As his usual routine, Xander slipped out of his bed chamber and out to the gardens. And just like last time, the gardener, Lyrah, was there. Dressed in the same baggy green clothes that were clearly not her size and wearing the huge sun hat on her head. With a smile he approached her, this time she was trimming back the stems on the roses that had died out. His face went blank at the horrible job she was doing. “You’re not very good at caring for roses, are you?” Xander asked, taking the secateurs from Lyrah’s hand.
She puffed her cheeks and frowned at Xander. “I wasn’t raised to do tasks such as these.” she said defensively.
It seems Xander was too focused on teaching Lyrah the correct ways of pruning that he didn’t hear her defensive remark. “When you cut the stem of the rose, you have to cut it on an angle so that it will heal properly.”
She raised an eyebrow, surprised on his knowledge of roses. “I take it you like flowers? She asked, taking the secateurs back from him then doing as he instructed her on another rose stem.
He grinned. “Roses in particular, I like the smell, the blue ones are my favourite.”
Lyrah stood up, putting the old cut stems in a bucket she had with her. “My personal favourite is the hydrangea. One stem holding so many flowers on it. It could be a bouquet on its own.” she smiled as she thought about the flowers she admired.
Xander caught a glimpse of it before it faded to her standard poker face of no emotion. “That reminds me, why haven’t you been introduced to my family yet? When we get new workers, the maids usually inform us, or the head gardener introduces us to new staff. For security purposes, of course. Can’t have strange people on our premises.”
She seemed to hesitate before turning to face Xander. “Perhaps you were away at one of your little parties when I was introduced.”
He shrugged his shoulders, buying her excuse for now as she didn’t seem to be much of a threat. I’ll ask her again later, he thought. He paced around the garden bed, looking out for any wilted roses or stray weeds. “So, what’s your reason for disliking the rich? Apart from the typical social status difference.”
“Their haughtiness and arrogance,” she simply stated. “I do not like how they look down on people who have anything less than what they have. They think they’re the best thing in this world just because they are overflowing with riches. The men especially.”
“Oh?” Xander sounded, pretending to busy himself with one rose bud as he continued to listen whilst stealing glances at her every now and then to gauge her emotions.
“I’ve seen them, they approach girls they are interested in and the first things they say are, ‘I am a very wealthy man, I can support you and your family in years to come,’ it’s the worst pick up line I have ever heard. And it makes me roll my eyes, so much so that I worry they’ll get stuck in my head one day.” She was now sitting on the grass in front of the rose garden bed, cross-legged, pulling out the few stray weeds.
He chuckled at the sight; she is not lady-like in any sense. And that’s okay, he thought. “That is a pretty valid reason, I guess. Luckily for you not all men are like that, I most certainly do not say that.”
“And now I know, as you have told me. Unless of course what you said were lies,” she glanced up at Xander who was across from her on the other side of the garden bed.
“It is up to you whether or not you want to believe what I have said.” he grinned.
With a shrug Lyrah continued on with her work. “You seem like a good guy; you don’t even speak formally around me.”
Xander could’ve sworn he saw her smile but when he looked again her face was expressionless. Perhaps I was imagining things, he thought.
Comments (0)
See all