I Heard a Rumor

* We are at dinner
	+ The jelly arrives so Martha can finally start eating the caviar
	+ It’s grape jelly?
* Sommerland joins us for dinner and asks us about the status of our investigation
	+ He’s shocked to learn of Burroughs’ dalliances.
* We ask him about Mr. Sorin
	+ Sommerland doesn’t want to speak ill of him, but tells us he wasn’t an agreeable man.
	+ Doesn’t think he was here for his craft, but to get away from his home.
	+ He believes his stay at the Refugium was sponsored by his family and he was here not by his choice
	+ We ask him directly if Mr. Sorin ran afoul of anyone but Sommerland couldn’t confirm.
	+ They raised their guest standards after Sorin left.
* When asked about Mr. Archer he confirms the man did meet a woman, but wasn’t sure who it was.
* Sommerland tells us a good source of info could be the Lyle’s (awkward) and  the mail carrier.
* We ask Sommerland to speak to the two local staff members: maidstaff and a groundskeeper.
* Elise Peterson comes in first and is very nervous.
	+ Signe tries to make her comfortable by offering her a seat and some food and this perturbs Martha
	+ Cyrus asks her about local myths and legends about people disappearing.
		- She says they’re just childrens’ tales (such as wil-o-wisps, elves)
		- She informs us that miscreants come to the island and camp out in the moors, and that werewolves are there!
		- When we bring up Mr. Sorin she gets very nervous, says he wasn’t kind and very boastful
			* Cyrus asks if he ever hurt anyone, she doesn’t know, just that he was very excited to leave the island. He was from NY.
			* She says there were some parents & boyfriends who had words with him.
		- Martha asks Elise if there are children without fathers and she doesn’t think there are.
		- Alec asks her if there are any stories about love on the island
			* If you ever go to the beach and speak your heart the merfolk will sweep you away.
* We have a brief discussion before the grounds keeper comes in to organize some thoughts on what we know so far:
	+ Werewolves + moon cycles (Burroughs didn’t disappear on a full moon)
		- But both August and Archer went missing under full moons.
	+ Both Will of the Wisps and merfolk are in our book
	+ Elves? The Hobs maybe?
* George Jones the grounds keeper comes in.
	+ He doesn’t take stock in stories.
	+ In regards to Mr. Sorin:
		- Calls him a windbag, an arrogant fool, essentially a POS.
		- He was only here to chase skirts, no artistic bone in his body.
		- He was taken by many ladies but none were taken with him.
		- He is the reason why the locals have a sour opinion of the Refugium.
		- Confirms no one disappeared that he knew of, and that he was excited to leave.
	+ We ask him what are some things not to do if don’t want the ire of Vaesen
		- There are some places you don’t go because things linger
			* Fort Wright
			* Wreck of the Thelma Phoebe
			* Treasure Pond
			* The Lone Grave
		- These places are all on the south of the island, but they only searched the north. It’s clear talking to Jones that they didn’t care to find them.
	+ In regards to Mr. Burroughs:
		- He wasn’t surprised to learn of his dalliances, claiming it’s a ‘city folk’ thing to have low morals
			* That wouldn’t happen here because it’s wrong, they’d be found out quick and set straight.
	+ In regards to Mr. August:
		- He was a good man, Jones liked him.
		- He frequented the moors, befriended a vagrant there.
		- He was focused and reserved in his last days.
		- Wasn’t aware of any woman.
	+ In regards to Mr. Archer:
		- Not much to say, just that he had a very rigid fitness routine and wanted to swim every part of the island.
* Alec is very perturbed about Mr. Jones’ opinion on what goes on between two consenting adults.
* Signe is a little put-off by Jones’ statement about “setting them straight” but she can’t discern anything from him.
* We are able to deduce that the town couldn’t give a shit about the missing city folk. The only one who cares is Sommerland because he has something to lose.
	+ He organized the search parties; he did the best he could with the resources he had, which is a bunch of people who don't care about the Refugium. It appears they took the path of least resistance.