#rivervale_lodge

Kerri might notice that the stairwell she was going to clean has... been cleaned. Spic and span in fact

Well, there are so many people about the Lodge, and so many of them have helped with Hearth-ing at one point or another...perhaps somebody got to it first without asking? That's a treat. And excellent sense of duty on somebody's part.

Then she notices the lower part of the book shelf is also clean. Just the lowerr part

Possibly... though Jack, with his gardening, is often more a spreader of dirt than a cure

She checks to see whether all the books are there.

They are.

Vali comes out of the kitchen. Not the Mountain's usual domain

She turns and offers a nod. "Hello, Mountain. All is well?"

"Well, actually, you may have a shortage of help. Sally Mae is still at the farm helping Kourtney settle in. Brogan is sick with a fever."

She blinks. "But...somebody's been tidying." She indicates the stairs and the bookcase, a bit puzzled.

Vali blinks "Wasn't me, most I did was a few things in the kitchen when Anne Marie visited"

A shrug and a grin. "Well, somebody is being helpful, and I appreciate it." She pitches that just loudly enough for the comment to include anybody who might be listening unseen.

No one responds. Post Beltaine Lodge seems rather quiet, even empty

Then Vali looks at it "Huh. I see what you mean... they didn't get the top point though"

"No. Seems to be mostly a lower-level job. I think maybe one of the childlings...though some of them would have come out to bargain for compensation in the form of cookies, by now."

He looks around then at the Hearth "I could have helped myself to cookies?"

She sets about dusting the upper parts that had been missed. "Don't recall saying that, exactly, Mountain."

"Could help yourself to a dust rag, if you're feeling so inclined."

"Noted... and I don't really need the cookies even" he grabs a dust rag, and gets to talking "Dame Anne Marie came looking for you. I gave her an ear to chew on" He wipes "But I could tell I'm a poor substitute for Dame to Dame banter."

"Hm, sounds like I should check in on her? She's not wearing herself thin again, is she?"

"Actually, in a sense.. yes." He keeps wiping making little smiley faces in the dust before wiping wider and erasing them in hsi cleaning efforts "She's taken in a new child. A little girl. Could be a foster, but knowing her wouldn't be surprised if it wwent full daughter eventually. "

Kerri turns and stares at him. "She didn't."

"Yeah, Poor Bruce. He really couldn't stop it... see, the girl's family was in a car wreck. Nasty stuff.... four people... only one lived."

"The kid was the one. They called, and.. no relations."

"And...if AnneMarie took her in...kithain?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Well, when she saw that, it became a right of rescue situation"

"Of course it did. Still..." she sighs and shakes her head. "Need to make sure AnneMarie has the resources she needs." A pause. "No sign the rest of the family was fae?"

He frowns "They could have been. In which case, we've lost a kithain, but if Anne Marie heard that from the girl I don't know about it"

"Also the possibility they were targeted," she grumbles. "Does the girl...sorry, does she have a name?"

"Well, I was going to make you visit her to find out" He frowns "But I don't find that amusing anymore now that I dwell on it. The girl's name is Cleo. I don't know her last name, sorry"

"Cleo," she says with a nod. "Did Cleo arrive with any indication of a House?"

"Not that I heard of. " Vali says "Though that would help her with support if she had. But Cleo's not a sidhe"

"What kith is she, then?"

"Boggan" he says

Kerri blinks...then looks at the lower bookshelf...and the stairs....

And just like that... the cleaning of the area below the 5 foot space might make sense

She clears her throat. "Cleo? Olly olly oxen free!"

Mmm no response. Maybe she's very good at hiding, but it's also possible she came in, cleaned and left

"Well, I'm guessing she found the Lodge, possibly on her own. And...it's time for me to pay a visit to meet her and thank her for her contribution."

"Ah, NOW you break out the cookies? To give to Anne Marie as back up rations for the kid?"

"Well, of course I'm bringing something. Come on, Cookie Monster Mountain. You can help me choose which ones to take and eat some of the ones that don't make the cut."

"I think I'll save a few I take for Tiffany. " he smiles "Thanks though. " And he does help her "I was just guessing at your system." He says "She'll probably like snicker doodles, Cleo that is. It's a fun word to say "

"It is," she agrees with a bit of a grin, and the two go into the kitchen to prep a basket.

(Fade to Prep)