Stars blanketed the night sky, the moon boasting with light. Simone, Lydia, and Emmeline lay on their backs, gazing at the wonder.

"It's sad, isn't it?" Simone asked between Lydia and Emmeline.

They rolled their heads to look at her. "What is?" her cousin asked.

"The stars. Here we are, seeing them all spread out in our sky, thinking they're beautiful. But in truth, they are so far apart. The others are out of reach." She sighed. "They glow alone."

Emmeline turned her face skyward. "Oh, Simone, I may never see them the same way again. That's just so sad."

Lydia laughed. "Pay her no mind, Emmeline. She gets weird thoughts now and then." She pointed with one finger. "Who says they don't see each other? Maybe for them, we are the pitiful ones."

"How so?"

Lydia shrugged. "We don't glow as bright?"

They chuckled, and it naturally died. "I dream of being a farmer."

Simone and Lydia rolled their heads toward Emmeline in surprise. "A farmer?"

"Yes. I want to grow things. Maybe in a place like Abberton, or somewhere at the foot of a mountain."

Simone smiled. "You can most definitely do that."

Emmeline met her gaze. "Of course, you would say so. You are already living it. You have been living an exciting life." She held Simone's hand. "And I do not mean it in a bad way. I truly am envious. I've heard so many stories about your family. Well, maybe except this deck."

"You have?" Lydia asked.

The young woman nodded. "Daniel told me about the Stratfords. Whenever he would come home from Butler, he would share things Webster told him. And even after that, when he was on tour as an actor, he would still share things with us in his letters. And we have always been curious." She chuckled. "I think he was deliberately enticing us. After all, he wants me to marry your cousin. Perhaps that's why he wants me to be a part of your family. We do not have one like yours."

"Tell us," Simone said. "What was it like? Your family?"

"Oh, Mama and Papa were wonderful. They accepted us for what we are. All of us." A bitter smile touched Emmeline's lips. "I wish they are still with us."

"Then why would you wish to have a family like ours? You had wonderful parents and clearly, you care for each other," Lydia wondered.

"We do not have a big family. Well, we do, but we are not as close to our cousins as you are to each other." Emmeline sighed. "Family drama—is that what they would call it?"

"Oh," Simone and Lydia said, chuckling. "The Poppets suffer the same sometimes."

A quiet fell between them, the crickets taking over.

"What happened to Mr. Peck?" Emmeline asked without warning.

Simone frowned. "Mr. Peck?"

"The robin. You have one with that name, don't you?"

"Y-Yes. Who told you about Mr. Peck?"

"Daniel, of course." Emmeline sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs. Staring down at the two Stratford women, she laughed. "And now I just remembered the story about Webster catching the two of you and Gale trespassing in one of his plays."

Lydia laughed at the memory and proceeded to tell the entire story to Emmeline, starting with the series of bribery that started it all. All the while, Simone was lost in her own thoughts.

What else did he share with his sister?

And why would he do so?

***

Daniel was uncertain if he wanted to go for the picnic, but since everyone was coming, including the earl, he had no choice. The picnic was, of course, set in a much less formal setting. The earl walked with everyone, guided by Roxie and Freda, while everyone else carried something: baskets of food, wine, and fruits. Simone was hugging three folded blankets as she walked down the path with Lydia and Emmeline. Harry, Web, and Damon were up ahead, clearing the path of traps and fallen branches.

Price and Gale were not present, out to get the Poppet sisters, their parents, and the fiancé of one of the sisters. Well, as far as he could remember. There could be more people coming, of course, knowing the Stratfords and the number of people in the village who were friends with them.

He walked alone behind everyone else, carrying a folded wooden chair. Webster said so, saying he would not want to walk and fall into a trap. The trek was not far, but they had to stop from time to time to "Let the old man rest," as Web would say.

When they finally reached a clearing, with the grassy field basking in midday sunlight, he realized the river was not as large as he imagined. It was narrow and shallow enough for the ladies to take off their shoes and dip their feet into the gentle waters. The moment they arrived, the Stratfords set out in motion.

Everyone knew what they needed to do. Daniel was suddenly reminded of the theater before a play. Everything was a systematic chaos. And then, it was just as they practiced: perfect. Simone and Lydia laid out the blankets; Roxie and Freda, the food and drinks from the baskets; and the men checked the premises for traces of wild animals.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" the earl shouted from where he sat in the only chair they brought. He motioned for Emmeline to join the ladies in the river.

His sister giggled excitedly and left his side to kick off her shoes, gather her skirts, and, with Simone to guide her, entered the river. Harry, Web, and Damon did the same. They pulled their boots off and their breeches higher.

Daniel remained on land, standing beside the earl.

"I used to take my children here," the man said, smiling at the sight before them. The ladies were bent over one side, scooping tiny fishes. The men sat on the riverbank, resting their legs in the water. "And they took their children here as well." Abraham Stratford sighed, leaning back against the chair. "I made sure to take them here as often as I could after the accident. But I'm getting ancient. Now, they take me." He followed his statement with a chuckle. He turned his head to peer up at Daniel, his wrinkled eyes knowing. "If you marry into the family, boy, you will have to do the same."

He blinked at the man. A hesitant chuckle escaped him. "As we agreed, my lord, I believe we are both hoping for my sister to marry into the family, not I."

The earl waved his hand slowly to brush off his statement. "You and I both know my grandson and your sister are not into each other. Look at them," he said with a gesture of his head. "They should be hiding somewhere in the woods by now."

He did not comment because he did not know what to say. His eyes drifted to Harry who was talking to his male cousins, then to Emmeline, who was having a wonderful time without Harry. And his eyes landed on Simone. She was radiant under the bold sunlight, strands of her brown hair glowing as she moved, her hands cupped underwater.

A shout from the woods snapped him back to his senses. Everyone turned to look, and they moved to meet their guests.

"Charity!" shouted Lydia with glee. "Where's Bridget?"

A woman with red hair was rushing toward the river. "She and Sheldon are visiting friends."

Daniel's gaze traveled from the woman to the others behind her. Another younger woman was walking forward, her red hair tied loosely at the nape, and she was smiling as she met Harry and Web, who had walked toward them upon their arrival. Price and Gale were already attacking the food as Harry introduced the Poppets to Daniel.

Mr. And Mrs. Poppet, the former with a bald head and the latter with red hair, were enthusiastic to meet him. They were excited to see him and Emmeline at Charity's upcoming wedding. And, of course, they introduced their future son-in-law, Harvey Owen and his friend, Francis Skelton.

Everything came in a rush and everyone was soon spread out doing whatever caught their interest. Unsure of where to place himself, Daniel finally took off his boots and joined the men in the river as they discussed crops and business. He could relate, of course, owning a great number of lands that came with his title, but it was a conversation he was not keen to engage in if he could help it. His interests lay elsewhere, but they were interests his friends could not relate to.

The ladies, along with Charity and her older sister, Arabella, were laughing at whatever his sister was telling as they crossed the river to the other side. He watched from a distance, watching them move against the gentle rush of the water. Not far away, Roxie and Freda were with Gale, catching small fishes.

"I have something to show you, Harvey," Price said, guiding the gentleman away from their group, leaving Francis Skelton with Damon to talk about the different species of birds in the woods. They passed by the earl and the elder Poppets who were in a deep conversation as well.

He felt quite lost, not entirely certain which group he should join. The feeling was quite familiar, having experienced it many times in the past. On such a nice day like this, with a company like the Stratfords who knew each other too well and welcomed strangers like they would the peddlers who walked through their courtyard, he should not feel alone.

Yet he did.

He felt different.

Lydia, Charity, and Arabella had already crossed the river, but Emmeline and Simone were still struggling. Considering who his sister was with, Daniel moved away from Harry and Web's conversation about ships and cargos, saying, "Emmeline, be careful."

And just as he said that, Simone yelped, arms flailing as she slipped. But as Daniel was quite aware, she did not have the same expertise over balance as Emmeline and many others. She twisted her body, perhaps to regain balance she barely had in the first place, and of course, she fell into the water. But that was not the end. Emmeline tried to catch her and, by doing so, lost her balance and fell right next to Simone.

He clucked his tongue and walked toward them with a frown.

"I knew you're clumsy," Emmeline laughingly said to Simone as she stood. "But I never thought you would be this clumsy!"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Lydia said from where she stood in the riverbank with the Poppet sisters.

Simone attempted to stand, but fell again. The laughter only stopped when Daniel reached down to grab her by the arm and help her to her feel, frowning at her.

"Thank you, Your Grace," she murmured, clearing her throat, then faced Emmeline. "Who told you I'm clumsy? Was it Harry? He should stop telling you embarrassing stories about us, especially me! We have other good attributes, if you must know."

"Oh, no, Harry never told me about your clumsy nature," said his sister. "Daniel did."

Daniel froze, shooting a sharp look in his sister's direction. But Emmeline did not see it. She was still laughing, trying to keep her balance. Simone, however, was looking at him with a curious frown. "Emmeline," he began, but his sister was not done yet.

"He had not written to us for so long, but suddenly he did. And the first thing he wrote about was the accident in the play," Emmeline said to Lydia.

"Oh, the play!" Lydia said, bursting into laughter. She turned to Charity and Arabella. "We told you about it. When Web caught us. Remember?"

Daniel's jaw tightened as he saw the realization wash over Simone's face. While the other ladies laughed while Lydia recalled the unforgettable story, Simone just stared at him.

He sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose, digging for ways to explain and how he could stop his sister from revealing more about the things he shared not just about the Stratfords but her, Simone.

Price, of course, seemed to have a better idea. He did something that changed the mood of the entire party. From behind, Harry suddenly shouted and everyone turned. The eldest of the Stratfords were rushing out of the water and across the field to where Price and Charity's fiancé were struggling, throwing fist at each other.

"Bloody hell, Price!" Web shouted, also breaking into a run. Damon was also running, Francis Skelton not far behind him. Daniel did the same, but Arabella was faster. She reached the brawl before him and tried to stop the fight. Daniel slowed to a stop when Harry grabbed Arabella from behind to keep her away from the two struggling men on the ground. "Stay away, Ara," he ordered before joining Web and Damon, the three of them tearing Price and Harvey away from each other.

"What in the bloody hell!" Web hissed, pulling his brother further away from Charity's fiancé.

"Price!" Charity shouted as she rushed forward. "What did you do!" she demanded, brushing past Price to go to her fiancé. "Oh, goodness, Harvey, you're bleeding!"

"What happened?" Simone asked, panting, eyes wide with disbelief.

Price, however, was not answering. His piercing gaze was on Harvey. The corner of his lips was bloodied, a sign of a future bruise on the apple of his right cheek. His straight brown hair was powdered with dust. "You know what to do," he hissed at Owen, panting, pointing his finger at the man as he stumbled away from his brother's hold. "You bloody know what to do."

And without another word, he turned around walked back into the woods to the direction of the manor. Gale ran after him after leaving Roxie and Freda to stay with the earl. The elder Poppets started to come forward, but Arabella stopped them, saying everything was all right. The earl simply said, "Well, dunk your head in the river, boy, before the bruise gets worse!"

"What in the bloody hell happened?" Harry asked Harvey.

The man just shook his head. "Nothing," he said, gently escaping Charity's grip around his arm. "I'm fine, Charity."

"But you're—"

"I'm fine," he repeated, smiling faintly at his fiancée before he, too, turned and left.

Francis Skelton awkwardly said goodbye and followed his friend.

Web, without a word, followed, saying he had to talk to Price. Daniel watched Simone turn to Damon with question in her eyes, but the man just sighed and told her not to worry. "Go get the old man," Damon said.

The picnic was over. Their food barely touched, their thoughts filled with questions. Charity started crying and her sister could be heard trying to console her. Harry walked with them while the two elder Poppets walked with the earl up ahead.

As the other ladies followed behind the crying Charity, talking about the likely reason for the fight, Daniel, carrying the earl's folded chair in one hand, turned his head and found Simone walking beside him, frowning and chewing her cheek. "Do you think he's in love with her?" she whispered conspiratorially.

He blinked down at her. Good Lord, she looked beautiful. Like Emmeline, she was wrapped in one of the blankets. Her dress was wet and attracting dirt at the hems, her hair damp, the curls unruly at both sides of her face. And her eyes were just adorably too serious and curious for the situation. He cleared his throat, transferring the chair to his other hand so it did not hit her. "Who?"

"Price, of course!" she said in a whisper. "Do you think he's in love with Charity?"

"I would not know," he honestly said.

But then he realized she was only asking questions without expecting actual answers. "Because why else would he get into a fight with the man? They are friends. They've known each other from Butler. They never fought before. Why now?"

He blinked away because Simone Priest talking to herself, oblivious of her state, and the way her face glistened at the touch of sunlight, was just the distraction he could not entertain. "Men fight over simple things like children would."

"Then have you fought with Web before?"

"Of course. Back in Butler."

"And?"

"As you can see, we are still friends."

She broke into a smile and it was even worse distraction. "Did you fight over a woman?"

"No. It was over a piece of muffin."

She frowned, blinked a few times, looking preposterous. It took remarkable control to fight the urge to do something. "A muffin?"

His gaze flickered away from her lips, and he cleared his throat, quickening his pace. "Yes."

She kept up, stumbling over her own feet and the hems and the blanket. He caught her arm before gravity took over and just as quickly let go. "Why? What happened?" she asked, ignorant of his silent struggle.

"He grabbed a bite."

"So the muffin was yours?"

"No, it was someone else's."

"He stole someone else's muffin, and you got angry?"

"I told him to return it to the plate he stole it from."

"And you got angry because he didn't?"

"No, he returned the muffin. I got angry over what he said."

"And what did he say?"

His eyes found hers again. "He called me a nosy bastard."

She stopped walking. He stopped walking. "That's terrible of him."

He shrugged and realized he should really put more distance between them. The bloody sunlight would not just leave her be. He turned away and for the first time, he was glad to see Leroy, the footman, running toward them from the direction of the manor to report that Web ordered him to tell Harry to escort the Poppets home because Price and Gale were currently indisposed.

Daniel walked on as Leroy rushed toward Simone, whispering something in her ear while stealing him a look. The footman guided Simone away, leaving Daniel behind to walk alone with the earl's chair.

As his eyes followed her as she walked away cloaked in a blanket, her head inclined toward the still whispering Leroy, the hems of her damp dress dark with dirt, Daniel slowly drew in a deep breath.

Ah, bloody hell. He was in trouble.