Between Wolves & Doves

Chapter 25 Apparitions

Dawn blazed a fierce spitfire orange over Ranlor Castle.

A strident winters morning took a hold of the landscape. Iris found plenty of peace in her current surroundings. Enclosed in the warm leafy green hold of the orangery. One of her favourite rooms in this whole castle. Its whole environment hugged her on entry.

She sighs happily as she walks into the place. Shutting the large glass and wood door after her. A flat wooden trug under one arm. She takes a deep breath of the stuffy space. And it's all nectar and warm wet nature.

As she walks through some bushes flutter to life as herds of butterflies take off and float jerkily to the ceiling at being disturbed. Little songbirds scurry under the hedges and startle in her wake. Kylo told her over the years some holes in various windows allowed the little creatures to get in. Sheltering from the hateful ferocity of the snow.

It was a large space. It brought her to mind an illustration she had once seen of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London. A place she'd once glimpsed etched in black and white in the pages of a book. The huge towering white and glass edifice that baked under the sun and nourished to muggy warmth, the exotic life within.

Ranlor's orangery could almost compete. It is a huge space carved out especially to be swarmed with green life. Pillars sink down from the high high ceiling. Tropic warm heat is stuffy and nectar and sickly fragrant green. The roof is entirely made of glass windows that let in the light of the sun that's just starting to warm copper through the panes. The walls are huge Georgian arched windows of Palladian design.

In here, in this gorgeous space, there are trees she's never seen before, shipped in from exotic lands. Plants in colours she's never heard of. Vines cling to every column and threaten their clinging green fingers at the roof. Sun dapples green and amber through the strangled plant space up high above.

There is a mosaic tile walkway leading through the space. But it is tumbled and covered in patchy moss. Nature took over and it stayed in charge. She learnt that this space was largely neglected but for its hot house uses, growing flowers and some fruits. Jomar told her he had a particular fondness and took great nurturing care of the fruit trees in the far south corner. A mango tree spawned from a seed he brought here from India as a young boy when he was no more than Ravi's age. Now there are three mango trees growing here.

Some Grecian statues stand guard in the place. Dotted around. Surrounding the inset creamy marble pond and fountain. The water of the huge hexagonal pond is forest green and sprouting white lilies from its surface.

This is where her Ladyship can be found most afternoons. Curled up on one of the numerous stone or iron benches with a heap of pillows and a book. Listening to the birds chirp. The water spat at the fountain and trickling slowly to the surface.

Iris was up at the crack of dawn like a shot. There's so much to do. So much to think about. Her brain is a thousand tumbling jumbled thoughts that never ceases to churn out something else to pay heed too for the ball. Now just one day away. It was only tomorrow night and last minute preparations have all hands to the pump.

She sneaks out of their bedchamber leaving a slumbering husband behind. She parted pressing a kiss to the prickly unshaven plain of his cheek as he slept.

He doesn't stir and she runs a hand through his hair before she slips away. The black peppermint scented silk of his tresses twining through her fingers.

The dim mouldy red of the walls are shrouded in shadow where the drapes are still pulled. For a man who slept so little he certainly slept deeply for those meagre few hours. She tiptoes out the small gap she creaks open in the door and attends to fixing herself up for the day in the duchess suite.