Page 74 of A Murder in Trinity Lane
Cosmos blinked. “Botanically speaking, it blooms year-round under the right care.”
Claire fluttered her lashes, like a butterfly in heat. “I wasn’t speaking ofthisgarden, Lord Rosehaven. But my own.”
My brother brightened with enthusiasm. “If there’s a part of your garden that’s struggling, Lady Edmunds, I’d be glad to take a look. I’ve had success with some rather finicky blooms.”
Claire tilted her head, eyes dancing. “Oh, I have a patch that could use your expert touch. Perhaps you’d call on me one morning and see if you can make it bloom.”
I rolled my eyes skyward. For heaven’s sake!
Cosmos, oblivious to the double entendre, nodded with enthusiasm. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Perhaps we might move on to the alpine house,” I suggested before Claire could make another outrageous remark.
“Excellent idea,” said Nathaniel, seizing the opportunity to redirect the group. “Lady Rosalynd, may I?” He offered me his arm, and I took it.
The party began to drift toward the far side of the gardens, where the alpine collection was housed—a cool, stone-edged enclave shaded by slatted trellises and glasswork designed to mimic high-altitude sunlight.
“These alpine houses are among my favorite places in all of Kew,” Nathaniel said. “There’s something noble about plants that survive on so little—sunlight, warmth, soil. And yet they thrive.”
“They do seem to favor adversity,” I murmured.
His expression turned thoughtful. “They’re shaped by their environment. Hardship trims away weakness. What remains is precise. Efficient. Beautiful, even.”
I glanced up at him, noting the slight intensity in his tone. “You sound as though you admire their tenacity.”
“I admire order,” he replied, his gaze forward. “Nature—real nature—is a discipline. A well-run household. A well-bred line. A controlled environment.”
Something cold and familiar tickled at the back of my mind. “And what happens when something unpredictable seeps in?”
He looked at me then, his smile quick and self-assured. “Then you remove the threat. Before it spreads.”
I returned his smile with a perfectly pleasant one of my own, even as my fingers tightened slightly around the crook of his arm.
“And what if the thing that seeps in is merely misunderstood?”
He gave a soft, cultured laugh. “You’re far more charitable than I am, Lady Rosalynd.”
Ahead, Cosmos called out something aboutSaxifraga oppositifolia, and the group paused to admire a small bank of flowering rocks.
Still linked with Nathaniel, I let my tone lighten as I asked, “Do you visit Kew often?”
“Often enough. My research keeps me close.”
“And your family?” I tilted my head slightly. “Do they share your passion for plants?”
His lips thinned just slightly. “My eldest brother is . . . unwell. He prefers solitude. Henry is more a creature of indulgence than inquiry.”
“And your aunt?”
Nathaniel’s steps slowed half a beat, but he recovered almost immediately. “A practical woman. Devoted to the family. She manages our household.”
I smiled gently. “How lucky you are—to have such a capable guardian of your legacy.”
“Yes,” he said, his tone softening. “We all do what we must to protect our family’s future.”
As the others drew near, I offered a final, idle remark. “Perhaps you’ll show me some of your research one day.”
His eyes met mine, unreadable. “Perhaps I will.”
