Evangeline was glad that her paradise was empty that afternoon. No one else ever came the greenhouse, which she was grateful for, because it was one of her favorite places to think. She could relax and let her carefully constructed facade slip away amongst the plants and quiet because there was no one else there to watch her. And if the gardener came around to tend to the plants and saw her there enjoying her work then he would quietly leave and let her enjoy her solitude.

She tied the old work apron around her waist and retrieved her small shears from the pocket. Every Saturday, regardless of the weather, she came to the greenhouse to choose the flowers for the dining table centerpiece. It was just something that she started doing one day as a young child, and over the years it had become her favorite weekly tradition.

Evangeline moved through the greenhouse as she considered colors and textures and which flowers were ready for cutting. After twenty minutes of deliberation she settled upon blush colored roses in varying shades of pink and peach, large, spikey burgundy dahlias, silvered lambs ears, and lots of wild green foliage. The overall effect was wild and charming and just looking at it all bundled together made her feel a little bit better.

She was just trimming the ends of the flowers so that they would stand at the correct heights in the vase when the door to the greenhouse opened. She'd expected to see her Aunt when she turned around, so she was surprised when the music tutor approached her instead via the winding path through the foliage. He held a wayward leaf of a potted ficus tree out of the way, he was much taller than her (so he was in real danger of being slapped in the face by it) as he made his way towards her work station.

Well it was too late now to pretend that she hadn't seen him in his approach. She'd been staring at him for far too long now. Evangeline set the shears aside. She was finished trimming the arrangement anyway and now she was just stalling.

"You did not come to your lesson today," he said evenly in place of a polite greeting. It could not be said that the man was indirect. He said what he meant regardless of its rudeness. It would have been a commendable trait if he wasn't a servant, and if he wasn't directing it at her.

Evangeline stared at him for a moment before she looked away. She pretended to fiddle with the flowers on the table before her.

"I hardly think that you require an explanation for why that might be," she said, trying to interject an air of icy calmness into her voice. Why was it so difficult, now? She'd always been able to keep a tight rein on her emotions before. So why was her heart pounding in her throat and her stomach churning?

His eyes were boring into her while she was trying to steadfastly ignore him. She'd used her silence to dismiss servants before. Most took the hint after just a few moments. But he didn't budge. What an infuriating man. He just continued to stare at her as she fiddled with the flowers, arranging and rearranging them in the vase.

"My time is not to be wasted. I will see you promptly at ten tomorrow," he ordered her regally.

Evangeline let her eyes rise up to meet his as she prepared to tell him exactly what he could do with his expectations. But then his amber eyes locked onto hers and she felt her stomach flip flop unexpectedly. The effect was disconcerting and her icy, calm mask faltered for just a moment. Lingering effects of last night's wine perhaps? She hoped so. Her mouth ran dry and her sharp retort died on her tongue. He stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face as she struggled to find something to say. She'd never been struck speechless against her will before.

Finally she gathered her composure. "I hardly think that-"

"-I expect you to arrive on time from here on out," he interrupted. And then he'd turned around and left without being dismissed.

Evangeline furrowed her brow and watched him as he strode away from her. Normally she might have called out a particularly cutting remark to his back in order to show him that she was not his to boss around, and that he did not give orders to his superiors. But again, the cold words died on her tongue and all that she was left with was the vague feeling that he was winning their little game. And Evangeline did not like losing. She didn't like it at all.