Page 51 of Wit, Wiles and Courtship

At this, he rolled his eyes but smiled down at her. When his sister returned with Tom and Henry in their coats, he gestured forward. “They are about to call the start to the race. Let us go.”

Chapter 20

The groups set off in different directions, and Camilla overheard people trying to guess where the landmarks might be located.

“What shall we search for first?” she asked the twins and read the list to them.

“The sheep,” one shouted. She did not blame Pembroke for being unable to distinguish them.

“The sheep it is,” she exclaimed and moved forward in a random direction.

Pembroke took her elbow and steered her in exactly the opposite direction. “This way.”

“I would have found it eventually,” she said under her breath.

He led them along the meadow where sheep could be found but stopped short of taking them to the pen that was hidden on the other side of the sloping grass. The boys cheered when they saw the sloping roof and ran over to its entrance. On a short post by the door were pebbles painted blue.

“Just take one,” Lady Mary cautioned. “We must save the rest for the other groups.”

“Where shall we go now?” Camilla asked, suggesting a few other spots on the list.

“The tallest cedar!” the other twin shouted. At least she thought it was the other one. It did not help that they were dressed in identical fashion.

This time, Camilla looked to Pembroke, and he gestured forward. The children ran ahead with Lady Mary hurrying after them, and Mr. Moffat bestirring himself to stride with more haste.

“It would be more effective if we were to visit the creek next,” he said at something close to a grumble. “After all, if we were just to cut through those trees there…”

“Ah, but you promised,” she admonished him. “We are here with the sole purpose of entertaining your nephews.”

“And running the entirety of Beechcroft’s grounds, apparently.”

“If necessary.” She grinned, feeling more charitably toward him. He might be one to toy with a woman’s heart, but if he could go against his nature and entertain his nephews, then he could not be all bad. Besides, she reminded herself, he is very good with Evo.

They easily spotted the tall cedar, and from there went to the windmill, after which they discovered the orchard whose location Pembroke admitted to not having known. The gardener’s shed they found with difficulty, and going from there, began to cross other groups.

Pembroke called out, “How many have you got?”

“Three,” Mr. Wilmot said. “And you?”

“Five,” Camilla replied.

Joanna, hearing the answer, waved to them from a different direction. “We have six!”

“Well done,” Camilla called out, smiling.

“Four,” Abigail answered as they met on the path through the woods. Glancing behind her at Mr. Weatherby, she added, “He is not playing. Not in earnest, though I wish he were because we are not moving as fast as the others.”

“It would be unfair,” Mr. Weatherby said, and turning to Pembroke added, “Is that not so?”

He lifted his hands. “I am playing fair. We are not even in the lead.”

By now, people had stopped rushing from one place to another as the size of the grounds had begun to wear them out. Although some landmarks were close, others required more walking. Camilla was still determined to win, as were Tom and Henry, but the twins had finally listened to their mother’s pleading and consented to walk.

“Let’s see. We have the creek and the stone wall remaining,” Pembroke said from memory.

“The creek,” Henry declared. By now, Camilla was pretty sure it was Henry. He spoke more quickly than his brother. Lord Pembroke led them in that direction, and as soon as they heard the sounds of water, the boys rushed ahead.

“Careful!” Lady Mary called out.