9 Later the same afternoon, the three girls sauntered across the lawn until they reached their favorite spot beneath one of the large fir trees that dotted the lower half of the grassy expanse. They carefully positioned their blankets to gain a view of the river—watching the water flow by was one of Fanny’s favorite pastimes on warm afternoons such as this. Sophie tucked her dress around her legs and leaned against the trunk of the ancient conifer while Amanda settled between her two younger cousins.