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sisters could agree.

CHAPTER FIVE
    M imi would never approve of my hiking shorts. The elastic in the waistband would send her into spasms, and the gray nylon fabric might really push her over the edge. I untucked my plain white polo shirt. That at least hid my stomach. Gray hiking boots and an olive green rain jacket, which I cinched around my waist, completed my fashion statement.
    “I’m really not up for this,” I said to my reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Can't I call in sick?”
    I wasn't sure where to stash the diary. I scanned the room, deciding against a drawer in the nightstand or the dresser. If I left it under the mattress, the maid might find it. In one corner, a small bookshelf boasted a row of antique-looking books amid the knickknacks. The books were clearly for ornamental purposes, not actual reading, and I doubted anyone ever paid much attention to them, except when the maid flicked a feather duster over their tops.
    “Perfect.” I slid the diary into the row of books, not in the center but not on the end either.
    The safety of the diary was ensured by its anonymity. I gathered up my daypack and my water bottle, slipped my room key in my pocket, and left to join the others.
    They were waiting for me on the rear terrace. If Tom was irritated, he didn't show it. Mimi was happily ensconced at one of the tables next to her latest target. Daniel rose from his chair and came toward me.
    “I thought we might be hiking buddies today.”
    “Great.” I smiled the same forced smile I’d been using all my life.
    Tom stepped into the middle of the group and motioned for us to gather around him. “Good morning, everyone. Today we’ll set off for Steventon to see the site of the rectory where Jane Austen was born and where she spent the first twenty-five years of her life. For those of you who’ve never hiked before, let me give you a few tips.”
    I tried to ignore Daniel's presence next to me and concentrate on what Tom was saying, but how could I? Even after all these years, I could stand next to him and feel that strange, almost electric hum run through me.
    “Please make sure to drink plenty of water. Also, let me know at the first sign of any problem with your boots. It's always best to stay ahead of blisters rather than treat them after the fact.”
    I looked over at Mimi. She and Ethan were whispering to one another and paying no attention to Tom at all.
    “You’ll soon find your natural pace. It's not necessary for everyone to stay together all the time. We’ll stop periodically for everyone to catch up.” Tom picked up his small backpack. “If there aren't any questions, then let's set off.”
    We made our way from the rear of the hotel, down the paved path I’d followed the day before, when I met Daniel. We moved onto a rutted footpath and began making our way around a field of grain that was knee high and a warm blue-green color, like the sea. England was exactly what I’d always pictured. Country lanes trimmed in green hedgerows, elegant stands of trees, a cloudless sky as blue as a robin's egg. If it hadn't been for the man next to me, I would have reveled in the beauty around me.
    “I’m glad to see you again,” Daniel said as we walked side by side where the path had widened to a dusty road. “I’m even happier you’re still speaking to me. I didn't do a very good job of staying in touch.”
    I turned to him, surprised. “Why wouldn't I speak to you?” I forced my voice to its normal tone, but a spasm of panic tightened my belly.
    “Ellen—”
    “You don't owe me any apologies or explanations. I didn't keep up with many of my college friends. Most people don’t.”
    “At the time, I didn't know that you—”
    “The others are stopping up there. Maybe we should catch up.” I wasn't about to let him open that can of worms. I’d never acknowledged my feelings to him when we were younger, and I certainly wasn't about to do so now.
    I hurried forward to join up with