Ten minutes later, inside the carriage.
"Is it just me, or did you look awfully disappointed when you saw me?" Fors, dressed in hunting attire, teased with a smile.
As she spoke, she removed her little leather cap, revealing her curly brown hair.
Nonsense, I wasn't disappointed... at most, an idle fantasy of mine was shattered... Looking helpless, Lorry quietly defended himself in his mind.
True, how could I just happen to run into that director's widow...
He admitted he had let his imagination run a little wild.
Just then, Lorry noticed crystalline droplets clinging to the slightly tousled ends of Fors's hair. He took a clean handkerchief from the small table's drawer and handed it to her.
"Well, it seems you're not only talented, but a gentleman as well." Fors shrugged and accepted the handkerchief with a smile, beginning to wipe the water off herself.
An Apprentice's constitution was not particularly strong, and she had no desire for a relaxing vacation to turn into a recuperative trip spent nursing a cold and a stuffy nose.
Lorry quickly turned his gaze to the window to avoid being rude in front of a lady.
A few minutes later.
Fors cleared her throat softly and said self-deprecatingly:
"Steam above, I must have forgotten to check the calendar before leaving home today.
"If I hadn't happened to run into you, I might have had to walk back to Backlund in the pouring rain, or climb the mountain along a muddy path."
Over the past ten-odd minutes, the rain had steadily grown heavier. Bean-sized drops struck the carriage canopy with a dull, crackling patter.
Lorry shook his head slightly and chuckled.
"Perhaps I ought to be the one saying that.
"After all, opportunities to help a lady don't come along very often." He was