As discussed, we're working from Simon Fletcher's InkTober prompts, specifically the second four of the Steampunk list - The Gentleman's Hat, The Inventor's Son, The Gardener, and The Princess.
Page 1
1 - Establishing shot of a large Victorian mansion on an equally large Victorian estate. There are all manner of gardens and greenery all throughout, including ivy creeping along most of the house. That said, the weather is quite ghastly - fog hangs all about and no sunshine comes through. Perhaps a light rain is falling. Either way, the world is dull and gray. A small figure - Henrietta Greene - walks towards the mansion from the surrounding gardens.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (1): The weather is as horrid as ever.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (2): A perfect reflection of my feelings since arriving at Princess Manor.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (3): I have been here nearly a week and am no closer to understanding why Baron Edmund Head saw need to have the services of a world-renowned botanist.
2 - The foyer of Princess Manor. Henrietta Greene is now out of the wet, putting down her umbrella and removing her outer layers and attempting to brush some of the water off of her clothing underneath. She looks curiously at a top hat hanging from a coat hook - it has a velvet band around its base that was presumably once a brilliant crimson that has faded to a dull brown. A young foppish figure, Edmund Head's son Alexander, walks towards Henry from an adjoining hallway, although he is far from a focus this panel.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (1): The Baron is a brilliant inventor, but he has been too ill to entertain any visitors. Even those whose presence were required "immediately".
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (2): His hanging hat is the only evidence of his continuing existence.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (3): I suggested I might depart and return once he was in firmer health.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (4): His son Alexander assures me that he will be feeling better "imminently".
3 - Alexander walks down a dark corridor of the mansion with Henrietta's arm in his, as if showing her around. Alexander is talking animatedly. Henrietta looks a little board and a lot annoyed.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (1): As far as I can tell, assurances are the only thing the young man is good for.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (2): He speaks almost constantly, but says virtually nothing.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (3): Whenever I express curiosity regarding my prospective task, he refuses to say anything beyond the importance of having someone of my "expertise" and "experience" near at hand for this father's work.
4 - Henrietta is walking upstairs, trying to get around a man in servant's clothing who is dusting the banister. He seems to be focused on his task and pays her no mind. There are similar men above and below, performing other menial tasks with equal focus, somewhat blank expressions on their faces.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (1): The staff are little better.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (2): They treat me as if I am a ghost, barely deigning to corroborate my presence.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA) (3): I was initially offended by their taciturn nature, but Alexander insists that they are Baltic men and it is simply their way.
5 - Henrietta surreptitiously looks downstairs to see Alexander yelling at one of the servants. Alexander appears upset, the servant has no reaction, wearing the same blank expression as seen in the previous panel.
LETTERING NOTE: Alexander's word balloon should be filled with some type of eldritch sigils to denote that bad juju is going down.
CAPTION (HENRIETTA): While I am no expert on the Balts.
ALEXANDER: [eldritch sigils]
CAPTION (HENRIETTA): I must confess to never having heard their language's twin.
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