"It's quite all right. You're a busy man."
Although Elmore had assumed that their meeting would be held inside, Mr. Washam led him towards a wooden bench overlooking the side of the house.
Here, they had the perfect view of the rose gardens that Elmore and Aurora had walked through before. From a distance, they were just as magnificent. Perhaps even more so, because from here he could see the myriad of colors bursting forth; reds and pastel pinks, some so pale they were almost white.
It was a little disappointing that Aurora wasn't here with them, but perhaps Elmore had hoped for too much.
"You're probably wondering why I asked you here," Mr. Washam said, as he brushed the last bits of dirt from his trousers. "We — Aurora and I, that is — would like to create a greenhouse. I imagine it will be quite an undertaking, not just growing the plants themselves but building a greenhouse too."
Elmore couldn't hide the surprise that flashed through him. What had started this idea?
Mr. Washam continued. "Those plants that you discovered in Italy are poisonous, but plenty of dangerous plants can be used in medicine, if grown and prepared properly. The plan is to breed them to be less toxic, and to encourage their naturally helpful properties over time. Perhaps other botanists would even like to study them, and find new uses."
Oh. Impressive. Elmore found himself smiling at the thought — as such a thing hadn't even occurred to him. Breed out the bits they didn't want, and enhance the important traits of the plant. Genius!
"That's an incredible idea," Elmore pointed out with a laugh. He was almost ashamed that he hadn't thought of it himself. "This is why I've always admired you."
Mr. Washam waved a dismissive hand. "I can't take the credit for this one, Elmore. It was Aurora that came to me with this idea; she says she wants to grow her own angel's trumpet in the greenhouse. It was where this whole idea came from, so you can thank my daughter for this brilliant plan."
Elmore fought a smile. When they had first met several days ago, he had assumed Aurora to not know much about her father's work. She kept quiet, rarely offered her own insight...it seemed that he had misjudged. She was a lot more intelligent than he had assumed, and a spark of guilt lit up inside his stomach.
Yet Mr. Washam was still speaking, offering distraction from that guilt. "She's a brilliant young woman; one day she will overtake even me, but isn't that what we want for our children? For them to be successful."
Pride sparkled in Mr. Washam's bright green eyes, his smile contagious. It was clear just how much he loved Aurora, how much headmiredher.
It made him admire her too, not just for her intelligent idea, but also for how she had managed to hide her knowledge from him. Had it been intentional, or had Aurora simply been annoyed by his assumptions and sought not to waste time on corrections?
Elmore was still smiling as he asked, "In what way will you use these plants? Simply to see if you can do it, or are you hoping to use them in your own tinctures?"
Mr. Washam shrugged. "If it is possible to make these plants useful, I don't see any reason not to. It could help a lot of people, but the problem is testing...how will we know if a plant is helpful, without first using it?"
A breeze billowed past, bringing with it that delicate rose scent. It was milder at this distance, barely a tickle, but Elmore found himself wishing to get closer.
"We can consider that later," Elmore said with a nod. "First things first, you will need to focus on the greenhouse itself, and then acquiring seeds or live cuttings."
"True. We want to put the greenhouse near the gazebo, where there's space for a small greenhouse. Nothing extravagant, mind you, we aren't Earls with endless space at our disposal."
Elmore's own garden wasn't much larger than this. It was his manor that took up most of the grounds, leaving little room for gardens. He did what he could with the available land, now that his father was gone, but kept that thought to himself.
"So," Mr. Washam asked, not unkindly, "will you help in our endeavors?"
"It will mean staying in London for longer than anticipated," Elmore pointed out. It wasn't a complaint, certainly, he only worried about neglecting his duties back home. Not that there was ever much to do, but there wereexpectationsplaced upon him. Expectations to attend dull social events and waste his time making niceties with other lords. How dull.
It was, perhaps, the thought of howboringit was at home that made Elmore decide to stay. Here, there was always something exciting to learn, a new experience to enjoy. Here, Elmore could be himself without fear of judgement from old men with big titles and their gossiping wives. That, and he could use this time to prove himself to Aurora; prove that his opinion was worthwhile.
"I'll do it," he said, not allowing himself time to question it. "Whatever you need, I will be delighted to do what I can."
A delighted smile curved at the corner of Mr. Washam's lips. He stretched out a hand for Elmore to shake. When he did, the deal was sealed.
"It will be like old times," Mr. Washam announced, “better than, because now we are equals. These grounds are yours, and you are free to wander them as you please. It’s the same for the house — you’ll be spending a lot of time here, no doubt.”
As embarrassed as he was to admit it, this was what Elmore had always wanted. In his youth, he had been careful to keep his love of botany a well-kept secret. Father had disapproved, and so had his friends. He had kept his mentorship a secret even from his own family; it hadn’t been so difficult, considering they paid him so little attention to begin with.
Mr. Washam's smile faltered. "Is everything all right, Elmore?"
Ah, but now wasn't the time for such depressing thoughts. Elmore shook his head to right himself, pressed a hand to his temple.
"Quite fine," he answered, and it was the truth. "I'm only glad to be of help. I have to ask though, will Aurora be joining us? It was her idea, after all."