Sarah's Roses, Book I: Roses of Blue

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVI

 Why Albert suddenly took such an interest me was an irritating mystery. It was literally from one day to the next that it was all praise and complements from him. He would send me flowers and what was more he had the nerve to call on me. The boy was only seventeen, he couldn’t be seriously thinking of courting me, could he? I certainly wasn’t planning on being courted by him. Even if I hadn’t been all caught up with Sammy, if there was one person on this planet who annoyed me to the same extent as Priscilla Melissa Thompson, it was her brother, Albert Francis. I would die before I let him court me. My one consolation was that Uncle Andrew couldn’t stand him either, but on the other hand, Aunt Helen seemed to approve of him a great deal. I suppose it was because Mrs. Thompson was Aunt’s Helen’s close friend.

Albert called on us at least six times that summer, which was more than I could stand. He was always careful to call when Uncle Andrew was sure to be caught up in business. I think he knew perfectly well that Uncle Andrew highly disapproved of him and made sure to avoid him. Sometimes he would bring Prissy with him and that was hell itself. Just Albert was bad enough, but Albert and Prissy together was more than anyone could bear. The really bothersome thing was no escaping their visits. Aunt Helen would make me entertain them with her. Thankfully Jeff could always be counted on to entertain Prissy, which left me to handle Albert.

The flowers, the compliments, the endless admiring glances; it was all I could do to keep from slapping him. I wonder, if I had actually been unable to control myself, would things have turn out differently?

One particular day, in end of August, Albert had made a call and had asked if I could show him my garden.

“Of course,” I smiled, “not.” I added under my breath. But I had to be civil, Aunt Helene would give me what for if wasn't. We had already argued twice about Albert and both times they had ended with me becoming a mess of tears n the garden, Sammy trying to get me to not take what she had said to heart. My Aunt may have had a frail body, but she had nerves of steel, and arguing with her was like arguing with a stone wall. She would stick to her own and sooner or later you would have to give in, or at least, I would have give in. She was more than a match for me when it came to a battle of wills.

“Mrs. Greensten tells me you spend a great deal of time in the garden,” He stated as we strolled over to it.

“I love flowers shockingly,” I replied, “nothing gives me greater pleasure than to spend an entire day in the garden working with them.”

“I know how much you like flowers, that is why I send them to you. We have quite the flower garden too, though it is nothing like the one you keep here.”

“The one my aunt keeps,” I corrected, “most of the flowers belong to her. Mine are only the ones in the little garden Uncle gave me.

“So, this is it?” He stated as we came upon the garden.

“This is it.”

“It’s beautiful! What do you do to the flowers to make them such perfect works of art?” He reached over to caresses a large rose. How dare he touch my flowers?

“It’s not me; It is all my gardener, he is the one with magic in his hands.”

“The only magic in this garden, Miss Rose, is you.”

I sucked my lips into a thin line, if he went on any further I would…

As it turned out, I didn’t have to do anything, just as the words left his mouth, he stepped on a rake lying on the ground and the silly thing banged him on the head. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep the giggle from coming out.