Chapter 5 - The Garden Girl
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The following morning, Adrian escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the main house to clear his head in the estate’s extensive botanical glasshouse.
Among the rare orchids and sprawling ferns, he found someone he didn't expect.
A young woman in earth-stained denim overalls and a simple green t-shirt was kneeling by the central fountain, carefully trimming a rare species of climbing rose. Dirt smudged her cheek, and her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun.
"You must be the new cook," she said without looking up, her voice light and cheerful. "I heard from the head gardener that you made duck confit last night. Smelled incredible all the way from the cottage."
Adrian paused, surprised by her bright, unpretentious tone. "I am. And you are?"
She stood up, wiping her hands on a cloth, and offered him a warm, genuine smile. "Maya. I'm the landscape restorer Mrs. Mercer hired to fix the historic rose garden. I usually work early before the heavy heat sets in."
Adrian looked at her extended hand, then at his own apron. "I'm Adrian."
"Nice to meet you, Adrian," Maya said, taking his hand anyway and shaking it warmly, completely unbothered by protocol or class.
She reached into her canvas tool bag and pulled out a wax-paper wrapped bundle. "Here. I picked these wild apples from the orchard near the creek this morning. They're crisp. You look like you need something real after dealing with the high-society drama inside."
Adrian took the apple, stunned by the simple gesture. "You know about the drama?"
Maya laughed—a rich, musical sound that had zero performance in it. "Everyone on the grounds knows. Miss Hale scolded the junior gardener yesterday because his shears were 'too loud' while she was reading on the porch. She acts like she owns the sunlight."
"Does it bother you?" Adrian asked, taking a bite of the apple. It was crisp and tart.
May you like
"Not really," Maya said softly, turning back to her roses. "People who treat others based on their job title usually have very empty lives. I just feel sorry for whoever that poor Mercer guy is supposed to marry her."
Adrian felt something shift in his chest—a sudden, sharp contrast between the artificial gold of Vanessa Hale and the unrefined diamond standing before him.
