#rivervale_lodge

Anne Marie comes in, looking very contrite. Lately she's NOT been a regular feature at the Lodge, too busy dealing with mortal affairs. It shows, she's a bit low on glamour, still chipper but fading a bit. "Frank?"

"Oh my"

She has a young girl following her, Cleo says "You should sit down, Mrs. Lee. You went too far and too fast and spent too much glamour"

"Yes, Cleo." She says feeling a bit henpecked

"But I need to talk to Sir Franklyn, he's a friend of mine and a house brother and..."

The little boggan girl nods , cups her hands to the side of her mouth and yells "MISTER KIIIIIINNNGG???"

"Cleo!" A hiss from her foster mother

A door closes upstairs, and soon Brekke is looking down from the top of the stairs. "Anne Marie? Cleo? Something is wrong?" She starts down the stairs.

"I' m sorry, Chieftain, Cleo just got over enthusastic on my behalf" The older boggan looks a bit tapped out glamour wise but not as bad as Siv was last week "We were looking for your husband but it can wait"

Frank exits the room behind her, toweling wet hair. He is, however, fully dressed.

"I was freshening up." he rumbles, coming down stairs.

((As is Brekke.)) She gives Anne Marie a measuring look. "You should sit by the fire."

"That's what I said" Cleo says, the little girl forgetting her shyness for the joy of having been proven right

Brekke nods approval at Cleo's wisdom.

"Yes yes but... it's not about me, it's about that Autumn Person, and uhm Dirk" An apologetic look from the Liam Knighted boggan

A frown. "What has happened?"

'Well, I was going to send Dirk to break that horrible person's legs so we could get a temp replacement i could make regular and ah.. well, Sir Frank talked me out of it, but when I told Dirk we ddin't want the legs broken.. he .. he misunderstood"

"He broke the Autumn Person's jaw" Cleo is eager to share the juicy gossip

Frank sighs.

Brekke's brows go up. Both of them. A blink, and she looks to Frank, her expression carefully neutral.

"SO sorry, he misunderstood. I said we'd find another way to shut her up... and well, I think he read into that" The Dame squirms at the sigh "I am sorry, Frank. I feel like I let you down. But Dirk's a good boy and I hope you won't hold it against him?"

"No." quietly "I won't."

She clears her throat and says, "I will get you something to eat and drink." Brekke turns to go into the kitchen, but not before both boggans (and probably Frank) can tell she's trying to hold back amusement.

"I'm not sure he's exactly good " Cleo mutters

"Cleo, be nice. Dirk and Symon are my sons" A firm look from her elder , and then she looks to Frank "Thank you for understanding, Frank. I do have good news... with an abrupt opening House Liam might be able to place a trusted agent there at the shelter. I wanted your suggestions"

A few minutes later, Brekke returns with a tray bearing cookies and juice. She is no Kerri, so the presentation is not ideal, but it is hospitable.

"Thank you, Chieftain" Anne Marie says and looks appreciative.

A nod from Brekke, and she goes to claim her chair by the balefire. She wants to hear this, but she doesn't want to intrude on House Liam business.

"I wouldn't have a suggestion, Anne Marie."

A brow.

"Well, I have a small list for you to consider" Anne Marie starts to reach for papers and get up from her food and juice... but Cleo takes them and walks them over to Frank

"here, sir" the girl holds them up to him

"Thank you, but ... really isn't my place, or my shelter, Anne Marie." He takes them but doesn't look at them.

"Well, it's not exactly mine either, Frank" Anne Marie seems surprised at the reluctance "I have some input true but...that's about it. Are you feeling all right?" She kens the man

"Frank," Brekke says quietly. "Who is on the list?"

He glances it over, and passes it to Brekke.

She takes it and reads.

The list includes an older Kinain woman who has a degree in counselilng and finance. A turtle pooka fellow who seems to have a good resilence to banality. And a mortal dreamer who likes to help people but writes on the side

She nods. "These all seem good candidates. Do you know any of them, Frank?"

He shakes his head. "Ladies, pardon me.... Let me finish cleaning up, put this away." he gestures to indicate the wet towel, and heads for the stairs.

She nods as he goes, her brow only slightly furrowed.

The boggan reads the interactions between the departing troll as his wife

Then she shakes her head "I worry I've upset him"

"He will be back down. Perhaps he will have an answer then. Have you worked with any of these before, Anne Marie?" She indicates the list.

"Cleo honey, I'm save here now, why don't you go surprise Hearth Kerri and help clean the kitche nfor her?"

Cleo brightens "Sure.." And darts into the kitchen

Brekke watches the tiny cleaning tornado zoom into the kitchen.

A troubled look at Brekke "Frank's closing up like a fan, maybe more so than normal and you seem to be.. resigned to it. That worries me a bit more than three qualified people. To answer though, I have only talked to each a little. Not enough to give many details beyond they're the best candidates. That's why I wanted input from Frank too. He's done plenty of charity work for the area. Good man. But now he seems..." A troublelook "Well, withdrawn even for him? I could be wrong. But... Brekke, you know I'll never be so busy that I won't have time for friends who need someone to talk to?"

She frowns and looks at the list again. "I would also like him to offer you his opinion on this. I work with mortals, but not in the same way, and his experience might be helpful." She clears her throat. "As to the rest...he is a very private person, Anne Marie. As am I. But...thank you."

"I understand, we boggans CAN be a well meaning menace. " A glance to the kitchen where sounds of cleaning are going crazy, "you're private people and we boggans are gossips so it does clash a bit. Still, I am glad you're both willing to let Dirk off for misunderstanding me"