Arawyn works the tracks with Dasher. Walk, trot, canter, gallup.
Then she heads to the tailor's shop. "I need a racing outfit for horseback. What do you have?"
"Excuse me, but we only do custom made clothes when the customer order them. And usually we make the clothes for those attending the race as spectators."
"We have done garbs for hunting on horseback. If that would fit your need? Or what did you have in mind?"
"Oh. I am sorry to have bothered you. Have a good day sir."
Arawyn exits the shop.
Arawyn returns to the estate and locates Lady Adelaide __. "I know the spectators at the race will be doing fancy hats and trying to outdo each other. What will the racers wear? Is there a rule or tradition to be followed?"
"The clothes are practical and the colors are of the house they race for."
"Oh good. I can do that. I have misplaced Menan. I think I will check on Elleanor."
"Ok. See you later."
Arawyn respectfully asks the person answering the door how Eleanor is doing.
"She is coping with it as it is expected of a Lady. Shall I announce your visit?" the butler replies.
"Yes, please."
Lady Eleanor is sitting over tea with her daughter in the green salon.
"Oh, Menan, Arawyn, wonderful that you're here. Maybe you can distract me from the thought train about my husband that is ever only running in circles."
"Take a seat, do you want tea?"
"Oh, I am so glad you are pleased. The horse race should be a good distraction for you. I will be racing for the House of Variel. Menan has decided to watch and not participate in the race. Do you have a hat yet?"
"I will be a spectator, Eleanor. Would you be so kind as to allow me to be your escort?"
"Oh, no - the horse race!" Eleanor is alarmed. "Of course I ordered a hat as soon as it was official. But I can't go like that. I need something in black instead!"
"Oh, you are such a dear! Of course I will." she replies to Menan. "It is too late now to order something new. But I have several black items - no fancy hat though. Arawyn would you check my wardrobe with me, to see what I can wear to the burial and what to the horse race?"
"Yes, let us decide these things. I am with you. Menan, I doubt this is your wheelhouse. Please excuse us and do as you will."
"So be it. I will be honored to escort you."
Given that he is not leashed Menan heads to Persephone's house on Dancer.
knock knock knock
"Yes?" Persephone inquires as she opens the door.
"Hey. How are you? Do you have any plans for the remainder of this day?"
"My plan was sleeping all day. As an alternative I could go to work. But I guess you have other plans?"
"Arawyn is keeping Eleanor busy so I am free to do whatever. I do not have any plans. Still working on the Campbell investigation with not much to go on. Did you ever see Campbell at the docks? The signature on the agreement I found was signed 'Marinelli'. Who signs like that and is it even binding?"
"I'm no lawyer. If you tell me you'll sell me your horse for 10 gold and give me your hand on it, I consider that binding. And if I got witnesses to proof the handshake, I'm sure it'll uphold when I take you to court over it. Why wouldn't a contract."
"Latest when you got the gold and I got the horse, the thing is settled. I guess the question is not so much if that contract is valid, but if it was fulfilled. What exactly was written there? I know that Vanderbuilt guy signed it at Marinelli's office, but I don't know what's written in it."
Menan hands her the contract.
"I can't tell if he paid, but I assume so. The wares listed were on the ship that exploded. They are out of Marinelli's books, so they were his."
"I could find nothing nefarious with this either. Being Marinelli I had to be suspicious. So everyone involved took a loss but Marinelli. Did anyone gain? Was no loss to Marinelli a gain? Who would not minimize their potential losses for a potential payoff?
"So is it sleep or work or something else for you?"
"The only thing suspicious is, that Marinelli offered the deal to Vanderbuilt and didn't do it himself. I don't know if Marinelli has the money to finance this alone. But he also loses. He won't get the brokerage mentioned in the contract. It's no real loss though."
"I wonder how the duke is doing. Have you heard from him?"
"I definitely have too much ongoing in my life. No I haven't. He probably gets his nails done or something in preparations for the horse race."
Menan chuckles "Probably. If you are going to work I can walk with you as I plan to spend a little time there today."
"Why not. Worst case I fall asleep at work." Persephone catches a few things and then comes out to walk with Menan to the docks.
Menan gets Dancer to match Persephone's pace. As they approach the docks he says "Have a good day. Best we not be seen together if possible. The Pig this evening?" and directs Dancer to the hitching post. He will mingle and purchase drinks for a few hours.
"It's to late for that. We've done too many jobs together." Persephone replies with a wry smile.
"See you at the Whistle."
She parts from Menan and enters the office building of Marinelli Inc.
"This good, Eleanor. I believe we can get by with what you have here."
"Sure, we can. But what? I don't want to look like a crow. How do we combine this, to make for something remarkable? Black enough to to convey the mourning, without looking depressing."
As Persephone enters the office, she notices that Gorm isn't there. She takes a seat at her desk and looks around if there is anything obvious to do. Otherwise she'll wait.
The Blue Marlin has a lot of customers already for that early hour. A lot of unhappy dockworkers with nothing to do. The talk of the day is still the exploded ship.
By now the ship exploded in a fireball twice the size of the vessel and sank within seconds. It is a miracle how anyone from the ship survived.
While hanging out at a table on the outside, Menan notices an officer and a pair of city guards walking into the yard of the Marinelli office building.
Meanwhile an emissary of the temple of Abadar arrives at the Vanderbuilt Manor. He asks to speak to the head of the house.
Once he gets to meet Lady Eleanor he introduces himself. "My name is Atherton, and I'm here to express condolences in the name of the Temple of Abadar."
"And to settle the succession in regards to the administration of the accounts of the family. Please forgive us for bringing up this topic while your husband isn't even buried. But the state of the accounts is desolate and with the spending the Vanderbuilt family usually does, they will be depleted within two month."
Lady Eleanor is in shock when confronted with this news. With her mouth agape, she stares at the man, unable to speak a word.
"Thank you, Atherton. Is there anything else? If not, we are quite busy at the moment."
Menan takes note of the promised inquiry by the guard. He will stay put for a while.
"Well..." Atherton stammers confused.
"Who is taking responsibility then? I have all the documents here and was expecting that someone would check and make some decisions about how to handle this situation."
"Are you comfortable with this type of thing right now, Eleanor? Do you need to involve Margaret or Adelaide?"
Arawyn steps over to Atherton. "The body is still warm. Is this typical behavior of your kind?"
"I don't know what went wrong with the families business over the years, but now it took a sharp turn down. Lord Vanderbuilt took almost all what was left for a deal that should turn the tide. And now he left in this most unpleasant way, which has sparked serious doubt, that this turn will come. Waiting until the family runs out of money seemed a worse option than this."
"Thank you again, Atherton. By your own estimate Eleanor has two months to make any adjustments. Lady Eleanor is going to need some advice before she signs any of you papers. We will call for you when we are ready. Good day, sir." Arawyn crosses her arms and gives Atherton a stern look that will not go away until he does.
She holds out her hand for the documents. "Like I said, we will call for you when we are read and the appropriate advisors have reviewed this."
Atherton looks at Lady Eleanor, but as nothing is to expect from her at this stage, he replies. "As you wish. You know where you find me."
He hands over the papers and leaves.
The papers are the statement of the account over the last two years. There is not much to see there though. Every week there is a withdrawal from the account and every month there is the apanage from the city. Which isn't as high as the sum of the withdrawals for a month.
At least on this account in the last two years is no other source of income.
Arawyn does not read the papers but hands them to Eleanor. "Are you going to get advice from Adelaide or Margaret?"
"No! They must not know of this." Eleanor grabs the papers and stuffs them into the drawer of a sideboard.
"Can you handle these types of affairs? I mean no offense but the city has been quite secretive in the way it operates. Most communities have rules that can be known to anyone. This one seems to be submit and shut up. I miss living in nature where everyone and everything acts as expected."