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A murder gone cold

Baronet Sir Benjamin Coulter Player C

You are the owner of the Ploughstead estate and effectively lord of the village of that name. There is also the remains of the Darbeyfield estate, now owned by the aged Miss Victorine Darbeyfield. Most of it you have bought from her including the barn.

You live in Coulter House, a respectable mansion with the farm buildings beyond.

In the House are your wife Lady Anthelia, Your Agent Wordsworth Primfield (Player D) Blanders your valet, your groom Turpin, the Housekeeper Miss Agate Primfield, Mrs Rawlings your Cook, the maids Peggy and Polly King and the boots Arthur Nown.

Your brother the Honourable Jasper Coulter used to live with you but was murdered in the Darbeyfield Barn on the night of the 26^th November 1891. The Norwich Constabulary arrested Fay Strangeholm who had an earlier liaison with him. She was a spinster of tarnished reputation who came first as a seasonal worker and then stayed weaving rush baskets for the strawberry crops. Coming originally from Hainford village, north of Norwich she had only lived in the village eighteen months or so. In court she was accused of luring Jasper to the Barn on the night of the Willow Stripping Dance and murdering him with a potato fork. His body was found in a potato pit covered by a tarpaulin. She was not seen at the dance but was seen coming away from the barn. She claimed that she stayed at home that night. It was said that she was demanding monetary support from Jasper which he was reluctant to give. It did not come out in court but you know that that Jasper had made her pregnant and had paid handsomely to have the baby aborted by Gamma Magda Brown, the midwife. A key to the barn was found in Fay’s house so she was found guilty and was hung in March. Despite this, the newish Village Constable Lymington, has had the impertinence to suggest that there were other suspects and that the Norwich Police botched the job. At the time you were very glad that they had latched onto the culprit so fast and dealt with her without too much scandal. There was quite a bit of unsavoury nonsense in the Local Newspapers but it has died away. Your wife Anthelia always says that they are designing hussies but Jasper was much too fond of the women workers. Perhaps for the honour of the family name it is as well that he is dead. But now the constable appears to have attracted the attentions of a bunch of Londoners with a tame detective in their midst. You heard this from Agent Primfield who has many contacts. He is a Norwich man, a friend of your late brother’s, but whom you do not wholly trust. Normally your Estate Manager John Gammon keeps an eye on him but he is in Norwich preparing things for the Strawberry Harvest. Primfield’s sister Agate doubles as your housekeeper and as manager of the female workers. He has two friends staying in the village that look to be little better than thugs! However he is an effective leader of the peasantry and perhaps could inspire them to mishandle the Londoners if necessary. Apart from him and your bulldog Picton, your groom Turpin and your Gamekeeper Bartleby can be relied on to help you keep order. Bartleby lives elsewhere but due to the Londoners coming, you have ordered him to come to the house. You wrote to the Chief Constable suggesting that he post PC Lymington elsewhere and asking what constraints can be put upon the snooping of private detectives? He replied saying that he has posted PC Lymington to Westhorpe, way beyond Diss. His replacement will be a PC Valance, a Norwich man. He also says that Private Detectives must always obey the law. That is not very helpful but you intend to keep Valance up to the mark. The Daffodil Harvest being over things are quiet at the moment but the Strawberry picking at the end of May will bring the next influx of seasonal workers. The murder of your brother brought group of ghoulish sightseers coming to see the Darbeyfield Barn. You have been sending Arthur Nown the Boot boy to show them around and keep them away from annoying you and yours. Now the word is that these Londoners are arriving this morning at the Nelson Inn, so you have sent Nown down there to keep an eye on them. He is to report everything that they do to you!

Wednesday 10^th April 1892. It is 1330 and the weather is dry and fair. You are in the parlour of Ploughstead House with your wife lady Anthelia. Groom Turpin, Gamekeeper Bartleby and your dog Picton are in the Servants hall. (The other servants are doubtless carrying out their normal duties. Miss Agate is ready to greet any visitors.) Boot boy Nown is now at the Darbeyfield Barn with the outsiders. PC Valance will be in his police station.

Sir Benjamin LEA Ac Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/3, Ag 0, Me +1 Stick Bst –2

Class VII Respectable, Charm M 0, F 0, Coercion +1, MC £ 2 – 1 – 7d

Bulldog Picton FV 2, Mo 6”, Me –2 Pst –2 Fa 2/2/2, Ag -1 Obeys Benjamin

Turpin WA Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag +1, Th +1, Me +1 whip Bst -4 but one free hit

Class IV Respectable, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 1 – 7d Bullseye lamp

Bartleby WA Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag +1, Th +1, Me +1 shotgun Bst –1

Shotgun 3” 3+ Pst +1, 6” 4+ Pst 0, 11” 5+ Pst –1 18” 6+ Pst -2 2 shots (6 spare) Cord.

Class IV Respectable, Charm M -1, F - 1, Coercion +1, MC £ 0 – 1 – 7d Bullseye lamp

Boot boy Nown WA Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag +1, Th +1, Me -2 Hands Bst –3 penknife Pst -2

Class III Dubious, Charm M 0, F +1, Coercion -2 MC 0 – 0 – 3d

PC Valance WA 0, Mo 6”, Fa 2/4/4 Ag –0, Th 0, Me +1 truncheon Bst -1

MC £0 – 3s – 3d, Police whistle 24”, Handcuffs, Bullseye lantern watch

Less Active Characters who may become involved & who you may play.

^= member of Church Decorating Committee, the Ploughstead Moral Mafia!)

Gentry

Lady Anthelia^ By +1, Mo 4.5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -2, Th -2, Me -2, hands Bst –3,

Class VI Charm M +1, F +1 Coercion -1 Speaks English, French, Latin, MC £3 -1s -4d

Vicar Bartholemew Hurt By Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/3, Ag 0, Me 0 Hands Bst –3

Class V Respectable, Charm M 0, F +1, Coercion -2, MC £ 2 – 1 – 7d

Mrs Xanthe Hurt^ Vicars wife By -1, Mo 4.5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -2, Th -2, Me -2, hands Bst –3, Class V Charm M +1, F +1 Coercion -2 Speaks English, French, MC £1 -2s -4d

Doctor Mathew Penge By Mo 6”, Fa 2/2/3, Ag 0, Me 0 Hands Bst –3

Class V Respectable, Charm M 0, F +1, Coercion -2, MC £ 2 – 1 – 7d First Aid kit

Mrs Divina Penge^ In -1, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -1, Th -2, Me -2, hands Bst –3,

Class V Charm M 0, F 0 Coercion -1 Speaks English, French, MC £2 -8s -7d

Miss Sibyl Penge ^ Schoolmistress By -1, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -1, Th -2, Me -2, books Bst –2, Class V Charm M +1, F +1 Coercion +1 Speaks English, French, Latin, MC £0 -11s -7d

Hon Miss Victorine Darbeyfield^ By -1, Mo 4”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag -1, Th -2, Me -2, umbrella Bst –3, Class VI Charm M 0, F 0 Coercion -1 Speaks English, French,

MC £2 -8s -7d

Servants

Blanders the Valet WA Mo 6”, Fa 3/3/3, Ag +1, Th +1, Me 0 fist Bst -3

Class IV Respectable, Charm M -1, F + 1, Coercion -2, MC £ 0 – 1 – 7d

Bullseye lantern, First Aid kit

Mrs Rawlings Cook By, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th -1, Me -2, Rolling Pin Bst -2,

Class III Charm M -1, F 0 Coercion 0 Respectable MC £3 -4s -1d

Housemaid Polly King In, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th -1, Me -2, knife Pst -2,

Charm M 0, F 0 Class II Respectable MC £0 -0s -0d

Housemaid Peggy King In, Mo 5”, Fa 2/2/2, Ag 0, Th -1, Me -2, knife Pst -2,

Charm M 0, F 0 Class II Respectable MC £0 -0s -0d

Introduction