in its keeping.
The constable stoops and lifts the sealed envelope without breaking it. He passes it to Wren only after taking the solicitor’s wrists.
the constable
You will not seize the witness, nor carry evidence into the night. Stand still, all of you.
Horace Vale
This is an outrage. You cannot shelter her from her own household.
The driver keeps the door barred, while his dog settles across the threshold. Outside, the road remains empty, and no second escape begins.
Wren
The sawmill offers him concealment, not justice. Let the constable send word to her family and summon the magistrate.
“I ask Horace who does he work for.”
FAILURE (Mediocre Persuasion, rolled -3)
Melody
Whom do you work for, Mr. Vale?
Horace Vale
I serve the household whose name you bear, miss, and I shall say no more before this rabble.
His answer offers a household but no name. The constable tightens his grip, while Wren turns the sealed envelope so its unbroken seal faces the lamplight.
the constable
That is not an answer. You will identify your employer before the magistrate, with this letter entered as evidence.
Horace Vale
The letter is private correspondence. Break it, and you may ruin an innocent family while rewarding a frightened girl's accusations.
Wren
He has named neither family nor principal. Let the magistrate question him, and let no one here accept another message from his hand.
The constable locks Vale's wrists in a pair of iron cuffs and places him on the bench beneath the office window. The envelope remains with Wren, beyond Vale's reach.
“I take the time to refresh myself and to collect my thoughts.”
The constable leads Melody into a small adjoining room, where a basin, clean water, and a folded woollen shawl await beneath the station lamp.
She washes the coal dust from her hands and face, smooths her disordered curls, and settles the shawl around her shoulders. Her freed wrists bear faint red marks.
Melody
The station door is barred, and the constable has Vale in irons.
the constable
Take all the time you require, miss. No questioning shall trouble you until you are composed, and your family will be summoned under guard.
Beyond the partition, the dog shifts heavily across the threshold. Wren keeps the sealed envelope beneath his hand, while Vale remains silent on the bench.
Wren
The letter shall remain unopened until the magistrate attends. Whatever name it conceals, we have secured you from the men who carried its orders.
The basin water clouds with soot and road grime. When Melody returns to the office, the lamp burns steadily, the cuffs remain fastened, and lawful protection holds the room.
“I ponder the clues, and see if I remember the enemies of my family.”
SUCCESS (Superb Investigation, rolled +1)
Melody sits beneath the station lamp, studying the sealed envelope, Vale’s polished coat, and the handwriting Wren found on the kidnappers’ paper.
Melody
The enemies who knew our household’s movements include the dismissed steward, the rival creditor, and the solicitor who handled our London affairs.
The recollection settles into distinct names and circumstances: the steward left after a dispute over missing accounts, while the creditor threatened ruin when Melody’s father refused his terms.
Vale’s claim to serve her household points instead toward the solicitor’s circle, where private letters, household routines, and family seals were readily accessible.
Wren
You have recognized something, miss. Your attention has fixed upon that envelope as though it belongs to an old dispute.
the constable
If you know a name, give it plainly. I shall enter it in my notes and send the message with the first escort.
Beyond the partition, Vale shifts against the bench at the mention of household records. The dog growls once, and Wren’s hand closes firmly over the sealed evidence.
“I reveal what I suspect. I also reveal that I can not read well.”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +2)
Melody
I suspect the dismissed steward, the rival creditor, or the solicitor who handled our London affairs. Each knew our household’s movements.
Melody
I must also tell you plainly: I cannot read well enough to judge the handwriting or make sense of this letter myself.
The admission quiets the office. Wren’s guarded expression softens, while the constable opens his notebook and prepares to preserve her words exactly.
Wren
Then you have done wisely to speak. The writing need not be yours to condemn the hand that carried it.
the constable
I shall record all three names, and the reasons attached to them. Your difficulty with letters does not lessen the danger you endured.
At the mention of the solicitor’s circle, Vale’s composure cracks. His cuffed hands tighten against his knees, and the sealed envelope remains safely beneath Wren’s palm.
Horace Vale
Those are suspicions born of terror, not evidence. You will regret giving them to men who cannot understand your family’s affairs.