Plum Blossom Troy New York Novels & Stories

The day turns gloomy then, and Lady Brook urges me to walk with her in the garden. My heart has only just begun to thaw to the delicate bloom of winter jasmine, its pale petals nodding in the crisp morning air, when we round the bend and reach the crop section. The gardener waiting there lights up at our approach, her hands already motioning toward a small patch where a young blueberry bush grows—Lord Valen’s gift. Pride softens her features as she gestures to it, eager for praise. But I shake my head before she can begin.