a/n: Sorry for the slower update; I just got back from a really long vacation, so I'm worn out.

Anyway, once again, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming!

Enjoy!

Romen

Disclaimer: Unfamiliar; mine. Familiar; still not mine

Chapter 15

The Way of Flowers

"Here; what about this?"

Elizabeth observed the sketch closely, holding it up to the light streaming through the parlor window. "It is lovely," she agreed. "But what is it?"

"It's white ranunculus," Katherine explained excitedly, one finger tracing the small, rose-like petals. "Very simple, yet elegant. It's commonly used as a greeting to guests, accompanied by spurge. Alone, it means that the giver is dazzled by your charms!"

Katherine's clear green eyes danced as they put their heads together and giggled, her loose, honey colored curls falling over her shoulders. Katherine had a fascination with flowers, and was helping Elizabeth pick out a simple floral arrangement.

Elizabeth set the parchment down, catching a glance of someone in the hall. "Will!" she called over, gesturing to them.

He smiled. "Good day Miss Swann. What have you got here?"

"We're trying to sort out some kind of arrangement," Elizabeth replied curtly. "This is my friend, Katherine Bishop. Katherine, this is Will Turner."

Katherine held out one daintily gloved hand, a bemused smile dimpling her porcelain doll features. "How do you do?"

Will glanced down at the white lace confusedly. He took it, bending down and awkwardly kissing it. Helen pulled out a fan and unfurled it, holding it over her right cheek timidly.

However, Will didn't seem to notice. He sat down next to Elizabeth, opening a collection of sketches. He frowned. "Couldn't you just ask one of the gardeners to send you an assortment?"

Elizabeth shook her head amusedly. "Of course not! Who knows what kind of message it would send!"

"Really." Katherine nodded in agreement, lowering her fan to lean over the picture he was looking at. "They might send daffodils, a very bad message to guests indeed."

"What is this?" His eyes scanned the drawing.

"Sweet William," Elizabeth replied.

Will started, reddening. "Miss Swann-"

"That's the name of the flower," she explained bluntly. "What? Did you think I said something else?"

"No," he said, though very unconvincingly.

"Sweet William is the symbol of gallantry," Katherine happily informed him (Elizabeth had to admit that she was like a walking encyclopedia, ready to spill any information she contained at the slightest suggestion). "They're classified as Dianthus barbatus, and belong to the Caryophllaceaea family. Horticultural varieties are usually treated as biennials, that including both single and double flowered forms."

Even though Will looked as if he hadn't understood a word she had just said, his eyes gazed back at the sketch fondly. Elizabeth took in the small, weightless looking petals, their tips rounded. A light rose color fringed a darker, almost black. Despite the colorful array, it was simple and modest. She had to admit that the name suited it.

"They also come in white and purple," Helen finished, ignoring the fact that no one was really listening to her.

"Miss Swann, if it's not too bold to suggest, I believe that this would be a good choice." Will caught her eye.

She took the paper from him, examining it a moment. "No," she finally stated.

Will was incredulous. "Why not?"

"Well, it's just not festive enough!" she explained, using hand gestures for emphasis. "I need something a little less...humble."

"Humble?" He sighed, taking it gently from her hands and setting it loftily on the stack of other rejects, though his eyes lingered on it. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was thinking of something more like this." She handed a piece of parchment to Katherine, who was obviously the better suited for helping her make this critical decision.

Katherine nodded slowly. "Ah, Scilla nonspripta. An interesting choice."

Will wrinkled his nose. "A very blue choice. Isn't this a bluebell?"

"Yes, it is." Katherine's curls bounced as she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

"What's the matter with it?" Elizabeth's eyes glimmered as she imagined them festooning the tables, the small, bell-shaped flowers pointed downward at they rested in vases. "Don't you think it's lovely?"

He chewed on his lip. "I've never liked bluebells," he finally admitted with a small shrug.

Elizabeth felt her face fall. Yet another contrast to James. It seemed that they would never be friends. "Bluebells are James's favorite flower," she informed him softly. "But I suppose you're right. They're too downcast, too thoughtful."

Katherine lifted the two sketches in question, her eyes fluttering from one to the other. "What if," she began slowly, "we combined the Scilla nospripta with the Dianthas barbatus?"

Elizabeth considered this. "They're both so different..."

"Really, though, Elizabeth, just think!" Helen waved the parchment in the air exasperatedly. "We could start a new trend!"

"It's too blue," Will protested.

"What, you don't like blue?" Elizabeth eyed him, grinning. "Really, it could probably work, if the Sweet William was white...But I do like the rose..."

"Purple might add a nice finish." Katherine leaned toward her, her fan slipping from her lap unheeded.

Will scowled. "But it's so blue!"

"What do you have against the color blue?" Elizabeth cried in annoyance.

"It's just not one of my favorite colors," he explained ruefully.

"Then what is your favorite color?"

He blinked. "Yellow."

Her eyes narrowed. Truly, that was not incomprehensible.

"Well, this is my gala, and I shall choose the colors." She paused, thinking. "We shall have bluebells with purple Sweet William, along with a small sprig of white ranunculus and spurge. I think it will provide a refreshing break from all of the blue..."

Katherine nodded in agreement. "We should place the order right away." She turned to Will. "Bluebells are the symbol of faith or constancy. They are members of the Liliaceae family. The Scilla nonspripta is the English bluebell."

Elizabeth could just picture James at the party. Lizzy, the bluebell is my favorite flower. It reminds me so much of you...Oh, you were thinking of me when you selected it? How thoughtful of you...Perhaps we could pick some together some time at my manor back in Britain...

"Miss Swann?"

"Hmm?" Elizabeth felt her cheeks flush as she was drawn from her thoughts. "Yes, Will?"

He frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, as if he thought better of it. He finally stood.

"I should get back to work. Thank you, Miss Swann. And Miss Bishop, it was a pleasure to meet you."

Katherine eyed him as he left. "He's an interesting chap," she said as soon as he was out of earshot. "Does he live here?"

"Yes. He's lived with us here for little over two months."

"Oh really." Katherine retrieved her fan, grinning. "He's quite comely."

Elizabeth snorted. "Will? Comely?"

"Yes! Don't you think so?"

Elizabeth took a sip of her tea. James was comely. Will was just...well, Will was Will. It wasn't that he wasn't comely, he just was...Will. That was all there was to it. Elizabeth didn't even try to explain this to Katherine, but instead let the matter lie.

"What do you think of azalea?" she asked instead, hastily changing the subject.

TBC...