The Wilton Estate

Saturday

Noon

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Rossi," Mira greeted Deanne politely after giving her brother a hug.

Deanne had marveled when Griffen had taken a little side path that was really not much of a road at all, though it was clear it had once been. Yes, they could have flown directly to the estate and over the gate, but that would've been considered rude and since they were meeting Griffen's sister, it was better if they just drove this first time. Besides, there was always security to consider and just because the estate was out in the countryside, and there was such things as flying cars in this century didn't mean that the security alarm wouldn't have gone off if an unfamiliar car was in the air within the estate's borders, a certain distance from the ground.

Since flying cars had been around for several centuries now ways had to be developed to protect a person's property if someone not welcome was approaching from the air. Accurate sensors and other technology had been developed so an unwelcome visitor could be identified and either chased off, or shot down and the police called.

There were also things like forcefields that could be programmed to only let certain vehicles through and repel all those unfamiliar. A forcefield to cover such a huge estate however, would be very expensive and also have weak spots, which criminals were great at finding and taking advantage of.

In this case, though the estate was well hidden, and you would have to come up on it by accident or know it was there in order to try to break in. There was also a way to turn off the forcefield from the outside, like in a situation that if all the immediate family had died off and an heir had been found. If that was the case, they would have to know how to turn off the forcefield from the outside to get onto a property so protected.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Bathurst," Deanne returned cordially, just as formally.

"There's no reason to be so formal. I'm Mira," Mira mildly protested and Deanne smiled.

"Then I'm Deanne or you can just call me Dea if you like," Deanne answered.

"It was really nice for you to agree to at least tour the garden as it's quite the disaster," Mira told Deanne, as the two of them walked a little ahead as Griffen trailed behind the pair. "Everything's been allowed to become overgrown and run wild. It's going to take a whole army of gardeners to set things to rights."

"Or droids," Deanne said. "I understand that your uncle didn't like droids, but that doesn't mean you can't buy some and they can clear out the garden in less time and you also wouldn't have to pay them, just have someone set them to task."

"They would need to be directed though and also to make sure that they stay charged since their electric sources will run out of power at some point," Mira said. "I won't say droids aren't useful, but they still need human guidance."

"If you got droids though, you could just hire me to come out here every couple of days and they would get the garden into shape in no time and clear out all the overgrown foliage. Once all, that overgrowth is cleared out then the real work can begin," Deanne said, as she, Mira and Griffen walked through the garden. Deanne looked around, as the three of them were walking down one of the paths, which had recently been cleared. Deanne was sure the path had been overgrown, at least partly anyway, though probably not all the way. It depended on how long it had been since the gardens had been tended. The driveway that led from the gate to the house would've been kept clear of foliage so that delivery trucks with groceries and other needed supplies could get to the house, but that didn't include all the side paths.

Deanne wondered if the old housekeeper had kept the driveway clear of foliage at least, since there were no other other employees and no droids. Probably, because there was no one else to do the job unless the lawyer that looked after the estate had hired someone to take care of it every few weeks, which was possible. If that was the case, though, they certainly hadn't done anything, but keep the main path clear and hadn't messed with the garden itself, as Deanne could now see how overgrown it had become.

"It's certainly an idea," Griffen spoke up from behind the two women. Deanne had nearly forgotten he was there he had been so quiet.

"If you do that, I can continue to go into work most days and only come to look at the progress of clearing out all this overgrowth. I'm sure it used to be really spectacular, as I can see hints of that even now," Deanne said.

"Too much might not have to be replaced as a lot of plants can survive, even if they're not tended as some are hardy things. It just depends on what kind of plants your uncle had here in the garden and whether they needed to be tended constantly by a gardener.

"I see what appears to be an overgrown rosebush up against that wall," Deanne said, as the three of them walked down one of the paths, that was close to one of the stone walls that surrounded the estate. The stone walls looked to be in good shape from what Deanne could see anyway, but since that wasn't her responsibility, she didn't bother to look at them too closely.

"You can identify a rosebush from this distance," Griffen asked in astonishment.

"It isn't that far Griff," Mira told him with a smirk. "It's only a few feet."

"And there's absolutely nothing wrong with my eyesight as my vision is 20/20," Deanne added.

That was one of the great things about being born immortal and that was there was never a need for glasses when such things had been around that is, but that was before the technology for eye correction had been around. Most insurances covered having your eyes corrected to 20/20 for all ages, though you had to be over a certain age to have the surgery

"I'm sure you had eye correction surgery when you were kid to get your perfect vision," Mira said.

"Nope! I was born with 20/20 vision," Deanne said, shaking her head in denial. "I've never had that correction surgery for my eyesight in all my life. Never needed to."

"Just wait until you get older and I'm sure you'll have to have that surgery when your eyesight starts to get bad the older you get," Griffen suggested.

"Maybe," Deanne shrugged knowing that she would never have to have that corrective surgery, but Griffen didn't know that, not yet at any rate.

"That's not really the issue right now Griff," Mira said. "The issue is whether or not you'll take the job. You made some comments, as we were walking along the paths, so I know you see the potential of returning this garden to its former glory. The question is will you do it? Griff and I both realize it will be a long-term project and we can't expect the garden to return to its former gorgeousness without a lot of time, money and effort."

"Well, if you were to purchase droids, at least half a dozen, as this is a very large garden. I'm sure there were separate sections to it before it got in such a state. One section could've been the kitchen garden, where certain herbs and vegetables were being grown for the cook to use for meals. Another section could've been just the rose garden, which is over by that wall.

"I'm kind of surprised there's not a greenhouse for the more exotic vegetables and fruits that won't grow in the type of environment we have here in Maine without one, particularly not with the coldness of the winters. Winters here in particular tend to be cold and snowy, and there are certain vegetables and fruits that will never grow in Maine weather without a greenhouse. Plus, if you have a greenhouse, you will protect your fruits and vegetables from bug infestation that can destroy your whole crop."

"While that's rather interesting. I doubt we'll be growing anything like vegetables or fruits. We still haven't decided if we're going to sell the estate or not," Griffen said.

"Well, since you said that the estate came with money, then you could keep it I suppose," Deanne said. "But what's the point of putting the gardens to rights if you don't live here? I mean why get me too help straighten out the garden if either of you isn't going to live here. I mean, I could understand clearing out all the overgrowth, but I don't see the point of wasting money, since any new owners can do that. Why go to the extra effort and cost if you're not going keep the place? Anybody who buys such a big property will be wealthy like your uncle so personally I would just clear out the overgrown foliage and then leave the garden for the new owners to deal with."

"She does have a point," Mira told her brother. "We didn't know our great uncle at all, as we never had a chance to meet him. I can see Deanne's point about clearing out the overgrowth, but leaving it as is after that for the new owners to do what they want, if we decide to sell."

"Gardens can be designed anyway you like them really and this is a lovely space that can hold anything, fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs," said Deanne. "If you decided to just have flowers for instance while they're very lovely, they're not exactly practical except for that. You can eat some flowers, just so you know.

"I don't think either Griffen, or I knew that," Mira said, and Griffen shook his head to indicate that no, he had not known that you could eat some variety of flowers.

"Oh yes, there are some varieties that are used to garnish certain dishes, at high class restaurants, but then again, other varieties of flowers are poisonous if you eat them," Deanne said. "Natures ways are wondrous and people from centuries ago, didn't have a lot of the food or the ingredients we have now so had to find other ways to flavor their dishes. We have forgotten a lot of the knowledge that those ancient people discovered, as technology and society has progressed, as we find supposedly better ways to do things."

"You must have a garden with the way you talk," Mira suggested. "I know you own a gardening emporium, but that doesn't mean you can't have a garden at wherever you live."

"She lives in this lovely, old, well-preserved brownstone," Griffen told his sister. "There's a lovely garden in the front. I was only there briefly in order to pick her up for our date, but from what I saw it was well maintained. Of course I couldn't tell you what she was growing as I didn't get but a brief look. I did see some roses and several other flower varieties that I recognized, but as for anything else, I have no idea."

"You only saw the front garden, which is all flowers and a few herbs used in cooking," Deanne said smiling. "I do have a vegetable garden, but it's in the back, which you have not seen as of yet."

"I don't know how you manage to maintain it all by yourself," Mira said, "as it sounds like a lot of work."

"It is, but if I'm not at work, I am usually in the garden. I very rarely watch any type of screen as I prefer being outside while the sun is shining and even in the early evening, depending on how cold it is," said Deanne. "I've always felt more connected to the Earth outside, more at peace. I do grow many of my own vegetables, but since I don't have a greenhouse, only because there wasn't room for one when I bought the house, there are only certain types I can grow with Maine weather being what it is, as I was just explaining."

"Sounds like you have a very green thumb, which explains why you own a gardening emporium and actually seem to enjoy going into work," Griffen said.

"I do enjoy going in and helping customers find what they're looking for and it's certainly the reason I wanted to open my own store having everything to do with growing things, not just flowers, but fruits, herbs and vegetables. Not to mention, all the decorations and accessories that can go in gardens like statues, fountains and sundials." Deanne said. "I don't enjoy the paperwork involved, but you knew that already."

"I doubt there's anybody in the world that enjoys doing paperwork even if it can be done electronically nowadays," Mira laughed interrupting. "It is boring and time consuming, and I can usually think of a half a dozen other things I'd rather be doing other than that."

"Same here," Deanne agreed smiling. "Usually I prefer to be working in my garden instead of doing paperwork or at least helping a customer find something

"You never did answer my sister's question will you take the job?" Griffen asked.

"I'll help with clearing out the overgrown foliage. I'll make sure that whoever you hire whether that's droids or humans doesn't get rid of the plants that are still flourishing, but that's all I can promise," Deanne said.

"If you decide to keep the estate and not sell it, then I'll help you choose what kind of plants you want for the garden. However, as I said, just a couple of minutes ago, I really don't see a point of going out of the way to spend a whole bunch of money on the garden if you're only going to sell the estate, as that should be the new owners responsibility."

"That's fair," Mira decided and Griffen nodded.

"We can probably just rent some gardening droids until the job is done, as that would be cheaper than buying," Griffen suggested. "If we have to buy later, if we decide to keep our great uncle's estate, then we can do that then."

"That's smart," Mira decided, giving her brother a thumbs up for his sensible suggestion. There is nothing wrong with saving money where you could even if you had plenty of it. "I know we have plenty of money now thanks to our inheritance, but still, there's no point of wasting it."

"I take it your parents weren't rich," said Deanne.

"No, they were solidly middle class," Griffen answered before his sister could.

"You must be feeling overwhelmed then with suddenly having so much money," Deanne suggested.

"You could say that," Mira agreed. "How did you guess?"

"Yes, it was a guess, but it was an educated one," Deanne explained. "While my parents were wealthy and I grew up in that environment, I've known plenty of people that suddenly came into a windfall, and they feel overwhelmed when they do, especially if it's a large one. A lot of them start spending outrageously and buy something they don't necessarily need but want. When that happens instead of putting it in the bank and leaving it there until they absolutely have to spend it, like for medical bills, they go on a shopping spree and waste a large portion of it. Possibly all of it."

"I remember you telling me that you wouldn't take the job just because we were willing to pay you a hefty sum," Griffen remembered. "You said you had plenty for your needs and that you owned several gardening emporiums so didn't necessarily need the paycheck."

"Which is true, so I didn't fib about that," Deanne said. "I absolutely don't need the money to live and live well. However, if you make the decision to keep this place, then I'd be willing to help you turn the garden back into what it was and that's gorgeous."

"We'll have to talk about it," Griffen said, looking at his sister who nodded.

"Yes, we will, but that's for later," Mira agreed.

~~~Deanne and Griffen~~~