Her eyes always reminded Kate of the glass marbles she had played with as a schoolgirl.
Vicky stepped back and looked at Kate admiringly. ‘You’re looking well, Kate. What brings you here on a Wednesday, then? Don’t you still have a shop to look after?’
‘Still do, yes, but I do get a day off now and then, you know.’
‘How’s Alex?’ she asked, running her fingers through her short-cropped bleached hair.
‘He’s fine. He’s in his element with the house. I think I’ve been replaced as his first love.’
Their conversation was interrupted by a question from a grey-haired man inquiring about a certain strain of hellebore. Vicky answered his question and pointed to the far corner of the nursery where he would find what he was looking for.
‘Let’s go over to the office, Kate. We can have a good old chat there without being bothered. There should be some cold drinks in the fridge, if you’d like one. Megan can take care of things out here for a while.’
‘That would be good, because there’s something rather confidential I need to ask you about.’
Vicky frowned. ‘Sounds intriguing. Come on then,’ she said.
Vicky kicked off her boots and leaned back in an old oak swivel chair with her feet resting on another chair. Kate sat across from her, separated by a wooden desk cluttered with papers and plant markers. She poured the Malvern mineral water into her glass.
‘So how’s that fabulous garden of yours?’ asked Vicky. ‘It must look absolutely gorgeous right now.’
‘It does. You really must come over and see it.’ Her eyes searched Vicky’s face. ‘Actually, that’s one of the reasons I came down today, Vicky. To ask you something – well, really to tell you something…’
‘You sound a bit muddled. What is this “something”?’
‘Sorry, Vicky,’ Kate said taking a sip of water. ‘Let me start again. Alex and I have made a strange – let’s say a very important discovery in our garden.’ She looked Vicky straight in the eyes, ready to register her reaction when she told Vicky what it was.
‘Well, don’t keep me in suspense,’ Vicky said. ‘What is it?’
‘It’s a blue rose.’
‘You’re having me on,’ said Vicky. Then she put her head back and laughed.
‘It’s not a joke, Vicky. I’m serious. We’ve got this blue rose in the garden. We discovered it several weeks ago.’
‘Blue – meaning purple?
‘No, it’s a
‘There’s no such thing, Kate. Nobody’s ever been able to breed one.’
‘Well, we have. Or, I should say – somebody has.’
‘Jesus! You aren’t kidding, are you?’
‘No, I’m not. Do you want to see it?’
Vicky’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Do I want to see it? You must be bonkers. Of course I do. If it’s what you’re saying, this is an enormous discovery, Kate. When can I come over?’
‘Hold on a sec, there’s more.’ She took a quick sip of water. ‘First, you can’t tell a soul about this. I mean it, Vicky. Strange things have been happening. Strange enough, in fact, that Alex and I have decided that we must get the rose out of our garden – and soon. Move it into hiding where nobody can find it – or steal it, for that matter. We were wondering if you would help?’
‘You don’t need to ask, Kate. You know I will.’
‘You’re a sweetheart. Alex and I would be rather nervous trying to transplant a rose the size of this one. I was wondering if you’d mind taking some cuttings for us too. I’m such a klutz at that sort of thing.’
‘No problem, Kate. Who else knows about this, then?’
‘Well, we thought it was just the four of us. The four being Alex, me, a chap named Kingston – he’s a retired botany professor, interesting sort, I’ll tell you all about him later – and our solicitor, Christopher Adell. But yesterday we had a letter from a Japanese man representing an international corporation who wants to buy the rose and just before that a phone call from a mysterious American who seems to know all about it, too. I know it sounds crazy but I’ll give you the all the details when you come over. Can you make it tomorrow? The later in the day the better.’
‘How about right after I leave here? Say six fifteen – thereabouts.’
‘Perfect. I’ll make an early supper?’
‘Super. I’ll bring a bottle of plonk.’
‘As long as it’s not Blue Nun,’ Kate said, laughing.
At first Vicky was speechless. Like Kingston, she all but crawled around on her hands and knees to examine every inch of the rose. It was all Kate could do to drag her back to the house.
Alex opened the bottle of burgundy that Vicky had brought and poured three glasses. ‘Well,’ said Vicky, raising her glass, ‘here’s to Sapphire.’ She took a modest sip and put her glass down. ‘I still can’t believe it,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘We’ve had time to become accustomed to it but it still gives me the creeps every time I look at it,’ said Kate, with a mock shiver.
‘I’m not surprised,’ said Vicky. ‘So tell me a bit more about this Kingston bloke. He sounds like quite a card.’
‘He is,’ said Alex. ‘He’s a Joker.’
‘Oh, come on, Alex,’ Kate said reprovingly, ‘he’s very nice – and very intelligent.’
Alex gave a little sigh. ‘I suppose he has given us sound advice so far and spent quite a lot of his time trying to be helpful, but you’ve got to admit, Kate, he is a bit of a know-all. On more than one occasion you’ve even said so yourself.’
‘Soonest opportunity we’ll make a point of introducing you, Vicky. Then you can decide for yourself. Matter of fact, you two would have a lot in common.’
‘I’d like that,’ said Vicky. ‘By the way, that letter and the phone call you mentioned in the garden. I hope they’re talking big money.
‘Yes, they are,’ said Kate.
‘How would you like to have your own cottage, Vicky?’ Alex said with a wide smile.
‘That big, eh?’
‘Exactly,’ said Kate. ‘That’s why, as I told you this afternoon, we want to move the rose out of here. Alex and I are becoming increasingly concerned that what’s happened so far is only the beginning. There’s a staggering amount of money involved. We’re beginning to face up to the fact that things could even get a bit nasty. We have to be prepared, that’s all.’
‘It’s not that we’re paranoid,’ said Alex, ‘but frankly we’d both feel much safer if we get the rose out of our lives physically.’
Vicky had been toying with her wineglass as she listened. She had a thoughtful expression on her face. ‘You know, I think I may have the perfect place for you.’ She put the glass down and snapped her fingers. ‘Yes, it would be ideal.’
‘Where’s that?’ Alex asked.
‘At my Aunt Nell’s. Up in Shropshire. She lives just outside Market Drayton.’
‘Certainly far enough away,’ said Kate.
‘Yes, and her house is quite secluded. Even better, the last time I was there, a couple of months ago, the garden was hopelessly overgrown. In places it’s like a jungle. It’s practically reverted to the wild. You could hide the crown jewels in there and nobody would ever find them.’
‘Like they say,’ said Alex, ‘if you want to hide a tree – hide it in a forest. It sounds like we couldn’t do better.’
‘Do you think she’ll mind?’ Kate inquired.
‘Not for one minute. She couldn’t care less. Told me she rarely goes out into the garden any more. She gave up gardening years ago.’
‘Threw in the trowel, eh?’ Alex quipped.
Vicky chuckled. ‘Nell’s a treat. She’s starting to get a bit frail now but you’ll just love her.’
