Checking the painted map to make sure she was reading it correctly, Monica quickly memorized where the nearest bed and breakfast was. Trudging across the cobblestones in the rain, she navigated the winding little streets of Aubestershire. The building she eventually reached was a homey enough looking place, with a wooden-shingled roof and weathered bricks, ivy creeping up the walls. There were lights on inside, but she couldn't be certain it was open at that hour. Taking a deep breath, she knocked at the door.
The woman that answered was a motherly sort, auburn tresses shot through with streaks of grey and pulled into a ponytail. Her blue eyes looked with sympathy towards Monica as she opened the door.
"Oh, you poor dear. You must have been out in the rain awhile. Do come in," she said with a lilting brogue.
Monica nodded with a shiver, and stepped inside. "Thank you," she said, "my car broke down about a mile outside of town."
"Ah, that always happens at the worst times. There's a garage here that can tow it, if you want to use my phone."
"That would be wonderful. You're very kind, Ms...?"
"Laughlan, like it says on the sign," the woman said with a ready smile. "Come on now, I'll get you the number and we can see about getting you settled in for the night."
A short and surprisingly painless phone call later, Monica had arranged for her car to be towed and repaired at the garage, as well as booked a room for the night. Relieved, she'd sat down in a well-worn armchair in front of the fireplace of the first floor. She wrung water droplets out of her hair, glad to be warm and drying out.
"And don't you worry about your car," Mrs. Laughlan said as she brought Monica a mug of hot tea. "Ellie at that garage has got a real knack, learned from her father. She'll put it to rights."
"I'm surprised I found the town even," Monica admitted. "It wasn't on my map."
"Well, there's not much to Aubestershire, aye? We're barely considered a town by most."
"I guess I could see that, but with a name like that isn't this a county seat?"
"Oh it was, once. But there's nae been a Laird in that manor for a long time. Mostly now the Society runs it as a museum."
"Oh, the Grove Preservation Society? I saw that on the sign as I walked. Would have thought there would be... you know, an actual grove?"
"There's still a grove, aye. Still, you'd be hard-pressed to find something in Aubestershire that the Society haven't got a finger in..."