Chapter 3: Parental purview
Say hello to the clock. It will be a
major mechanic for the duration of the game. It doesn't mean much
right now, and won't really impact things for a bit, so I'll speak
more about it later.
I can't believe them! Not seconds after Uncle
Henri leaves and they're insulting him in his own home and wondering
when he'll die!
Yeah, that was a bit much. Are they always like that?
Pretty much, Uncle Henri deserves better if you ask me. Aagh, this has
completely ruined my mood. Listen, I'm going to go freshen up in the
bathroom and cool off. Why don't you explore the estate a bit?
Well, that's fine, but weren't you going to show me around? I could
come with you to freshen up and then we can go if you like. I'm here to
keep you company after all.
No, I just need some time to myself for a little bit. I'll catch up with you later. Bye.
Stupid....greedy...idiots...mmmmrrrg
Well, that was abrupt. I don't think I've ever actually seen her that
angry before. Looks like I'm on my own while she cools off. This trip is
not going, at all, how I expected it to. I wish Lillian had warned me a
little.
Laura! Laura! ...Daddy?
Umm.....
In-game instruction for the player is delivered through a couple father-daughter sequences. They aren't the most helpful things if you don't already have a general idea of how to play, but, of course, the manual goes into more depth and you're a good paying customer so you've got that handy, right?
...Thanks...daddy, but what are you doing here?
Oh, don't mind me. I'm just a personification of your memories being
used as a coping mechanism. As a beloved and trusted figurehead I'm here
to balance out the stress of the situation and to remind you that you
already have a bit of knowledge and experience to deal with this
situation. 
...I've gone insane haven't I? I always thought it would take more effort.
Don't be like that sweetheart. I'll disappear as you calm down and
everything will be fine... with you that is. The creepy, isolated house,
the weird family, and the friend who is apparently easily angered by
her family will still be here.
Oh golly gee, that makes me feel so much better. Well, do you carry a pencil and notebook like I taught you to always do?
I'm in your head honey. Don't think I can't hear you when you do that.
Anyway, you've got that to make notes, all the things you learned from
snooping around at Christmas and your birthday, plus all the exploring
with Moocow at your aunt's ranch. Well, I guess that's all true, but I haven't done that stuff in years and none of it involved other people.
Ah, snooping around is like riding a bicycle. It'll all come back.
Plus, you remember what I've said about subtle interrogations. Keep it
casual, figure out what they like talking about, and remember that
people hate talking about their own shortcomings, but love to badmouth
others. But you wouldn't let me have a bicycle... Not important! Now off you go, there's snooping to do! Remember what you've learned. Remember. Remember...
...Ok, just going to ignore...whatever that was and busy myself with
the issues of everyone else. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
I guess doodle practice will have to come second on this trip.
Ok, now where do I start?
How about starting with the new mechanic that just now popped up in our game. This is the inventory screen. It's pretty sparse now, but it will get bigger as we find and borrow things. Selecting an item will make the game show a picture of it.
Here's our notebook and pencil and... that's it, really. It has no practical use in the entirety of the game. Ok, that's not completely true. You can see the notebook when you finish the game. It's the game's way of hinting to you what you should be looking for by way of a checklist.
Telling Laura to look at her notes get's you this screen. The original box did come with a notebook and pencil, but I don't know if it had the same checklist items as the one at the game's end, and later editions of the game cut out most of the extras. So, as far as I know, if you ever want a reference during the game you're gonna have to stumble through to the end and copy it all down, or do your best to explore and make your own notes. Either way, you'll have to do the work cause the game won't.
I imagine everyone is at dinner still, so I may as well take a look around up here while I can.
Well, not too much to look through here, at least. 
Cute, old man on one side and a little girl on the other. Not sure if
that's supposed to be a statement or if it just happened. This must be
the Colonel before his injury, or at least not long after.
Not sure who that's supposed to be. Maybe it's little Lillian? The eyes
don't look right for that, though. Too...dark. Anyway, moving on.
Alright, time to put my old gift searching skills to good use. Hmm,
empty, empty, playing cards, a...muddy spoon and a cup of water? Weird,
but not terribly revealing. 
Bedsheets, pillow cases, blankets. I'm starting to think there's nothing in this room.
Annnd, this one's empty too. I guess immediately finding clues was too much to hope for. Now what?
Hmm, didn't Jeeves mention we were next to a nursery?
Cranberry cobbler!Next time: Quick, what was her name again?
Fun Fact: The early 1900s were a hotbed for modern art movements like surrealism, cubism, abstract, and dada.
