"The weather is extraordinary today" Minah said. Haneul smiled as she continued sketching the view from the portico. "I believe a turn around would do wonders for the mind" she proposed. "Perhaps we can take a walk to the town. I need to buy some lace for my gowns" Haneul nodded to herself. 

"I thought you would continue to sketch" Minah frowned. "Perhaps later. In any event, I don't believe I will be able to do the beautiful meadow justice" Haneul sighed. "In time" Minah consoled her. Haneul smiled gratefully as she put her things away. Minah helped her carry the art supplies into the house. The girls went away to change into something appropriate for the outing to town.

"Do get me some white wool too Haneul" her mother told her. "Wool? But it is the middle of summer" Haneul said, surprised. "The evenings still get chilly. I thought of knitting a shawl for myself" she explained. Haneul nodded. "Do you need anything Ma'am?" Minah asked Soojung who shook her head. "Best to be on our way then. The sun might set in two hours and the walk is long" Haneul told Minah.

"Perhaps it will be better if you ladies took the carriage?" Soojung suggested. "I hardly think that will be necessary. And we'd very much like a walk" Minah told her. "Very well, but do not be late" Soojung said strictly. "Yes Ma'am" Haneul replied promptly for the two of them. "And also take Hanbyul along. You must not travel unescorted" she insisted.

The two girls took their coats and purses. Haneul insisted on tying the most ridiculous bonnet she had on Minah's head causing the younger sister to protest. The bonnet had been embellished with a variety of ribbons and beads when Haneul had been learning how to fix her own bonnets. After much protesting to Haneul's amusement and consequently discarding the bonnet, the girls set off on their walk to town.

The walk to town was rather short. Having spent two early summers in the area had taught her the ins and outs of the settlement quite well. Haneul found a small boutique right next to the delicatessen they usually ordered meat from. The girls bought whatever fabrics were required and sent Hanbyul back with it before proceeding to a tea parlour at the other end of the street.

"The cakes here are lovely" Haneul told Minah. "I don't think the parlour was here last summer" Minah said, looking around. "It started a few weeks after you returned to London last year" Haneul recollected. "The owner's family shifted into the countryside after the London season got over, I think." "What are the chances that I know someone?" Minah wondered out loud. "Slim" Haneul said thoughtfully. "But a wonderful coincidence if otherwise" she added. 

Unfortunately, the girls weren't able to chance upon a meeting with the owner of the establishment. After a leisurely cup of tea and sweets, they made their way back to the cottage. They had ample of time in the day to get back and hence Minah suggested a detour. 

"I don't think that will be appropriate" Haneul said unsurely. "But we aren't going through the estate. Just the lake and meadows by the boundary. A boundary that the Primrose farms share!" Minah reminded her. "Besides, you said so yourself earlier. The Duke and Duchess aren't home now. No one would look our way. The gardens are situated towards the far end of the estate." "We probably shouldn't" she hesitated. "No one has to know" Minah said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Perhaps..." Haneul faltered. A stroll by the flower gardens at the end would surely not get them into trouble. And the walk in itself was beautiful and tempting. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt" she relented. Minah smiled triumphantly before straying from the road to a path that went around the Chatsworth Estate instead of the straight road home.

"Have you been through these parts?" Minah asked, exploring the road ahead. She had taken off her bonnet and let her hair down. She knew she would be in trouble for sending their home ahead of them. And since she was to be scolded she might as well be scolded for everything together. 

"Once when I was very young. I got lost in these parts and ended up getting scolded by my father at my carelessness. Ever since then I have avoided this path altogether" she confessed. Minah nodded in understanding. No wonder Haneul tended to avoid the path. The path was relatively simple. It wound along the estate walls till the grey stone gave way to green trees and bushes. It went further ahead and turned into a bush surrounded by trees on the sides. 

"This must be where the trail goes into the estate" Minah said to herself. "It's dangerous to go in. The bushes have thorns" Haneul noted with a frown. "There must be a - oh my!" Minah exclaimed joyfully. Haneul turned around to see a small puppy barking at Minah's feet. "Isn't this the cutest. It must be a few weeks old at the most" she deduced as she bent down to pet it. "It's lovely" Haneul cooed. The little thing yipped in response causing the girl to grin. It was too little to even bark properly.

"It must live nearby. Did you come through the bushes young one?" Minah asked. "Must be the case" Haneul agreed. "I don't think we can leave it out here alone" Minah said worriedly. "If we look around, I suppose we can find where it lives." "Can't we take it home?" Haneul asked, fondly petting the puppy. "I wish we could. But it is too young to be away from its mother" Minah explained. 

"It's home must be through the path way. We didn't see any dogs on the way here" Minah frowned. "Possibly. But I don't know if we can just walk in there even if it is the puppy's home" Haneul said once again. "I am sure the owner would understand" Minah reasoned with herself. She looked ahead to see a faint trail through the green thorny branches. "Come along" Minah told her sister. "I will. Mind the thorns" she cautioned. 

This seemed to be ironic because Haneul's hair (surprisingly) was the first to get caught across a thorny bush along with the hems of her long flowing skirts. Haneul wanted to ask Minah for help but couldn't because she had gone further ahead with the puppy in her arms. It took a moment to untangle everything without tearing fabric. She had to undo her hair because it had come lose but it had all untangled easily after.

"Minah?" she called out, looking for her cousin. She couldn't see her anywhere. Thankfully, the bushes had come to an end and she could move about freely. Haneul wasted no time and sped up, looking around for Minah. She couldn't see her anywhere ahead so maybe she had taken the wrong turn. She didn't watch where she was going  as she turned too quickly and accidentally crashed into someone.

She felt the warmth of a sturdy chest and a warm coat that covered it. A set of hands were on her waist steadying her. She blushed bright red at the intimacy and immediately moved away. "I am so sorry" she apologized, suddenly conscious of her wild appearance. She dared to look up and found a man, older than her definitely. A gentleman with a rather deep black eyes stared at her with a measure of confusion. 

"Haneul! I got the puppy home" Minah said happily before noticing the man with her. She heard Haneul breathe in sharply before apologizing to the man and walking away from him. Minah didn't question as her flustered cousin dragged her along. Her evident embarrassment raised a lot of questions but this was not the time to ask them. Who had the man been?