Page 45 of Tell Me Why
“It’s lovely country around,” Isabella said. “Have you seen it?”
“I’m certain Tina hasn’t,” Tell answered.
“Do either of you require refreshments?” Isabella asked.
“I would love to find my way down to the kitchen and sit with a cup of yogurt before the night is out,” Tell said.
She shook her head.
“Youarestrange,” she said. “Come. Let’s go see the grounds.”
Tell let Tina’s hand drop as they followed Isabella down the stairs and through the house. There were people around, even some heartbeats, but it was still quiet, in terms of activity, like everyone was already settled at what they were doing, or they were intentionally avoiding Isabella, Tina couldn’t tell which.
They reached a set of six glass doors that opened to a huge back yard that had been done with great attention to detail as a garden.
“You haven’t been here this long,” Tell murmured as he stood, looking at it.
“I told Daryll a long time ago that if I was ever going to leave the continent, it would only be in going to a place where they had beauty everywhere I went, like at home,” she said. “My father’s gardens…”
She stopped.
Tell nodded.
There was something there.
And Tina didn’t think she’d heard Isabella refer to Keon as herfatherbefore.
“So he had a plan for you to be here, specifically,” Tell said.
“You’re too clever,” Isabella said, her voice still slightly broken, but covered now with humor. “He’s going to kill you for it, you know.”
“Tina is terrified of being sent through the mail in tiny pieces,” Tell said, and Isabella looked over at her.
“I won’t let that happen,” she said. “I may have to kill you myself, but it won’t be for sale.”
“That makes it much better, thank you,” Tina said.
“Come,” Isabella said, setting off through the garden.
Tina hadn’t really ever been the outdoorsy type, off camping and hiking and arboretum-ing, but there was a sense of loss, looking out over the gardens, realizing that she would never see them under a full sun again, or not for a very long time, at least, and that she would instead be consigned to seeing such a world under a dim moon.
And yet.
Andyet.
“This was designed for night,” Tina murmured as they walked.
“At least she’s clever, to make up for her irreverence,” Isabella said, not unkindly.
“It was,” Tell said. “It’s one of the arts that Ginger tried and abandoned, because there wasn’t enough blood involved. But there are various of us, the nocturnals, who have put a hand to it from time to time, collecting the plants and flowers that prefer the night.”
“Why would they?” Tina asked. “There are no pollinators.”
“Bats,” Isabella said. “There are places in the world where the only pollination comes from bats.”
“And there are plants that have been tended long enough that they forget the rules,” Tell said. “With patience and consistency, you can turn just about anything.”
There was scent.
