"That looks perfect!" Jolyon gave a broad smile and brought over the first bundle of blankets, dropping them and offering the edge of one to her so she might help him spread it out.

She grinned at his compliment, "Thanks." Taking the corner and the other, she helped spread it to its length, "Do ya go on picnic's of'en, Jolyon?" Waiting for him to be straight, before lowering the blanket down to the ground.

Matching her precision. "In some fashion or another, yes." Another blanket out, this one wool and scratchy but warming, which is why it was not going to be the top layer. Again, he offered her out some corners. "Either with the family when I was younger or at the excavations when we grabbed a bite to eat, I suppose that is in a way, a picnic."

"I suppose out on a farm you had your fair share of picnics."

"I did, yeah." Following the same procedure of making the blanket straight, reading his body language to move the blanket down at the same time. "Th' summa's were nice 'n Hope. M'ma 'n pa would convince me an' mah siblin's tha' we'd wanna go ou'side 'n a picnic. Then they'd hav' peace an' quie'." She chuckled softly.

"You know, my parents did the same thing. Must come in the parenting manual. Chapter 21: How to get rid of your children for an afternoon." He laughed and took out the softer cotton quilted blanket for the repeat process. "How many siblings do you have again?" Actually, he was not sure he had asked her before.

Her chuckle turned to laughter as they shared similar experiences. "I hav' three. Two younga brotha's an' a baby sista. Well, she's nah a baby no more, I guess." She grinned as she placed the quilt on top of the wool. "Oldes' o' th' bunch. Bu' ou' o' th' family, Jules an' Johnnay ar' th' oldes'."

"An' ya have.. two siblin's, yeah?" Trying to remember, "One o' each?"

"That's right." He gave a nod and then started on taking out the food, the rest of the blankets to use as back ups as needed. "That must have been a lot of fun with the two boys in the middle. They are still on Hope?"

"If ya define 'fun' as wrestlin' matches, then ya." Laughing lightly, she followed him, seeing if there was anything else that she could possibly carry. "Yeah, mah par' o' th' family's still on Hope takin' care o' th' farm."

"Any of your siblings like you? Adventurous?" He set down all the items on the blankets and then motioned for her to sit as well before he would take a seat and open the basket to take out the offerings inside.

"Nah, I like ta thin' tha' I'm unique." She carefully sat in the dress with ease. "Bu' Lance 'n Andrew are o' th' spunky sort. An' lil Hannah tries ta be like me wit'ou' th' trouble." She grinned, before trying to peek inside the basket. "And yer siblin's? They ac' like ya? Brainy?" She laughed lightly.

The cork of the wine removed with the soft escape of air. He poured her glass first and offered it over. "I suppose so. Kaylen is studying to be a doctor. Laeyna is assisting a scientist in research. It can't be helped I suppose when parents are the studious type. But I think Kaylen and Laeyna are more...in tuned with the world they are in. They study the now, and me, the past." His own glass poured, he lifted it in a toast. "To new friends and new places."

"Cheers." Clicking her glass against his lightly, she gave a genuine smile before tasting the wine, trying to decide if it was the same as the one that she tried at La Barre. "Docta 'n scientist, eh? Tha's qui'e th' family. Yer paren's mus' be proud o' th' lot o' ya."

"I hope so. They think I am taking my research a little far living here, but I hope they are proud. Just like I am sure your parents are proud of you and your brothers and sister." The cheese and bread out with utensils to make work of them. The meat joining it all, the picnic was in full working order.

She seemed to have mastered the art of eating, drinking, and talking while appearing graceful about it. Her pace was slow and without haste, "Well, m'ma's liked th' dancin', bu' nah mah pa. Wan'ed me ta take care o' th' farm. Both Lan ce an' Andrew hav' taken tha' interes', an' will take ova our por'ion o' th' farm even'ually. An' Hannah.. well, dunno yit. She has nah finished her studies yet."

"Your father will come around in time. He will see that your passion for your dance far outweighs putting you in a field somewhere." He took a bite and in that measure of time chewing, looked about the glen. "There's supposed to be a heated spring somewhere."

"Yeah?" In the middle of the conversation, she did not noticed the chill of the weather, "Bet i's a busy place this time o' th' year. Migh' be worth checkin' ou'." She made a point to look up, and around, "I like it here, though. Nice an' peaceful." Her green eyes moved back on him, "When did ya start workin' on vines?"

"A couple of weeks back we started the weeding, trimming, and tying. Takes some time just the two of us. Not the whole acreage is planted, mind you, or I would be out there still." He chuckled. "This is the first time I have ever been on the producing side of wine. Don't know what I am doing besides what I read and what Hamish tells me."

"Yer firs' time? Did ya use ta sell wine." She contemplated over a piece of cheese. "Wine 'n archeology. Yer an' interestin' combination, Jolyon." Her smile was went to make sure it was meant in a positive manner.

"No, I drink wine. That is about as close to it as I have gotten before. This is a new adventure. A new start. Try something I have not tried before without the trappings of expectation on my shoulders." He grinned. "Why did you leave Hope?"

"Oh, I guess fer lots o' reasons. I'm really close ta mah aunt an' cousins, an' it was hard when they moved ou' here ta live wit Johnnay. Nah ta men'ion he left Hope 'bout ten er so years ago. An' ballet is nah verra big there. I danced wit th' principle company there, bu' it was nah a verra supported art. 'Sides, I was lookin' fer something' differen', like ya an' th' vines."

"Yeah?" She laughed lighly, "Me, too." Wine glass set aside for a moment, she enjoyed curling up in the blanket he had placed around her shoulders, and looked up, "Thin' it'll rain soon?"

He looked up as well and as if the sky was making a point, he caught a rain drop in the eye. "I think probably yes." He blinked and wiped away the raindrop with a laugh. "I fear our picnic is being cut short." Though he did not feel another drop yet.

"Well, here." She leaned over, a hand leaving the warmth of her blanket to pick up one of the extra blankets she had brought. She offered it to him with a grin, "It kin keep ya dry." As if to prove her point, she used the edge of the her blanket to cover her head and shield her face from the threat of rain like a hood. She was grinning the entire time.

He took the blanket and set it over his head. "It will only keep us dry for so long, but," he arranged the cloth so to protect him but so he could see his company, "it will do unless it starts pouring down." He laughed in spite, or because, of the predicament.

She tried to look up at the sky again, but the quilt blocked her upper vision. "Yanno Jolyon, if ya wanna take me home, ya dun hav'ta blame the weatha." She laughed teasingly, and reclaimed her glass.

"Actually," he laughed, "I was thinking that my place is closer, and if it gets bad we could just go there." But as the drops were still few and far between at this point, he turned the conversation. "I'm not clever enough for excuses. Though the clouds does take away any kite flying we might have done."

She blinked for a moment, "Ya brough' kites?"

"No," he laughed again, full of the mirth as he had caught her in his tease. "No, no kites. That would have to wait for better weather and maybe by the ocean." He laid back, daring the rain to fall on his face. "Flown kites before, Kat?"

"Oh," she grinned and laughed as well as she had fully believed him. She took another sip of her wine, and giggled as a drop of rain landed in it and brought a light dash of wine to her face, "Yeah, I hav'. Was neva real good a' it, though. I seem ta break mah kites." She set the glass down and wiped where she had felt the wine flick to her face.

He turned to look at her. "Break your kites?" Rolling to his side, propping his upper body up on an arm, he laughed as he asked, "Are you an aggressive flyer?"

"I try nah ta be!" She laughed, and turned to face him more, "Ya see, once th' kite gits 'n th' air, I try ta keep it steady. An' instead, th' kite turns an' takes a nosedive righ' ta th' ground. Breaks mah kite." A firm nod, her green eyes were bright and filled with humor.

"I suppose you can't have wings on the ground and in the sky at the same time, Kat." He grinned.

Rather than argue the point, she simply laughed. "Pahaps I jist dun hav' wha' it takes ta fly a kite?" Her eyes narrowed as a rain drop landed square on her un protected nose, "Ya fly kites 'n yer free time?"

"And take pretty girls on picnics," he gave a nod. But a sidelong look, and his unpolished way with women probably revealed that to be untrue. He chuckled, "What do you do with your free time?"

"Go on picnics wit handsome men?" She returned the teasing just as easy, arranged the blankets to see be around her as she leaned back onto her hands, "Nah, in truth, I dun really hav' much free time righ' now. The theatre an' the bar take up much o' mah time."

"I thought you were going to stop working at the bar."

"I will, even'ually." She nodded to confirm his thought. "Bu' even'ually dun free up mah time now." She grinned then.

"Exactly that." He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I did not plan this very well. My apologies. I suppose I am not used to a winter weather picnic."

"So wha', ya would hav' brough' cards if it were summa?" She laughed brightly, "An' I 'pose playin' wit pretend cards jist won' be th' same." She started laughing again.

"Makes keeping track of the cards difficult. And if it were summer. I would have brought a ball, kites, all manner of up and moving type of things. In this cold, the most I want to do is bundle up and keep warm."

"Well..." She teasingly reached over to the blankets as if she was going to get him another one. "I 'pose we could keep doin' jist tha', bu' soona or lata i's gonna start rainin'"

"Too true." He rose to stand and offered her a hand up. "Would you like to visit my home, or maybe I should take you back. Fewer leaks in the roof." He grinned.

"I would like ta visi' yer home, if tha's okay." She smiled gently and took his offered hand to rise. "Bu' if yer ready ta take me home, tha's fine too." Even as she spoke, she was already folding her blanket.

He gave a nod and no indication at that point which way he intended to go, but he did start to clean up their picnic spot smartly. The rain was giving a more earnest endeavor, and he smiled to Katarina. "Kat, go ahead and get under the protection of the curricle. I will finish up with the things here." There was not much left by then but the basket and the last blanket.

Since he did not say just what they were going to do next, she helped to clean while the weather permitted. She did not argue in her finding shelter from the rain, "Thanks." Once her back was turned, her face fell from the smile, trying to think of what she was doing as she waited for him.

With the rest of the items bundled up, the horse free from interest in the feed bag, he hopped up onto the seat and took up the reins. Turning the horse about back to the road, and then turning to the city. "I think it would be better to wait and see it when it is repaired. Besides, you have a free day, and I am sure other things to do with the time than walk around a house with a leaky roof."

She opened her mouth to argue, but said nothing instead. So, instead she smoothly turned it into a smile, "So, ya takin' me home?" Her tone was simply of curiosity and not disappointment. She was just unsure of what he was getting at.

"Or any place you want to stop along the way." He smiled.

"Any place?" She grinned almost wickedly, "Wha' if I said th' moon? Would ya stop us by there?"

"Which moon?" It was a suspicious grin. "And if you tell me how, I would see if it could be done, though, as you know, I am little short on funds these days."

"How 'bout I figure ou' which one I wanna go ta firs'? Then we'll do tha' 'n 'nother free day." She nudged him teasingly, "Ya wanna go ta th' tea shop ya were talkin' 'bout, if it starts ta rain?" She put out her hand palm up as if to show it was indeed raining.

A wry grin at the nudge, ?That sounds like a fine idea. The Tea shop it will be then." He had to shake his head. "Though, I have to admit, I am not sure why. I," he sighed and started again, "I'm obviously not that much fun. And getting me around books, well, I may bore you to tears."

"If I though' ya were no fun, I dun think' I'd be wit ya righ' now, yeah? 'Sides, if I 'member correctly, ya ar' 'posed ta read me a story."

"I am. Any particular type of story you'd like to hear?" The first signs of town breaking around them, he slowed the horse to a walk so as not to run over anyone.

"One I dun know?" She gave a wide grin as that would not clarify a thing for him.

A smug sort of smile. "I think I can do that."

Her eyes narrowed on his smug smile, "Yeah? Hope i's a good one."

"That depends on you. I think I can find one that I think is good, but if you don't like it, well, not much I can do to remedy that."

"Guess ya'll jist hav'ta hope fer th' bes'." She looked around at the familiar buildings, "Hav' ya been 'n this place alot?"

"Two or three times. Juliane and I went for lunch one time." He turned to a livery stable. "We will have to walk the rest of the way. It isn't too far." He went around the back of the rig to offer her a hand down again and then a nod to the stable boy who approached waiting to take the horse and curricle further inside.