Jasper let her go and a cool breeze washed over her back as he stood. Then he held out a hand to her. “The advertisement has run in many newspapers, in many counties, for over thirty years.”

“Thirty years?” It seemed like a lifetime of waiting, but Sleeping Beauty had slept for a hundred years while brambles claimed her castle. If she had advertised, the prince might have found her sooner.

Jasper helped her to her feet, and she brushed moss and grass from her skirts. Mouse sighed and heaved himself upward as though he only followed them under sufferance.

Dawn wondered how many people had sent their drawings to Lord Seton over the years and what percentage of gardeners had the required bloodlines he sought. “But I don’t understand. If you were searching for an Elemental who was willing to be the new heart, why were you so angry when you saw me?”

He stared at their hands and he clasped hers in both of his. “In all those years, a woman had never before responded, and the men have not been up to the task. Most left on the first day when they saw the state of the grounds.”

She could understand that. It was a formidable job to tackle single-handed. “Did you seek a man to replace Ava?” There was something she had not considered, did a heart have to be male or female?

He shrugged. “Man or woman doesn’t matter. There can be a working relationship between the heart and Lord Warder without any personal entanglement. After so much neglect I needed to find someone who would embrace this land and I thought a gentleman would be more robust and up to the challenge. When I saw you, you seemed so delicate, I couldn’t put you in harm’s way. Then I saw how much you cared for this estate and your determination to repair the damage that Ava has wrought, and I realised you might be the one.”

Her heart quivered with a feeble, erratic beat of expectation. How pathetic that she thought he would give some grand declaration of devotion toward her. That he might admit that she roused protective instincts and he didn’t want to lose her. Dawn didn’t even understand her own position on the attraction between them, but the woman inside her wanted to hear that she was more than a weapon he planned to wield. “Was that why you changed your mind, because I care for this land?”

He lifted his face to hers and storm clouds gathered in his eyes. “No. The depth of my reaction to you took me by surprise. There is a bond between the Lord Warder and the heart, one that once formed can only be broken by death. I selfishly did not want to risk losing you, and I put my wants above the needs of the ward under my protection.”

His gaze pierced her and heat flowed along her limbs. He said nothing and yet everything with that one look. An enduring bond would unite them until death, if she accepted what he offered. But was this love or compulsion? Neither of them had mentioned that little four-lettered word and in truth, she didn’t know what she felt.

Her head spun with all she had learned over the last few days, and she was no fit judge of her emotions. She glanced to Mouse who watched the exchange, his head swinging back and forth. The dog gave his affection to her in an instant. Could people know their heart’s desire so easily or quickly as a wolfhound?

She swallowed, her throat dry as her tongue tried to wrap around the words she wanted to say. “Were Julian and Ava chosen by the Cor-vitis too?”

Jasper’s shoulders rose and fell in a shrug so similar to those given by Elijah. “Ava said yes, but I suspect not, as Julian never mentioned it. If the vine didn’t appear to them, then he might have thought it would just be a matter of time. It is not an essential requirement in choosing a heart, but it adds another layer to the pairing that makes the family stronger.”

This was all very complicated, like a divine matchmaking service. A Lord Warder had to find a person with the suitable type of ability or affinity to be the heart, but without the blessing of the little green plant they could be forever bound to someone without any attraction between them. Otherwise it would be like a frosty marriage of convenience, two parties forced together but with little to unite them apart from circumstances. Mundane aristocratic engagements seemed easy by comparison. You only had to match breeding stock to fortunes with no concern for supernatural abilities and mystical alliances. Religion did play a part for some couples, if you counted that as mysticism.

Did that make it all the more remarkable when the vine chose two people? Should she set aside her rational and logical objections and trust to a diminutive supernatural plant to bind her to her life’s partner?

Dawn held out her hand where faint green traces criss-crossed over the back. “It germinated in first moment you touched me. The seed appeared in my palm and wriggled to break free like a chick emerging from an egg.”

A faint laugh blew from between Jasper’s lips. “Is that why you snatched your hand away? I thought you didn’t like me.”

Nothing could be further from the truth, and she fought the desire to cast doe eyes at him. Not that she exactly knew what doe eyes were, but on the odd occasion she observed young couples in town, it seemed the sort of look a woman gave to the young man holding her hand. “I thought I had gone mad. One moment the seed was there, and then it disappeared.”

She rubbed at the lines but they stayed. How did an invisible plant leave a mark? It was a faint trace like that left by ivy suckers after you pulled them away from brickwork. A memory of what once clung there.

Jasper watched her worry at the mark. “Over time, if you consent, the vine will tattoo your skin with an intricate design.”

Tattoos? How scandalous. At least this type didn’t involve a needle and hours of pain. If she consented to the union between them, would she turn into a circus attraction with every inch of skin covered? “How far will the mark extend?”

He took her hand and led her back toward the main house, Mouse trotting at their heels. “The vine is still deciding, but usually it will settle on a spot on your arm. Among my kind it is a visible symbol of a connection.”

“Like a wedding ring?” She wondered if his kind married. His older brother never took Ava as his bride, although wider society would expect an earl to produce a legitimate heir. She assumed Jasper’s parents were wed since the earldom fell to his head. If some wed and some did not, it raised the question of how they decided. What factors influenced the decision to say their vows before a priest?

“Yes, but the Cor-vitis’ mark is more permanent since it cannot be removed,” he said.

On her hand, the lines faded before her eyes only to reform in a different pattern. “Unless I chopped my arm off.”

He stopped on the path and stared at her, the familiar frown back between his brows. “Why would you do that?”

It would seem her attempt at humour had failed, especially since the scratch decided at that point to heat up. She should see Dr Day before she was a limb short. “I was trying to be funny. You said the mark could not be removed, but you could remove the limb if you were determined.”

“That’s not funny.” The frown deepened.

Dawn made a mental note that jokes were not to be considered again. She had seen the spark of humour in his eyes so at least she knew he could laugh.

“Do you still want to drive to the village?” Thankfully Jasper changed the subject.

“Yes, that would be lovely, if I could wash first though?” Her fear and grief over Lettie’s words about her parents receded. Events couldn’t be changed, but they could be understood, and she hoped Jasper’s enquiries in Whetstone brought her some peace of mind.

“I’ll meet you in the courtyard in half an hour.” He kissed her hand and left her at the cottage door.

Within, Dawn washed her hands and face and brushed her hair that had come loose during her dash through the trees. Then she twirled it back into a bun and secured it with pins. She picked up the bottle of heart tonic and sloshed the liquid back and forth. With each day, she relied on it less. Could she have found the cure that eluded all the doctors they consulted?

Her mood was lighter as she trod the path to the courtyard. Other women might prefer trips to buy dresses or hats, but Dawn grew excited thinking of the range of plants she might find in a catalogue. Her black aquilegia seemed plain by comparison to the imported beauties that might now be within her grasp. She checked her pocket for her notebook. Already ideas swirled with possible themes for the herbaceous borders.

In front of the stables she found Jasper with a black frock coat over his waistcoat and a top hat on his head. He stood by a gleaming black curricle. In the harness was a smart dark bay with a shiny coat.

Dawn wiped her hands down her skirt and hoped her plain attire was good enough to be seen with him. She surveyed the lightweight curricle. It would be close quarters for two adults, let alone a pony-sized dog. “Where will we put Mouse?”

The frown reappeared and Jasper rubbed his chin. “Hmmm. He will not fit, I am afraid. We will simply have to leave him behind.”

When his gaze lit on Dawn, it was full of sly humour. He could most definitely share a joke when the mood suited him.

The wolfhound sat and stared at the curricle and then at Dawn. She patted his head. “I’m sorry, boy, you will have to stay and supervise Hector.”

The dog huffed and fur blew up out of his eyes.

Jasper handed Dawn up and she muttered under her breath so Mouse wouldn’t hear, “You chose the curricle on purpose. The gig has ample room for Mouse.”

By the time he climbed in next to her, the frown was long gone and he grinned. “And now I have you all alone, Miss Uxbridge.” He twirled an imaginary moustache and then slapped the reins against the horse’s rump to make it trot on.

Dawn laughed as they headed down the driveway and into the waiting embrace of the old oaks and elms. “Do you spend much time at the mill?”

“Most of the paperwork I do in my study. Once a week I visit to discuss matters with the manager. I try to leave it to more capable hands than mine to oversee daily operations.”

“Do all Warders work to provide for their districts?” Dawn had thought most peers were engaged in spending money, not producing it. Elementals seemed to have a different mind-set than the rest of society.

“Yes. Power comes with responsibility, and it is up to each Lord Warder to do all he can to provide for those living in his jurisdiction. We help as many as we can. We also have a care for Gaia. When you live for centuries, you must ensure there are sufficient resources for each generation.” His hands tightened on the reins.

“It must be difficult when Alysblud has only you to rely upon.” How many Elementals did it take to safeguard a district? She had no idea and could only think of it like a business that required managers and senior employees, down to the young children who swept the floors. Or were they more like soldiers, fighting off the Soarers? Was Jasper an army of one?

His attention stayed fixed on the path as he guided the horse past the yellow and red station house by the railway platform. “Elijah is a fine young man. When he is older he will establish his own household, and we hope that over the coming decades, we will increase our numbers to adequately guard our region.”

“Oh.” Dawn doubted that increasing their numbers referred to some sort of recruitment policy but more likely natural procreation. She held in her questions and tried to control the blush that threatened under her dress. Her mind cast around for another topic of conversation so she wouldn’t blurt out the thought wriggling on the tip of her tongue.

The horse trotted past the doctor’s house and the overgrown lavender that edged the path. The spent heads that needed lopping off distracted her thoughts. “Have you known Dr Day for long?”

Jasper glanced at the stone house and then turned back to the road in front of them. “All his life. Grayson was born here, and his father was Lettie’s physician before him. He used to play with Elijah when he was a boy, and then I paid for him to attend the best schools so he could earn his medical degree.”

The horse and curricle slowed as more villagers walked along the road, and up ahead a flock of sheep blocked the road. The horse halted to give men, dog, and sheep time to flow through an open gateway.

“Did you require Dr Day to come back here?” While Dawn loved the isolated spot, she wondered if it was different for those born and raised here. Did they seek adventure elsewhere, and how did the Seton family keep their extraordinary longevity secret?

Jasper leaned back and let the reins go slack as he turned to her. “No, he has always been free to make his own decisions. Grayson graduated top of his class and with the highest honours. He could have made his fortune in private practice in London, and yet he chose to return here. Something calls him back to Alysblud.”

Dawn might not have any worldly experience, but even she could make a good guess at what kept the handsome doctor in the rural area. “Perhaps one day he will find whatever that is.”

Jasper frowned and opened his mouth when the road up ahead cleared. The horse walked on of its own accord and the curricle jerked. He grabbed the reins and the moment was lost. Jasper pulled the horse to a halt by the village square, not far from where the blacksmith’s hammer rang out on an anvil.

A young boy ran from out the barn doors and took the horse’s reins. “I’ll look after him, Lord Seton.”

“Good lad,” Jasper called as he jumped to the ground and went around the curricle to give Dawn a hand down from the high seat.

“Let’s start with the general store. They should have what you need. While we are here, I have a letter to dispatch to your solicitor, Mr Stevens.” He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.

Dawn glanced around. Villagers smiled as they passed and then bent their heads together, and twitters of conversation raced around the square.

“You are causing gossip.” Dawn tugged on her hand, but he held it fast.

He leaned closer and whispered by her ear, “Let them talk, and they had better get used to seeing us together. Whatever makes you think I intend to let you go?”

When he said things like that, it made her stomach flip-flop like a fish hauled out of the water. Part of her wanted him to hold onto her, but another tiny part wanted to make her own decisions without the pressure such public displays put on her.

It was a short walk to the general store and the cool embrace of the room within. High ceilings seem to hold an endless procession of rows. Each row was crammed with numerous different products in tins, jars, and packets. The higher shelves were accessed by a narrow wooden ladder on castors.

A long counter with a glass front ran the length of one side. A middle-aged woman in a crisp white apron smiled on seeing Jasper. Her dark hair showed streaks of grey, and a happy life showed in the crinkles at her eyes.

“What can we do for you today, Lord Seton?” she asked, wiping her hands on the apron and lifting a section of the countertop to greet them.

“Ah, Ruth, first I have a most urgent letter for Whetstone.” He drew a slim envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it over.

Ruth took the item and laid it on the counter. “The train is due today, and it will be in Whetstone by tonight.”

So soon, Dawn thought. What, if anything, will Mr Stevens reveal about the failed investment?

“Next, Miss Uxbridge here is in search of seeds and plants for the vegetable garden at Ravenswing. I have engaged her as landscape designer.” He let go of her hand to take the other woman’s hand and kiss the back as though he greeted some great aunt.

Ruth’s dark brown gaze lit up. “Oh, we’ll have plenty to spare among the village gardens. We’d be more than happy to help.”

Jasper leaned in closer to her greying head. “She also plans to turn the greenhouse into an orangery to supply the village with citrus.”

The woman gave a breathy sigh. “Oh what I’d give for an orange. I had one once, many years ago, given to me by my man when we were courting.”

Dawn longed to grow the tropical plants with their juicy fruit. “We could grow oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and limes. Perhaps we could even source a banana palm.”

Ruth frowned. “What’s a banana?”

“A tropical fruit. Well, technically it’s a berry, just a very big berry. Long and narrow with a yellow skin and a creamy flesh.” Dawn mimed the approximate shape and size of a banana with her hands and then mimicked putting it into her mouth to nibble at the top.

The storekeeper’s eyes went wide and she burst into laughter. Even Jasper sucked in his lips to stop from laughing. Dawn closed her mouth and stared at her invisible banana. What had she done that was so funny?

Ruth brought her giggles under control and elbowed Lord Seton. “Well, I don’t know about these bananas, but let’s see what catalogues we have to get you started.”

Dawn frowned. Obviously the shopkeeper didn’t believe bananas were real. Perhaps she needed to find a picture to show her.

Ruth piled a variety of magazines into Jasper’s open arms. Then she insisted on taking Dawn around the village to ask about surplus plants and seeds. The villagers were more generous than Dawn ever imagined. Jasper found himself driving the curricle home with a box of seedlings balanced on his lap. Hector would collect even more later in the week.

“I told you the gig had more room,” Dawn murmured as he told the horse to trot on without losing control of the box. Baby leeks waved from the top and brushed against his chin.

“I will never look at a leek again without thinking of having you alone. Or a banana for that matter.” He waggled his eyebrows and laughter lit his eyes.