Blanche did so with mixed feelings. Not only did she resent the fact that she would have to spend part of the holiday in the company of Gentry Harrow, but also, at the back of her mind, she was aware of a growing problem connected with her family. Where her mother and Ernest were concerned, Blanche had become increasingly aware that their move to Colford had changed the situation between them and herself. With the distance being so much further, and a visit requiring a carriage ride, a ride on horseback, or a rather long walk, her visits had become less and less frequent over the years – and this was in addition to the already-present reserve that had so long ago taken root. Now, when Blanche visited the cottage at Colford she did not expect any closeness. Over the years she and her mother and brother had drifted further and further apart. The exposure of the growing estrangement between them came about towards the end of the Easter holidays that year, 1898. It was on a Friday, the day of Gentry’s expected arrival at the house, a bright, mid-April day when the sun shone with an unseasonal warmth.
