"It was your trap," Price repeated in disbelief as they wheeled him by the side of the road. Among the Stratfords, Price was the least to fall into a trap. He always had a keen sense of where they were.

"Of course. Did you see the rope?"

"We did," said Gale. "And he knew there was a hole after that."

"But you didn't see the second one," she said, smiling proudly. It was not every day that she could outsmart her brother.

Price groaned. "I think I twisted an ankle."

She patted his head, and he scowled at her. Laughing, they rolled him to Doctor Peters' door, only to stop when they saw a carriage outside.

"You stay here," Price told her, climbing out of the wheelbarrow. "If the doctor finds out you walked with your injured leg, we'll both be in trouble."

She obliged and waited as they knocked on the door. Not long after, two gentlemen walked out. One of them was familiar, and she greeted him. "Mr. Harvey!"

The man stopped in the middle of climbing his carriage, turning his blond head toward her. "Miss Priest! Good afternoon. Whatever are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's Price," she said. "How is Charity?"

He smiled. "Fine, as always. She has been complaining about your lack of visits."

"We have guests, but please tell her Lydia and I will be coming over soon." Her smile widened. "Well? I'm quite certain you're excited about your wedding. Just one more week!"

He chuckled shyly, looking at his friend. "Oh, please, forgive me. This is Francis Skelton, a friend of mine from university. Francis, this is Miss Simone Priest. She's Charity's friend."

Francis Skelton, a man with dark hair and pleasant smile, bowed to greet her. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Priest."

"As it is mine," she said with a small curtsy. "Are you sick, Mr. Harvey?"

Harvey blinked and smiled. "Y-Yes. A slight cold. I have been vacationing in Birth."

"Of course. Charity told me."

An awkward silence passed between them.

"Well, I would hate to keep you from a proper rest. You need to recuperate for the wedding," she said, stepping back. "It was nice seeing you, Mr. Harvey."

The two men bowed at her and said their goodbyes. As she watched their carriage ride away, she smiled. Charity found a good man in Mr. Harvey, she thought.

An hour later, as she was thinking about Charity's wedding dress and how she should finish it on time, Price and Gale walked out, both oddly silent. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Price said, climbing on the wheelbarrow with a bandaged foot.

"I just saw Mr. Harvey and his friend. I hope you're not visiting the doctor soon. I really need to finish Charity's dress." She stopped when she noticed Price and Gale share a look. "What is it?" She frowned when they kept their silence. "What is it?" she repeated.

"Nothing," her brother murmured, clearing his throat.

She narrowed her eyes. "What is it?" Her gaze jumped from him to Gale and back. "What are you to up to?"

"Nothing."

"Then is it your foot?" she asked Price. "Is it worse than we thought?"

Price laughed, completely changing the mood. "Don't think you did such a great job, Sisi. The foot's fine."

"But—"

"We're just tired," he interjected. "Now, back to the lair!"

Gale picked up the wheelbarrow and rolled Price away, Simone shouting after them to be careful.

***

Two days later, Daniel emerged into the courtyard looking for his sister. It was almost a week now and yet he could not still find his way around the manor. After some multiple attempts, he found a servant and asked, "Have you seen my sister?"

The young woman smiled as she bowed. "Yes, Your Grace. I believe Lady Emmeline is with Miss Lydia in the library."

He started to turn, then stopped. "And where's the library?"

Immediately, the woman jumped and eagerly pointed to a set of stairs. "If you take that stair, Your Grace, you will find a corridor to your right. Go straight. The last door to the right should lead you to where you wish to be."

He murmured a thank you and walked off, feeling the woman's gaze following him to the stairs. With her instruction guiding him, he traversed the path to the library, wondering where the others were. He may not yet know every inch of Abberton House, but he had stayed long enough with the Stratfords to know that everyone was always somewhere doing anything. And now, he could not even find his own sister, he wryly thought.

Had she even been spending time with Harry?

Daniel doubted that. Emmeline seemed to be more drawn to the other Stratfords than her potential suitor. She was always with Lydia the most, the two of them always doing something, even out visiting friends and neighbors. Once, Emmeline secretly told him she and Lydia dug a trap in the woods. Every afternoon, she would join Roxie and Freda up on the deck. In fact, if he would not find her in the library, he was thinking of going up there at three, where she would most probably be.

He reached the door to the library, turned the knob, and opened the door.

And of course, it was not the library. He sighed, closing his eyes, seeing the eager look of the servant behind his lids. "Of course," he murmured under his breath as he opened his eyes again and met Simone's surprised ones.

The room was a mess, with fabrics piled in all corners, three mannequins standing on one side and one in the center of the room, all wearing unfinished dresses. Yet, amid all the mess...was her.

She was sitting behind her sewing machine, the afternoon light streaming through the open window that faced the courtyard, and spilling on to her glorious form. Her hair was tied at the nape, the curls at the side of her face glowing against the sunlight, illuminating her innocent, surprised face.

"I was told this is the library," he said after he found his voice.

Her face broke into a smile when she realized what he meant, and her shoulders shook just the tiniest bit. "I'm afraid my shelves don't have what you're looking for, Your Grace."

Indeed, there was a shelf on one side of the room. It stacked with baskets, all of which filled with threads of all colors, laces, ribbons, feathers, and much more.

He should leave, really. But he could not. Not when he had questions to ask. He should not even ask them. He should not be curious at all.

"Did you make the dress you wore in the Hutchinson Ball?" he asked, eyes on the two dresses strewn over a chair, one covered in black feathers, the other white. He was still standing in the doorway, hesitant to invade her space.

"Yes," she proudly said. "Please, come in if you must."

He should leave, a part of him thought.

He stepped forward, leaving the door open, hands behind him. He looked around the room again, her own words running in his mind.

Grandpapa is giving me free reign, Daniel. I get to say where everything goes. The shelves should face the window so I could easily see everything through the light that crosses the room. I'll fill them with threads of all kinds. Ribbons and laces! The machine will arrive from London in two fortnights and I could not wait. Should I place it in the center of the room?

His eyes landed on the machine and her and his own words came back to him.

Have you considered placing the machine by the window? Just like your desk in Picadilly?

He blinked away from her and smiled at the white dress in the center of the room. "And is this the wedding dress Web told me about? The one you're making for a friend?"

"Charity, yes," she enthusiastically said, standing to join him in front of the dress form. "It shall be the first wedding dress I've ever done. Will finish, that is," she belatedly corrected.

"It is a beautiful dress, Miss Priest. I'm certain your friend will love it."

"Thank you. The wedding is in a week and I've been making this dress for a month. She should love it."

Her laughter was followed by an awkward silence. She moistened her lips and his eyes were drawn there. A big mistake. But since he was a man who had mastered his own body's action and reaction, Daniel blinked away, stepped back, and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for the intrusion. I will try my best not to be tricked once more."

As he turned, she called out, saying, "Your Grace, now that you're here, I have something to tell you." Her eyes flickered to the open doorway. "I know we agreed to go along with their plans, but I'm afraid my brother and Gale are planning something alarming."

His brow furrowed. "Alarming how?"

"I heard they went to visit our friends, the Poppets, yesterday. They rarely do that. I believe, and so does Lydia, that they're trying to employ the help of our friends for whatever they have in mind. And I believe it shall happen on Charity's wedding day. I heard you and Emmeline accepted the invitation to the wedding."

"Yes, we did." He considered her theory. "That's interesting."

"No," she said, "that's alarming. And I'm warning you, please be alarmed. This is not a simple game. I hope you understand that. They are determined to find me a match."

"They are?" He never truly considered that Price and Gale were serious. Simone had made it seem like one of the many odd activities the Stratfords engage in.

"For years." She sighed, motioning her arms around. "I know they believe I'm wasting my time here."

His frown deepened, looking more incredulous as he thought about her words. "From the young lady who was just drawing designs and learning from Mrs. Baker, you have gone a long way, Miss Priest," he said sternly, like a master lecturing his apprentice. "You've been refining your craft since your first dress. This is not what I'd call wasting time. Never allow others to make you believe that your passion is a waste of time." Turning to find her eyes, remembering her passionate words about fabrics and lines and colors, he added, "You're making something uniquely your own."

She looked stunned, her lips partly open as she stared at him. When he realized what he just said, Daniel silently cursed himself and stepped back. They both opened their mouths at the same time, both about to say something, when suddenly, a voice came through the doorway.

"Miss Sisi, good afternoon!" The same servant from the woods, Leroy, came rushing in with a tight smile on his face. The footman stiffly bowed at him, murmuring, "Your Grace, please forgive me for the intrusion, but you are wanted in the library."

Daniel blinked. "I am?"

"Y-Yes," Leroy said, stealing Simone a look.

Daniel nodded and turned to Simone. "Good afternoon, Miss Priest. I'll see you at supper."

She just nodded, seemingly still stunned by what he said earlier. He gritted his teeth as he forced a small smile and left the room with no intention of finding the library. Instead, he searched for the drawing room, needing a drink.

***

Simone was still staring at the empty doorway as Leroy said, "Forgive me, Miss Sisi. I will make it my mission to always be on high alert for when Juliet and the others make their move. Since you have doubled your wager, it is only right that we all win!"

"Yes, Leroy," she absently replied. "Please, I'd like to return to work."

"Of course, Miss Sisi," he said, backing out of the room. "Would you like me to lock the door?"

"N-No," she said, still motionless in the middle of the room. "Leave it open."

"Of course, Miss Sisi."

Leroy was gone now, and she was alone. Yet Daniel's words still rang in her ears.

From the young lady who was just drawing designs and learning from Mrs. Baker, you have gone a long way, Miss Priest.

Confusion and joy bubbled in her chest.

You're making something uniquely your own.

She moistened her lips, blinking once, twice.

A scoff of disbelief escaped her. "He remembers."