Prince Albert opens the door, carrying a tray.
“It is I, sire. May I?” he asks the Baron, who replies, “Come then, before the tea goes cold.”
Albert pushes the door open, announcing, “If the Baron does not eat, Waddesdon manor does not eat!”
Then he sets it in front of the Baron, “And so help me, if I must feed this manor, it will be done, and you will just have to sit there and let me.”
Baron tries to wave it off, “Not hungry.”
“Are you sure? I have some exquisite jellies.” Albert tries, holding up one jar and holding it out to the Baron.
He only looks at it, then asks, “Is there no peach?”
Albert’s reaction is to roll his eyes at the absurdity of the question, then set down the one he’s holding to pick up another.
Instead of taking it, the Baron stands up and bursts out of the room, announcing,
"I’m going out. Alone.”
Phileas is at his desk, yet again, going over the plans for the garden mosaic.
Will has just purchased flowers for the garden, and as he approaches the carriage, he sets them down, along with the jungle of other flowers.
“Do take care not to bend them.” Will implores.
As the carriage makes the journey back to the manor, Will can’t help but feel unsettled as they keep hitting bumps in the road due to the rainy weather, praying none of the flowers will be disturbed.
Somewhere else, the Baron’s carriage is riding towards the requested destination.
Will tries to ease his nerves by staring at the flowers right in front of him, even as the lurch from the carriage wheel hitting yet another bump threatens to knock It from where it sits.
Will closes his eyes, in an attempt to calm down.
The wheel of the carriage rolls right through the mud, so fast it can’t stop.
Will opens his eyes abruptly, and there they are again, sitting right across from him
A bride and groom dressed for their wedding. The bouquet in the bride’s hand are the same flowers in front of Will in the carriage now.
A loud neigh from a horse snaps Will out of his hallucination, and as he looks out the window, he feels the carriage slow down and then stop right as the Baron’s carriage passes by.
When Will looks, the couple is gone.
The carriage eventually does start moving again, but now it’s like Will can’t even feel it, as he resumes looking out the window.
The gardener inhales heavily, letting the intoxicating scent flood his nostrils.
“There you are, my lovelies.” The gardener coos, reaching out to carefully touch the orchids’ petals.
Just as he’s about to pluck one, he’s stopped by the sound of galloping horses.
Two men approach and whisper in his ear, so of course he has to follow and see what this is all about, and follows them away.
Moments later, the Baron enters the garden slowly, looking at the marvelous things.
He removes his coat and his wig, never taking his eyes off of them.
YOU ARE READING
And I'll Tell You What You Are
RomanceA landscape gardener is awarded the esteemed assignment to construct the gardens at Waddesdon Manor, a position which puts him in the centre of the friends of Baron Ferdinand, where secrets and sadness are buried beneath the glamour.
