138. Alone Again

Amy has a sudden flash of insight. She pulls off her backpack, reaches in, and pulls out the red long-stemmed rose from the greenhouse. She hands the rose to the still-distracted Guy. He looks down, confused, then a look of pure joy slowly conquers his face.

“My lady, you have shown true compassion, offering a rose to counter my sword! Thus does the gentle ways of woman overpower the martial ways of man!” Amy suppresses the urge to roll her eyes at the corny sentiment. “Thou hast reminded me of my fair Helene, for this rose is an exact match of the one I received so many years ago! Now I go to a place where this rose shall bloom forever, and my love shall never die! Please, my lady, take this sign of my eternal affection for setting me free.” As he gives his monologue, the strange swordsman fades away until, with his last words, he disappears entirely. When he does so, a small square of pink cloth falls to the ground. Amy picks it up. It’s a handkerchief bearing the monogram GdlG. Amy tucks it into her backpack.

“Well,” says Amy, “that settles that, I guess. Now what?” Amy looks around the gallery. Mostly it’s a giant mess now, due to all the suits of armor that lie in pieces on the ground. From Amy’s past experience in this hallway, she decides she’s better off not trying to abscond with one of the oversized pieces of weaponry here. She’d be lucky to lift them, let alone use them effectively. One thing does catch her eye, however; a small dagger. She decides that if she can wield anything, she can wield this. She grabs it, swings it a couple of times to test it out, then slips it into her pack.

Amy continues to wander the hallway. Now that she’s not in danger of being stabbed, she takes the opportunity to look at the portraits. They are, as she expected, a lot of people she doesn’t know. But she does recognize Claire Stephenson and Geoffrey Stephenson in identically-posed facing portraits in the middle of the hall. Amy feels compelled to stare at Claire Stephenson. So young, and so like Amy! But… different somehow. Amy tries to discern the difference and finally puts her finger on it. There is a coldness in the eyes, an aloofness, an indifference. As though she were above the concerns of common people. Amy pulls herself away from the portrait so that she an continue her adventure.

In front of the portrait, mounted on a rack, is a pink silk corset with intricate black lace trim. Amy instantly recognizes it as part of the matched set to which the panties and garter belt she has already acquired belong. A plaque beneath reads, “Lady Stephenson’s most prized corset.” Amy looks around to see if anyone’s watching, then carefully removes the corset from the stand and puts it into her backpack.

Amy decides it’s time to move on from the portrait gallery. She walks to the far end to examine the doors that lie there. There are two matching wooden doors to the left and right. In the center is a glass door that leads outside. A plaque by the left door reads “Ballroom.” A plaque by the right door reads “Conservatory.” A large plaque above the glass door reads “Lord and Lady Stephenson’s Sculpture Garden.”

Where should Amy go now?

The ballroom

The conservatory

The statue garden

Back to the Grand Hallway