Ruin in the Roses by Fiona Grace

Author:Fiona Grace [Grace, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiona Grace
Published: 2024-05-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next morning, Alice felt the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for children looking a pile of wrapped presents on a birthday morning as a delivery truck, painted in a vibrant shade of green that seemed to echo the lushness of its cargo, backed up into the driveway of Château DuPont, its rear doors nearly bursting open to reveal rows upon rows of potted plants.

"Here they are," Alice said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice as she approached the vehicle.

Marco walked up beside her, his gaze taking in the array of greenery. "You've got quite the selection here, Alice."

With care, they began to unload the plants, setting them gently onto the gravel path. Each pot contained a world of potential—verdant leaves waiting to unfurl under the Provence sun, roots eager to stretch into rich soil. Marco picked up a fragrant basil and inhaled deeply, the scent mingling with the warm notes of earth still clinging to his hands.

"Where do you think this one should go?" he asked, looking over at Alice whose fingers were already caressing the feathery fronds of a fennel plant.

“Closer to the kitchen,” she replied without hesitation. “That way it will be handy whenever anyone needs it.”

They moved through the collection, each plant sparking a vision within Alice's mind's eye of how the château's grounds would transform. They discussed the best placement for the marjoram, the savory, the sage, and the parsley and organized the hibiscus, calendula, nasturtium, and dianthus while kneeling in the garden.

“This will be beautiful and practical, Alice,” Marco said, brushing dirt off his hands as he stood up.

“I hope so. I keep thinking about the château’s long history. I want the garden to tell a story as you move through it, starting with the roses and moving along to the basil and the chives. All of it will be edible.” Assuming I find all the hidden hemlock and get rid of it.

"Sounds perfect," Marco agreed. He extended his hand to help Alice up.

“You two better clean up.” Sophie walked out into the garden accompanied by Jean-Baptiste. “It’s nearly time to leave for the wine fest.”

“Right!” Alice said. She could imagine what she looked like in her gardening clogs and overalls. “Give me ten minutes.”

It was closer to fifteen by the time she returned to the garden wearing a pair of slim-fitting dark trousers with a white t-shirt under a linen jacket. She had a scarf draped around her neck that could add extra warmth if the day turned chilly. Marco had on jeans and an untucked button-down shirt, his dark hair curling onto his collar. She stopped for a second in the doorway as her heart did a little flipflop. She was going to a wine fest in Provence with a handsome man who cared about the same things she cared about. How lucky could one woman get?

Jean-Baptiste ushered them all into the car and they were off with a party atmosphere in the car.

“Sophie, is there a reason Château DuPont isn’t participating in the wine fest?” Alice asked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.