My dear Hilda,

Did you see the Gazette this week? I can't say I was surprised to read that Lord Buffington has been committed once more. You remember, dear Hilda, that tragic incident in Whitby all those years ago? Poor Lady Louisa, still it was all Lord Buffington's fault. If you remember, I had expressly invited only members of the Company to assist Emily in her search for her missing friend, Pearl, since we suspected there may be danger, and Buffy had insisted on bringing his sister along.

The weekend had started so well, what with meeting that charming Count and Countess from Romania at the hostelry. There was the dreadful murder of that poor girl on the Friday night, at the top of the Abbey steps if I remember rightly, but our chief concern was the find out what that Dr Whittaker was up to at his Sanatorium at Ravenscar, where Pearl used to work.

We were somewhat alarmed by news of Professor van Waas' murder in Amsterdam and to hear that Professor Wilson was somehow involved and that Van Wass had been experimenting with an amethyst and an emerald. However it was Jackson's breakdown, not surprising given he spent too much time with Lord Buffington, that enabled Dr Whittaker to abduct Emily. It seems that all that talk of smuggler's booty we had heard so much about during the day from the fishermen, was a human cargo. Thank heavens the Brigadier and Dr Staunton were on hand to rescue her and vanquish the smugglers! That also gave us a fresh hope that perhaps Pearl was alive in Germany as her letter said.

All this though only distracted us from the real horror of the weekend, poor Louisa. To die once, and so young is terrible, but to be raised again and for your friends to have to dispatch you once and for all is surely far worse. However if Buffy hadn't determined to race straightup to the Sanatorium in his motorcar and had spent a little more time attending to his filial duties the tragedy may well have been avoided. I suppose that young man or vampire or whatever he was probably killed her, but to see some of my dearest friends turn into a bloodthirsty lynch mob was the nadir of the weekend.Even Lord Brockett, who famously screamed at the sight of a door, couldn't wait to have that man's blood on his hands!

I suppose this explains the high level of insanity among former Company members, well those that are still alive and haven't yet succumbed to the visions. Speaking of which, how is the Professor? I do hope the new medication proves more effective, it has done wonders for Elayne, she even smiles occasionally these days.

Yours truly.

Athena