It was the part she’d loved best when Eustace had given her a tour. Some of the hothouses were home to the duke’s vast collection of orchids, whilst the rest catered to the endless cycle of bedding plants that the estate required, as well as infant trees, beehives and out-of-season fruits.

‘Just think how many extraordinary flowers you’ll be able to bring me once I’m the duchess!’ she said.

James smiled and stood back up. ‘It would be my honour to provide flowers for your wedding, Miss Warren, of course – the most exotic and lovely blooms I can find. But after that, I’m afraid you must employ the services of some other orchid hunter.’

For a moment Rosa thought she must have misheard.

‘Mr Sheppard! Don’t tell me you’re retiring from the business?’

She was shocked. James had often talked of how much he loved orchid hunting, in spite of the inherent dangers, even going so far as to say that it made him feel more alive than anything else in the world ever could.

He laughed. ‘Indeed, no. I imagine I shall hunt orchids, in one fashion or another, until the day I die. My father considers the whole thing a mania, and perhaps he’s right.’

There was suddenly a strange look in his eyes that Rosa didn’t understand.

‘A mania,’ she repeated. ‘Why, that’s putting it rather strongly!’

James shrugged. ‘I’m not so sure. If something brings you more grief and heartache than reward and pleasure, yet you persist in the endeavour anyway, then how else might one describe it?’

‘You seem in a melancholy mood this evening,’ Rosa replied with a frown. ‘I thought you adored orchid hunting?’

‘Oh, I do,’ he said. ‘Even when I don’t.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t understand you.’ Rosa was concerned. She might not fancy herself in love with James any more, but she still liked him a great deal. ‘Are you quite all right?’

‘Indeed, yes. Please forgive me. Some of the flowers I provided for the party tonight just reminded me of an old friend, that’s all. He died in Hawaii last year.’

‘I’m truly sorry to hear it. But if you have not given up the whole enterprise, then what is all this nonsense about not providing me with flowers after the wedding?’

‘It is only that I must be quite particular about my clients, as you know, and I’m afraid the duke is not a gentleman with whom I can do business.’

‘But why ever not?’ Rosa stared at him. ‘Gracious, he has the greatest orchid collection in the world! I should think most hunters would be pleased to work for him, especially as the king himself toured Raven Hall’s hothouses last summer.’