From the first moment that Penelope had set foot inside the country manor, she knew that it was where she wanted to live and raise her children. Nathaniel had not put up much of a fight. As she prepared the cushions beneath the large oak tree, she glanced over at the wicker crib where young baby Charlotte still slept peacefully.

Miss Lucy, now known as Mrs. Sedgefield after her marriage to the estate’s head groom made sure to keep a close eye on Edward as he played with his grandfather. It was to be their annual family picnic that afternoon and all in the household had spent most of the morning preparing for it.

The rest of the family had arrived late the previous day and were due to meet them beneath the three soon. The country estate had become a place where all would come for rest and recovery after tough times, difficult weather, or births. But for Penelope, it was home.

She loved the peace of the world of farming, the sound of the chickens and cattle in the morning, and the fresh air. She adored watching her children race through the fields, unbothered by the noise of the city or the trouble of politics.

They were far from the scandal sheets of London, and the business of the season. There, they found peace and prosperity with increased yields and quality produce.

“Here they come,” Mrs. Sedgefield said, quickly helping Penelope to complete the arrangement of the cushions.

It was Rosalind and Sebastian who arrived first, with young Marie struggling along between them, her hands stretched up to theirs as she did her best to keep walking. At eighteen months old, she was already showing signs that she would be precisely like her mother, determined and fierce.

Charlotte stirred in her crib and Mrs. Sedgefield cast a quick glance over her.

“The cooks will be here soon with our food,” Rosalind said as they arrived.

Marie fell to her knees, tired from the walk, and started pulling at the grasses around her.

“Will Miss Amelia be joining us for our games day tomorrow?” Sebastian asked.

Despite all that had happened, they were able to see past Miss Amelia’s indiscretions. When Penelope had given it further thought, she could not blame Miss Amelia for so desperately wanting a future with Nathaniel. After all, he was a loveable and attractive man.

“No, she will not,” Penelope answered. “She is in Bath at the moment to have discussions regarding a potential marriage.”

“Oh?” Rosalind asked. “I did not know that she was courting.”

“She has been, but not in the way that most people do,” Penelope said. “She is looking for someone who can run her business. In her words, she feels more as if she is searching for someone to take up a position of business owner, rather than husband.”

“I see,” Sebastian said softly. “Well, I hope that she makes the right decision.”

“She seems to think that she has,” Penelope said. “A handsome man from Bath, who runs multiple businesses rather successfully and has a keen desire to try farming.”

“Well, let us hope that we like him. Whoever he is, we will be seeing much of him I am sure,” Sebastian said as he made himself comfortable on the cushion.

Young Marie crawled up to him and held out her hand for him to bring her onto his lap. Penelope had hardly ever seen Sebastian refuse what his daughter had asked of him.

“What of the textiles?” Penelope said. “Father says there is a large shipment arriving soon, but he got confused after that. One minute he said that it was silk, the next he said it was a heap of rugs from Persia. I am afraid that age seems to be catching up with him.”

“Do not let him hear you say it,” Lady Helena said as she arrived with Lady Adeleide beside her. “I mentioned it to him last week and he nearly threw me out of the house.”

Sebastian and Rosalind burst into laughter. “It is true. That was funny!”

“I hardly think so,” Lady Helena said sternly. “Some mornings days he cannot even remember what he had for breakfast. Soon, he is going to have to sign the business over to you, Sebastian, if he wants any sort of control to remain over things there.”

“We will let him keep working, he loves the business,” Sebastian said. “I will simply just need to check every figure and correspondence before any form is signed or letter sent.”

“You hardly have the time for that,” Rosalind complained. “Not with Marie being stitched to you hip the way that she is.”

“Then I shall have to teach her how to do it,” he said. “She will have to learn eventually.”

Sebastian had long made it known that the business would be left to all of his children equally, regardless of whether they were sons or daughters. It was a statement that had made them all proud, though it had rattled their father a little bit.

“I feel I am getting on with age, too,” Lady Adelaide said. “I might not look it, but just you wait until the time comes that I must rise from this pillow and it will become painfully obvious. One of you is going to have to lift me.”

“What a privilege it is to get older, is it not?” Lady Helena said. “That is how they perceive it in India. We are the wise ones, the ones with experience and knowledge and now we have the honor of sitting back and watching those we have created live their own good lives.”

Lady Adelaide smiled. “I like that,” she said. “I will remember that the next time I feel the urge to complain about it.”

“Edward!” Mrs. Sedgefield called. “Not so close to the pond, please Edward!”

“Oh dear, soon he will be swimming again,” Nathaniel said as he arrived. In his hand he had a leather folder that contained what she knew to be drawings of the new cottages they intended to build on the estate.

“Could you not leave your work behind for this afternoon?” Penelope asked.

He glanced down at it. “I do not intend to work,” he said. “Your father wanted to see the drawings. I thought I would just bring them along and he could take a look.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Alright, but you have five minutes when he gets here. You know I do not like it when you work during family time.”

“Of course,” Nathaniel said, understanding the warning.

“Edward!” Mrs. Sedgefield shouted.

In the distance, Penelope heard her father laughing. “Do not worry! I have caught him!”

Penelope turned to see what the matter was, only to find Edward hanging over the edge of the bridge by the pond to try to catch a fish with his bare hands.

“What will we do when you are off to have one of your own?” Penelope asked. “We will struggle without you.”

Mrs. Sedgefield caressed her own enlarged belly and smiled. “My sister did an excellent job of raising me. She will be a fitting replacement while I am away.”

They had held a dinner party to celebrate the news of Mrs. Sedgefield’s pregnancy, but Penelope would miss her in the weeks that she would be away. It has been Nathaniel’s idea that her child be raised alongside their so that they did not need to go without her for too long, and both women had eagerly agreed. She would have a full classroom.

“Does your sister have further availability?” Rosalind asked. “Our governess is not exactly all to our liking and we are in search of a new one to fill her position.”

“I will speak with her,” Mrs. Sedgefield said. “I am certain that she would be happy to step in when she is done here. My sister is wonderful with children and even brighter than I am.”

Mr. Fairfax approached, with Edward on his shoulders as they climbed the hill toward the blanket.

“You are too old for that, Father,” Penelope said. “You will hurt yourself. He is five, he is not as light as he used to be.”

“Nonsense, I am strong enough!” Mr. Fairfax said. Though, when Edward climbed off his shoulders he let out an audible groan that made them all burst into laughter.

He rolled onto a cushion where he would likely stay for the rest of the afternoon. Soon, the basket of food arrived and some lemonade refreshments. The children played, just like the four of them had played when they were much younger together. It was good to see and even better to hear their laughter.

When Charlotte finally stirred and let out a soft cry, Penelope reached quickly for her, bringing her into her arms to cradle her until she fell asleep again. Edward looked so much like his father, and she hoped heavily that Charlotte would look like her. Just like how Marie looked exactly like Rosalind had looked as a child.

“I have brought the plans with me,” Nathaniel said, ignoring the knowing look from Penelope.

Within a second, the men were occupied with discussions about roofing and window placements and drainage.

“I swear, if I have to hear another conversation about drainage I might scream,” Penelope said, finally taking her seat on the cushion. “It feels as if that is all anybody speaks about around here.”

“It will pass,” Lady Helena said. “One day, when the drainage is suitable.”

The laughter that followed gave Penelope the sense that no such thing was possible, and she laughed along with her. It had only been a tease. Her life with Nathaniel was perfectly happy and far from boring, despite the amount of drainage conversations held on a daily basis.

She was happy that she was the one he turned to when he wished to complain, or struggled to think of a solution to something. It made her feel powerful and important. He would take her out often on horseback to take a look at the fields and show her all the various pieces of machinery, and the construction sites, often taking her opinion carefully.

She was a part of his world and he was a part of hers. She let him in on the gossip and the conversations held at the women’s gathering and he often gave her advice on how best to manage difficult situations. They were a team every day and all day and she would not have it any other way.

“I have news from London,” Lady Helena said suddenly. “I think you will enjoy it.”

She had their full attention then.

“It would appear that Lord and Lady Cederdale have fallen on hard times, and are under immense pressures due to new, unforseen debts. They are often heard bickering with each other and it seems they might have to sell their estate to keep him out of prison.”

“Poor Lady Cederdale,” Penelope said.

“Hardly,” Lady Helena scoffed. “The woman has more affairs than there are minutes in the day. Her mother put her in charge of watching over that husband of hers, and instead she ran off with any other man who would give her attention.”

The news came as a shock, but somehow, it seemed suitable still. As they drank champagne and enjoyed delicious food, Penelope only felt more grateful for her life and all they had achieved together.

“Shall we go for a stroll?” Nathaniel offered, closing his book.

Lady Adelaide sighed. “That sounds lovely. Now, somebody help me up off this cushion.”

The day was still long and it would still be another two days before the rest of their family returned to London, and Penelope wanted to spend every second of the days they had left together.

By the time the sun set that night, they were tired and happy as they sat by the fire and reminisced on all the memories they shared from a lifetime of keeping each other company.