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“What?”
“Read what I intend to say. You are particularly good at it,” he mused.
Tuppence shook her head. “It is a natural question really, isn’t it? You will have to ask Mark about what he knows, or Harriett for that matter.”
Something about what Tuppence had just said niggled away at Isaac until he was compelled to ask: “Have you fallen out with Harriett?”
Tuppence felt saddened while at the same time somewhat defensive. She had to remind herself that she shouldn’t be defensive around Isaac. What had happened wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t be blamed and therefore shouldn’t be on the receiving end of her annoyance at Mark, or Harriett for that matter.
“We were good friends, but our friendship has been – strained – of late,” Tuppence admitted.
“Strained?”
“Her husband arrested me for murder,” Tuppence replied dryly. “Do you not think that is enough to challenge any friendship?” She had no idea why she was being this forthright. Isaac was unlikely to be interested in her friendship.
“Mark was just doing his job.”
“I know, but he should have at least heard my side of the story before he condemned me,” Tuppence snapped. “He just saw the field I was standing in, the blood on my hands, and made the same assumptions as the villagers. He knows me, and even he didn’t believe me when I told him that I would never do anything like that.”
“What about Harriett? How has your friendship become strained?”
“I have been rather b
usy lately. Over the last few years, especially since Harriett has been married, I have visited her and taken tea at her house. However, there have been times when it was difficult for me to get to her because of the farm, and the endless list of chores I have to carry out to keep the animals fed and looked after.”
“And?”
Tuppence sighed. “It hasn’t occurred to Harriett to visit me. I am expected to do all the running about and go to her all the time.”
“Ah.” Isaac pursed his lips. “You were expected to visit her every time you agreed to meet.”
“I know she has the children to look after, but they might have liked to see the farm animals and Baxter. However, Harriett hasn’t taken the time out of her busy day to make the journey to see me. I have always been expected to abandon my chores, the farm, the land, the animals, to travel to her. I know it sounds rather churlish, but while I was busy with harvesting, I really didn’t have the time to go and see her like I would, say, if it was winter. When I saw her in town in passing, she was rather distant and made a pointed remark about me not having been to see her in a while. She clearly didn’t want to contemplate what my responsibilities were at the farm or put herself out to visit me even to see if I was all right. She was annoyed that I hadn’t dropped everything on the farm and left the animals to starve to see her. It’s selfish.”
“Then her husband arrested you for a crime you didn’t commit.”
“I don’t think our friendship can survive now,” Tuppence announced flatly, unsure if she was all that upset or not. “But given how selfish and inconsiderate Harriett has been of late, I cannot see that I want to try to repair it. It is another duty, another responsibility that I am expected to carry the burden of. That’s not friendship.”
“I have to admit that it does sound rather selfish of Harriett to not consider what your ownership of a farm involves. What I would urge is for you to remember is that if Harriett hasn’t been to the farm, she probably has no idea what life there involves. She might therefore be ignorant of how much responsibility you have.”
“Are you saying that I am being too harsh on her?” Tuppence asked, a little annoyed that he would side with Mark’s wife.
“No. There is no reason why she shouldn’t come and visit you. However, maybe a lot of her behaviour is founded on ignorance of your situation. Life on a farm is harsh, even for my men. I have no idea how you have managed to run Hilltop Farm by yourself.” Isaac grinned at her and guided the carriage through a gate before he leaned back and continued: “I am not saying that you can’t run it. It is just a far harsher life than most women would accept or even understand. Harriett needs to see what you have and how much effort it takes to run it before she can criticise you for not running around after her too.”
“It is all I have known – the farm. I don’t understand how I can be friends with someone who has no idea what life on a farm involves. I mean, it is a large part of my life. We have been friends for years. How can she not know what I do?”
“Have you discussed it with her? Your life on the farm, I mean?” Isaac prompted.
“Well, yes.”
Isaac pursed his lips and didn’t speak for a few moments.
“She hasn’t been listening to me, has she?” Tuppence announced in disgust.
“I think that she doesn’t understand the amount of work you have to do,” Isaac edged, although to him it did indeed sound like Harriett hadn’t paid the slightest bit of attention to Tuppence’s account of her lifestyle.
Before he caused any more discord between the friends, Isaac turned his attention to guiding the carriage to a stop at the back of the barn. He jumped down and stalked around the horse to help Tuppence down only to find that she had climbed down by herself. Rolling his eyes, he smiled ruefully at her before he followed her toward the farmhouse.
“What?” Tuppence demanded when she saw the look on Isaac’s face. “What’s funny?”
