In the end escaping from her family for the day had been embarrassingly easy. If she weren’t so excited then Gretchen might have been minded to find it slightly insulting but as it was her thoughts were far too full of who she was meeting and not on how casually Kris had shrugged off her saying she was going off on her own.

Perhaps he was meeting someone himself? It wouldn’t surprise her though she doubted her brother had the capacity to feel the giddy thrill that she was experiencing as she passed through the park, keen eyes searching for Mr Prewett wherever she looked. What if he had changed his mind? His mother had discovered them before so what if she had found their letters and put a stop to his coming? True he was a grown man but she doubted Mrs Prewett would let that stop her…

“Good morning,” she replied automatically when she was bid the same by a school acquaintance who would hopefully forget they had seen her here alone today. It was none of their business but people did have a horrible habit of poking their noses in and even a muttering of scandalous behaviour might put a serious blight against her name.

Then she saw Freddie Prewett hovering innocuously near a bush and he looked so handsome in the mild sunshine that Gretchen forgot entirely that she ought to be concerned for her reputation. As she approached he looked up and his blue eyes looked at her as they had before – as no one else had ever done so and in that way that made her feel deliciously unsettled.

“Hello,” she said when she reached him, a smile gracing her features and making her look as far from her family name as was possible.

---

Bee is tremendous, isn't she?