Amelia shrugged. “It’s hard enough to be a woman. We don’t need to subject ourselves to torture by undergarment.”
Daisy couldn’t respond to that. Amelia set Daisy’s boots down and balled up her stockings, leaving them in the leaves.
“We won’t be returning with those. Some bird will use them to build a sturdy nest.”
Amelia tugged her out from under the tree, and the bright sunlight blinded Daisy until she blinked away the spots, and there she stood, on grass. Barefoot. Memories of running barefoot on the lawn as a child at home in Summer Creek came flooding back. She would scream and giggle until she couldn’t breathe while Blakewood and his hound, Buckle, chased her. Daisy smiled as Amelia danced away from her, twirling.
Daisy dug her toes into the grass. “I’ll race you,” she said abruptly. Her heart pounded. What was she doing? She’d never run in public—it was not ladylike—not unless her life depended on it. But for fun? She couldn’t...
Amelia stopped spinning. “What?”
Daisy ignored her racing thoughts. “I’ll race you to that hedge.”
Amelia’s grin widened. “Challenge accepted.”
They lined up using the tree as a marker, and Amelia counted. “One, two, three!” She shot off, and Daisy burst intomovement. Her lungs could not keep up as she huffed after Amelia, whose longer stride swiftly carried her ahead. But Daisy couldn’t stop smiling as she collapsed against the hedge beside Amelia. All those panicked thoughts had quieted as she’d run, as if they couldn’t keep up with her.
“See?” Amelia panted. “Good trouble. Wasn’t that fun? Frankly, I’m surprised you suggested it.”
Daisy nodded. “As am I, but I remembered I used to play on the lawn barefoot at home in Summer Creek all the time.”
“Your country home?”
“Yes. It’s my parents’ main residence. Since Blakewood moved away and I’m hardly there, they’ve chosen to travel. But I miss it so much.” Daisy leaned back into the hedge, the vibrant green leaves cradling her, their fresh scent surrounding her. Summer Creek was her favorite place in the world, the only place that she truly felt at home.
“We should plan a trip when Alston is better.” Amelia said.
“We will,” Daisy said with certainty.
Back in her room, Daisy changed her dress and readied to go to the shops with Amelia.
“Will you be gone long?” Merry asked.
“I’m not certain. Lady Amelia is going to educate me about proper stockings.”
Merry blinked. “Is there a lot to know about stockings?”
“Apparently so. Mine are dreadful.”
Merry nodded. “Should I ask why you did not return with them?”
Daisy blushed. “I’d prefer not to answer that.”
Merry knowingly smiled. “I suspect it has something to do with Lady Amelia and being barefoot on grass.”
Daisy gasped. “How did you guess?”
“I’ve worked here long enough.”
Chapter Nine
True to hisword, Blakewood delivered Sam’s correspondence and then hurried off to tend to his own responsibilities running his father’s business.
Sam’s mood lifted as he sifted through the letters. This was exactly what he needed—purpose. To feel like he had some portion of his life within his control and something to look at other than these four walls and the same faces. Sam opened the first letter, one from a tenant in Wiltshire.
He worked steadily for two hours until his vision blurred and his head hurt, but he’d done a good deal of work. He passed his replies to Petrov to post, then lay back and covered his eyes with his hand.
“Are you hungry?” Miss Smith asked.
