“A secret admirer. How interesting.” He raised a brow. “Any idea who?”
“No.” Though he knew who he hoped it was.
“Are you going to reply?”
“I suppose so. But I’ll sleep on what to say.”
“Good idea. It will be difficult when you don’t know who wrote it.”
That was precisely what worried Joseph.
Chapter Seven
“Would anyone like togo for a walk this morning?” Frances asked soon after they’d finished breakfast in the dining room where many of the ladies lingered over tea.
Several agreed, including Harriet. She looked forward to clearing her head with some fresh air and exercise.
Five of the ladies gathered their shawls and bonnets and soon started across the field.
Frances was in fine form and answered questions from some of the guests about the surrounding countryside and what the nearby village was like. She seemed more comfortable in smaller groups with just the ladies.
“It has an excellent lending library in addition to many shops. Perhaps we can venture there tomorrow afternoon if Mother doesn’t have other activities planned.”
They kept a relatively fast pace as they walked to the apple orchard. The fruit was nearly ripe, and Harriet couldn’t resist picking a couple of green apples to enjoy.
“Aren’t they sour?” Winifred asked, making a face as she watched Harriet take a bite after rubbing it to a shine on her cloak.
“Yes, but in a good way.” Harriet grinned as her friend shuddered.
They walked along the creek for a time then crossed a narrow wooden walking bridge that led to the forest where they followed a trail through the heart of the woods.
Harriet paused a moment, allowing the others to walk ahead while she took a moment to breathe in the scent of the forest. It brought many pleasant memories from her youth when her father had been alive, and all had been right with the world.
The thought of him brought a pang of longing. She still missed him so much. How different her life would be if he had lived. Her mother wouldn’t have married again, and that would’ve changed not only her life but her future.
She followed the rest of the group, hearing their voices just ahead but didn’t make an effort to catch up. It was nice to take a moment to herself. While she didn’t suffer from the shyness that so often overtook Frances, being around people for long periods, especially those she didn’t know particularly well, was tiring.