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If Caleb had a title, he would have done.
And I might have gone for it. Unlike the majority of suitors my father shoved my way, I actually liked Caleb.
Although I did wonder if that was because he didn’t take any of Aunt Cat’s crap.
“Well, if you are done, you should come in and get some tea at the very last. It’s getting chilly.”
Alexander nodded. “You’re right. Miles, will you join us for some tea?”
He glanced at me, then shook his head. “No, thanks. I have to finish cleaning up and go home. The cat needs feeding.”
He had a cat?
He didn’t strike me as a cat person.
Didn’t strike me as an anything kind of person. Except a grumpy one, mind you.
“Are you sure?” I asked, fighting the urge not to shiver as a cloud moved and fully covered the sun. “Arthur is making a pot anyway.”
“I’m sure.” He picked up his tools and nodded at us. “Thanks for the help, Alex. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime, mate.”
Miles walked past me without looking at me, and I frowned, staring after him as he passed through the gate and into the public gardens.
“What’s wrong with you?” Alex put his arm around my shoulders.
I shrugged him off. “Do you see it now? How he’s rude and dismissive of me?”
“Now, Gabriella, I know this is hard for you, but not everybody has to like you.”
“I know that. There are plenty of people who don’t like me, but at least I know why. I’ve never done anything to him for him to not like me.”
“Why are you so bothered? You’ve talked about him for half the day, and now you’ve got your knickers in a twist because he didn’t talk to you.”
I straightened, sniffing indignantly. “I am not bothered, and my knickers are most certainly not in a twist, thank you very much.”
“You are. I know you.”
“Fine, okay.” I stopped and looked around, making sure nobody was near us. “I’ve asked him a few times while he’s been working about care for some specific plants for my schoolwork. I know I can look it up online, but there’s nothing better than getting it from someone who knows. I didn’t think I was bothering him, but obviously I was. I just—until today, Aunt Cat was the only one who knew that I was learning aside from Adelaide and Evangeline. Dad won’t be happy, and I simply want to complete the course so I can do something. Garden design, maybe. I don’t know.”
“Have you considered telling Miles that you’re doing this course? Perhaps he doesn’t want to help you because he thinks you’re being a nuisance or getting in his way. If you explained that you were only looking for some advice from an experienced gardener, he might be willing to help you.”
I made a noise that was neither here nor there. I didn’t think that would work at all, and there was the chance my father would find out. He would have to eventually, and I was under no illusions about that, but I wanted it to come from me.
“Oh, come on. I think you’re building this up into some big dramatic thing in your head. It won’t be that bad.”
“Alex, you’ve just seen it. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t help me. He doesn’t like me, and that’s fine.”
“The more you say it’s fine, the more I know it’s a bunch of bull.”
I swatted at him. “Oh, give over. I’m entitled to be a little put out if someone doesn’t like me for seemingly no reason. Either way, I’m sick and tired of talking about him now. Can we move on?”
“Fine, fine. Is Aunt Cat really not back yet?”
“Nope. She might be now, but she wasn’t when I came out.” I pushed open the mudroom door and stepped inside. It took me a moment to pull off my wellies and set them upside down on the boot rack. Why did they always get stuck on your feet?
“There you are! It’s about to rain!” Aunt Cat said when we walked into the kitchen. She held up a china teapot and smiled. “Here, Arthur made a pot of tea.”
I blinked at her. Was she serious right now? “Where on Earth have you been?”
“I’ve been right here all day. What do you mean?”
“Don’t lie,” I replied. “I know you haven’t been here, and you definitely were not in the kitchen a little while ago when I went out to get Alex. Arthur has been looking for you.”
“Oh, fine. I went into town and met Samantha for dinner. Is that better?”
“No, it’s not. Your bloody goats escaped again.”
“Did they? Did they have a nice time?”
I looked at Alex as if to say, “You see what I have to put up with?” and to his credit, he stepped forward.
“Aunt Cat,” he said in a soothing tone. “They caused carnage. They ate some of the bushes in the public gardens and it took us twenty minutes to get them back in between me and Miles.”
