Penny was happy to see Gen as she came across the yard to greet her and she dismounted from Copper as quickly as she was able. As usual, there was little grace to the way Penny dismounted but Gen, she knew that Gen, at least, wouldn't mind. "Oh, Gen! It's so good to see you, too!" Penny exclaimed, throwing her arms around her sister in delight. Indeed, it had been far too long since she'd been in her sister's company, she realized as she soaked in the sight of her sister.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner," she said quickly. "I took ill last month and Mother wouldn't let me out of her sight, even after I recovered. I'm sure you heard. But I'm better now and I Mother and Father were busy so I thought I would come. It's not a bad time, is it?" she asked, fretting as she was apt to do.