The trap trundled through the village.  Bess had never considered it small until she had moved to Whitby, as she had known nothing else.  She felt like a city girl now who no longer belonged in Castleton.  Not only were her clothes finer than when she had lived on the farm, but some of her mannerisms had changed as well.  The friends she visited told her that her posture and grace had improved and her voice sounded more refined. 

She waved back at the villagers and smiled when men doffed their hats.  Bess pretended she didn’t see one fellow in particular who had relentlessly pursued her before she had left.  Though handsome and polite, he worked as a stable hand and she had no intention of marrying a poor man who always smelled like a horse.  The wife of a jeweler would suit me much better, she thought, idly fiddling with the bracelet again.

Tobias agreed with her, though if he had not, she would have informed their brother anyway.  Their father was only going to get worse and Nathan deserved to spend some time with him before he was gone.  If he decided to stay away … well, that was his choice.

Bess turned her full attention on Tobias when he said he was engaged.  The news didn’t really surprise her.  He and Sally had been friends since they were children and she had grown up to be a pretty young woman.  She thought that both of them were a bit too young to wed, but as they had known each other all their lives, perhaps it would work out.  She understood the timing too.  Tobias wanted to marry while his father was still alive.  It would give him hope for the future of the Appleton family.

She did notice that his eyes didn’t light up with excitement when he spoke of Sally, which sent warning bells off in her mind.  “Congratulations,” Bess said with a genuine smile.  “When did the two of you realize that you wanted to be more than friends?"