Among The Roses

Chapter 11: An Autumn Day (pt 1)

The days grew shorter and crisper, and the country side looked like a torch had been set to it as the foliage erupted in vivid reds and oranges. Chiara and her father were busy and exhausted as they dashed from one job to the next, trying to get all of their properties adequately winterized and tucked in for Kent's long and dreary cold season.

One night in October, Chiara realized she hadn't set foot on the Langton estate in nearly two weeks, due to emergencies at other properties involving a recent storm. She usually didn't let this much time go by, not only because the property needed tending, but also because the cemetery where her mother had been laid to rest ten years before was next to the estate, and she liked to visit on a regular basis when she could, though she didn't like to tell her father that.

"Hey, dad?"

"Yeah, love?" He was watching telly with a beer, as usual.

"I think I'd better head out to Langton tomorrow, if you can spare me?"

"Did you get a call or something?"

She shook her head. "No, but I haven't been out there since the end of last month. The storm's had us running around like crazy, trying to clear blown over trees and such, but I bet it's a mess, what with all the leaves and everything, you know? He's not the type to notice and call us or anything, but that doesn't mean that the place isn't going to need cleaning up and winterizing. Remember last year, how clogged the drive and rose garden got?"

Her father looked over at her.

"You want me to come as well? I can easily put off the Millers for a day."

"No, you shouldn't. It's things like that give us a reputation, isn't it? We need to be reliable and stick to a schedule, dad."

"You're right, as usual." Her father looked at her fondly. "Dunno what I'd do without you, child."

"You'd get on just fine without me," Chiara replied with a smile. "Can't you do the work of three men, even at your age, dad?"

"What do you mean, even at my age?" he asked, shaking his fist at her with a smile. "I may be getting on in years, but I'm spry, and I'm wiry, I'll have you know."

"I know, I know."

"You're a good girl, Chiara."

So the next morning, which proved to be one of those days that was so bright and windy that Chiara ached to just throw all work related things aside and go fly a kite, she drove her truck to Langton, not sure if she wanted the master of the house to be there or not. She found Drew to be unsettling, and even when he was being "nice" to her, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was making fun of her.

She saw that his car was in the carport, and resolved to get her work done as quickly as she could and avoid the mudroom as much as possible; however, she knew that Langton was going to be an all day job today, as the recent storm had done a real number on the grounds. Water logged flowers sagged to the ground from nearly every bush that bore them, colorful leaves were strewn everywhere from trees that were stripped bare from the recent rain, and in the back, the rose bushes looked completely bedraggled and sad, in desperate need of pruning and deadheading.

Chiara sighed and grabbed the leaf blower from the back of the truck, heading to where the leaves were thickest. Her usual method was to blow them from the lawn and bushes to the concrete walkway, and then to gather them into bags. Then she'd move to the back and repeat the process, only now she'd have to avoid the massive hole where the pool was being dug. Every time she came she looked with trepidation for the rose garden to have been ripped out for the threatened tennis court, but so far it hadn't happened, and Chiara wondered if it had been an idle threat, or if maybe he'd forgotten.