"Won't you stay?" Minah asked for one last time as the servants loaded Haneul's luggage onto her carriage. Sanghyuk had latched onto her legs and refused to let go. He had grown stronger in the country and the effects of the same could be felt in his persistence.

"I wish I could. But this is prudent. Besides, I just might visit you in London some time" Haneul told her.

"The offer to grow old together is always on the table for you" Minah said, sniffling a little. 

"Yes. Come stay with us. You could be our governess instead" Sanghyuk said, glaring at Soojung who stood in a distance.

"Now now, you promised to behave while I was gone" Haneul said, bending down to his level. "Besides, we shall write to each other every day." 

"Promise you must. Write as soon as you reach" Minah said. Haneul nodded at her before moving to her parents.

"Travel safe my dear" Hyunshik said, hugging her strongly. 

"I will be careful Papa" she said.

"Do not trouble your aunt" Minjun warned though Haneul knew it was her own way of wishsing her well. Haneul nodded.

"I think we have company" Soojung said, gesturing to three people walking down the pathway.

"Now? Have we invited someone?" Hyunshik asked Minjun who shook her head.

"It's Mrs Kim and her family. I see Kim Wonshik and Kim Sooyeon" Soojung said. 

"I suppose we must invite them in" Soojung hinted. 

"I really shouldn't delay" Haneul said, holding onto the edge of her skirt. She still remembered the last evening in Wonshik's study vividly. Unfortunately she had very little luck avoiding the man after such embarrassments.

"Yes. It would be too late if you dallied any longer. But I suppose you can say your goodbyes. It is only polite" Hyunshik said. Haneul nodded, dreading talking to Wonshik himself.

"I was hoping we would not miss your dear daughter's departure" Jinsil said after the pleasantries were exchanged.

"I was just leaving Ma'am" Haneul replied.

"I wish you good luck on your journey my dear" Jinsil said. 

"Indeed. I am sad to see you go but I bid you a fair journey" Sooyeon added. Minjun's scowl was covered up by Soojung pushing Minah to speak.

"Won't you all come inside for tea afterwards? It is quite a walk from the estate till here" Minah said unsurely. 

"A splendid idea. Let me help you to your carriage my love" Hyunshik said. Wonshik held the door open for her while Hyunshik helped her in. Haneul peaked out of the window to wish everyone farewell once she had settled in and the horses were ready to move.

"Thank you for all your advice Miss Kim" Wonshik said, pulling away from the door.

"The pleasure was all mine" Haneul replied. He wished to say more but decided against it. Instead he held out a bouquet, a small bunch of foxgloves tied together with a purple ribbon. Sooyeon's doing no doubt.

"I remembered that you liked the flowers and I wished to thank you for the sketch" he clarified.

"Thank you. These are lovely" she said, accepting the flowers.

"She really must leave if she wishes to make it to the next town by sundown" Soojung said, the entire exchange not sitting well with her. Wonsik nodded to himself, stepping away once again. Haneul called out her greetings, waving to her family till the carriage pulled out of the gates and onto the road. 

"I shall miss her" Minah said. Wonshik nodded in agreement of the sentiment and the girl smirked at him.

-

"You seem morose. I thought you had quite grown to the idea of your extraordinary circumstances" Minah said, cooing at Sarangi. The puppy had grown quite well and was now as tall as her knees. It made petting much more easier she had to admit.

"Yes, yes. I am not sad on that account. Though I must admit that constant discussions about lace do little to enthrall me" he confessed. Minah laughed, throwing a stick for Sarangi to catch.

"I would have assumed your break in London would have distracted you and offered welcome reprieve" she said playfully.

"I find it much harder to stay in the city when everyone I know and love is here in the country" he sighed.

"I can hardly fault you for it. I have personally found the company here in Derbyshire much more engaging" she admitted. 

"Speaking of those that find the country charming, Taekwoon wrote to tell me that he will be here five days before the wedding" Wonshik told her. Minah's eyes lit up at the mention of her friend. The friendship was quite unlikely Wonshik would admit. But it had begun under extra ordinary circumstances and continued to be sustained by their shared interests for literature and pets.

"That is indeed good news" she agreed. 

"What of Haneul? Has she written?" Wonshik asked, failing to be inconspicuous.

"She made no mention of when she was to return. But her aunt is slowly recovering so perhaps we can still hope for her presence here" Minah said. 

"Jaehwan would greatly appreciate it. He grows more nervous day by day" Wonshik observed. It had taken a while but Wonshik had warmed up to his brother in law once he had realized that he did have Sooyeon's best intentions at heart.

"I am sure he won't be the only one" Minah teased.

"Taekwoon might as well. He does prefer her company, I've noticed" he told her. "I suppose they would be a good match."

"Are you still under the delusion that he likes her?" Minah asked quite bluntly.

"They write to each other quite frequently" he said, hiding the bitterness in his voice. 

"She thinks of him as an elder brother and good friend. You have no reason to be envious" Minah told him.

"I am not envious" Wonshik said firmly.

"And I am the next Queen of England. We should both quit telling tall tales" Minah huffed. Wonshik frowned, unwilling to argue in the midst of the gardens. 

"Frankly, I would be very relieved should you decide that you liked Haneul and asked for her hand in marriage over mine" Minah said.

"I do not know what you are talking about" Wonshik lied.

"A great accomplishment if that sentence were true. Our families aren't very subtle. I'm not surprised that I misunderstood Jaehwan's intentions" Minah scoffed.

"You say it like it is easy to subvert their expectations" Wonshik lamented.

"It is. Quite easy really. All you have to do is walk up to Uncle Hyunshik and tell him you wish to court Haneul formally on her return" Minah told him.

"It's not that easy!"

"It is! Do you want me to do it for you?" Minah asked.

"What if Haneul doesn't like me back?" Wonshik asked.

"I believe she liked you from the start. More than she liked Taekwoon. She asks about you often in her letters, the way you ask for her every time we meet. There is no doubt in my mind that she doesn't return your affections" Minah said.

"And what of you?" Wonshik asked.

"I would like to grow and be an old maid who writes scandalous literature no thank you. Marriage would only interfere with my life plans"  she declared. Wonshik laughed and nodded to himself.

"So you really think I should ask to court her?" he asked unsurely.

"I think you should me back and talk to Uncle this instant" she said stretching her hand to him.

"This is some form of madness" he said taking it.

"Oh you have no idea good sir. But then again all love is" she assured him.

-

"Are you quite sure you require nothing from the town dear Aunt?" Haneul asked. 

"Oh no dear. I did purchase everything I wished to buy last week from the pedllar crossing by. I am quite alright" her aunt replied.

"I shan't be long on the walk then" Haneul promised. 

"Be careful on the narrow roads my dear" her aunt called out as she left the cottage. Like Primrose Cottage, the house here lay in the outskirts of the city. It was a fair walk to the heart of town but it was marked by beautiful green stretches of grass. The commons were always full of shepherds and sheep, dotting the commons like cotton on a lush green carpet. 

Haneul looked back when she heard someone call out to her and hooves approached her.

"Excuse me Miss!" she heard before she could quite make out the face of the traveller. She adjusted her bonnet to keep the sunlight out of her eyes. 

"Are you alright?" she asked in worry when the horse bucked at the sudden stop and the man struggled to keep control of it. The beast was tamed quickly and Haneul breathed a sigh of relief. 

"I'm so sorry to ... Haneul!" the man said breathlessly.

"Wonshik? What are you doing here?" Haneul asked in surprise. Surely this was a trick of the sunlight. She had begun to miss the man and she was sure her mind was playing tricks on her. How stupid to be so lovelorn for someone who clearly did not love her back and most certainly was not present before her right this instant.

"I came here to find you. I'm afraid I have started quite an uproar" he confessed, loosening his cravat. 

"Oh dear. Maybe you should come inside first" she fussed, not quite sure how appropriate it was to help.

"No. I cannot stay too long I am afraid. But I had to see you so that you would know what I had done before anyone else could exaggerate the tale" he told her.

"What have you done that has you so unnerved?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I... I have asked your father formal permission to court you" he said, stunning his companion into silence. "And to wed you within the year should you return my affections and accept the proposal." 

"You really mustn't joke about such matters Mr Kim" Haneul said, before taking off towards the house. This was a fever dream brought on by the of heat no doubt. Not only was she imagining Wonshik's presence but also a confession to affections and she must have surely gone mad to have such vivid hallucinations. Her aunt had smelling salts and perhaps Haneul could borrow some to get her brain back on track.

"My dearest, I am not joking" Wonshik said following her. On his reply, she stopped and turned to face him, disbelief written on her face. 

"I admit it was rather sudden. My mother intended for me to marry your cousin and I suppose your family thought the same would come to pass. However my heart lies with you. though it took me a while to realize it once you were gone" he confessed.

"You... wish to marry me?" Haneul asked slowly, weighing every word in incredulity.

"Yes. Your father and Mrs Park were shocked but Mrs Kim was overjoyed. So was Mother when I told her of my intentions. She quite liked you from the beginning she told me. And I suspect I did too from the moment I met you" he told her, in a sort of breathless excitement. 

"But why? Why would you love me?" she asked him.

"My dearest, why wouldn't I?" he asked smiling at her. Haneul blushed under the warmth of the admiration. She was quite unused to this intensity of attention, having experience it only once before.

"Would you permit me to kiss you?" Wonshik asked. Haneul nodded, not finding the right words for the occasion. Wonshik leaned in, capturing her lips in a chaste kiss. Haneul's bonnet fell to the ground. A small bunch of pressed foxglove blossoms, attached to the ribbons. 

-The End-