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	While the attack on Almack's had been vicious and there had been deaths it seemed that Lady Luck had smiled on the majority of the [i]ton[/i]. the Soulless were fleeing back from whence they came. The people that had been fighting each other trying to flee were slowly coming back to the right mind set. What blood they were trying to shed seemed to freeze and run cold with the scream. they stopped the battle amongst themselves, lowering their weapons and glancing around as if they had come from a daze. Was there something more going on? Or had sanity finally gripped them enough to let them know they were not each others enemies. At least not when it came to this. The fight for brides and grooms was still on. 

	The panic seemed to be vanishing just as the Soulless were. That was accept for out front. Millicent felt her arm burning from the grip that Rutherford had on her arm. She wanted to cry out at this point. Leaving her mother and sister behind. Leaving another mother and sister dead on the cold ground. It didn't sit right. She wanted to go back. Rutherford's threat only added to the tension, to the fear that was gripping her fiercer than her future husbands claws. [color=0072bc]"I have to go back,"[/color] she finally said through trembling lips, digging her heels into the ground as Rutherford tried to wrestler her into the carriage. 

	"Get in. Now," he said plainly, fire flashing in his eyes. Millicent's widened and she shook her head, jerking her arm away. She had to get back to her family. They needed her didn't they? Rutherford's grip tightened and Millicent's lips split as a whimper of pain escaped. this made a sadistic grin come to his lips. The world seemed to slow as she saw the look in his eyes. His words from earlier ringing in her ears. She had thought he had only meant the pain of his grip in his arm when he had spoken but now looking at those dark pools he called eyes she knew he had meant so much more. 

	[color=0072bc]"No... please..."[/color] she pleaded as she tried harder and harder to push away from him but she was took weak from the blood loss, from losing her mother and her sister, from her step mothers words that she knew what she had to do. Her words and pulling away only seemed to fuel Rutherford's salacious intent. Why had she left? She had felt safe with Fyror, as if nothing could harm her as long as she was near him. It was the same feeling she had when she was reading with Gerard. The same feeling she missed when her father had been home. 

	Yet here she was, being manhandled into a carriage as the rest of the ton cared nothing for what was happening. They were all too involved in their own world to see that hers was about to come crashing down. The carriage door swung shut once Rutherford had gotten Millicent inside. The sound of his fist hammering against the roof a few times indicated to his driver to go ahead and leave. The curtains to the carriage dropped, hiding them away from the rest of the world. As the carriage pulled away from Almack's and headed down the street Millicent wished her mother would have finished her off before she was beheaded. 

	Inside, Elizaveta stayed with the body of the passed Graveolase. She knew she needed to protect his soul, to make sure that he would not turn into a monster of the night. That his years of work to keep more from perishing to these beasts did not dwindle away into nothingness, canceled out by what would happened if he were to change. The young Grand Duchess knew she had time, so she waited. If she would have to fight for souls that evening, she wanted to do it all at once. Not one at a time like she had back in the catacombs. There was only enough strength running her her veins that evening to perform the Ostanavlivat'sya once more. 

	Keeping her Shashka in hand she gathered the folds of her gown in her free hand and lowered herself to the floor. The thick fabric of her gown billowing out around her as she rested on her knees. Smoothing out the skirt she rested her hand in her lap and sat still, waiting. She did not want to risk leaving his side and the body being taken without her knowledge. If that were to happen there was a chance she wouldn't find him again in time. She wouldn't risk it. How she wished Myshka was there next to her. He would have kept her and many others safe. His bright blue eyes would have given her comfort. His frame and fierceness would have given her strength. Yes, she wished he could have attended with her. 

	Out on the balcony area, Emma stood up and moved out of the way for Fyror and the doctor. They were going to move her and Emma wasn't sure to do, she wasn't sure she could do anything. She wasn't like Millicent. She wasn't trained, she wasn't strong. Yet if she had know what was happening to Millicent right then she would have been glad she had not caught the eye of Rutherford, or Fyror. "Wha... what about my sister.... and her..." she said pointing over towards Catherine's body. 

	"We help the living, others will be around to help the dead," Dr. Graham said before taking a gentle hold of Elizabeth and waiting for Fyror to help him hoist her up. "Over there, we can lay her on that glass top and then move the glass to a carriage to get her to the hospital," he said motioning with his chin behind Fyror some ways. "Careful now, we need to move her but we need to keep her as still as possible."

	"You, girl, move the items off the table, quickly now," he added. Emma was just staring at the bodies, the doctors voice snapping her out of her daze and quickly rushing over. She wasn't dainty about it, pushing glasses, plates, flowers off the table with no regard to the fact that they broke into hundreds of pieces as they hit the cold floor. Rushing back over, she took personal effects from Janes body and retrieved her mothers reticule. Looking over at Catherine, she had to choke back the gasp as she spotted a locket on the ground next to her. It had been crushed but she could clearly see what it had used to hold. Reaching down carefully she gingerly picked it up, a worn image of Millicent when she was very young was in it. She hadn't known Milli when she was young but she had seen numerous paintings in both the Wyndham households. Tucking it away, she made a vow to make sure that Millicent got this token from her. It was the least she could do.  

	In the ballroom things were calming down quickly. The ton no longer at each others throats but the place was anything but calm. People were worried, understandably so. Yet it was only about how this would affect the rest of the season. Many were talking about hosting their events outside of London at their country estates. Others were gossiping about those that lay dead on the ground, no one taking responsibility for anyone they had personally killed. It was all blamed on the Soulless and rumors spread like wild fire to why each one of them had been targeted. Certain families were certain to be black listed for the rest of the season, it didn't matter a Soulless hadn't killed them and they had done it to themselves. The ton was fickle and they were glad to use the attack as a cover to be able to blame their hatred for one another on something more tangible. 

	The hallway where the stairs were was starting to clear out of smoke. The burning body doing little more than smoldering at that point. The other body lay there motionless but as anyone trained knew, they would not remain that way for long. Death was not a true death when it came to these Soulless. Matters had to be dealt with before they would forever rest in the wormy earth. The sparrows swirled around above Mary, looking for direction from her. Though they had been summoned by another they would continue to cover Mary until the connection with Elizaveta was broken. That could come at any time, it was never a set amount of time for them to swarm. Something in the circumstances dictated their loyalty and movements. 

[center][hr][h1][b][i][color=0072bc]Port Annan, Scotland - Teriny Inn[/color][/i][/b][/h1][hr][/center]

	Nigel's wife gave a nod of her head and went off, heading up the stairs at the back of the tavern to start fixing the room up. Grabbing one of the girls as she went to inform her to start eating water up for their guest. Calum had gone back to his tea and stew in the meanwhile, enjoying the meal and waiting on the dessert to be brought out. Normally he may have asked for a second bowl. He did so love food. His sin was obviously gluttony but one wouldn't know by his stature. He was tall, lanky, and spindly. He had always been that way, even since he was a young boy. No matter how much he ate he never seemed to be able to gain any weight. It made him very different in yet another way from the rest of the men in his family. All of them broad of shoulder and strong of back. Seemed the only strength that Calum had was an iron stomach and his faith. 

	Eventually Nigel came out from the back carrying a couple of plates. Each one held a thick puff pastry on it. Delicate pastry braided together and within it held warm strawberry jam and smooth almond butter. A top of it was fresh cream that had been fluffed with sugar. Calum slowly lowered his spoon as he spotted the braids and one could almost hear his mouth beginning to drool. The smell of almonds and butter and strawberries hit the air around them as Nigel stepped behind the bar and set one down in front of each of them. 

	"Oh heavens, that does look and smell divine Nigel. Your darling wife has truly out done herself. If these taste half as delicious as they appear, and I am sure they do, we are in for a rare treat. God has surely blessed her with a gift," he said excitedly as he reached forward and pulled the small plate close to him. Picking up the delicate work of culinary art he took a slow bite. A gentle sigh escaped his lips as he bit through the pastry and pulled the piece away from the rest. grasping the counter of the bar with his free hand it was obvious he was more than enjoying himself. He was in heaven, on cloud nine as the flavors danced over his taste buds. 

	"One of the reasons our marriage does so well. As long as she keeps cooking she could do anything and I would forgive it. Why I keep such a hefty sized waist," he laughed as he patted his belly. "Martha tells me that me darling wife is putting you up in the office over night. Splendid idea. I should have thought of it myself. Now, is there anything else I can get for you two this evening?" he asked as he picked up a glass from behind the bar and started cleaning it. 
  
[center][hr][h1][b][i][color=0072bc]Wyndham Manor, London[/color][/i][/b][/h1][hr][/center]

	"Good man, I am sure the Miss will be very happy about that when she returns," Constable Smith said to Gerard as he said he would fix the window. Turning he took another walk around the room, taking a closer look at the drawings Millicent had done. Stepping over towards her bed, he was trying to get a closer look at one in a frame on her night stand. 

	"Who is this?" he asked pointing to the older gentleman in the picture. 

	"Oh him? That be Mr. Wyndham," Abigail said she looked over to Smith. 

	"And where is he this evening? Out with the family?"

	"No sir. I wish he would be. Mr. Wyndham went missin' some times ago. Millicent does miss him terribly. We alls do. He be a right fine man and a very good employer. He always been treatin' all of us right he do. Take cares of us likes we were family. Miss Milli mights gets her looks from her mothers, she gets her heart from her pops she do," Abigail said and then sighed. She wasn't lying. She really did miss Mr. Wyndham, she doubted there was a person in the house that didn't. Even Emma and Jane had taken to him and he had welcomed them with open arms. It was one of the reasons Millicent was so protective of them, Mr. Wyndham was the lynch pin that kept the family together. 

	Constable Smith nodded and turned to leave the room, wanting Gerard to show him the study now but his foot caught the edge of a book under Millicent's bed. Leaning down he picked it up. it was a worn leather artists journal. Flipping it open he looked through a few pages, his eyes going over to Gerard from time to time and then back to the pages as he glanced over it. Snapping it closed he set it back where he had found it and moved over towards the door. "Could you show me the study now? I think I have seen everything there is here," he said politely to Gerard before turning towards Abigail and tipping his hat to her. "Thank you for your time and help miss."

	"Ain't be no problem sir. I's locks up once I turn down Miss Milli's bed for the evening and be's right down in case y'all need anything," she said quickly. Spinning on her heels she went to preparing the room for Millicent when she got home.