“Please don’t give him ideas. Besides, he’s already taken.” I stopped in front of the Arthur Bell rose that was wildly blooming with flowers in various shades of yellow. “Here.”

He gazed at it. “Is this new? I don’t remember seeing it.”

“Yes. I planted it last year and it didn’t bloom, so this is its first season.”

“It’s beautiful, and it smells amazing. What is it?”

I smiled. “Arthur Bell.”

Alexander started, jerking around to look at me. “Gabi…”

“Look.” I kneeled, moving my dress away from my knees so it didn’t get dirty in the gravel that surrounded the paving slabs. “These lighter ones are the newest blooms, and these brighter ones are the oldest ones. As the flowers age, they get brighter.”

“A bit like Dad did through the day. Started off miserable, went to bed happy. Although I suppose these roses aren’t having two glasses of brandy to brighten their mood.”

“Exactly.” I laughed quietly, cupping one gently so the thorns didn’t get me. “If you’d like, I can take a cutting and propagate it for you so you can have one.”

He rested his hand on my shoulder. “I would like that very much. Thank you.”

I stood and hugged him. “Of course. He was our family, too.”

Alex hugged me tightly before releasing me. “Well.” He blinked as if he were trying to ward off tears, then clapped his hands. “Shall we go back inside? I should make sure Aunt Cat has called Mum and told her I won’t be home tonight.”

“Of course.” I led him out of the rose garden and bumped into something tall and hard. “Oof!”

A sigh that was a little too heavy to be anyone who was happy to see me made me step back.

Miles.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” I said, clasping my hands at my front. “We were just—”

“Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have escaped. They’re eating the unripe strawberries.” His blue eyes were focused intensely on me. “Nobody can find your aunt.”

I swallowed. “What do you mean nobody can find her? Have you spoken to Arthur?”

He stared at me. “Nobody can find your aunt,” he repeated. “If anyone could, it would be Mr. Fredericks.”

I stared at him.

“I’m not sure how I can repeat it in a simpler way, Lady Hastings.”

See? Grumpy. And rude.

Mostly.

“I understand what you were saying,” I said through gritted teeth. “But we were with her not twenty minutes ago. How could she possibly have disappeared?”

“Five hundred acres. Half a castle for a house. Not hard, is it?”

My back was ramrod straight, and I was just getting ready to inform him to watch his mouth before I shut him up when Alex placed his hand on my shoulder. “Is anyone looking for her?”

Miles glanced at him suspiciously, then nodded his head once.

“Excellent. Knowing her, she’s off in search of a cream cake since we ate them all. We’ll help you until she’s located.”