My interest is piqued, and I nod in agreement. “Of course, Mayor Marshal.”
“Good.” He squeezes my shoulder. “I know Robert was looking for you. Why don’t you find him so I don’t have to look at his mopey face any longer?”
It is a clear dismissal but one that I am happy to take, a genuine smile pulling at my lips. Robert is one of the other main reasons I enjoy coming to the village. He is the mayor’s son. My heart flutters in my chest as though a hundred butterflies are gathered there, a mixture of nerves and excitement making my movements clumsy as I climb from the chair and quickly exit the room.
He is quiet and reserved compared to the other young men in Brine. You might expect him to lord over others with his social status and wealth, however he could not be further from that. We became friends several years ago when we were both trying to avoid the harvest festival, not wanting to be surrounded by so many people. Commiserating with each other about organised “fun,” we bonded over our dislike of large events. After that, our friendship blossomed, and in the last six months, something changed between us. We are not officially together, and we have not even shared a kiss. The most intimate gesture we have managed so far is holding hands, but I do not think it will be long before he asks me to date him.
It does not take me long to track him down, and I find him in the library. Knocking lightly on the door, I smile shyly as he looks up from his book.
“Iris.” His face lights up, making my cheeks heat with a blush. Placing his book on a low coffee table, he walks over to me. “How are you? I heard there was an incident in the marketplace?”
Wow, gossip really does travel quickly. A faint blush flushes my cheeks, but I give him a small smile anyway. “It was a bit of a shock, but I am okay. Thank you for asking.”
He smiles and reaches out, brushing his hand against my face as he pushes back a strand of my hair. We stand together, close but not touching, the heat from his body warming my own. Although I still have an excited flutter in my chest, I feel my whole body begin to calm. The peace Robert carries around with him is contagious.
“Would you like to go for a walk in the gardens?” he asks, breaking the comfortable silence between us.
Clearing my throat, I dip my head in response. “That sounds lovely.”
Although the manor house is lovely, I feel the pull of nature outside, a call that is impossible for me to ignore. Robert and I walk side by side, exiting the back of the house and making our way through the manicured garden. Behind the house and garden is a field that also belongs to the mayor and his family. The perfectly cut plants and mowed grasses give way to a wilder, freer place for nature to bloom. Wildflowers fill the space, and it always evokes a happiness in me, including now as I spin through the tall grasses, grazing the flowers with my fingers. Out here, I feel completely uninhibited. Robert watches me, but I know he does not judge me for my behaviour. He might not understand my fascination with flowers, but he does not stop me from indulging.
We don’t speak for a long time, but we do not need to—our communication goes beyond words. There is so much noise in our world that being together like this is bliss. It gives me a greater chance to reach out into the plants and sense what they need. These plants are happy, and that feeds my soul with joy.
We eventually reach a large oak tree at the far end of the field that we have adopted as our spot and sit under it, using the shade from the leafy canopy. It is a hot day, and the air is dry, yet this field flourishes. I love to come here, and the spot where Robert and I sit always has such a beautiful array of flowers, ones that I did not know could grow in this climate.
Leaning back against the tree trunk, I rest against Robert’s shoulder, my fingers running through the grass beside me. The heat quickly lulls me into a light doze, the warmth playing over my skin. At some point, Robert puts his arm around me, pulling me farther against him. I don’t protest. His hand migrates up to my hair, and he runs his fingers through it. His touch is magical, and I relax into it, my body melting as the sensation.
“We could leave all of this behind.”
Robert’s voice startles me out of my daze, and I rest my hand against his chest as I sit upright to face him. I must not have heard him right, because it sounds as though he is suggesting we run away together.
“What?” Blinking rapidly, I brush sleep from my eyes. “What about our families?”
“Don’t you want to get away from all the bureaucracy of the village?” he asks quietly, yet there is a fire burning in his eyes. “I know you enjoy your quiet life outside the walls, and I would do anything to have that freedom.” Grabbing my hands, he holds them tightly in his. “Our families might object, but they cannot stop us. We are of age. You and I, Iris, are different. We don’t fit in here.”
Everything he says is true, and for a moment, I daydream of what it would be like if the two of us moved away and started a life somewhere new where no one knew us. I could tend to my private garden, and he would get a job in a local library or as a historian in another town. We would keep to ourselves and live happily together.
A daydream is all it could ever be though. There is no time for fairy tales in my life, not when it could never happen. My expression drops, and I hope he can see just how much I wish his idea would work.
“I cannot just leave my mother and sister, Robert. What about my father? They need the money from my flowers—”
He stops me by squeezing my hands again. “Iris, your family would be fine without you. They are only under so much scrutiny because of you. If we left, they would not have to live on the outskirts of society anymore.” Realising what he just said, he frowns and shakes his head in regret. “I’m sorry, I don’t say any of this to hurt you.”
His words do hurt, especially due to the factheis saying them. He has never judged me or spoken badly of me, so thisharsh reality check has come as a shock. In fact, I feel each one of his words cutting through me to reach the most vulnerable parts of myself. The worst part is, all of them are true.
“No, you are right, I am a burden. You certainly would not want to take me with you.” I look at him with a shaky smile as I climb to my feet, brushing down my dress in a hurry. “I need to return. My family will be wondering what happened to me.” My eyes sting with tears I refuse to let fall. I will not cry, not over something like this.
Robert’s eyes widen as he realises that he upset me, and he stumbles to his feet. “Iris, wait—”
I don’t wait. Instead I pick up my pace and hurry back to the manor house. My family might manage well without me, but they would miss me if I were gone. I am sure of it.
Then why do I have an uncomfortable, sinking sensation in my stomach?
Chapter Three
The cottage is empty when I get back. My mother and sister must still be in the village. Good, I need to be alone right now. Heading straight through to the back garden, I immerse myself in my work, weeding, watering, and pruning my plants until my whole body aches. The usual sense of calm gardening brings me is not helping today, though, and I feel more unsettled than ever.
Sinking into the grass, I look at the small patch of irises to my right. They are beautiful, their purple and yellow petals giving off a sweet floral scent. My sister and I are named after flowers, and with a surname like Bloom, there is no surprise that at least one of us would be obsessed with plants.