Lorand the other girls took the Count to a carriage ride through the outskirts of Herion with Neri and Bruno as usual, er since the girls had already made arrangements to stay with the count... or, rather, with themselves ... following the Halloween. No one talked in the carriage, although the count could tell it was more Lor giving him space to think, rather than her being mad at him too.
When they got home, Mrs Beth pointed at a chair at the kitchen table. The Count had fallen asleep at the end of the carriage ride such that the girls were already inside the house.
“Senor count, the girls are already upstairs. You head on up and let me talk to the carriage driver for a minute.” Mrs Beth alarmed the Count as she patted his shoulder to wake him up.
Mrs Beth patted him on the back once a
