- Who is taking care of all these gardens, John? I doubt it's just you and your brothers. I cannot imagine you handling this vast space in between working. - Caroline asked while following him, looking around the gardens
''Oh no, Alfred more than the rest of us, Edmund as well, but not so much now. Aside from that we have gardeners from the villiage come along and maintain it for us. Our mother had most of the flowers added in, father wanted more trees but no, Mother won that argument.''
- I think she was right. Those flowers are beautiful. - Caroline took a deep breath. - On the other hand, shade is a valuable commodity in summer. I can't deny the merit of more trees.
''Well, so long as there is some element of a point to it, I guess it doesn't really matter'' he said wandering along, plucking the occasional flower as he went.
- I'd say It's quite the opposite. Something could not matter if there wasn't a point to it, not the other way around. - Caroline said, her mind too partially absent.
''And I'd say you're lovely when you get lost in thought.'' he said, pulling a few more flowers, even daring to pick a rose, cutting himself as he did so.
- Oh, now you are just sweet talking me. - she said with a smile. She only now noticed he was collecting flowers along the way. She took a discreet peek at them before turning her attention to John.
''Oh you noticed did you?'' he chuckled I must be doing a fairly good job then, if you're still here'' he said adding a few Irises to his growing bouquet of flowers. ''I am glad you came'' he said quietly.
- And I am glad you invited me here. - Caroline just said, still smiling. She was both amused and a little baffled by his behaviour, unsure what to think of it.
They walked along in a comfortable silence, him picking flowers and quietly humming to himself, before he looked at the bright orange sky and concluded that it was getting late. With the sun sinking low, the shadow of the mountains had begun to engulf the local village and the cicadas were begining their evening songs. ''Shall we turn in lass?'' he said picking another rose and placing it in the middle of the bouquet.
![[Image: K21Vaai.png]](https://i.imgur.com/K21Vaai.png)