"TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; "
Robert Frost (1874–1963), The Road Not Taken 1920.
Callista is standing behind Juniper in the post office queue when Juniper comes to collect her parcel. Juniper bumps into Callista on her way out and drops the parcel. Some letters and newspaper clippings spill out. Callista helps to pick up the papers and Juniper leaves.
At this moment Callista recalls that she had seen Juniper before and makes the connection with the conversation at the exhibition. She quickly notes down Juniper's address as she had glimpsed it in the parcel, realising Juniper lives only a few streets away on the other side of Kensington.
Callista and Auden contrive to meet with Juniper and somehow get in on the game.
Juniper put down her book.
"So where did you meet Auden, anyway?"
Callista sighed, inspecting a well-manicured finger for chips in the polish.
"Darling, I've known him forever - our mothers were at school together"
"Has he always been this unpleasant?"
"Oh yes, trauma of a boarding-school childhood and all that."
Juniper felt little sympathy and frowned, her green eyes luminous in the dappled sunlight from the oak trees.
"I don't think you should allow your childhood experiences to define you - the best people transcend them."
Callista rolled over on the picnic blanket and dusted stray grass from her tunic.
"Oh really, you do set such high ideals for everybody."
Juniper looked out across the Round Pond to the gazebo in the distance.
"I simply don't think any amount of schoolyard bullying and gruel for supper justifies behaving like a complete pig all of the time. Doesn't he realise how beastly he is being?"
"Of course he does darling, he just doesn't care - that's his peculiar malicious charm."
"Well, I won't stick it.", said Juniper.
Callista through coincidence and meeting, manages to become friendly enough with Juniper for Juniper to share some of her plans. Juniper shares that she and Alex are planning to travel through Oxfordshire.
Callista displays polite interest and says wistfully that she too would like to do something similar, but money does not permit. She asks Juniper to write and share her adventures. Juniper, delighted to have made a new friend in London, agrees to do so.
The first letter arrives from Juniper a few days later. It tells of their adventures, and outlines their plans. Callista and Auden plot to cross paths at Lacock. Callista redirects her mail, so she can pick up the trail when they arrive.
Juniper and Alex meet a bad-tempered Dominican friar called Alfred.
"Not very impressive for Domini Canes..."
"Hounds of the Lord? I suppose small, yappy terrier of the Lord lacks a certain something."
"Teeth, perhaps...".
They walked on down the street, sniggering quietly.
The baddies have followed a false clue and are in a most unpleasant village populated by unfriendly yokels.
