Thread: On the Twelfth Night... (Madam Mim and Xana)

Olivia's face was nearly purple with embarrassment when he mentioned which garden he would like to see. While she was in general naive to the ways of men and women--excepting the basic mechanics of it all--she knew perfectly well what Sebastian meant. She cleared her throat and tried to suppress the flush as she took his hand and then his arm. If you were hoping to hear I garden in the nude I'm sorry to say you'll be quite disappointed, she said with a smile. I have a dress designated only for gardening. It's light and breezy but hopelessly dirt-stained. She chuckled a little as she steered him towards the large French doors leading to the gardens. I'm out here every day the sun shines and the ground is warm. The gardeners allocated me several large plots, actually, she informed him as they stepped out onto the veranda. Gravel crunched underfoot as they made their way into the gardens and she began steering him towards her personal gardening plots. They're out of the way, where they won't ruin the landscaping and present an eyesore to visitors. In one I grow only herbs, from which I make tinctures, teas, and soaps. It's large for an herb garden, but what I don't use for myself and the staff I give to the shops in town for them to sell. In another plot I grow only food. Most of that is used here, feeding the servants, and I eat a little of it. Any surplus and leftovers Tess--my handmaid--and I will take into town to give to the homeless and hungry. Nobody there should go to bed with an empty stomach when I have so much here. She glanced sideways at Sebastian. Many aristocrats would argue that the power to toss out perfectly good food was one of the things that separated them from the common riffraff and she watched carefully to try and determine whether he were one of those aristocrats. The third plot I'm a little selfish and keep the vast majority for myself, she continued. The third plot is my personal flower garden. Olivia guided them around a corner in the hedges and there was an explosion of color in all the green. At the far end of the garden bright blue morning glories climbed a wrought iron arch which was flanked by daisies and calla lilies. Several small access paths ran through large flower beds full of lilies and crocuses , lady slippers and roses, bluebells and hyacinth , and several other varieties. The well-planned garden revealed that the Countess favored purples, blues, and white, but the cool colors were interrupted pleasantly by bursts of red, orange, and yellow. Excitedly she took Sebastian's hand in hers and pulled him down the right-hand path where at the end of the bed in pride of place several stalks of flowers stood seven or eight feet high. Olivia had to stretch her arm and push herself to her toes to touch the head of the shortest one and looked over her shoulder at her betrothed, giddy as a young girl might be. Aren't they marvelous? she asked as she lowered herself back down onto flat feet. They're from America. I was afraid it might be too cold here to grow them, but the weather seems to suit them just fine. They're called sunflowers, and don't they just look it? Olivia turned to Sebastian with the excited look in her eye, a look expectant of praise found only in the very young and the very earnest. She was clearly very proud of her garden, particularly the sunflowers, and excited to share her accomplishments with her husband to be.