“Janine, thank you so much for chaperoning me,” I turned to my lady’s maid and my dear friend. She was indeed a sight to behold. A little on the rounder side and with her plump and ever so flushed cheeks she was an epitome of bubbliness. Never have I seen her bitter nor pessimistic, but rather cheerful with a streak of hopeless curiosity.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Ashlyn.” she smiled sweetly. It took a long time and plenty of insistence to persuade her to call me only by my name.

“Mama and Papa mustn’t know about this,” I conspiringly whispered to her as I leaned forward in my seat.

His Grace Baxter Read lived on the outskirts of London, so it took us considerably longer to reach his townhouse - therefore if not prepared, such a long trip might rise suspicion.

“Is this some kind of a secret engagement, Miss?” She stared at me wide-eyed. “Are you certain this is completely safe...?” There was a nervous twitch in her lower lip. She continued to anxiously fidget in her seat, cranking her neck to assess the unfamiliar surroundings.

“Nonsense, His Grace would never harm me,” I stated with an utmost certainty. “And no, this is not some kind of a secret rendezvous, Janine.” I sighed with exasperation. “I only promised him I will take a look at his rose garden.”

“Then why Lady and Lord Caldwell mustn’t know about this?” Her expression was a mixture of confusion and wonder.

“He is a Duke, Janine. And really wealthy one at that.”

“I still don’t understand,” she pouted, looking out of the windows of the hired carriage.

“If my Papa would’ve found out about him, or this,” I widened my arms to indicate our little secret expedition. “I would be instantly married to him.”

“But you said that he is wealthy, kind and handsome. So, what do you have against marrying him?”

I never said that he is handsome!” I hissed, feeling my cheeks redden.

“Oh,” she hurriedly straightened her slouched posture. “I must have heard wrong then.”

My eyes wildly flickered toward her. “You must have!” I hissed with outrage.

“I still don’t understand why didn’t you take Lady Abigail, wouldn’t she be much more suitable chaperone than your lady’s maid, Miss?”

“Under no circumstance!” I laughed bitterly. “That woman is as mean as they come and I don’t trust her!” I had to take a few long breaths to calm my nerves. “Besides she is probably preoccupied with Lord Aidan.”

Not to mention all the preposterous rumors she would spread about me and Baxter Read.

“What made you despise her so?” Janine inquired while resting her head against the door.

My dearest aunt was a piranha, with her sharp gritting teeth readied to chomp off everything and everyone that threatened her well thought-out plans. “That is a story for another day,” my eyes widened when I recognized the coachman’s description of Baxter’s estate. “Look. I believe we are here.”

I turned to Janine, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “Janine, whatever you do, just... behave yourself.”

Her eyes went so wide I was afraid they would roll out of her sockets. “But of course, Miss!”

“Good, because here he goes.”

The door of our carriage flung open. “L-Lady Ashlyn!”

And there he was, Baxter Read in all of his glory. His honey brown hair disarranged by the soft blows of the wind, his tousled strands obviously a normalcy to him. The amber in his eyes sparkled as he took me in.

“Your Grace,” I curtsied after he helped me exit the carriage.

He finally noticed Janine standing beside me.

“Oh! P-Pardon me, M-Miss…” His forehead creased with confusion when he couldn’t recognize my companion.

“Oh, don’t mind me, Your Grace!” Janine dismissively waved her hand and clumsily curtsied in front of him.

“This is my lovely and very capable lady’s maid Janine,” I gave her a brief smile. “She is chaperoning me today, because my aunt…” I trailed off. “Well, you can probably imagine why she isn’t with me.”

“Y-yes, I a-am afraid I can,” Baxter Read stuttered.

Janine gaped at him as if he was a wild animal - the kind adventurers described from their travels to exotic foreign lands. The poor woman’s mouth was hanging open as she was clearly taken aback by his very pronounced speech impediment.

I threw her a warning glare the minute he turned around. Stop it! I mouthed.

She immediately jerked her head away, ashamed of her improper manners.

That was when I had a first chance to admire the view in front of me.

I took a step forward, gasping at the lovely three-story red brick house. Its exterior was riddled with ivy which ran past green shutters, climbing all the way to the roof. There were no flamboyant decorations, the building was spacious yet simple.

“It’s so beautiful!” I exclaimed, completely stunned by its cozy and comforting atmosphere.

“Y-you think s-so?” His Grace Read smiled proudly. “T-Thank you, M-My Lady.”

“Absolutely!”

What made his estate so captivating was the astonishing variety of plants. The charming mixture of beech, maple trees and weeping willows towered over the impressive collection of tropical flowers and shrubs. It was as though he created his private little paradise – so lush and surreal it made me forget I was still amidst the noisy and dirty streets of London. As we walked along the sandy path, both me and Janine admired the rich apple trees. Their branches were curved underneath the ripe scarlet fruits, inviting me to pick one.

“I a-am normally rarely here, s-so my housekeepers e-are taking c-care of the h-house t-through the y-year. I am m-mostly at m-my estate in M-Manchester. I o-only come h-here to t-tend my garden.”

That explains why I’ve never seen him before.

“I p-prefer solace, r-rather than the c-crowded and s-smelly s-streets of the city,” he continued.

The latter didn’t surprise me. From what I’ve witnessed at Lord Aidan’s ball it was apparent he preferred to withdraw from the constant suffocating noise.

“I understand,” I nodded sympathetically.