A Sordid Affair

* Alec and William hear a child fussing and decide to make their way into the house.
** The farm hand approaches them, he looks surprised to see guests.
** William tells him he’s a doctor and was curious about the graveyard.
** The farm hand brings them inside and introduces them to Thomas Penderson
* The house is unkempt, almost unwelcoming, looks like there is no “woman of the house” tending to it.
* The group brings up Sorin and his philandering, and Mr. Penderson says he doesn’t know anything about that.
** He is lying about it affecting his family.
** Alec suggests the women go away, hoping this will make Mr. Penderson talk. 
** Signe, Martha, and Wila go into the kitchen.
* Alec gets forceful with the man, this seems to irk Cyrus. 
* Mr. Penderson says the child is his grandchild, and that his daughter Lise has been in a catatonic state since before the girl was born.
* Willam offers to examine Lise and Mr. Penderson eventually agrees.
* Meanwhile, the women can tell the kitchen is run by “a man”. 
* Signe exits the kitchen after hearing William and Mr. Penderson move upstairs and begins searching the main floor.
* Cyrus and Alec argue in whispered tones about Alec’s decision to antagonize Penderson.
** Cyrus says his life is on the line, and Penderson is the best lead we have.
** Alec isn’t remorseful, saying they’ll do what they need to find answers. They will continue to distract the man so the women can investigate. 
* Upstairs William is taken into a dim bedroom. It has an air of sickness to it.
** Lise looks shell shocked
** She’s 20 years old. William recognizes her face!
** William opens the curtains and window for fresh air.
** He can tell she is well cared for by the wife
** She is ambulatory with assistance, her pupils dilate as per normal.
* William learns she was out for a walk in the Heath, they believe she came across a Fey folk, became entranced, and was later found wandering by one of the vagrants. It wasn’t until months later they found her to be with child. 
** It has been almost 2 years!
* The child is named Ellen. 
* The Pendersons are very superstitious 
* William is very thorough with his investigation, and he compliments Mrs. Penderson’s care of her.
** His bedside manner is A++
* Meanwhile on the main floor, the others look for clues
** All the windows are locked
** The farmhand is the only one working their land.
** On the writing desk is a letter from the barber/doctor, he doesn’t know why Lise is catatonic
** There is nothing about the Refugium
** Ellen is a child out of wedlock. That’s the tea, sis.
* Cyrus looks in his crystal ball
** A storm cloud is blocking things.
** This is the closest connection to loss of love, a big piece is here. 
* William reconvenes with us and while on our way back to the village he reveals that Lise is the spitting image of Elise Peterson!!slkfjslkjfskldjfskld
* Fucking Elise Peterson has never been in a room with anyone else but us!!!
** No one knows Elise Peterson in the village. 
* Lise was found and returned home by someone from the vagrant camp in the marsh. No one was questioned.
** We decide to head that way.
* Alec thinks a Vaesen called a Wood Wife could be our culprit. There is a strong connection to nature (ie. the Island), and for stealing the hearts of people. 
** Though we don’t know how Lise and her baby are connected yet. 
* Signe wonders if Sorin was the bell that opened the starting gate.
** A resolution might spell the end of the Refugium. . .
* In the carriage ride to the marsh, Signe muses with her medallion to heal her frightened condition.