They moved away from the steps again, back onto the lawn where the space opened around them. The light had softened, the air still warm enough to linger without thought of time.
At first, the game was simple, albeit invented quickly. Rules formed as they went, changing whenever it suited Lily to change them. There was no structure to it, no expectation of fairness, only movement and laughter. Anne followed along with surprising seriousness, though she broke into quiet laughter more than once when Lily altered the outcome in her own favor.
"That is not how it works," she said at one point.
"It is now," Lily replied.
Beatrice shook her head.
"I have been entirely misled about the nature of this game."
"You should have asked," Lily said.
Eleanor said little at first, content to follow, to respond when needed, to let the moment unfold without shaping it too much.She watched Lily more than the game itself, the way her movements became less careful, less measured as time passed.
At some point, the game slowed of its own accord. Lily dropped down onto the grass without ceremony, breathing a little faster, though not tired enough to stop entirely.
"You are all very bad at this," she said.
"That is because the rules keep changing," Anne replied, sitting beside her.
"That is not my fault."
"It is entirely your fault!" Eleanor said, laughing.
Lily considered this, then smiled slightly, as though accepting it without concern. Beatrice lowered herself onto the grass as well.
"I think we should have more consistency."
"You may try," Lily said. "My brother certainly does."
Eleanor blinked, noting that this was not the first time that Lily had said such a thing. For a while, no one spoke. The quiet that followed was not empty, only calmer than before. Lily picked at a blade of grass, her attention drifting in a way it had not earlier.
"I think that you should stay," she said suddenly, looking at Eleanor.
"I intend to."
"Good, because I do not want to lose you."
There was something in her tone now that had not been there before. It was less certain, less playful, and it caught the attention of all three ladies.
"I did not have anyone before," she added. "Not like this."
Beatrice’s expression softened, though she did not interrupt.
"No one came," Lily continued, still looking down at the grass in her hands. "Nobody wanted to talk to me, or play with me."
Anne’s voice was quieter now.
"You must have had friends."
Lily shook her head.
"Not really. Julian says it is important that I do my lessons and enjoy my own company, but you are here now, and everything is better."
The simplicity of it made it heavier. Eleanor reached out without thinking, brushing a stray piece of grass from Lily’s sleeve.
"We are here now," she said. "And I shall certainly not be going anywhere."