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Back The Winter Garden
Chapters (54)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. ALSO BY ALEXANDRA BELL
  4. DEDICATION
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. Part Two
  15. CHAPTER EIGHT
  16. CHAPTER NINE
  17. CHAPTER TEN
  18. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  19. CHAPTER TWELVE
  20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. Part Three
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

James did not appear to notice, however, and his voice was pleasant when he replied. ‘Certainly not. I doubt there can be anything more wondrous in all the world than them. Still …’ He paused, then added, ‘In certain circles abroad I have heard talk of a most unusual garden. One that’s said to move around from place to place, filled with wonders such as your black apple trees. A magical garden where it is always winter …’

The moment slowed and stopped. Beatrice looked at James, to find him watching her closely. She had never known anyone allude to the Winter Garden in even the vaguest of terms before, and part of her wished to tell him everything at once. But it seemed too extraordinary a tale for anyone to believe. And he was an orchid hunter now – if he did believe her, could she be sure that he would not track down the Winter Garden in order to loot it? Magical flowers and extraordinary treasures would fetch a high price indeed at auction.

‘Sounds like a f-fairy tale,’ she said, making sure to keep any fond wistfulness from her voice. She would not allow herself to think of miniature snowmen, gnome-shaped cups or impossible tigers.

For a long moment it looked as if James might be about to say something more, but finally he nodded and said, ‘Yes, I suppose it does.’

‘Where did you h-hear such s-stories?’

‘In auction houses, mostly. The Winter Garden is famous amongst orchid hunters. They say there’s an orchid there that blooms nowhere else in the world.’

The frost orchid. Beatrice saw it once again in her mind, its iced petals crowned on top of a long, pale stalk, glittering behind the glass dome of its case.

‘How c-curious,’ she said.

‘Indeed. Well, I will not detain you any longer.’ He picked up his hat and jacket from the back of a nearby chair. ‘I hope you will not mind if I say that it was good to see you again today, and that I admire very much what you did earlier. You showed great courage.’

Beatrice was both pleased and embarrassed by the praise, yet her own pleasure disturbed her. ‘I do m-mind,’ she said. ‘You f-forget your p-place. As my. S-servant.’