Lydia felt quite smart as she and her mother took their new trap into Upton Magna. Even though it was used, it was in good condition, and the pony was not too old and certified to be in good health.

Mother beamed and appeared very ladylike as they trotted into the village and pulled up next to the inn where it was possible to leave the trap with an attendant, as they were to be in town for more than a few errands.

The first point of business was for Lydia to see Doctor Cooke, as a scratch on her arm from the pruning had become infected.

“Mother, feel free to start the market shopping if you like and I shall find you after I have consulted with Doctor Cooke.”

“Oh, do not mind me. I have several errands myself at the milliners and the chemists. If we miss each other let us meet at that charming little tea shop you introduced me to. I feel quite parched and it will be nice to be seen in town.”

“Very well.”

Lydia went to Doctor Cooke’s office and sat in the waiting room.

There was only one other person, and it did not take long for Lydia to be ushered into the examination room.

“Miss Lydia, how delightful to see you. I hope this is only a social call. It would pain me to think you might be ill.”

“Alas, it is a professional visit, but not too serious I trust.”

She held out her arm for the Doctor to examine.

“Ah, you are correct. Not too serious. Let me just treat that and then perhaps we might have a chat.”

Doctor Cooke provided his treatment, and after bandaging her arm sat back in his chair and smiled at her.

“I understand your relationship with Miss Lovell is progressing nicely,” Lydia said.

“You have had reports, have you?” he asked, jovially.

“From the primary source, herself.”

“Ah, Miss Jenny. Of course, the two of you must chat often.”

“We do. We are each other’s confidant.

“Then you must also know that I am the happiest man.”

Lydia nodded. “And I am most happy for you. You certainly deserve such a fine woman.”

“Thank you.”

Lydia hesitated but said. “I hope you have forgiven me for rushing off so suddenly when I needed to go home without offering you a personal good-bye. But I was under a great deal of stress.”

“Yes. I am so sorry you lost your father.”

“Thank you. However, I am certain you will soon be meeting my mother as she has a tendency toward imaginary illnesses. And I am sure when she sees how charming you are she will find numerous maladies to flaunt before you.”

Reginald laughed. “I shall be prepared.”

Lydia stood. “Thank you for your help this morning. And I insist on payment this time.”

“Very well. Five shillings please.”

Lydia took out her coin purse and paid him.

“I have missed our walks,” he said, as he stood after putting the coins in his desk drawer.

“As have I. However, now that I live at Honeyfield, I am able to freely traverse the estate and have discovered many favored walks already.”

They heard a new patient come into the office waiting room.

“Miss Lydia, it has been a great pleasure seeing you again. Please do not wait until your next injury or illness to stop by.”

“Perhaps our next meeting might be at your wedding?” Lydia asked with a smile.

Reginald smiled but did not answer. “Good day, Miss Lydia.”

“Doctor.” She nodded and left the office.

Now, to find her mother. She started with the milliners and the chemist’s, both nearby the Doctor’s office, but she was not there. Then she ambled over to the market, but not seeing her, went ahead and purchased what she needed.

Finally, she headed to Twistivants and went inside to find her mother at a table with another lady.

“Mother, there you are,” Lydia said, as she approached the table.

“Lydia. Meet this fine lady I met at the milliner's. Mrs. Cynthia Forbes, this is my daughter, Lydia.”

“It is a decided pleasure,” Lydia said, shaking the gentlewoman’s hand.

“Likewise,” Mrs. Forbes replied.

“We have ordered tea for three. Please sit, Lydia,” Mother insisted.

Lydia put down her market basket and sat opposite Mrs. Forbes. She studied the woman. She was in her late fifties or early sixties, Lydia surmised. She was obviously wearing a wig and was heavily made-up. Her penciled eyebrows were not quite straight, and the outline of her rouged lips did not match the actual line of her lips. She wore white lace gloves with a pink dress. And although she might look a little ridiculous to Lydia, she did have a nice smile. Lydia decided to reserve judgment until she knew more about the lady.

“Your mother tells me you are a horticultural consultant to His Grace,” Mrs. Forbes said.

Lydia nodded. “I guess you might call me that. But in actuality, I am really just a glorified gardener.”

“Oh…” Mrs. Forbes seemed a little shocked at having tea with a gardener.

Mother then stepped in. “His Grace calls upon her extensive knowledge of gardening in the construction of his arboretum. He is making Honeyfield into a model garden for all of Great Britain—a model for the nineteenth century. It is a massive undertaking.”

“I see,” Mrs. Forbes said, as she tapped her napkin against her lips and then took another sip of tea.

“Mrs. Forbes, are you a long time resident of Upton Magna?”

She answered in a strange exaggerated accent. “I yam, my dear. Mwy darest hoosband was Upton Magna’s Mayoor for three and twwenty yars.”

“Madam,” Lydia acknowledged. “What a great honor. You must be considered one of the premiere citizens of the village.”

Mrs. Forbes nodded modestly. “That is not for may to saay. But one might assume it to be so.”

Lydia looked at her mother and smiled. However, her mother did not seem to see the humor.

“My hume is at the verry top of Lilac Way. You muust know it, do you not?”

Lydia shook her head. “No, I am sorry. I am not familiar with that address.”

“Ah, well… it is because you are a noocomer to our community. It is the verry most exclusive address in all of Upton Magna. I shall invite the Duchess, your mother, and yourself for tea one afternoon. That is, if you can tar yourself away from your gardening.”

“I am quite certain Her Grace and my mother would be delighted to attend. However, I am afraid I am tied to the earth, so to speak, and am unlikely to be able to attend. With great regret, of course.”

“Av coourse,” Mrs. Forbes said and turned to Mother to converse—ignoring Lydia for the rest of the tea.

* * *

Lydia was triumphant as she finished the work of pruning the orchard. She stood back one afternoon and admired her work. All the dead wood had been removed. The branches were pruned to encourage new growth and to maximize fruit yield. Any diseased trees had been removed and, with the pruning, more light, air, and rain could penetrate to the earth around the trees.

Now it was time to start digging the holes for the new fruit trees.

Edwin stood beside her as she showed him the stakes she had put indicating where each tree would go.

“And how many new trees are there?” he asked.

“Eighteen,” she answered. “My next task is to start digging the holes for planting.

Edwin turned to her. “You are planning to dig the holes yourself?”

She looked at him with some surprise. “Of course.”

“Oh, no. That is too much for you to do alone. Let me help you.”

“But the pond?”

“It is far enough along that the workers can finish up alone. I do not want your lovely hands calloused by digging holes in this hard soil.”

She considered that. “Then we shall work together.”

“Very well.”

“And Edwin, there is one other issue I would like to bring up.”

“Yes?”

“When we gardened at home we would take all the kitchen scraps, pruning materials, and dead plants from the garden at the end of the season and dump them all together in a pile, along with generous amounts of horse droppings. We would keep the pile moist and throw earthworms into the pile whenever we would find any, and in time we would take the material that had broken down, and work it into the garden, helping the garden to thrive. I would like to create such a pile for us to use.”

Edwin beamed. “You see, that is why I hired you. Good knowledge and common sense.”

Lydia smiled. She could feel their friendship reestablishing itself.

“But how does one go about collecting worms?” Edwin asked laughing.

“We could start by examining the soil you removed when you made the pond. I feel certain we could find enough worms to start a great pile, and overtime they breed and supply enough for new piles each year.”

Edwin was silent for a moment. He seemed to be studying the resurrected orchard. “What a splendid job you have done. Thank you.” He turned and looked at her. “You deserve a day off. How about we take a ride? I need to inspect the Earl of Albemarsh’s property for him. He resides in London and is asking for my help on a matter.”

“That sounds delightful,” Lydia replied.

“I know. Let us make a day of it and I shall instruct the cook to make a picnic for us and we can spend the day doing practically nothing.”

“Yes, but I must run home first and change into my riding costume.”

“Very well. Is half an hour enough time?”

“Three quarters of an hour would be better.”

“Then, I shall meet you at the stables.”

* * *

It was a lovely late summer day. The sun had already started declining toward autumn, and the sunlight created a rich golden haze on the horizon, but the sky was filled with large, white fluffy clouds which occasionally obscured the sun, keeping the day from becoming too hot.

Edwin’s task on the Albemarsh property was to evaluate a pond that had been drying up. The Albemarsh property manager had no idea what to do, so the Earl had asked Edwin to take a look.

Edwin explained his task to Lydia, and then said, “It occurred to me that you might have some ideas about how to correct this problem.”

As they passed from Edwin’s property to the Earl’s property Lydia asked, “The Earl of Albemarsh… is that not the father of the two guests who are coming to stay with you later this week?”

Edwin looked over. “Why, yes.”

Lydia could see he was surprised she knew this and she said, “Ellen told me all about them.” She wanted to subtly convey that she knew the real reason Caroline Beaufort had been invited.

Edwin chose not to respond, so they rode on in silence until they came to the pond in question. The got off the horses and walked around the perimeter of the pond looking for a reason the pond might be drying up.

“Do you know what the source of the pond is? Is it a spring?” Lydia asked.

Edwin looked around the surrounding area. “No, it is fed by a stream, I believe.” He went over to a dry stream bed. “Here. This I believe is the source of the problem.” He laughed. “Or rather the lack of source.”

Lydia went over and traced the track of the steam. “I think I know what is going on here.”

“Yes?”

“Is this not the same stream that goes through your property?” Edwin nodded. “And at present, that stream is filling your new pond, is it not?”

Edwin laughed. “Indeed. And as a result, no water is flowing out. So until my pond is filled it will not flow out again.”

Lydia nodded. “So you may tell the Earl to be patient and his pond will soon reappear.”

“Deceptively simple, no?”

Lydia teased, “You were a very bad boy not to consider who might be affected down stream from your project.”

Edwin slapped the top of his hand. “There. I have been properly rebuked.” Lydia laughed. “Very well, there is nothing more to be done here. I think it is time for our picnic, not so? I know the perfect spot.”

“Delightful.”

They mounted their horses and headed back toward the Honeyfield estate.

Edwin led them to a grove of mixed oak and beech. Near the edge, they found a level spot with mottled sun and shade. Lydia spread out a blanket and Edwin brought down a basket. He looked around the surrounding area.

“I was hoping to find a log or stump where you might sit, but I see nothing.”

“I don’t need a seat. I am quite capable of getting up and down from the ground.”

“Very well. Then let us enjoy our picnic. The cook assures me it will be quite enjoyable.”

They shared a rustic country terrine pate and slices of a flavorful local cheese, with crispy bread, poached pears, and a fresh, crisp white wine.

After eating, they stretched out on the blanket and with their arms behind their heads looked up and watched the lazy billowy clouds gradually changing shapes and floating by.

“I see a lady’s face with a hooked nose and a big hat,” Lydia said of a passing cloud.

“Hmm,” Edwin mused. “It looks more like a ship in full sail to me.”

“Yes, I can see that too.”

They watched in silence a little longer, and then Edwin said, “And over there is an elephant.” He laughed. “But with a very short trunk.”

Lydia laughed. She turned to look at him and found him looking at her. They just stared at each other for a moment then turned back to look at the sky.

Suddenly it began to sprinkle.

“Where is that coming from?” Edwin shouted, as he jumped up and offered Lydia his hand. He pulled her up and they scanned the sky and there was a dark cloud that had come up from behind them that they had not seen.

They scrambled to put everything back into the picnic basket, folded the blanket and headed to the horses. It began to rain harder, but just as quickly as it had come, it subsided and cleared up. It was only a brief summer shower.

“That was truly delightful. Thank you, Edwin, for a lovely morning and picnic,” Lydia said after the horses had been taken by the groom.

Edwin held the picnic basket in one hand and tipped his hat with the other. “And thank you for your splendid accomplishment with the orchard. Please take the rest of the afternoon off and we can start bright and early tomorrow on digging the holes for the fruit trees. Is that agreeable to you?”

Lydia nodded. “Yes, quite.”

“And I was thinking I might pull a few workers from the pond site to help us with the digging. I believe the trees will be delivered the first of next week, and I want us to be all ready to plant the trees as soon as they arrive.”

“That would be most useful.”

Lydia had wanted to ask Edwin an important question. “And there is one other thing.”

“Yes?”

“Ellen spoke to me recently about traveling with her to London in January. She would like me to stay with her for a month. And, as it will be midwinter, I do not see that interrupting our work. Would it be all right with you if I were to accompany her?”

Edwin considered that. He seemed a little taken aback but answered. “Yes, I do not see why not. It would be nice for Ellen to have a sympathetic companion. And I would feel better too if you were with her while she became accustomed to life in London. It is a very different place there.”

Lydia laughed. “Yes, I can imagine, never having been there.”

“Really? You have not?”

Lydia shook her head.

“Then you are in for a treat or a shock, or both?” He said with a smile.