CHAPTER TWENTY
The day had been long and rather taxing, for I had spent most of it altering the arrangement and décor of my chamber — a task both necessary and satisfying. Later, I wandered into Mama’s old garden. There I chanced upon the gardener, and in the course of our quiet conversation, he informed me — with some regret — that Eloise had dismissed the former overseer of the horse ranch. Thus, dear Peter, my childhood companion, was no longer in service at the estate. Poor Peter — how swiftly things are cast aside. Much within the garden had changed. Mama’s beloved daisies, peonies, lilies, and camellias had all been replaced with regimented beds of roses, towering delphiniums, and brilliant marigolds. The charm of it felt altered — colder, more formal. I settled myself upon the old wooden swing
- Writer
