July 7th, 1763

I should have thought, that I couldn't hide anything from Harriet no matter how hard I tried. She knew immediately that something had happened in the garden. When Lord C left me at the Sweet William bushes, I was completely overwhelmed by his words. All Harriet had predicted was true. But I couldn't make sense of it. I went back to the house and run into my friend. She took me into my sitting room upstairs. There I retold her his words and Harriet smiled knowingly. We went to our rooms to change and met again to go to the dining parlour (since the second day the Osbertons stayed at Leyland, we decided that the dining room on the first floor was too formal for our small party and we then had our meals in the small parlour downstairs, where Lord c and I usually had breakfast.) the gentlemen weren't yet there and I got more and more nervous to see the man again, who nearly confessed his love to me. Harriet had no advice for me though; the hint to trust on 'what my feelings told me was right' was not really constructive. Then they came, Clive smiling affectionately at Harriet and courtly kissing her hand. Lord C doing the same, but holding my hand a bit longer and tighter than usual; as if to corroborate his words from/of (?) this afternoon.
Mr O took my hand and Lord C took Harriet's and the gentlemen lead us to our seats at the table. It was a very quiet dinner, as only the men spoke and the conversation mostly circulated around crop prices, land holders etc etc. Harriet flashed glances at me once in a while, but how could I have interjected anything into our husbands dialogue!? - After dinner I took refuge at the harp, my friend had no other choice as to continue her needlework and the men were either listening or talking to each other...