Love Came From Heaven Page 4

“Miss Jerrold will have picked them for me as she knows how much I love their scent.”

  The Earl came over and stood beside Selena.

  He reached out a long finger and picked up one of the slender stems with its tiny bell-like flowers.

  “They are sensational,” Selena whispered, her face glowing with pleasure.

  “Right, then. Miss Jerrold lives in one of the estate cottages not far from the main house. Will you wait here, Miss Norton?”

  Before she could plead with him not to leave her alone, the Earl had left the room.

  Selena sat down again, feeling, despite the warmth of the fire, a chill down her spine.

  She laced her hands together and buried them in her lap. She was sure that this Miss Jerrold would not want an unknown assistant foisted upon her.

  Then another thought struck her.

  What if the Earl knew that Miss Jerrold would not want her? The fact that the housekeeper had not expressed surprise when he mentioned her name meant that someone called that actually did exist, but it was possible that the Earl was going to reappear and say that Selena was not wanted.

  Perhaps he had planned it that way? Maybe he was going to make some other suggestion?

  What had she let herself in for?

  Feeling worried she realised that it was already getting dark, how would she get back to the station?

  And would there be another train to London?

  And what would she do even if there was?

  She had no money and nowhere to go.

  Selena’s thoughts whirled round and round in her head.

  It had all seemed so simple when the Earl was there, but had she, in all innocence, allowed herself be trapped in a disastrous situation?

  CHAPTER THREE

  It was not long before the Earl reappeared, but to Selena it seemed like an age.

  All the time he was away she was remembering Mr. Anstruther’s appalling behaviour that had led to Beatrice’s vicious attack on her and the way that the Belgian Count had tried to seduce her.

  And then there was the time, Enid, the middle one of the Bathurst girls, had flown fiercely at her with the accusation that Selena was stealing her beau.

  It seemed that everywhere she went men had only one idea.

  How could she expect the Earl to be any different?

  Then the door opened, he came in and for Selena it was as if a light had been switched on.

  Once more a little electric thrill surged through her.

  No other man had ever made her feel this way and her reaction to him suddenly made her uneasy.

  “There’s a cold March wind now,” the Earl told her coming over to the fire and warming his hands. “I’m glad it waited until after we had crossed the Channel. Now, I’ve spoken to Miss Jerrold and she wants to meet you.”

  For a moment Selena had forgotten where he had gone. When she realised what he had said, she sat a little straighter in her chair and tried to look intelligent.

  “Does she think she would like me as an assistant, my Lord?”

  He smiled at her kindly.

  “First, she wants to meet and talk to you.”

  Selena picked up the mantle she had removed while sitting by the fire and followed the Earl out of the room.

  They walked down the dim passage, but this time, instead of heading for the stable yard, the Earl led the way through gardens which appeared totally neglected.

  Box hedges were uncut, an empty ornamental pond looked forlorn, shrubs in need of pruning and flower beds full of weeds.

  In a far corner a young man vigorously wielded a fork. A wheelbarrow full of weeds suggested he had been at the job for some time.

  Selena reckoned that dealing with the whole garden would take a great deal of effort.

  They passed into what looked as though it had once been a spectacular rose garden, but the standard roses had lost their shape and the shrub roses were stifled by weeds.

  Selena thought it was one of the saddest sights she had ever seen.

  Round the rose garden was a high yew hedge badly in need of trimming.

  Selena followed the Earl through a large arch in the hedge and across a wide strip of grass.

  He opened a gate onto a crazy paving path that led to a sweet little cottage.

  Here everything was neatly ordered. On either side of the path were carpets of primroses and violets. Selena could not help stopping to look at the effect they made.

  “All these were Miss Jerrold’s idea,” he explained, watching her transfixed expression. “She enjoys exploiting native plants.”

  “Why go abroad to solve your problems when you have perfect answers at home?” came a new voice.

  The door of the cottage had opened and standing there was a tall woman in a severe skirt and tweed jacket. Her hair was in two plaits wound into circles over her ears and she was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles.

  Selena thought that she looked about forty years of age.

  “So, Alex, this is the Miss Norton you were telling me about?”

  Light blue eyes in a leathery-skinned face shrewdly surveyed Selena, who stood in the charming garden feeling inadequate.

  This was a very competent professional woman and most unlikely to take as her assistant a little Society miss who had no experience and knew nothing.

  “Well, I suppose you should come in. Martha has just produced tea. Alex, you go off and do something in your workshop. You can come back later and see what has been decided.”

  The Earl grinned.

  “Right-oh, Jemima. Be gentle with her!”

  He smiled, raised his hand to Selena, gave her an encouraging smile and walked swiftly off.

  “There, we’ll do so much better without him,” said Miss Jerrold. “He’s a dear man, but men get in the way!”

  Which was so exactly what Selena thought that she immediately warmed to the garden designer.

  “I love your primroses and violets,” she remarked, following this formidable woman into her cottage.

  The small hall led into a living room. In the centre was a round gate-leg table that was covered with drawings and books – a quick glance suggested they were all to do with plants and gardening.

  The flagstoned floor was carpeted with two rugs in front of a crackling fire and on either side of the fireplace were comfortable-looking wing chairs.

  Against the wall was a traditional polished dresser, displaying a large array of pewter and cheerfully-patterned pottery plates and mugs.

  On a table by one of the wing chairs stood a tray of tea things and a big plate of delicious-looking scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

  Selena suddenly realised how hungry she was. The only bite she had eaten that day had been a rather solid slice of bread and butter pudding that Mrs. Cropper had produced.

  While the Earl’s drawing room had seemed cosy, it had given the impression that its owner did not care where anything was put with papers, maps and books all jumbled everywhere.

  Here everything was in order and the furniture was all brightly polished and arranged in a pleasing way. It was a room one could enjoy as well as be comfortable in.

  “Do sit down over there,” Miss Jerrold waved at one of the wing chairs.

  As Selena moved to the fireplace, a huge Great Dane that had been unobtrusively lying in his basket in a corner, levered himself up and came over to sniff at her hand.

  She was immediately enchanted by him.

  “You are such a lovely boy,” she cooed admiringly, stroking his head.

  “That is Hector. He does not frighten you?” asked Miss Jerrold curiously.

  “Oh, no. Papa had a Great Dane called Horsa. He went everywhere with Papa, and when I was small I rode on his back. We were so very sad when he died. How old is Hector?”

  “Only four. People tell me the larger the dog, the shorter its life, but I do hope Hector and I will have many more years together.”

  Selena sat down and the dog settled beside her, his hea
d on her feet.

  Miss Jerrold looked surprised.

  “Hector does not usually take such a quick liking to a visitor. You must have a way with dogs.”

  “I love them,” Selena answered fervently. “One of the sadnesses of my life since my Mama died is that it has not contained any animals.”

  “Yes, your life – ”

  Miss Jerrold poured two cups from the teapot and sat down opposite Selena.

  “Alex, the Earl, has told me a little about you, but I would like you to tell me, if you would, your history.”

  She offered Selena a plate of strawberry and cream scones.

  While she ate two scones and drank several cups of tea, Selena told Miss Jerrold all the details she had related to the Earl.

  She was a very good listener and constantly coaxed Selena into telling her more.

  “Hmm – ” she remarked at the end. “Far too lovely for your own good, that’s the trouble. I have always been grateful not to have been cursed with good looks. I’d rather have intelligence any day and thank Heavens I have never had to trouble with men wanting to seduce me!”

  Selena did not know what to say.

  “But let’s get to gardening matters. Alex has told you that I design gardens for clients and luckily I seem to produce what people want. I could do with an assistant but one who knows something about gardening and plants. I understand you helped your mother design her garden?”

  This was a subject Selena was happy to talk about.

  “This Field,” queried Miss Jerrold when Selena had finished explaining how she had worked on the Richmond garden with him, “does he still work for your stepfather?”

  Selena shook her head.

  “When my Mama and I moved to Mr. Anstruther’s Mayfair house, Field was not needed and he found another position. I was so sorry to see him go.”

  “Pity, he sounds like a good man I could have used. Now, you walked through part of the Wakefield gardens on your way to my cottage. Did you notice what its soil was?”

  “It looked sandy to me,” said Selena. “There were so many weeds, though, that it was difficult to be sure.”

  “You had it right, it is indeed sandy. And what is required to be done with sandy soil if it is to offer a good growing medium to plants?”

  “Field said it should be mulched with a well-rotted compost,” offered Selena.

  “Excellent. Now what would you do with the sad attempt at a Parterre garden that you walked through?”

  Selena thought back. Miss Jerrold must mean the area with the low box hedges that needed cutting, but made a pattern that was filled with healthy-looking weeds.

  “Take another scone whilst you think,” suggested Miss Jerrold, holding out the plate.

  Selena gratefully obeyed.

  “At Richmond,” she replied slowly, “Field and I created the pattern of a large wheel with edging tiles for the spokes and surround and then we planted a different herb in each section.

  “It was most successful and Mrs. Barnes, our cook, loved having the herbs ready to cut and use. I think herbs could look very pretty in the middle of those box hedges once they have been trimmed and the beds weeded.

  “But maybe the total effect would not be colourful enough,” Selena added hastily. “I feel sure that Field would recommend a graded succession of bedding plants, brightly contrasted.”

  Selena fell silent as she contemplated the effect of this suggestion.

  “But you would prefer the herb idea?” asked Miss Jerrold, her head on one side as she held her cup of tea, her pale blue eyes focused intensely on Selena.

  “Yes,” asserted Selena without hesitation. “Some of the herbs, such as basil and dill are annuals, but there are so many perennials which would cut down on the work.

  “And they are all so different – different shapes of leaves, different growing habit, different sizes. It would be an amazing challenge to design the Parterre and the herbs would need careful selection to make the design effective. When the sun was out, there would be wonderful aromas.”

  In her mind’s eye she could see how such a herb garden might look with feathery fronds of fennel and dill, bright leaves of basil, cushiony mounds of thyme, fragrant varieties of mint, all offering differing shades of green.

  She wanted to grab some paper and a pencil at once and begin sketching a plan of the planting.

  Miss Jerrold’s look of intensity vanished.

  “Miss Norton, I do believe that you and I could deal exceedingly well together; as long as you don’t mind a hard day’s work in the garden. It is not all dreaming up pretty schemes in a warm living room, you know!”

  “Oh, I love gardening,” Selena assured her. “I don’t mind what the weather is like. Mama hated the way rain made my hair go all frizzy, but it has never bothered me.”

  “And you would not object to living in this cottage with me? There is a spare bedroom here, but if you don’t bring too many belongings or too big a wardrobe with you, it should be reasonably comfortable.”

  “I don’t mind how small it is,” Selena exclaimed earnestly. “I have a few serviceable garments in the bag I brought away with me, but my wardrobe is in Mayfair. I suppose I could ask for the clothes to be sent – ”

  “You must let Mr. and Mrs. Anstruther know where you are,” Miss Jerrold cut in, her voice quite stern. “I am sure that the Belgian Countess will have telegraphed them to say that you have left her and they will be worried.”

  That her stepfather and the dreaded Beatrice might be concerned over her whereabouts had not yet occurred to Selena – she had been too involved with not causing them distress by suddenly reappearing in their lives.

  “You are right, Miss Jerrold. If you could supply me with paper and pen, I will write to them immediately.”

  “One more thing before all is settled, Miss Norton. I am afraid I cannot afford to offer you a wage. In fact you would be an apprentice and thus unpaid. Do you have any income of your own?”

  “Mama set up a trust with the proceeds of the sale of the Richmond house and that provides me with a small quarterly sum. When I lived with Mr. and Mrs. Bathurst, it went to them, as they said they needed it to cover my living expenses. But Mr. Anstruther paid for all my clothes and gave me pin money. He said to keep my income for when I was married.

  “I have a bank account,” she added proudly, “and I can supply you with a cheque for my living expenses.”

  “It will not, I hope, be necessary. I should, perhaps, explain to you my presence here on Alex’s, that is, Lord Wakefield’s estate. You will have to become used to our informal ways here as we use Christian names rather than those cold surnames.

  “I was a cousin of Caroline, his wife, and she was very kind to me. Just after she and Alex were married, first my mother and then my father died and I had been living with them.”

  Miss Jerrold’s voice was gruff and she paused and swallowed hard.

  “What a tragedy for you to lose both your parents so quickly,” sighed Selena sympathetically. “It must have been very hard for you.”

  Miss Jerrold nodded without speaking.

  She helped herself to more tea, sipped at it and then resumed, her voice calmer,

  “It was then discovered that my father had amassed enormous debts. I was an only child and I had to sell my home and almost every possession I had to clear them.

  “Caroline heard what a pickle I was in and invited me to stay here with her and Alex. I was reluctant at first but Caroline insisted that they wanted my advice over what to do with the garden.

  “I had already prepared plans for several friends, who said they were very pleased with what I had proposed. So I decided to try and build a new life as a designer.

  “Some of my gardens were starting to mature and the owners agreed I could show prospective clients around them. I had not been living very far from here so it seemed so convenient for me to take up Caroline’s offer.”

  Miss Jerrold took out a handkerchief and gave her n
ose a noisy blow.

  “Well, Alex and I got on immediately. He offered me this cottage if I would prepare a design for his garden.

  But they said there was no hurry as Caroline was expecting a child and they did not want to consider what would be a major undertaking until after the baby was born.

  “First, they reasoned, I should contact prospective clients and start laying the foundations of my new career. So I settled down to enjoy my new home and spend time with Caroline and Alex. Then tragedy struck.”

  Once again she blew into her handkerchief.

  “I know,” Selena said gently. “The Earl told me on the train that his wife and baby had both died.”

  Miss Jerrold seemed taken by her comment.

  “Did he? Usually it is the last thing he would tell anyone.”

  She put her handkerchief away.

  “After that, Alex seemed to lose all interest in the gardens. I had been extensive preparing plans for his as well as other gardens.”

  She looked a little self-conscious.

  “I was lucky in the people I contacted. A number have commissioned small alterations to their gardens and I currently have two major projects in preparation.”

  “The Earl said you were very skilled.”

  Selena did not in fact remember the Earl saying this at all, but felt sure he believed it to be true. Otherwise, why suggest that she became Miss Jerrod’s assistant?

  “He is always so kind. However, he has mentioned his need to restore the gardens so that he can open them to the public in order to provide the estate with an income.

  “So I really do need an assistant, someone who can work with me on plans for the Wakefield gardens and help Joe put them into practice. There are two estate workers and neither know anything about plants – they are fine for digging and weeding but not much else. And if Alex is to have something to open to the public this season, there is no time to be lost.”

  “I would love to be able to help,” enthused Selena, feeling that she should dash out and start weeding at once. “From what I saw, it will be an enormous job.”

  “If we can do it successfully, it will mean both of us will be set on great careers,” Miss Jerrold added with a note of passion.

  Selena saw that here was someone who had a vision for the future, not just for herself but also for the Wakefield gardens.