Stealing Roses by Heather Cooper

Author:Heather Cooper [Cooper, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749024963
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2019-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

Eveline had a chance to exert her charms over Charles that very afternoon. Once she had written a letter of grateful thanks to Mr Fry, she had spent the rest of her morning clearing cobwebs and dust from the old potting shed, and moving her new camera in. Over luncheon, Aunt George and Miss Angell talked of nothing but chickens, George having once admired some Dorking fowl at a show, while Miss Angell – enjoying her unaccustomed role as the expert – pressed for Lincolnshire Buffs as the poultry of choice.

‘I should like to see your plans for the chicken run,’ said Eveline. ‘Will you show me where you will keep them? I know nothing of poultry-keeping and would be glad to learn.’

‘As long as they are hidden from sight, I do not care,’ said Mrs Stanhope. ‘I do not want visitors to see them.’

‘They will be quite tucked away,’ Aunt George assured her. ‘Even you will hardly know they are there.’

Eveline was intrigued to know where the chickens were to live, and her aunt and Miss Angell led her to the walled garden.

‘I know you have grand new designs for the roses,’ said Eveline, ‘you would not let the hens run in here, would you?’

‘We have changed our plans,’ said her aunt. ‘This will not be a rose garden; we will have the henhouse over in this corner, and we will take all the roses out of the beds. They will have plenty of ground to scratch at, and the walls will keep them hidden from view; we knew your mama would want that.’

‘But your roses!’ said Eveline. ‘You had such plans; you were to send for new varieties, and create such lovely vistas. Surely you will be sad to give that up?’

‘Oh, we will still have the mixed borders along the lawns, with space for new varieties if we wish,’ said her aunt, ‘and we will keep the climbing roses around the walls; they need not go. And chickens! It is a new adventure, and Maria knows a good deal about keeping poultry, it seems, though none of us had the least idea.’ She looked admiringly at her friend, who blushed and looked extremely pleased.

‘Then I think it will be a wonderful scheme,’ said Eveline, smiling.

‘Thank you, my dear; and we are most grateful to you, for telling us how things are. Poor Adelaide! We have been both blind and selfish; but we will be able to help now.’

‘No more blind or selfish than I, Aunt,’ said Eveline. ‘But we will make a little world of industry, far more noble than just living for pleasure, will we not?’

‘We will. And, Eveline, I think you have a visitor.’

Eveline turned to see Charles Sandham enter the walled garden.

‘Forgive me, ladies!’ he called. ‘Mrs Stanhope was kind enough to tell me I might find you here; she said I did not need to stand upon ceremony.’ He bowed elegantly to them all. ‘Perhaps we might walk a little, Miss Stanhope, if you are not too busy?’

‘Oh, certainly,’ said Eveline, ‘although I have a good deal to do.

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