The Orchard of Secrets.
"I had to organise a schedule that allowed me to come every day, but the compound is quite the distance..." She paused, looking thoughtful as her words trailed off, her voice softening as she turned to face me. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should introduce myself properly. I'm a rearer, and so is my daughter. That means no one is around most of the week except Mark, but even when he was gone for a while, I wasn't sure what we were going to do." Her words were full of nostalgia. "It’s the same every five years, of course, but this place... it's worth all the trouble. I’m just terrified I’ll be the one to let down generations of hard work."
She stopped for a moment and motioned to a wide-leafed plant, showing me how to use the right spray. I tried to speak, but she turned bac
