Penny was, of course, pleased that Matt seemed pleased to see her despite her lengthy absence. Her entire face brightened at his greeting. "Good day, Matt, and please, no need for such formalities. I've been kept away but I'm still just Penny," she insisted, amused by the immediate way he picked up the formal address but she received so much of that at home that she enjoyed being more relaxed with her friends, just as she was with her sister. "I just wanted to visit and bring you some new books," Penny declared, approaching the counter and proudly placing her latest selections on the counter. "I've missed coming to town and I've missed our conversations." She was entirely earnest in her words and demeanor, guileless and sincere.
"Thank you," she said, accepting the seat he offered and smoothing her skirts as she sat. "I am doing well, I think. I'm feeling much better, though it was difficult to avoid my mother for awhile. She was a bit overly concerned with my illness and hardly let me out of her sight. But she's distracted again, as she tends to get, and I've returned. I've had some interesting adventures, you know." She found herself eager to share things that had happened her, even they could hardly be compared to the adventures in the stories she brought to share.