("Poppycock!" OH gosh, I died laughing! I love that post, hahaha)

Hearing horses ride by on his first pass through, well it definitely caught her attention. Only important people, or those doing the bidding of the important people, rode horses, so it piqued her curiosity something fierce. She initially stopped what she was doing to watch them, completely forgetting the turnips at the moment, and she wondered to herself who they were. Some noble man, she supposed, riding off with his guard, and her mind wandered to thoughts of what could call him away like that - perhaps a hunt or a visit to another manor or...

"Look away, child," scolded her mother in a hushed tone when she saw Josephina so blatantly staring. "Foolish child."

That jarred her out of it and she turned back to the garden patch in front of her, although still stealing the occasional glance. She just couldn't help herself. But when she saw they slowed and turned around, her heart rate quickened and she chided herself mentally for boldly staring at the nobility like that. She knew better, and they must have noticed, and oh boy was she ever in trouble now. She stole a glance over at her mother, and could read on her face that she was thinking the same - that girl never did learn how to mind her own business, and now look at what she gone and did.

When he was near enough that his intentions of speaking with her, or having her punished, or whatever was to befall poor Jo, she scrambled to turn herself so that she was kneeling in his direction, out of respect. She still stole the occasional glimpse up at him, and fear and guilt was written plain as day in her expression. However, the way he addressed her, in addition to his smile, quickly turned that to pure confusion.

"Ah, good mornin, mi'lord," she responded hesitantly at first, still unsure whether she was in trouble or not. "My father... no, mi'lord, he is out working our acre with my brother, I swear." If this was about her father instead, well, by no means was she going to let him think that her father was being lazy and not working the land given to them, and it was the truth anyway. That was what those in power worried about, right? Lazy peasants not paying their taxes? Or something, she really wasn't sure. Her mind was racing as none of this made sense to her. "I can go and fetch him for you, if you like?"