The Garden of Forgotten Wishes - Trisha Ashley Page 0,90
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The plants now stood in a group on the cobblestones, like a lot of nervous sheep in a field, and all had to be carried across the path, through the visitors’ gate and then on into the garden, where they were lined up on the paths near where they were destined to be dug in.
‘We might as well have a bite of lunch and a brew, before we do anything else,’ Gertie said as we walked back once we’d finished.
‘If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a sandwich back with me, so I can get on,’ I said, so in the Potting Shed, Gert fished out a plastic box and shoved several sandwiches and a slab of foil-wrapped lardy cake in it.
That should keep me going for a bit, I thought, as I headed back.
It was some time later, and I’d hacked back quite a bit of the path down the other side of the giant central bed of Apple Rose, when Ned appeared, carrying a bucket of soapy water and a brush. He was wearing waders.
‘I’ve been planting up the pond with the water plants that came,’ he explained, seeing my quizzical look.
‘You’re the biggest garden gnome I’ve ever seen,’ I said, and he grinned.
‘Forgot my fishing rod. But while I was fairly waterproof I thought I might as well clean down this marble bench James told me you’d found.’
‘Pity you didn’t do it earlier, before I sat on it,’ I said ungratefully. ‘I’ve got a mossy green bottom.’
‘If it’s permanent, we could advertise you as a garden feature,’ he suggested. ‘Speaking of which, Wayne seems to be becoming a garden feature too, though an unwelcome one,’ he added. ‘James said he found him talking to you over the wall, earlier.’
‘Yes, and he’d have had the rake, too, if he wasn’t too thick to realize the head of it wouldn’t fit through the railings.’
‘Nothing’s safe,’ he said. ‘Did James tell you I found him in the stables very early this morning?’
I nodded. ‘I suppose he was up to no good there, as well.’
‘He had an excuse, but it wasn’t a good one.’ He looked at me, amber eyes serious. ‘What was he saying to you earlier? I hope he wasn’t making a nuisance of himself again?’
‘Not really. He’s got hold of a copy of Elf’s book, because someone told him his family was mentioned in it, but he seemed more interested in the chapter about hidden treasure. He’s got a metal detector. I must tell Treena to warn Luke, in case he tries to use it at the dig site.’
‘He’ll be sorry if he does, because Steve’s sheepdog will bark his head off if he hears anything at night, and if he’s let out, Wayne will be sporting a set of toothmarks up his legs for weeks.’
‘He asked me if I thought your pirate ancestor had really hidden treasure here and I told him no, because if he had it would have been found.’
‘He’d better not try digging up my garden!’
‘He won’t. I reminded him the Grace Garden wasn’t there until long after Nathaniel, so if there had been anything there before, it would have been found.’
Then something connected in my head and I said, ‘That old sundial with the galleon in the middle – the words round the edge mention golden bars, though of course they meant sunshine. But perhaps someone reading that got the wrong idea and it started the rumour?’
‘It’s surprising how little it takes sometimes, so you could be right. But it’s probably just wishful thinking – though I could really use a chestful of pirate treasure right now!’
He went to change, leaving a gleaming white bench and a trail of soapy water behind him. He and James were going to sort out all the new signs next and start putting them up.
Later, they came in and cemented one in the rose garden, while I was packing up my tools and gathering the full bags of prunings together: River Walk time, again.
‘Just leave all that,’ Ned said. ‘We’ll put it away. You’ve done enough for one day.’
‘I am a bit stiff, but nothing a hot shower won’t fix,’ I agreed.
‘Never mind, you’ve got all tomorrow to recover.’
I stared at him: ‘You only have three more days before the garden opens! You can’t possibly think I’m going to take all tomorrow off.’
‘Nor Gert and me – and Steve says he’ll be round when he can, between jobs.’