“I received his plans by courier. We will proceed without him,” Lockheart said. “After dinner we will examine what he has drawn up.” His voice was as devoid of expression as his face. No irritation, regret, or anger at Beech’s absence. He returned to where they were seated and took a chair across from Serena after giving Sandy his drink. A double, if Serena was not mistaken.

He fixed Serena with his rather unnerving cool gray stare and took a sip from his glass. His hands, like his person, were slim, elegant, and devoid of jewelry. Serena had expected the stereotype merchant, a beefy, bluff man in his later years. But Lockheart not only resembled a gentleman, he spoke like one, too. While his accent was not exactly aristocratic, it was refined and precise, definitely not that of a man said to have come from the stews of London. There was more here than met the eye.

“I understand you inspected the property this afternoon, Mrs. Lombard.”

“Nothing so thorough as an inspection, but I did wander as far as the stream and then along the small wood.”

“And did you have any ideas?”

Serena chuckled. “I always have ideas.” She smiled at him, but he only blinked calmly back at her. So, he was lacking in humor. She tried again. “My understanding was Mr. Beech would submit a general design and I would see to the details and statuary.”

“It is true I have engaged Mr. Beech to create a plan. Have you designed and laid out gardens yourself?”

“Yes,” she admitted, surprised by the question. “But never anything as large as this.”

“What would you do if it were yours?”

Now that was an interesting question, and one she had never been asked by any other client, most of whom had had their own ideas, many of them quite bad.

“I would lay out a parterre directly off the orangery. Beyond it, I would leave things as they are. I believe the terrain on the south side, with its gentle slope, is similar to Badminton and would be perfect for a Brown-like lake, which could be achieved by some clever damming of your stream. Right now there is an old wooden footbridge over the stream. I would replace that with something more interesting.” She smiled. “Naturally I would recommend something in stone. If you wish for a folly there is a nice rise on the far side, and once you’ve created a lake it would be a lovely situation with the addition of a few trees. A rose garden, with a walk to the woods on the east side. You have the two cour d'honneur that face the drive and they could be given greenery, a fountain, more roses, intimate seating areas. Of course I did not inspect anything beyond the immediate area and could see more of the estate, more quickly, if I had a horse.” She paused. “But those are my first impressions and what I would consider if it were mine.” Serena took a sip of claret and never took her eyes from her host, whose expression had not flickered while she spoke. He was not an easy person to talk to; he gave no facial or physical cues to put the speaker at ease. He sat silently for a long, uncomfortable moment, as if considering her words, and then nodded.