"Let's go then. Thanks for dinner." he nods to the other two skaa then leads the three of you out into the village. The mists are particularly thick tonight. They dance about, swirling and flowing like some amorphous living blanket smothering the world in the depths of night. Most skaa are afraid of the mists, superstitious. They avoid them, keep their doors and windows sealed tightly to keep them out at night. Your current line of work, however, has required you to overcome that superstition - if ever you had it - as the cover of darkness is a boon not to be sacrificed because the mists settled in.
You are lead to another house on the other side of the village, and politely asked to wait outside. You do as asked and remain quietly concealed by the swirling mists. A few moments later Aengus comes back out, "Says they keep guests in the east wing. Also, took care to mention that there's a servant entrance around the back. It's not guarded because it's locked. It will get you into the house, then you'd need to find your way through the main chamber and into the east wing. It's usually locked, but he gave me a key he got his hands on when his wife was taken a few weeks back." He hands Lynch a worn iron key, "Said he hasn't the courage ta' use it, best put it in the hands of those who will."
Yes, you reduce the score by 1 after you roll. You recover 1 in each standing every day, and fully recover spent standings during a long breather (ie. a long break in the story during which characters recover, and do unexciting normal life things). Your nudge got you the key.