The middlemist reds at Middlemist were in bloom and lined the garden with its fish pond and mourning statues of Greek heroines. Baldwin stood among them looking into sky as night come along. When he heard a sound behind him her turned around with his hand on his pistol.

"Bear duty?" Dick asked with a smile as he approached.

"Dinner is over," Baldwin said turning back to the stars as Dick joined him.

"I didn't come for food," Dick said. "I came to see you. You know you're my favorite cousin."

Baldwin smiled wryly. "What do you need?"

Dick looked into the stars. "Do you ever feel sometimes that they are staring; secretly taking bets on how our lives will turn out? What would it be like if a star came down to earth and went on to tell everyone the things it had seen from heaven?"

Baldwin frowned as he looked over at his cousin. "You've been in the apothecary cupboard again haven't you?"

Cedric chortled and reached into his pocket. He tugged at the fabric that had been folded as small as possible to fit inside. Unfolding it he handed it to his cousin. As his cousin held the burlap sack in his hand he took out a cigarette and placed it between his teeth. "Remember those?" he asked as he felt around for a lighter.

Baldwin stared at the worn sack. "We used to have races in them when we were children," he said. "We stopped growing potatoes at the farm years ago, we..." He turned his violet eyes to his cousin.

"I found it floating on the surface," Dick said, now looking for a match.

Baldwin reached into his pocket and took out a match. "People are always discarding things at the lake," he said lightening his cousin's cigarette.

"Keep telling yourself that," Dick said.

"You're too worried about the past," Baldwin said turning his back.

Dick laughed. "Right," he said. "I should grab my shotgun and go chasing after an imaginary bear." He shook his head and took out another cigarette. "Wake up, Baldwin! He's coming to get us."

Baldwin whirled around. "It's been too many years," he said.

Dick held the cigarette out to him. "You'll need this," he said.

Baldwin pushed his hand away. "Get a hold of yourself," he said. "Now is no time to collapse."

"What if someone finds out?"

"No one is going to find out," Baldwin said. He looked at his cousin who still looked worried. "He can't get you, Dicky," he said. "And as I've told you..." he put his hand on his shoulder. "No one is going to find out. All right?"

Dick nodded and took a drag on his cigarette.

"You should get home," Baldwin said, stuffing the sack into his shirt. "Your mother has had enough people walking out on her."

Dick nodded, knowing Baldwin was referring to his father.

Baldwin watched his cousin go through the garden gate and mount his white horse before disappearing in the darkness. With a sigh he went inside the house and bid goodnight to his mother and Asmund before going to his own home on another street. He put his horse away; brushing it down for the night then went into the empty house. It was nothing to whistle at but nor was it a humble cottage.

He went into the bedroom and using a match he got the fire started. Once the flame was burning good he sat before it and covered his face with his hands. Raising his head slowly he stared into the flickering lights. The flames popped and crackled as if asking him why he had summoned them there. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out the old potato sack, feeling the coarse burlap pressing into his finger tips as he squeezed it. Without a second thought he tossed the sack into the hungry flames, watching them increase with gratitude as they feasted.

Cedric rode down to the edge of Collect Lake and dropped to one knee. Clear of trees the stars looked down at him, pointing to their reflections on the water letting him know that they were watching. "Fear no more the crown of the great, thou art past the tyrant's stroke. Care no more to clothe or eat: to thee the reed is as the oak. The scepter, learning, physics, must all follow this and come to dust. Dear Lake Collect, hide this secret for me. If you do you may have my soul at the time you will."

/

Even with school out there was still work to be done in the classroom. A teacher's job was simply never finished. As May took inventory Pleasant noted any repairs that would need to be done in the way of walls and desks. With the weather now much warmer the schoolhouse door was left open to let in the gentle breezes and the songs of returned birds.

Pleasant smoothed back the hair on the side of her head which had frizzed and drawn up. Looking over her list she was satisfied that too many repairs wouldn't be needed.

"Good morning."

Pleasant jumped nearly dropping her notes. With her hand over her heart she turned around and let out a breath of relief when she saw Baldwin standing in the door holding his hat. "Mr. Monhollen—"

"Sorry to startle you," Baldwin said. "Lovely day."

"It is," Pleasant said. "May and I have decided to do some spring cleaning. In fact, May, we had better hurry if we want to be at Margaret's breakfast in time for her photographs."

May nodded and brought her inventory notes to the desk. "This is how much coal we have left," she said passing the note book to Pleasant.

Baldwin stole a glance at it as it passed between them. "I have to say," he said. "You certainly are frugal. Some teachers spend all the coal before the cold is up and we have to send for more or go chop timber."

"My childhood taught me to be so," Pleasant said.

"Well I won't keep you," Baldwin said. "I just wanted to bring you some extra books for the classroom. I've noticed yours are wearing thin. I suppose that means you have put them to good use."

"Some of them are just old," May said.

"Well Havelock and I have brought some that were just shipped in," Baldwin said nodding to the door. "They're in the surrey." Setting his hat on a desk he examined the tidy room. "We've been considering expanding the school. We'd add another room to the side here. How would you like an art room where you won't have to pack up the easels every afternoon?"

Pleasant looked to the wall to try and imagine another room. "It may be too grand..."

"Too grand?" Baldwin laughed. "Miss Day, the boys' school has two floors. This building used to be a church many years ago and is old enough to remember the war with the King. Now I reason that you've done a good job teaching here and have earned a proper school."

Pleasant smiled as May nudged her. "I don't know what to say."

Havelock came in just then carrying a chest of books which he set down against the wall behind the desk.

"Thank you," Pleasant said.

"You can put the newer ones on the shelf and stock the old ones in the trunk," Baldwin said.

Pleasant knelt down by the trunk and started going through it. She ran her hand over the cover of a book. She had never had one that didn't belong to someone else before. "Thank you so much," she said. "Thank you both. You can trust they will be put to good use. All of them!"

"I am glad to hear that," Baldwin said. "We should be started on the expansions some time in the autumn." He picked up his hat. "You ladies have a nice day."

"Thank you. You as well," Pleasant called after the brothers then hugged a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When the brothers had gone she unloaded the new books and removed some of the older ones that were haggard and stored them in the trunk, letting the new ones take their place. "I should take Mamie something to read."

May looked up from the desk she had taken a seat at. "Is she still unwell?"

"I haven't heard anything," Pleasant admitted. With a sigh she stared down into the trunk. "I just have a feeling something bad has happened to her."

"Why?" May asked.

"Mrs. Jessop who works for the Berry family said the doctor had seen her."

"But that is good," May said. "At least they let her get help."

"Yes but why?" Pleasant asked more to herself. "And why wouldn't she let me see her?" she arranged the books more orderly in the trunk. "And why was he there?"

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," Pleasant said getting up with a smile. "How kind of Mr. Monhollen to give us all these new books."

"He is in charge of the schools," May pointed out.

"But also the library," Pleasant said. "He could have easily sent them there or sold them in the general store or let the boys have them all."

May shrugged. "Margaret says he is fond of you." She  watched her sister react the exact way she knew she would.

"Oh that Margaret," Pleasant said shaking her head. "She is too busy and I don't mean like a bee."

"I think he likes you because you are a teacher," May said. "If I am honest I would say that I would be partial to a fellow quilter."

Pleasant laughed.

"Margaret just thinks everything is a romance," May went on. "Alice says she had unrealistic expectations and that she is glad she is not marrying Daniel else it would be awful."

Pleasant nodded. She had been meaning to see Alice and the newborn. She had knitted him some boots but time seemed to always be out of her hand; laughing as it raced away. Alice. She suddenly thought of Dr. Monhollen. The uncle was out of town which meant it had to be Minas who treated Mamie. She wondered if she could find out from him just how unwell the child was.