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    Later on in the morning, and seeing that they had the house to themselves until the evening, Celia decided to take a walk in the wooded area. The air of early summer was still chilly refusing to let go of spring. She put on her sturdy new boots and her new burgundy walking dress with its warm cloak and went and asked Bella and her mother if they would like to join her. Both declined, for they were excited about the only new clothes they had had in years and anticipated a happy day indoors prancing around in them and showing them off to each other in their large bedroom suite.
    Celia was happier at being alone with her thoughts, for she had much to think about and she was always able to do this better when she walked.
    She went down the elegant winding stairs, catching sight of parlor maids at their chores and found her way out the back door. She crossed the large formal garden filled with late spring roses and headed toward the wood, breathing the jasmine and lavender from the gardens and glad to be alive, no matter that there were many things unsettling her.
    The responsibility of her family had lifted from her shoulders, or at least it was now to be shared by Uncle Worth.
    How big a price they were to pay for it she was still not sure, for certainly their reception was not a good omen.
    Thoughts crisscrossed her mind and before long she was deep into the wood, enjoying the fresh scent of laurel and the sounds of scurrying animals, the twittering of birds and the cool air in a morning redolent of rosemary, laurel and pine. How wonderful it was not to smell the acrid smells and coal smoke of the city and instead breathe air scented with myriad lovely scents. Although she loved the hustle and bustle of the great metropolis and had been happy to be in the most important city in the world, she still felt that the conditions in which they had lived there detracted from their enjoyment of it. It was also a good rest from air heavy with coal smoke where you felt that if you raised your arm you could touch the heavy dark clouds that oppressed the space above you.
    Celia’s new clothes added to her feeling of well-being as she felt the bracken under her well-made calf boots and felt her cape with its fur collar pleasantly warm against the cool air. Looking ahead to the winter, Celia had insisted that she, her mother and Bella all have double wool long capes with hoods; this against her mother’s insistence that they should not worry about winter when they were only approaching the first days of summer. Celia’s was in a rich butterscotch color with a darker fur rim along the hood. Bella had chosen a lavender cape with white fur on the hood that contrasted with her dark hair while their mother had chosen her cape in royal blue, all the time insisting the money would be better spent on light spring and summer coats, that they should not spend any of their funds for autumn or winter garb.
    Celia realized what a good feeling new, well cut clothes gave one and felt and determined to concentrate on the brighter aspects of their new life rather than on the darker ones still yet to be resolved, such as the obvious enmity from Caroline that she had already displayed by ignoring their arrival.
    And having the responsibility of her family lightened for her she would now be able to concentrate more on her painting. Her goal was to be able to become independent from the sale of sketches and portraits and then be able to paint anything she pleased, for however much her family enjoyed being now Uncle Worth's wards, Celia had no intention of being herself dependent on Uncle Worth for the rest of her life.
    In spite of their dependent position, Bella, being young and beautiful might make a match even though she had no dowry. As for herself, Celia knew that being outside of society had given her the freedom to paint which she would have to fight hard to keep in her new surroundings.
    Society did not look well on female painters, though