Heart of Stone

Belonging

"This is my little escape." Isabella said with a small smile, gesturing to the flowers. "This is where I prefer to be, my mother often finds me here."

Eloise smiled brightly as she walked up to the flowers, admiring the vibrant colors of the velvety petals.

"That's how I was. I don't think you have any reason to doubt your skills, Isabella." She said.

Isabella's brown eyes sparked in the sunlight.

"Really? I've only discovered my passion for it this past year. It calms me. It also makes me feel really connected to the earth." She said.

Eloise smiled again, feeling a sense of ease washing over the pair.

"That's how I feel about gardening too. It does something for my soul to grow something from a tiny little seed into something so beautiful. It helps me to escape from the stress of high society." She explained.

Isabella approached the purple cone flowers, reaching down and touching them softly.

"Yes. This is my patch of peace among the confusion of everyday life. I'm assuming you must also have a garden?" She asked, glancing at Eloise.

Eloise nodded, images of all her own plants coming to mind.

"Of course. It's quite large, and it's my pride and joy. I have flowers, herbs, vegetables, and even fruit trees." She answered.

Isabella looked impressed.

"Would you mind sharing some tips with me? I'd love to start figuring out vegetables. What do you recommend as the best starter crop for beginners?" She asked excitedly.

Eloise beamed.

"I think you'd do great starting with cucumbers. They're really easy, as long as you water them twice a day. They just need a good deal of sunlight and some good soil, which you seem to have here." She said.

Isabella led her over to a spot at the base of a tree where there was a wooden bench. They sat together in the shade and began to talk about gardening, mostly listening to Isabella talk about how she got started and why she loved it. As they talked, Eloise felt like they'd really clicked. With the sunlight filtering down between the leaves, the gentle breeze blowing the faint scent of the flowers around, and the bees softly buzzing around the plants, Eloise was filled with a sense of belonging. Somehow, she knew, despite having missed her meeting with Alexander, this had been the right thing instead, and she felt happy.

"Do you think you could tell me a little about Alexander? To be honest, I was pretty nervous coming here today." Eloise admitted.

"Alexander makes an imposing figure, but you shouldn't be nervous." Isabella waved her off. "He's looked out for me all my life. He's nothing but a big softie."

Eloise smiled.

"For you, perhaps, but you're his little sister. It's different." She pointed out.

"I know what you mean, but Alexander is a good man. I won't pretend to know what he intended to say to you, but I don't imagine it was anything bad." She said.

"I hope not. I had just...wanted to make things as easy for him as possible. It had to have been hard taking over as CEO at such a young age." Eloise said.

"That's true. It definitely stresses him out. Your marriage wasn't the only reason he left the country. He actually really needed a break. The fast-paced life was getting to him." Isabella explained.

"Being forced to marry me must've just been the icing on the cake." Eloise grimaced slightly.

"You know, I thought you'd be different. I thought you'd be like the rest of the women in high society, and Alex probably assumed that too." Isabella said.