Henry walked inside, placing the rake down against the corner of the wall, at the back door entrance. "Good morning Maggie" Henry spoke as he took off his bowler hat, and smiled at the Irish lady, who was cooking for lunch. Emily was leaning over her brothers shoulder, reading a scene from Othello.

"oh henry! Finished raking those leaves already, have ya?" Maggie asked and smiled at him as she wiped her batter covered hands on a rag. "Well you can never take up all the leaves" Henry spoke "why not?" Maggie asked "because God made to many of them" Emily interrupted, she looked up from the book to the two adults then back down to the book. "Exactly" Henry said to Emily making her smile. "Well then I suppose you can go down to the blacksmiths to collect those horse shoes now then" Maggie suggested as she rolled out the dough with a rolling pin.

"Oh I can't" he said then went on explaining, with Emily and Austin integrating, on how a group of thugs, were looking for the fugitive and they would take him even if he had his papers all in check, and how he wasn't in trouble with a women as Maggie suggested, because papers can be ripped and people like this would go to any length because of money, he offered to go down tomorrow, but Austin wasn't having any of it, he walked down to the blacksmiths himself, even with Henrys protests.

"Sorry to cause such a fuss" he apologised, "oh don't worry about it, I'm sure there are chores to do, there are always chores to do" Emily explained putting stress on the word 'always'

"You could always tune the piano?" Maggie suggested as she turned around and placed the tray of bread dough in the fire.

"I can tune the piano" he jumped at the idea, anything was better then going out. "I have tuned it before"

"Y/n used to play it alot, so Henry was always there to help, he is a man of many talents" Emily praised him.

"But you might say pianos are... my forte." Said henry as he looked at Emily.

"Ah!" Maggie exclaimed in understanding, Emily laughed a little before she thought of something "Oh, my God. Henry, have you ever done any acting?" She asked, looking from him to the book as she turns the pages.

Henry thought before he spoke "Not that I can recall." He looked at the Dickinson girl, "Well, this could be your big chance....We're reading Shakespeare today. Othello. You could play the lead." Emily offered, excitedly

"I don't think so." He spoke, feeling awkward, shifting from one foot to the other, he didn't feel like it was his place, or that her father would agree with him being in the play.

"But you'd be so perfect." She pushed on, still trying to get him to agree. "And you love Shakespeare, I know you do."

"Miss Emily, do you really think your father would approve?" Maggie asked as she walked around the kitchen, needing bread, checking on the bread that was rising in the oven. Emily flipped the pages then looked at Maggie as she cleaned the counter.

"As a matter of fact, my father is very progressive" Emily said looking at Maggie then Henry a smile played on her lips, she was very excited about the thought of the role being truely represent. "when it comes to Shakespeare. It may surprise you, but he even approves of women reading parts. And the plays are so much better when you can actually cast the parts as they're meant to be played. If you don't mind-"

"I think we'd better not." He snapped, Emily's face fell, her excitement drained from her face as Henry walked out of the kitchen and into the living room and dining room area.

-

Y/n gentle layed the twins down in their cots for the night, they were a lot to handle, they make you run around a lot.

Y/n exited the twins rooms and walked into the room her and Sue were staying in, which happened to be the main room in the inn. Mr. Keillor stood in the room talking to Sue, "Mr. Keillor the twins are asleep" Y/n spoke "Sue how many letters do you get?" Y/n asked, slightly pushing the man's arm "accidentally" to look at the letters in Sue's hand.

Sue handed her two letters that had Y/n written in cursive. "Yes and two are from Emily- wait four" Sue handed her sister two more letters, as Mr Keillor exited the room.

"Emily surely never gives up" She stated, she didn't want to be rude to Emily and tell her to go away, but Y/n was her little sister she wasn't going to let her get hurt. Y/n was starting to get over it little by little, now that she had a clear head that wasn't clouded by opium. She was now able to think about how Emily was also under opium as well so she wasn't thinking straight.

Y/n walked to her side of the bed, holding the four letters in her hand. Sue left to go and pick up the shopping. Y/n slowly opened letter one, she picked the letter out of the envelope, and placed it on her leg, she then picked out a flattened flower. A daisy, one of her favourite. She smiled softly at it.

-

Emily stood Infront of the group, in a Shakespearean outfit, a purple overcoat, and a white ruff around her neck. Jane and her possy (Abiah, Abby, Toshiaki). Austin, George, Lavinia, Joseph all sat on different couches. "Okay, everybody, today we are going to read Othello." She explained as she held up the scripts for Othello in a pile.

Emily walked around handing everyone a script "Wait. I thought we were
doing Taming of the Shrew." Lavinia said straighten up as her sister came and stopped in front of her, giving her a 'are you serious' look

"Come on, Taming of the Shrew? That's just a dumb story about a girl who wants to get married but has to wait till her

sister gets married off first. It's not even interesting." Emily deadpanned, as she continued to hand everyone the screenplay.

"Yeah, who could possibly relate to that?" Lavinia hissed under her breath, clearly salty about it.

"Let's not waste time on comedies. Tragedy, my friends. We must confront life's darkness. We must stare into the abyss." Emily stated

"Um...Are you sure your father will approve?" George asked as he skimmed through the words in the middle page.

"What? Why are you bringing him up?" Emily asked startled by the question, since when has George cared what her father thinks, why would he care?.

"It's just that I've read Othello, and parts of it are kind of inappropriate." George stated as he flips through the book

"There's nothing inappropriate
about Shakespeare. And my father says I

can read any play I want. He has problems with other books, but not Shakespeare."

"At the very least, maybe Austin and I could go through the script beforehand and cross out anything that might be controversial." George stated looking at Austin then to Emily, Emily looked at Austin who looked as confused as her as to why George was acting like this.

"Great, that way we can pay extra attention to those parts." Emily stated mockingly, this caused everyone to start laughing "Who put the stick up your ass today, George?" Emily spat

"I'm just trying to be responsible. Not everyone agrees that Shakespeare is suitable for..." George stopped before finishing the sentence

"For who?" Emily spat

"For...young ladies." George continued

"George, you are being so lame. This is my Shakespeare Club. and I say we're doing Othello." Emily stated as a matter of fact. She glanced towards the seat Y/n would normally occupy, she would always glance to her for help with pleading eyes, and she would stand up and say I agree with Emily. Though there were times she wouldn't agree, but she wasn't there Emily always forgot that when she need help that the songwriter wasn't in her seat, sitting next to Sue or wait for Emily to sit next to her. Emily had forgotten on more then one occasion that she wasn't here with her.

"Let's let Austin decide." George's voice snapped her out of her thoughts

"I'm fine with Othello." He said as he stood up from leaning against the back of the couch.

"Great." Emily said smiling

"As long as I can pick my own part."

"You wanna play the lead?" Emily asked

"No. I wanna play Desdemona." He stated

Emily hummed as she nodded her lips turned down into a slightly shocked face.

"That's a woman's part." George stated, like he was hearing the worst news in the world

"A character, to me, is a soul. And the soul of Desdemona is one that I relate to deeply." Austin explained "Her love for Othello is so... true."

Emily hummed as she listened intently to what her brother was saying

"So pure.....Just like my love for Sue." Jane scoffed and mutter god under her breath.
E

mily subconsciously touch the ring that layed around her neck, dangling on its chain. She did that often, she thought about giving it to Y/n in one of her letters but she didn't want to make the (h/c) upset and never return to Amherst, Massachusetts.

"I thought Emily should be Desdemona." George said, making Emily blink twice at him, with a small frown etched onto her features.

"Why?" She asked the man sitting,

"She's just... a fair maiden." What the heck George, Emily thought she had, had enough of him, he was getting on her nerves.

"Then I should do it." Jane said sweetly, Austin looked at her "Sorry, called it." He said smiling like he had won a medal.

"Emily, last week you said only women should play the women's parts." Abby said, Emily opened her mouth to talk but was Interrupted "You said we had to make
up for all the years where women were forbidden from being onstage." Abiah continued

"You made a whole long speech about it." Toshiaki stated. Emily hummed before speaking If Austin feels a true
respect for the character, then he can do it." Emily explained looking at the three who had just used her arguments against her.

"Besides, I don't wanna be Desdemona." She smugly stated, glaring at George slightly "I'm playing lago."

"The villain?" George snapped his head towards her.

"He's also, kind of, the star." Emily proudly stated

"Okay! Reading starts in ten minutes." Austin spoke, walking towards the group of ladies "And, ladies..." Austin grabbed all their attention "one of you needs to lend me a dress." They all looked shocked.

-

Toshiaki grabbed a sword, pulling it from the sheath and accidentally gett Emily in the stomach, he quickly turned around apologising profusely. Emily laughed instead.
-
Emily had pulled out a box full of props and costumes, they all grabbed at the crowns and swords and shields. They put on vests, and parts of armour, and stood in different positions, ready for their photos with the camera Austin had set up on a stand.

They pose as characters from different Shakespeare plays

Romeo and Juliet...

Julius Caesar....

Hamlet....

Macbeth.....

Midsummer Night's Dream......

They posed and laughed and had so much fun..
-

They then got into there costumes for Othello. Practicing the line as they got read, Austin was in a white dress that he got off Abby.

Emily walked to stand in front of the group "Okay, so, in this scene, lago and Rodrigo have come to tell Brabantio that his daughter, Desdemona... has eloped with the Moor, Othello." Emily explained the start of the scene, pointing at the actors who played each character.

"I would never elope. I want a big wedding." Stated Lavinia the girls across from her laughed in agreement.

Emily ignored what she had said
"Right, let's just read..Here, I'm lago."

"Awake! What, ho, Brabantio!
thieves! Thieves! Thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! Thieves! Thieves!"

"Brabantio appears above, at a window". Abby stated in a monotone voice

Joseph, looked into space not listening so not reading his line
"Joseph." Emily spoke sharply "You're Brabantio." She gained his attention

"Oh, what? Oh. Hang on." He said laughing flipping to the scene they were reading at.

"Here we go" he said standing up quickly ready to read. "Yo, what is the reason
of this terrible summons? What is the matter here?" He read looked at Emily then at George then at the group

"Signior, is all your family within?" George said

"Are your doors locked?" Emily continued

"Why, wherefore ask you this?" Joseph asked

"'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame. Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe". Everyone began snickering, except Lavinia, Austin, Emily and George

"See, that's inappropriate." George spoke looking at Emily, who looked annoyed.

"It's straight-up gross." Jane scoffed

"Shakespeare nasty." Joseph stated

"Joseph, read." Emily smacked his book lightly with her book.

"Yeah. What profane wretch art thou?"

"I am one, sir, that comes to
tell you your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs". Emily read

Laughter filled the air, Lavinia didn't get it but she fake laughed so she wasn't left out and Austin was staying in character so he didn't laugh.

"Wait. What does that even mean?" She asked clueless

"I'll explain it to you later." Joseph said with a smirk, Emily sighed at the argument that is now going to ensure

"No, you don't have to." Lavinia said coldly

"Ah... Why are you being so cold?" He whispered annoyed as he looked at everyone then at Lavinia.

"Oh, you're the one who ignored me when I saw you in town with that girl." She stated glaring at him

Emily sighed annoyed

"What girl?" Joseph stated
"Eliza Coleman." Lavinia hissed. Jane held onto Abiah listening to the drama unfold, Emily sighed pacing on the spot, an irritated look on her face.

"Oh, no, nothing's going on there."

"Really?" Lavinia hissed, everyone shifted awkwardly at the tension of anger that rose in the air.

"I'm not making any beast with
Eliza, I'll tell you that." Some snickered a little

"You really should have done a different play" George stated loudly. Maggie walked in with a tray full of sandwiches.

"Here you go, some treats for
the traveling band of players." She said smiling, Lavinia got up and took the tray
"Thank you, Maggie."

Maggie looked towards Austin who sat on the couch arm rest. "What a lovely gown you have, Austin." Maggie complimented him.

"Um..." Austin clears his throat as he stands up, "I'm sorry, but, just as a general thing, while I'm in costume, can everyone please
call me by my character's name? It's kind of crucial to my process." Austin explained looked at everyone, Emily sighs and rubs her forehead with her thumb and forefinger.

******