After a pleasant evening amongst their friends last night, Amelia and Emerson
enjoyed a last whiskey and soda before retiring.
Emerson claimed it would help Amelia to relax;
he also felt that he should help her out of her boots.
Ramses had arrived home, muddy and disheveled, but intact.
Seshat was quite upset to be locked into his room that night,
but people in England seemed to object to being visited by a cat
via their open bedroom window at night.

June 13th

This morning, the group meet, after breakfast, in the library
to decide what activities they each want to undertake that day.
Emerson is annoyed that Amelia seems to be searching her trunks and boxes
without finding what she wants, but she will not tell him what is worrying her.
He distracts her in a pleasant manner until Gargery and John knock at the door.
The servants are dispatched to the train to take boxes and trunks on to their hotel in London.

   Emerson and Amelia offer to lead a group to the New Forrest
to visit Beaulieu, site of a stately home, abbey and motor car museum
(Emerson must be physically restrained from trying out several special cars).

 

Ramses and Nefret prefer to visit Lyndhurst, the administrative centre of the forrest
and home to a museum.    Here they learn about the history of William Rufus, a cruel son
of William the Conqueror, who was killed, accidentally, when an arrow rebounded off a tree.

 

Nefret suggests to Ramses that other villains (some who are family members)
ought to suffer a similar fate; he laughingly prevents her from buying
a replica bow similar to the ones used in the hidden oasis.

Ramses and Nefret then go to Brockenhurst, a lovely little village nearby
where wild ponies wander the streets. One pony attempts to follow Nefret back to the motor car,
but Ramses points out that it simply would not fit in the rumble seat.
 

Catherine and Cyrus choose to take a walk at Godshill towards the viewpoint at
Castle Hill. The entire party meet for tea at Honeysuckle Cottage
in Minstead, before returning to Southampton.
They discuss their day  before an early, informal dinner.
After coffee in the Lounge, they retire early
to be ready for their train to London the next day.

~~~~~~~~

That night, Amelia dreams of Abdullah.
She will not tell Emerson why she cried out in the night,
but underneath her usual assurance,
she looks rather pale and worried  in the morning.
 

June 14

After breakfast, the party meet in the Lounge for conveyance
to the train station and their trip to London.

Amelia looks behind her, with a worried glance, before boarding the train.
Once aboard, she sits, in the first class carriage with an uncharacteristic look of concern on her face.
Emerson, who misses little, appears not to notice, but he does glance at her from behind his newspaper,
as the train whistles along towards

~~~~London~~~~