‘I w-will do everything I can to w-win,’ Beatrice said quietly. She looked right at Rosa, but there was no challenge in her voice at all. Only a sort of sadness. Perhaps they both sensed, in that moment, that their friendship was over. ‘Everything.’

Rosa nodded. ‘And I shall do the same. Goodbye, Beatrice.’

She let herself out and quietly retraced her steps, back through the overgrown house and out to the sparkling world of snow and ice beyond.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Rosa passed beneath the plum gate and walked along the path she remembered to the supper booths. Eustace was seated at a table with a middle-aged, titled couple Rosa recognised – Lord and Lady Broderick. There was a spare seat for her and she took this, doing her best to look normal as the others politely enquired about her hand.

‘It’s such a shame about the poor little rabbit,’ Lady Broderick said.

‘Rosa can be terribly clumsy at times,’ Eustace remarked.

At that moment the carriage clocks upon the tables began to ring out the chimes for midnight and the others’ teacups transformed back into china rabbits, which presented them with the scrolls introducing the phenomenon of the plum rain.

‘Good heavens, can it really offer a glimpse of another life, do you think?’ Lady Broderick asked, staring down at her scroll.

‘Everything in this garden is real,’ Rosa replied. ‘That is what makes it so wondrous.’

‘I take it this is not your first visit to the gardens, your grace?’ Lord Broderick enquired. He was a florid man with impressive jowls and a bushy moustache that no amount of wax seemed able to tame.

‘I visited on opening night and experienced the plum rain then,’ Rosa said.

Lord Broderick shook his head. ‘I hope you will forgive my saying so, but it does not seem at all a fitting thing for a lady. My own sister, Vera, suffered a complete nervous breakdown after what she saw in the plum rain last week. I am on the board that grants the licences for the gardens, you know.’ He gave them an important look. ‘Some of us believe the one for this garden ought to be revoked. That’s why I am here tonight, in fact – to write a report.’

Rosa felt a strange flutter of confused wings in her stomach. She knew she ought to feel pleased at this development if it meant Beatrice might be disqualified from the competition, but she found herself hating the pompous man across from her, even so.

‘Quite right,’ Eustace said at once. ‘The garden is a dangerous place.’ He gestured at his cheek. ‘One of those black apple trees attacked me in the dark walk earlier. And just look at the mess that rabbit made of my dear wife’s hand.’

‘Disgraceful,’ Lord Broderick said, shaking his head. ‘I trust you have no objection to my including this in my report to the board?’

‘None whatsoever.’