"I AM IMPRESSED," LADY ALICIA Kirkpatrick observed as she raised her brown brow upon her inspection of the fair when they arrived.

The countryside was beautifully decorated with wooden tables and chairs, and the trees and lining hedges and bushes had been adorned with red ribbons—a job rather clumsily done that it merely added to the charm of the festivities. There were multiple small colorful tents lining the countryside, each sporting one activity to engage in or the other.

Fairground rides had been arranged in the distance too, towering beside the hills as children rushed to make queues for them. Some people preferred to seat themselves on the grass upon a sheet with their children as they enjoyed the show put up by the mime and the clown, just near the fairground rides.

Different stalls had been set up, there was a ribbon stall with all kinds and colors of ribbons, and there was also a drinks stall where all kinds of fruit drinks were being served. Diana spotted a stall for stuffed children's toys, the receiving of which was decided only upon the successful completion of a challenge.

The children of the family—Francis, Judith, Michael, Theodore, Mary Ann, Henrietta and Miles—had their eyes fixed quite on something else entirely. They squealed in delight as they gazed upon the enormous Ferris wheel. It was too, adorned with ribbons and seemed to go up into the sky. The sun gleaming overhead was mighty with its light, and merciful with its heat, as the soft cool breezes highlighting the air created a blissful balance.

The fair had, as usual, a quite considerable turnout. It seemed as though it had promised to play host to almost all of Southampton and Lady Diana Beaumont and Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick had been the very last ones to finally arrive with their family.

After a series of pleas, the desperate children of the family were granted the much sought out permission, to mount the Ferris wheel.

"Adam, dear, watch over the children, don't let them out of your sight," Lady Seymour instructed her the eldest son, who narrowed his eyes a little at his uncalled for duty but shrugged nonchalantly and took Judith and Michael by their hands and began to walk with the children towards the Ferris wheel.

Quite an ardous task it was, to stand beside every ride shielding the sun from your eyes as you watched your cousins squeal overhead in delight, only to repeat the process over again. Diana hoped for Adam's sake it wpuld come to that.

"Ah, there you are girls," A sing song voice came and Diana and Alicia were instantly met with the charming Madame Carpe, her dress flowing about her and the multiple feathers in her bonnet swaying to and fro amongst the wrath of the winds as she approached.

"How beautiful the designs look on you both, you don't mind expressing where you got them done from to the gentry, now would you? I would absolutely love and appreciate a bit of a crowd at the dress emporium when this whole ordeal is over. I find these fairs too tedious for my liking."

Diana smiled. "Of course Madame Carpe, rest assured, every compliment I recieve shall be led back to you."

"Gratitude," The madame beamed, her way of expression always unorthodox in a very charming way.

"Oh and I see your family is here too," She continued as she noticed the women come up behind the ladies, "How do you do Lady Beaumont, Lady Kirkpatrick, Lady Seymour and Lady Charlotte?"

Lady Ruth Beaumont exchanged glances with her sisters and kept her lips sealed, giving the most as a mere nod to the French Madame who had just addressed them. Then, she continued on walking, her sisters following quickly behind. Lady Charlotte Allan stayed behind, rolling her eyes a little at her elder sisters' behavior. They had always been quite quick to bear contempt for anything they found even the slightest bit disagreeable, and that contempt was then set in stone.

Smiling politely, the younger and the more compassionate of the sisters addressed the Madame. "We are doing quite wonderfully, Madame Carpe, I trust you are too?"

The Madame smiled joyfully, "I am as well as I have ever been, Lady Charlotte."

"How is your mother in law, Mrs Josephine? I trust she is in good health now and goodness, I've heard your brother has come too. How delightful. You must be overjoyed to have the family together again."

"She is, thank you for your concern and yes, Arthur has come with his family too. It really is a blessing to have everyone I love at an arm's length, even if for a short while," Came the polite reply.

"Though, that reminds me, I did want to congratulate you Madame, it seems as though the little time I was away from society and tending to my mother in law, your dress emporium has been brimming with success. Now that I see my nieces' gowns, I think how inevitable it was. They are wonderfully done."

The French woman smiled as her cheeks burst with color. "I thank you, Lady Charlotte."

Before the woman could say anything more, Aunt Charlotte turned to Diana and Alicia, "My dears, give Fanny to me for a while so that you both can go enjoy yourselves. I wouldn't want you ladies being forced to believe how quite tedious my little girl has become to manage." The aunt teased as she reached her hand out for her little daughter to take and leave Diana's hand.

"My, Aunt Charlotte, Fanny is anything but tedious," Diana gasped a little as her aunt laughed. "And I shall not be forced to believe so were you to lock us in together."

"Alright alright, still, hand her over to me. Now, off with you two, go enjoy yourselves before you're burdened with my daughters again when we return to Mansfield," Lady Charlotte Allan winked, laughing slowly.

Alicia and Diana raised their brows and shook their heads at their aunt's teasing and smiled, before waving a hand and walking off.

"There you are, Diana, Alicia!" Came a sudden loud voice and the ladies halted in their steps and slowly turned around, waiting to be met with the approaching person.

It was Jessie Churchill, running towards them with the disposition of a wild dog, her hand gripping her bonnet and the other holding up her dress skirts in a manner that was reminiscent of Jessie Churchill's trips to the farmyard to milk cows for the rectory pantry.

Diana and Alicia exchanged looks of displeasure and discomfort as they noticed people turn to look at the disturbance.

"Jessie," Diana said, forcing a smile on her face, and reminding herself of her fondness for the girl, despite how unconventional she could be.

"Goodness, your dresses are beautiful! Did you get them done from Madame Carpe's?" The girl asked in between breaths as her chest heaved up and down—an exertion owed to her own antics.

"We did," Alicia stated, letting her displeasure clearly show instead of concealing it like Diana had done.

Jessie nodded happily, not noticing Alicia's blunt intent behind the response. Just past Jessie then, Diana spotted Rebecca Seymour with Mr Ashbrook as they strolled past some stalls, her hand around his arm in a manner that froze Diana slightly. It was strange seeing Rebecca with a gentleman who they had all come to believe as a firm prospect. It was dawning on her then, the change Alicia had been talking about. You could be excited for someone but still feel melancholy for the change, they were two feelings that couldn't be explained together.

For a split second, an image of her walking like that, arm intertwined with Lord Edward Buxton's, crossed her mind and she immediately shook it off. It was no news that any lady might be pleased to have a man like Lord Buxton by her side, but then again, Diana was not like any lady. She rarely ever fantasized about men at her arm and this sudden intrusive image startled her. Had the bold compliments he had been paying finally getting to her head?

"Look, there it is," Jessie started, her voice still that high pitched and shaky, as she pointed towards a board that read 'Psychic.'

"I have heard such things about this woman. Did you know that she has predicted about fifty marriages that have happened timely?" Jessie added, her eyes still glued to the board that stood in front of a purple tent. "Not around Hampshire though—I've heard her pursuits have been.. exotic."

Quite a few people went in and came out, all looking as unbothered as they had looked when they went in. Miss Jessie Churchill's share of fascination was nowhere to be found in the figures, as Diana concluded.

"I dare say, if we were strangers, it would've never crossed my mind that you're a rector's daughter," Alicia spoke then, as she rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, but fondly this time.

"I know you both don't believe, but let's just see what's special about this one? I've heard loads about this woman." Jessie nudged, "Besides, it could be a laugh."

Diana exchanged glances with Alicia, it wouldn't hurt to just go see what the disturbance was about.

"Well, I can't say no to that," Diana added, smiling, as Alicia groaned a little. But nevertheless, all three of the ladies made their way towards the purple tent.

Inside the tent were clustered decorations that represented a mix of oddly scientific and obviously fantastical elements of the universe. There were symbols of the moon imprinted on the draperies, and from the low cloth ceiling hung a rather messily done chandelier with tiny sun and moon charms hanging amongst the star ones, catching flickers of the sunlight. It wasn't much spacious inside, all the space was taken by a large, rectangular and sleek wooden table, opposite of which, sat an elderly lady.

The lady was dressed in purple. Her attire looked as though it consisted of pieces of colored fabrics sewn messily together—the hasty work of a troubled yet creative mind. On her head, she wore a purple wrapped cloth which covered half of her white hair, as the messy lengths of it streamed down her back. The woman looked up at the visitors with her piercing blue eyes peering up at them as if in accusation.

She did not say anything, but only gestured for the ladies to seat themselves around the table.

"Who wants to go first?" She croaked, her eyes moving around all three of the visitors.

"I do, please," Jessie let out enthusiastically, forcing a smile on her face to calm the aggravated woman.

"Hm," The old woman let out, and bent down to search for something underneath the table as the ladies looked at each other.

"Drink this," The woman said as she straightened herself and put a cup of what appeared to be tea, on top of the table.

Looking at Miss Jessie Churchill's hesitant expression, the woman sighed. "It is fresh, I just had it made an hour ago. Although, it has gotten cold since then."

Jessie shrugged as she reached for the cup of tea that had been placed for her. An eerie smell drifted from the tea which smelt not at all like any beverage should, but muttering a silent prayer, she took a giant gulp of the tea and grimaced at its sour taste.

Taking the empty tea cup from Jessie's hand, the old lady peered into the cup, trying to read the tea leaves.

"Hm," she murmured, "Not interesting."

"Pardon?" Jessie Churchill let out, having set her hopes high for a rather extravagant foreseeable future, the words, 'not interesting' were the last ones she was expecting from this woman.

"Oh, I apologize, I meant not interesting to me," The queer woman corrected herself, forcing a polite smile on her face.

Not knowing how to react, Jessie laughed nervously, as she touched her ginger curls and tucked them in her bonnet. Diana and Alicia looked at their friend in concern, as her laugh drifted about in the eeringly silent tent.

"There are shadows in your future. I see a tall tree blocking your path. I see shadows overcasting your own. I see a man in your future, completely opposite to your.." The woman paused and raised her eyes to scan them over Jessie, "Disposition."

"He will try to change you, and you will try to change him. But, through all of it, the shadows don't cease. It seems to me that darkness can only be eliminated if the person remembers to set alight a candle. It will be a long time before you learn to light one, miss, and an even longer time before the flame reflects in your eyes," The woman finished as she tossed the cup aside.

Miss Jessie Churchill felt something in her stomach drop low. The description of the man in her future had enticed her greatly, but the rest of what the woman had said filled her with great worry. She stayed silent, trying to sort out her thoughts.

"Sometimes, you find something you've always wanted in a place where you'd least expect to find it," The woman crooned quietly, her words directed to Jessie but her attention entirely elsewhere. "Sometimes you're a moth searching for something in the darkness while a flame burns brightly a long distance away."

"Alright then," The woman clapped her hands together, snapping out of her stupor and startling the ladies present. "Who's next?" 

"Oh, was that it?" Miss Jessie Churchill added suddenly, feeling half relieved and half disappointed. The old woman, ignoring Jessie's abruptness, fixed her eyes onto the remaining customers.

Lady Diana Beaumont and Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick exchanged glances. Diana knew these things to be of no value. She could never accept the fact that a person's whole future could be foretold just by the settling of the tea leaves in their cups. But then again, there was a part of her really curious to see what the woman would say about her future. Just because you did not believe in something did not mean you did not want to hear it, or see it.

After getting the nod from Alicia, who was still planning to sit out, "I'll go next," Diana quickly uttered, taking a breath and straightening herself, before she could change her mind.

"Hm, now this is interesting," The woman hummed as her eyes examined tea leaves from Diana's cup viciously.

"You and your cousin here," She continued, pointing towards Alicia, "Have a linked path in life. I see her almost on every road of your life, I see you two going through troubles together, some more terrible than the next. I see you two suffering heartache together."

She paused then, examining a single cup and somehow foretelling futures of two. "Oh, such danger, I see in these leaves. Dangers entwined together like veins in your skin."

The woman looked up, her eyes analyzing Diana's startled and fearful ones and glancing at Alicia's curious ones.

"Rarely have I ever seen such souls linked in their paths in life, rarely have I ever seen such troubles shared in equal halves."

"I suppose if I were to cut one, the other would bleed," She continued, her gaze burning into Diana's with intensity. Then, breaking off contact, the woman chuckled an eerie chuckle as she bent to dig under the table and pulled out a small silver knife.

"Should I try it, you suppose?" She asked manically, pushing the knife before Diana as the lady recoiled in shocked.

"I think that is enough," Alicia blurted out, standing up. A flustered expression on her face, "Thank you for your time, but clearly, you need to rest yourself and not be giving more of it to people."

Diana stood up as well, the stern expression she had forced on herself shifting in thought. She had braced herself to be prepared in case the woman had said words she wouldn't agree with, but she hadn't thought about what those words would be. Is it worth knowing if the future is dangerous? Or would it simply be beneficial to be ignorant and thus unprepared?

"Diana, Jessie, come, we must leave," Alicia spoke after gathering herself up. The words had affected her too, no matter how she tried to forget them at once, and Diana could tell that by the slight tremor in Alicia's voice.

As the ladies turned around to leave the tent, the queer woman's one last foretelling rang in their ears.

"But you two shall have a happy ending, that I can tell you."

Diana could swore she had heard a laugh at the end of that final foretelling, was it mockery?

"Don't listen to her," Alicia's voice rushed into her cousin's ears as they quickened their steps, leaving the woman's tent behind.

"She knew we were cousins," Diana responded faintly, inwardly scolding herself for folding as she was.

"Doesn't everybody?" Alicia responded with tenor, instantly dispelling her cousin's doubts.

Of course, Lady Diana Beaumont repeated to herself, everybody knows we're cousins. The woman must've heard from someone, or seen them before at a ball or on the street passing by.

Joining their family as they all sat in the grass, Diana and Alicia tried their hardest to erase the unpleasant words from their minds, telling themselves that they were nothing but treacherous tricks. The ladies' belief in the words varied still, yet they were still horrible things to be told on the day of a fair.

Even though the woman had emphasized about the happy ending she saw for them, it is a known truth that hardly anyone ever gets excited for a happy ending when they know they would have to endure every peril imaginable to reach that point in life, but none of it was set in stone, was it?

Their family was particularly helpful as they all engaged the girls into pleasant conversations, aiding them in letting go of their worries, despite not even knowing that the ladies were harboring some in the first place.

Miss Jessie Churchill had trotted off to her father as they had exited the psychic's tent, no doubt with the thoughts of her alleged gentleman on her mind. Jessie was never one to take the burden of someone else's problems. She would willingly help if asked, but she never did seem to concern herself where her concerns were not asked for. It felt selfish, but still a sound habit if one was to keep their own peace.

Mr Arthur Fleming brought out a beautiful white kite, which he had built especially for the occasion, and all his little nieces and nephews took turns holding it's rope and whisking it through the air.

Lady Diana Beaumont took in a deep breath and exhaled, in one last attempt of clearing her thoughts with the intention to enjoy the day. But try as she might, the questions popping in her head could only be pushed back, and not exhaled into the wind. Her mind kept on wondering over to the identities of the people responsible for betraying them, the betrayal the psychic had predicted.

There was no one to say for sure that there was going to even be a betrayal, for all Diana could know, the woman had probably had too much of her own tea concoction, but she could not stop thinking about it. It seemed awfully cruel to damage one's mindful contentment like that for just a few pence.

Suddenly her eyes darted onto the prominent figures of two approaching gentlemen. Men who looked quite exactly like the same men who had asked to escort her and Alicia to the fair, and they were now headed the seated family's way.

Diana swallowed thickly, her eyes resting on the gentlemen and her right hand instinctively gripping the grass over the sheet she was sitting on.