During a lull in the autumn rains, Annabeth and her friends decided to take a walk into the village of Skye. Being cooped up inside for several days had nearly driven them insane.
"We can take tea at the Vesta's Hearth Inn," Thalia suggested.
"And visit the bookshop," Annabeth added.
"Don't you have enough books?" Piper asked her.
"No! Never!"
The road which lead from Skye Castle to the village of Skye crossed over a bridge which spanned the Styx River.

Skye was a cluster of stone buildings in shades grey, beige, and ochre with shingled roofs gathered together on the side of a hill. Some of the older houses and shops were timber framed and had roofs made from thatch.

Moss, ivy, and flowering vines climbed up the stone, wood, and plaster walls. Hollyhocks and other wildflowers grew up among the buildings. Mr. Pan lead his heard of sheep through the village square, their bells jingling as they moved.
A hot sun shone through the fleecy grey clouds which surrounded it like the cotton wadding that a piece of jewelry might be wrapped up in. The air was warm, humid, and heavy and the damp ground squeaked underfoot. Piper trampled on her hem, accidentally sinking it into the mud. She wore a red riding habit with a skirt that was too long for walking. A black hat decorated with purple bows was perched a top of her head.

A group of soldiers had gathered in the village square, chatting together outside of post office. They were easily recognizable by their scarlet uniforms.
"I'd heard the militia was stationed here for the autumn," Annabeth commented on the scene.
"My parents hosted the officers at Skye Castle when the regiment first arrived here," Thalia explained.
"I do so wish they will again."
"Why Miss Chase," Hazel added, "I thought you preferred sailors." 
Annabeth blushed. One of the soldiers was looking in their direction. The young man wore the uniform of an officer: a scarlet coat with black and gold facing over a white waistcoat and breeches with a crimson sash tied around his waist and a black chapeau bras.

He was tall and well-built with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long, shapely legs. His blond hair was pulled back into a loose queue. A dueling scar from a saber which cut through his left eye and through his left cheek was the only thing that tarnished his near flawless good looks. Thalia's face went the same shade of white as her starched linen fichu and bonnet when she noticed him. In keeping with her usual black and white color scheme, she wore a black and white striped petticoat and caraco jacket. Her fichu was embroidered with black roses, and her white bonnet was decorated with white feathers.

"Come ladies," Annabeth called to her companions, "The bookshop awaits."
"I'm going on ahead to the inn," Thalia replied, "I'll save us a table."
"Good idea. We'll meet you there."
"I'll make sure Annabeth doesn't waste too much time at the bookshop," Piper cut in.
Thalia walked off in the opposite direction towards the inn, dropping her handkerchief with a delicate flick of the wrist.

Piper bought a copy of The Romance of the Forest by Mrs. Anne Radcliffe at the bookshop and said she'd read some of it aloud to them after supper. Annabeth found a copy of Sophocles's Antigone in its original Ancient Greek. She and Reyna agreed to work together on translating it. An interest in Greek and Latin had brought them together and Piper feared that her friend might loose interest in her since she had found someone more interesting to talk to. Reyna was dressed in a white round gown with a blue plaid robe à la turque and a purple bonnet and looked cool and regal.

"There's our officer," she whispered to Annabeth.
The young soldier who had been watching them, approached, carrying the handkerchief Thalia had dropped. He swept Annabeth a gallant now.
"Excuse me, Madam," he cut in "I believe a friend of yours dropped this."
"Thank you, Sir," Annabeth replied, taking the handkerchief from him.
"Captain Luke Castellan, at your service, Madam."
"Annabeth Chase," she dipped into a curtsy. 
"Is your friend Lady Thalia Grace?"
"Yes, I'm currently staying with the Graces at Skye Castle."
"When you return her handkerchief, please give Lady Thalia my compliments."
"I will."
Castellan tipped his chapeau bras to Annabeth and her companions.
"Good-day ladies."

One entered into the Vesta's Fire Inn through a wide archway in a thick stone way. The inn itself was a half-timbered post-and-beam building built around a central courtyard, in which the carts and carriages of the inn's patrons were parked and chickens and pigs, destined for the inn's table, roamed free. Gable windows adorned the third story of the building, which held the best bedrooms. The second story, which the smaller, less expensive rooms, held a long portico.

On the ground floor were the tap room and the dinning rooms. Thalia had found them a table in the larger dining room: a bright, airy chamber with mullioned windows, sage green wood work and pale yellow plaster walls. Most of the room was taken up by plain wooden tables and black fan back Windsor chairs.

The table Thalia had chosen was near the hearth, where a small fire crackled pleasantly. Annabeth tossed the handkerchief over to her.
"You dropped this," she cried, "A Captain Castellan picked it up for you and sends his compliments."
Thalia blushed. Her mouth curled into a sly grin and she neatly folded up the handkerchief and stashed it away. She then shot a glare at her companions as if to say "Don't say anything about this."
A maid servant brought over a tray of tea things: a teapot with a plume of steam pouring from its spout, five cups and five saucers, a tiny pitcher of cream, a dish of sugar, and a small plate of lemon slices. Each of the girls poured herself a cup of tea and fixed it the way she liked.
"Miss Levesque," Piper asked Hazel, "Why aren't you taking sugar?"
"Really Piper, how rude," Annabeth teased, "Perhaps she's watching her figure. Not that you need to, Miss Levesque; you're as dainty as a daisy."
Hazel lowered her eyes and stirred milk into her tea.
"My teeth are getting rotten," she explained, "I'm trying to take better care of them."
Her teeth were small, white, and straight, like a string of pearls with no apparent signs of rot or decay.
Seeing that all this questioning about something as trivial as whether or not she took sugar with her tea was making Hazel uncomfortable, they dropped the subject.
A/N I hate when people make a big deal about what I do and do not like to eat and say things like "Like how can you like/not like..." or "Why don't you just try it." Just leave me alone.
The maid servant returned with an apple tart and some scotch eggs.
"My Lady," Piper  asked Thalia, "Did you know that Captain Castellan who found your handkerchief?"
"He dined at Skye when the other officers did," Thalia answered, "That's when we became acquainted."
"Reyna told me that she and Captain Castellan started to form an attachment," Annabeth whispered to Piper, "But her parents didn't approve of him, so they forbid him from Skye Castle."

The rooms inhabited by the young ladies at Skye Castle all converged on a central sitting room decorated in the Chinese style: with teal wallpaper and white and gold molding which formed the shapes of Chinese temples. Inside the largest temple was a bright yellow sofa. The chairs and settees had bright yellow cushions.

Following supper and the evening's entertainments, Annabeth, Piper, Hazel, Reyna, and Thalia would gather there. The autumn evenings were long and cold, so a warm fire crackled on the hearth. They drank tea brewed from anise and wormwood and ate Welsh rarebit.
Sitting in one of the armchairs, Piper, wearing a cream colored dimity short gown over her night dress, read aloud from The Romance of the Forest: "The door was unlocked — and the man who had admitted La Motte into the house entered, leading, or rather forcibly dragging along, a beautiful girl, who appeared to be about eighteen. Her features were bathed in tears, and she seemed to suffer the utmost distress. The man fastened the lock and put the key in his pocket. He then advanced to La Motte, who had before observed other persons in the passage, and pointing a pistol to his breast, "You are wholly in our power," said he, "no assistance can reach you: if you wish to save your life, swear that you will convey this girl where I may never see her more; or rather consent to take her with you, for your oath I would not believe, and I can take care you shall not find me again. — Answer quickly, you have no time to lose."

Annabeth worked on a quilt she had constructed from bits of fabric left over after she had updated some of her gowns. She wore a brown, floral print short gown made out of Indian calico over her night dress.

Hazel had wrapped herself in a blanket and fallen asleep on the sofa. Reyna attempted to do some needlework but seemed like she would rather be doing anything else. Thalia sat in the chair closest to the window and stared out at the branches of a pine tree as they were blown about in the wind- Piper imagined that she was thinking about Captain Castellan.

As Piper drifted off to sleep, she dreamt that she was the heroine of a gothic novel like Adeline from The Romance of the Forest and was kidnapped by bandits. In her fantasy, a dashing hero came to her rescue and he bore a strong resemblance to Lord Skye.