I hurried up to the front door of the gatehouse. Before I knocked on the door, I could hear the giggles of young Isabella. Whatever entertainments her father had engaged her in were clearly successful.

My knock was answered by the housekeeper. "Good morning, Mr. Lucas," she greeted. "You'll find Mr. John in the sitting room with Miss Isabella."

"Excellent." Though I didn't want to have an audience to my conversation with my friend, his daughter was young enough that she would undoubtedly not pay us any mind.

"Have you breakfasted?" Mrs. Willow asked.

"I have," I told her with a smile as I removed my hat. "Mrs. Wallace keeps me well-fed."

Humming a skeptical note, Mrs. Willow nodded and then retreated to her kitchen. I strode for the sitting room. Even if she hadn't told me, the laughter would have guided me there.

When I opened the door, I found that Mr. John Ward was sprawled on the floor with his daughter on his back. They both looked up at me. Isabella giggled while Ward looked embarassed to have been caught in such a position.

"Well, Miss Isabella," I greeted with a grin. "It looks as though you have caught a vile criminal. Do you need assistance in subduing him or do you have the matter in hand?"

With another giggle, Isabella scrambled to her feet. "It's not a criminal!" she declared. "It's Papa."

"No!" I exclaimed in mock disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Papa, get up and show him it is you!" the girl said, tugging on her father's arm.

"What brings you here, Bywood?" Ward asked as he rose. "Some new crisis?"

"I came to invite you to a picnic I will be having in two days," I informed him. "I hope you will be able to attend."

Immediately, Isabella jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "A picnic!" she repeated with delight. "Papa, we will go, won't we? A picnic will be ever so much fun and I've never been to one!"

"I don't think it is a picnic for little girls who ought to be having her lessons," her father told her, though his tone was kind. "Why don't you run along and see what Mrs. Winters has to teach you today?"

The girl pouted, and looked to be on the verge of stamping her foot. "Do as I say, Isabella," Ward said sternly. "I need to talk to Mr. Bywood in private. We'll have fun later on."

After a moment, the girl heaved a dramatic sigh. She bobbed a curtsy and then ran from the room. "I really need to see about a governess for her," Ward remarked, shaking his head. "She's running wild already."

"I'm afraid I have no advice to give on that topic," I said. "Though I could ask my mother if she knows of a woman in need of a position."

But Ward shook his head. "I'm sure I can manage the matter without bothering your mother." He brushed at some unseen dirt on his sleeves. "Well? What brings you here today? Dare I hope you've come to take Talbot off my hands?"
"I'm afraid not," I said guiltily. "I hope he has not been too difficult?"

Ward paused and shook his head. "He has been a considerate guest, but I doubt he and I will ever be more than passing acquaintances."

"Understandable." I was beginning to think that Talbot and I would only ever be cordial with each other, even if he did manage to win my sister's affection once again. Disappointing, as I liked my other sisters' husbands.

"So why are you here?" Ward asked, getting back to the point.

With a sigh, I told him everything that had happened the day before. It wasn't often that he showed any emotion, but my tale made his eyebrows go up. "By Jove, Bywood, you have landed yourself into a mess this time," he commented, shaking his head. "How do you manage it?"

"It isn't as though I went looking for trouble," I responded defensively. If anything, I was sure I went out of my way to avoid getting caught up in situations. "Anyway. Can I count on your attendance?"

"Of course." Ward glanced at the door and then lowered his voice to ask, "I presume this is not a gathering for children?"

Honestly, I hadn't given it any kind of thought. "I think it would be best to avoid children," I answered slowly. "Sir Harrow seems to think this will draw out our culprit, and I would hate to see Isabella harmed by getting in the way."

He nodded in understanding. "You do realize you will have to make it up to her somehow?"

Dumbfounded, I stared at him. "I will?"

"Certainly. My daughter has taken an unexplainable liking to you. She is going to be sorely disappointed to know that she is being excluded from a party. Especially if Talbot is also invited." He shook his head. "She is young so I cannot fault her for her tastes."

"I will do my best to make it up to her," I made myself promise, though I had no idea how I would do that. "Perhaps a small picnic in Pearsend gardens in a week or two?"

Ward nodded approvingly before returning to the matter at hand. "How many people know the real reason behind this impromptu picnic?"

"Sir Harrow and you," I informed him. "And myself, of course. The fewer who know the real reason, the better. Sir Harrow is attending to the guest list himself."

"Why did you tell me?" Ward asked, suspicion creeping into his tone.

"Because you already knew about the picnic. Since the reason behind the gathering changed, I thought you should be made aware of it."

My friend shook his head. "I wasn't expecting an invitation."

"Of course you would be invited!" I exclaimed in astonishment. "Whyever would you not? As my only friend in the neighborhood, who else would commiserate with me if things go wrong?"

Ward raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad I serve some purpose."

"Besides, I will need you to help me in keeping an eye on things," I continued, ignoring his sarcasm. "You know our neighbors. I do not. How will I be able to tell if one of them is acting strangely?"

For a moment, he considered that. "I suppose that's true. But I have been away often these last five years, and it is possible for people to change."

"You'll have a better time of it than I will. I haven't had the time to meet anyone, save for Sir Harrow. I'm sure I'm going to be busy making polite conversation with everyone. They will undoubtedly be curious about everything that has been happening lately."

Ward let out a sharp laugh. "I believe that is an understatement. Most of your guests will come simply to see for themselves if the rumors are true."

Lovely. I'd never expected to be made into a spectacle just because I decided to make something of Pearsend. Of course there would be some curiosity as the place had been left to ruin for so long. Well, there was nothing to be done.

"Is there any other request you wish to make of me?"

I shook my head. "Not unless you have any plans for how I can push two people back together."

This made Ward grin. "Matchmaking?"

"I don't consider it matchmaking when I am simply trying to mend the relationship. I'd hoped that Miss Darkin would impart some sense to my sister, but anything she said has been overridden by Philippa's fury that I allowed Miss Darkin to leave."

Ward laughed again. "It's a good thing Miss Darkin is such a gracious lady. There's not many that would appreciate being pulled to and fro across the country for no reason."

With that, I excused myself to take my leave. There would undoubtedly be some task for me to oversee at Pearsend, though I couldn't imagine what it could be.

~*~

When I returned to the estate, Sir Harrow's servants had arrived. There had to be at least four men at work in the gardens. Two men were repairing the broken windows. As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by three maids scrubbing the floor.

A uniformed footman handed me a missive from the magistrate. He had, in a short amount of time, compiled a list of the neighbors who would be receiving their invitations that very day. He had made a copy of the list so that I would know how many there would be and the names of the people I would be meeting.

Thirty people? The number took me aback. I had been expecting something smaller. Perhaps twenty at the most, similar to what picnics had been when I was accustomed to attending.

The letter had also included an assignment for me. I was to create clues that would be part of a hunt for the guests to go on. Right. The "search" for the treasure hidden in Pearsend.

So while servants focused their efforts to make the house presentable for guests, I shut myself in the library to use my mind. Word games had never been something I found fun. One must create a clue that was not too easy to solve, but was not impossible either.

First, I had to decide which areas of the house which would be accessible to guests. The bedrooms, naturally, would be off-limits. Mrs. Wallace would undoubtedly be annoyed if guests were to trespass into her kitchen while she was trying to keep things organized, so another room to keep people out of.

Naturally, the library would be a location to send people, since it had already been the source of trouble. I spent an hour staring out the window, trying to think of a suitable clue. In the end, I scrawled something out that seemed as though it would be passable.

One by one, I sorted out a few rooms and then specific locations in the garden. Hopefully, it would be enough of a search to amuse my guests. Creating the clues themselves resulted in a small pile of wadded up paper.

A waste that could not be avoided.

However, I had a list of clues. Now all that was needed was to test them on someone.

My stomach reminded me that it had been some time since I'd last eaten. I stuffed the list into my pocket and went in search of some food.

I discovered a play of bread and cheese with my sister in the sitting room. Philippa was listening to Mrs. Wallace detail the menu that had been planned. Or, at least, that's what it sounded like.

"Oh, do stay where you are," I said as my housekeeper hastily rose from her seat. "There's no need to get up on my account. How goes the planning going, ladies? Any problems I should know about?"

How I prayed that there was nothing amiss!

"Mrs. Wallace says there is no duck to be had," Philippa said immediately. "Can you imagine?"

"But we can do ham," Mrs. Wallace said swiftly.

"We have always had duck on picnics," my sister insisted, her tone taking on that all-too familiar note of stubbornness.

"Ham will be fine," I told Mrs. Wallace. "I trust Sir Harrow's servants are proving helpful?"

The woman nodded. "Mrs. Finnegan tried to overstep when she first arrived, but I made sure she knew whose kitchen she was in."

Good heavens! The last thing I needed was for there to be a battle for superiority in the kitchen! "Well, I'm glad that has been settled," I said, hoping it was an issue that would not reoccur. "Though I am grateful that you have assistance in bringing this to fruition."

"I don't understand why there must be such a rush," Philippa complained, clearly displeased with having her opinion overridden. "What will people say about it?"

"People always have a great deal to say on everything." I reached for a wedge of cheese. "Aside from that, is everything going according to plan? Any mischief from anyone?"

"Molly is working hard," my housekeeper responded, knowing what I really wanted to know. "She has not gone anywhere she should not."

It had only been a few hours since the girl had been reprimanded. More time would be needed to see if she would live up to her word. I sincerely hoped that she would.

"Excellent. Anything else?"

Mrs. Wallace shook her head and rose from her seat. "All will be ready, sir," she informed me. "Do you have any further instructions for me?"

"No. Thank you, Mrs. Wallace."

With that, the housekeeper hurried from the room. "How rude," Philippa declared. "Did you really have to come in and take over like that? As the lady of the house, it fell to me-"

"Dear sister, you are not the lady of the house," I interrupted with a laugh. "If you want to be the mistress of your own household, you will need to marry. As it is, you are a guest. I do appreciate you helping out, but you are not in charge."

"Y-you are-" Philippa sputtered, her eyes flashing.

"I have a list I want you to read," I informed her, hoping to head off another argument. I fished out my clues. "Are these good enough, or are they too easy to solve?"

She snatched the paper from me with a huff and then began to read them aloud.

"Among the volumes where wisdom is stored, find the tome with pages both plain and scored. Open to the spot where the author's name is not, and there you shall find your next thought."

"Ascend the steps where ladies glide, pause where the rails and balusters reside. Beneath the third step from the top, your next clue rests where the foot dare not stop."

"Where music plays and ladies dance, a stringed instrument offers your chance. Lift its lid with the greatest care; your next direction is hidden there."

"In the rooms where the bells do ring, a servant's secret might just sing. Look behind the smallest door, for what you seek lies on the floor."

"Where silver glistens and glasses clink, beneath the seat where the lady may sink, look underneath and feel around; your next clue is waiting to be found."

"In the garden where flowers bloom, seek the one that brings a bride her bloom. Beneath the petals of love's first kiss, the secret lies hidden, do not miss."

"Where dust and shadows quietly sleep, in the highest place the secrets keep. Among the trunks of days gone by, seek the one with leather worn nigh. Lift its lid, though creaky and old, and there you'll find what the past does hold."

Philippa raised an eyebrow as she looked up. "Seven clues?"
"Well, I don't want the hunt to take all afternoon," I said defensively. "There are also places that I don't want my guests to venture into, such as our private bedchambers or the kitchen. That does limit places to hide things."

My sister considered that and then nodded. "I suppose that makes sense," she said, her tone reluctant. "And what do you intend to have in these places?"

"I believe I shall have slips of paper that are numbered. The person, or persons, who find all seven will be declared the winner," I explained. That made the most sense to me. "And that shall be that."

"They're fine," Philippa declared, handing the list back to me. "It ought to prove enough of a challenge. What is the prize we will be searching for?"
"Ah, but that would spoil the fun," I told her. Since Sir Harrow hadn't named the prize, I didn't want to make a fool of myself by naming something that would turn out to be wrong. "Don't you want to participate?"

Excitement flashed in her eyes. "I'm sure I will be too busy-" she began to say.

"Busy with what? You will be a guest. I can't think of any task you will need to perform."

She scoffed. "Won't it look strange for there to be no hostess?"

"I'm sure no one will remark on it." Actually, I wasn't sure of that at all. I knew all too well how people commented on anything that happened to be out of the ordinary. I could only hope that it would be such a minor thing that it was not brought up.