COMPLETE, THANKS BE TO BOB
More tea arrived, along with dessert, and Peony was happy to sit back and enjoy the conversation on various light topics - in which she mostly took little part. Fortunately, some of these ladies were more talkative than others, although they all managed to enjoy each other's company to some degree despite their differences. She, too, found a measure of contentment in being among them on this sunny day, despite her cold and the many duties awaiting her when she returned to the tower.
When they adjourned and said their farewells, she found herself leaving in a far better mood than she had come. Church, followed by good company and delicious food, never failed to lift her spirits.