It was Wednesday around eight am and Joan was late, of course. She couldn't find her laced white gloves and didn't know what shoes to wear with her emerald swing dress. "Liliane! Liliane! Have you seen my laced gloves?!", the young maid quickly appeared from the dinner room. "Uhm, I'm not sure, have you tried to look in your room Miss?", "Oh Lord, of course I forgot to check! You are my saviour! Thank you!". She was running late so she picked up the first white shoes she could find and called the driver. "George Green street please Daniel, I'm in a hurry." said Joan entering the white ford. "Sure Miss!" replied the driver, smiling. In less than 10 minutes Jo was finally in the centre of Sheffield, she told Margaret to wait for her at 8 in front of the Church in G. Green street, and so she arrived, 10 minutes earlier to be honest. "Oh Meg! I'm sorry darling, I couldn't find- wow, that skirt is so pretty. You never wore it." Margaret was wearing a yellow skirt with a white blouse, her short hair were gathered in a white ribbon. "It's my Sunday best, how can you be always late anyway!" said Margaret laughing. "Oh yes, sorry for that... I've bought pastries though, for later" Jo was carrying a white square box with a paper bow on the top.
Following Joan the girls walked for the streets of the Burngreave district until they got right in front of an enormous glasshouse full of funny plants and colours. "It matches my dress" said Jo smiling and taking Margaret's hand, ran into the glass entrance. Meg didn't say a word, she was bewitched by that surprise, the Windsor Garden. That garden was an earthly Eden, with a vast biodiversity and magnificence. It was inaugurated on the Queen's coronation day, on the 2nd of July of that year. Joan gave Meg a book about the Windsor Garden about one month before and she read it all at once! Margaret really couldn't imagine that Jo would have brought her right there. "Oh my God, Jo... this is, is amazing, I don't know how I will ever thank you enough." said Meg slowly walking in, with her eyes up, looking at the glass top scattered by leaves large as car's. "Oh it's very simple, we'll be even if you'll be so kind as to spend all the day so kind as to spend all the day long with me" replied Jo sarcastically. The light coming through the glass was greenly coloured by the reflection of all the plants and it created a cosy atmosphere. There were just a few people, mostly old couples or students, especially during the week. The garden was composed of three main cupolas and two smaller cupolas beside the second main area, also called the butterfly's dwelling. There, Meg and Jo sit on a bench, no one was around, they waited for the butterflies to take confidence and land on their hands. For a moment a marvellous blue butterfly got on Margaret's nose and opened its wings, resting from flying all morning. Jo laughed and Meg, who didn't want to scare the small creature, softly smiled and looked at Joan. They looked at each other for a few minutes, as if they were talking telepathically, before the butterfly flew away from Meg's freckles.
"Would you like to try my pastries?" said Jo without taking her eyes off Margaret's,
"I surely do." replied the other girl looking down instead.
"Do you prefer fruits or creams?"
"I'd say fruit."
Joan opened her box revealing about ten small bonbons, very colourful."Mmh, fruit pastries.. we got lemon, strawberry, apple and raspberry flavours, which one?"
"I'll try the lemon one, thank you."
"Here is the lemon for the Miss," said Jo smiling, "I'll take the pistachio and almond one!"
"We should keep walking if we want to see everything before lunch time-" added Margaret
"You promised me a whole day! We'll have lunch together later, let's take our time to enjoy and savour these moments and places. Let's create memories" said Jo, closing her eyes.
"Okay then get up and let's see more!" said Meg laughing and gently pulling Joan's hand, "alright, alright, I'm coming..." Jo stood up and quickly followed Margaret who was already walking out of the butterfly's dwelling. So they passed another cupola and other oriental plants. The last glass pavilion was wider than the others and had a round fountain in the middle that produced a pleasant sound. When the girls finished the visit was already half past two so Joan brought Margaret to Boulestin's townhouse, a lovely restaurant in the north east of Sheffield. They spent the rest of the day walking through the centre and around six pm Daniel drove the ladies atot Margaret's place.
"It's been a lovely day, thank you Jo."
"It's nothing," Joan giggled.
"It was a lot!" said Meg, taking her hands. "Perhaps this weekend I'll be able to hang out again. You know, these days a new laden arrived so they are trying to unload the new material into the factory. It needs all the possible help, I can't disappear for a whole day anymore. I'm sorry, when all this will be fixed I'll bring you to the most beautiful place, just the two of us, I promise!"
Joan hugged her. "It's okay Maggie". It was one of the warmest hugs Margaret ever had. "I won't have much fun as well, this weekend Mother will force us to get at that stupid gala with ridiculously small buffets and boring people to greed, I know it's not the same thing but it's my hell" Jo laughed.
"See you soon anyway, redhead" added.
"Goodbye" replied Meg, smiling and closing the gate of her block.
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