"How many steps are there up to the church?" Quentin inquires, perhaps that would give some insight as to why they could use one more.

"One hundred and ninety-nine." Gareth replied. "I suppose we could count one-hundred and sixty-eight from the top, but I doubt we'll see owt that someone else hasn't seen yet. Thousands and thousands of people walk these steps every year."

There wasn't really anything she could interject, nor was there anything she could do at the moment. She folded her hands behind her back and looked between the two men as they speculated over the answer to that riddle.

"Hrmm, well if there are 199 steps then perhaps the one extra refers to the fact that 200 would be a round number?" Quentin speculates. "As for evening the score... Well, we will find out. Do remember Mister Scott that well hundred do walk the steps most aren't looking for something on a specific one. Also, probably easier to go from the bottom." He finds a patch of dirt and with the shovel sketches out a quick calculation. "So we want to go to the thirty-first step." He says grinning at the two before gesturing to Garth to lead the way.

"Very well." Gareth said. "Let's all count, so we don't get lost." And he followed Quentin up, counting in his mind.

She followed the men, fascinated as she was. This was getting more and more interesting, she thought, counting the steps under her breath. Her eyes were focused on the steps, though every now and then, would dart to view a certain backside or two. She was making comparisons inwardly by the time they were about halfway up the steps.

Stopping at the thirty-first step Quentin hunkers down and starts to examine it, there was truly nothing to make it stand out. "Even the score?" He mutters under his breath as he runs his fingers over the step. Of course, there was no clue on the step. The question at present was who might spot the flat stone that was off to the side of the stairs, about even with the thirty-first step and half-buried in the dirt. The flat stone that looked a bit like an extra step and had, if one were to investigate, a musical note etched into it.

Gareth did not spot it. His hand was tracing the stone of the step, feeling for some marking he might not be able to see by eye. All he felt was freezing cold stone.

When a group of well dressed ladies approached, he quickly rose and stepped out of the way, bowing his head. The women looked at the group rather confounded, but then they walked on, further up the stairs, giggling and glancing back at the group as they went. It had to be a strange sight indeed.

She nearly collided with one of the ladies in question, so distracted was she. She blinked and blushed when she got a weird look for her attire, also caught in the act of peering at butts. She gave a sheepish grin and then her grin died when she noticed the stone in question when one of the girls brushed passed it. She approached it and knelt down, taking a closer look. "Over here," she called out.

Quentin was no more bothered by the group of women than he was by anything else that had happened. He does however give them a bright cheery smile and a, good morning, as they past though he soon gets back to what he is doing. When Claire calls out he approaches joinjngher examination of the rock before grabbing the shoe. He rams it under the rock and uses it as a level to pry it free from the side of the hill. Flipping it onto it's back there is something etched beneath but he can't quite read it. "We need some water to wash away the dirt."