#bergen_county

"He would. Marigold might like the recipes, too."

"She's French trained, not shy about liquors in her bread rolls" A smile of pride

"Their hand writing was so good back then" Gwen notes. "I don't know who M.A.J. was but that's really excellent."

Sally Mae tuts "Ladies, I should call the owners" An admission "Though I suspect this is actually from Several owners back"

"Aw, c'mon!"

"Finders keepers!"

She taps the top of a bottle "This is dross, and that's worth more than the liquor, in a way a mundane wouldn't understand."

"Sally Mae, Miss DeBuke... She's right. This is lost bounty. Not part of the house"

"Ya'll no fun."

Sally Mae shakes her head "I cannot in good consience allow this sort of looting in any adventure I am not a part of" Odd stress of tone there

Grin!

"There's three bottles."

"I DID notice that" Sally mae observes a hint of a smile

Thistle points at herself, at Gwen, and at Sally Mae. 1, 2, 3 fingers.

Gwen gives a too wide too hopeful grin then says "We get the book"

"The Baron like a particular kind of booze?"

"You two drive a hard bargain. I'll take one of those three bottles. Doesn't matter which one" Sally Mae is chuckling now that she can dispense with the law abiding citizen act

"I'm not picky. I don't like this kind of stuff."

"I think Brandy for Marigold, she uses it in her pie."

"She'd just turn it into fuel or something to mix" Gwen nods thinking "I bet the baron would like Cognac, that sounds fancy"

"So - whiskey okay for you, Sally Mae?"

"Just fine, " Sally Mae nods "In fact, I think about to become a great Uncle's favorite"

"Win all around!"

"I wonder who M.A.J. was? Do we have a record of owners? They mighta been the first, with the age of the house..."

"Actually, I did take the liberty.. let me check my notes" Sally Mae goes over the history of owners...

It takes a bout ten minutes to sort things out... then...one Widow Margret Anne Jacklee... who fits the time period, and the initials

"Huh... " Sally mae looks amused "official records just say she was a 'model citizen and a pillar of the community who was of 'kindly spirit and generous cheer'"

"Musta been the brandy in her tea."

"Makes me think she provided KIndly spirits for a few friends and they went to their graves covering her secret"

"Good for her."

"Shall we put these some place safe and resume the tour?" Sally mae asks

"Sure."

Soon, those 'prizes that they totally came in here with' set aside, they go to the bathroom

"That is..PInk" Gwen observes "Tiled pink"

"But the tub is not one of those dainty things" SaLly mae says , though a troll might still get full use out of it

"Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! Personality!"

"It 's Pink" gwen says "SO much pink"

"It's lovely" Sally Mae assures "Imagine sitting in your tub, lights dimmed, a few candles at best while you relax to your favorite play list?"

Gwen looks dubious, but says "Let's move on"

"It's great. Like a Barbie dream bathroom."

"Feel free to use it before we go" Gladiola observes. "I think I'm going to put a portrait of Velvet Elvis in it"

Sally Mae chuckles and heads up stairs

The stairs creak a bit as Gwen, heavyfooted, goes up, but hold fine.

"Embrace the kitsch, for sure."

The room they come up to next is ...large

Three windows, two beds with distance between them. A rollling desk

"Light's decent."

"I Like some of the paintings and pictures" She says "And it's big enough to move around in " Gwen approves

"THought you'd like that" Sally Mae nods

One other thing about the room's windows. Outside of them are what could only be described as Jewel jays. Rather than the standard Bluejay birds, there are chimerical birds of bright gem tones where the blue would be. Rubyjays, Emeraldjays, Diamondjays and yes, Sapphirejays