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Contrary to your expectations, the guest rooms at Boleskine House are surprisingly plain and modest. There are no signs of the macabre art or ghoulish decorations that seem so common to the rest of the manor, just a comfortable bed and austere furnishings. Frankly, you're surprised that there were any guest rooms at all – you can't imagine that they get used very often.
Despite the thunder rumbling outside your window you sleep well, and without dreams. Washing and dressing, you brush back the slate grey curtain and peer out across the city. By the first light of day, you really understand how Juno could have come to hate her home city. Darkened by a shower of overnight rain, the buildings have an oily sheen that highlights every ugliness and deformity. Features that seemed mysterious and suggestive by moonlight are now stark and unlovely, while a malodorous air greets you when you open the window.
A knock at the door jolts you from your thoughts. Hastily closing the window, you open the door and wave Juno inside. She glances outside the window and gives you a sarcastic smile, as if sensing your thoughts. “We're going to have to get our stories straight,” she begins.
“Hang on,” you interrupt, “We've had this conversation already, haven't we?”
“We did things your way with Master Teilhard,” Juno explains, “But this time, we're doing things my way.”
You pause, studying her expression for any clue as to her intentions. She reveals nothing, save for a knowing smile. “That really depends on what “your way” involves, doesn't it?” you answer carefully, “I'm not going to just give you a blank cheque to say whatever you wish.”
“Father sent us to find out what happened to Leigh. I'm going to tell him that the Teilhard family have him, and will probably have him hanged,” she explains with a shrug, “That's it.”
“You don't think he might be curious about... everything else?”
“I'm sure he will,” Juno smirks, “Which is why I won't tell him a thing. As far as he needs to know, it was a perfectly normal forest with perfectly normal soldiers doing perfectly normal duties.”
“He won't believe that,” you point out, even though the thought brings a faint smile to your lips.
“Of course not. But he can't do anything about it,” the red-haired girl agrees smugly, “If your Teilhard friend secures the forest like he's supposed to, father won't be able to send any more people in to go digging around. He'll just have to write this off as a lost cause and move on to the next heinous scheme for you to foil.”
You don't think you'll ever understand this family. If anything, they seem to make your own family drama seem quaint and trivial by comparison.
You're not sure how to feel about that.
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