The ship was so large that Rollo had plenty of time to observe it with binoculars from the schoolroom window. I half listened to him rattling off statistics about the ship while I supervised Olive’s piano practice. His mechanical interests reminded me of Alec, and I couldn’t think of Alec without a pang. I wondered what he was doing—and whether he was wondering about me. Probably not, I decided.

When the ship was gone at last, I collected our picnic basket from the kitchen and we headed out to the park again. I stopped by the family parlor to invite Flora to join us but, as I expected, she declined the invitation. “Eating out of doors doesn’t sound very sanitary,” she said with a haughty sniff.

“What’s sanitary?” Olive asked.

“It means clean—the kind of clean that keeps you from getting sick,” I explained as we went down the stairs.

“Will eating outside make us sick?”

“Only if you drop your cakes in the dirt and eat them anyway,” Rollo said.

“I won’t drop my cakes. You’ll drop yours.”

“Then I’ll eat yours.”

“Miss Newton won’t let you.”

I was so busy trying to stop the argument that I didn’t notice Lord Henry entering the house until he was upon us. He wore sporting attire and his face was pink, either from the sun or the wind, or possibly from exertion, as he appeared quite out of breath. One of his sleeves had a small rip in it, just above the elbow, and the cuff of one of his trouser legs was dirty and damp.

“Uncle!” Olive called out, forgetting her spat with her brother. “We’re going on a picnic in the park! You can come with us!”

“I believe I would like that very much, if you don’t mind my company.” He addressed that last part to me, and I thought I detected a note of desperation in his tone.

“There’s plenty of tea and cakes for all,” I said.

“That’s if Olive doesn’t drop hers in the dirt,” Rollo said with a laugh.

“I won’t!”

“Children!” Henry warned. He turned to me and held out his hand. “If you will allow me, Miss Newton.” I handed him the picnic basket, and then he held his other arm out to me. I hesitated before taking it. He should have escorted Olive, as she was the ranking lady present and I was merely an employee, but Olive seemed perfectly content hanging on to my other hand.