I rather like how this came out. I have no idea where I was going with it, though. I'll need to actually get an idea around this should I ever want to finish.
~
There were dead flowers everywhere. It was the first thing she noticed when she entered the gates and the last as she stepped inside the old mansion. Being a gardener, she didn't think to admire the grand, yet slightly disarrayed appearance of the house or the fact that rolling hills painted the background. Nope, just the flowers. "Hello?" she called out nervously. She clutched her bag in front of her to keep from wringing her hands as she often did when she was very aware of herself.
A tall, rather lanky man appeared in the hallway. From his attire, it was obvious that he was the hired help. "Please do hand me your coat and hat madam. My master is waiting for you in the parlor to your right." She nodded, obliging immediately. She removed her green overcoat and slid her matching hat off her peppered hair. As she handed it to the help, she noticed that the daisy she had secured through the ribbon tied around the middle was wilted.
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud.
"This is Harken's manor," a voiced boomed from the parlor. She jumped and then quickly scurried into the room as the help disappeared back to where ever he had come from. In front of her a man with a rather large nose and sunken, tired eyes. He appeared to be young, but his dreary black suit and pale skin marred this. If she hadn't read the letter that called her to this place beforehand, she would have assumed he was of the same age as her. "And I am Mr. Harken."
She hesitated before nodding her head in a show of respect. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Penny Greensend." She made no move to offer her hand and neither did Mr. Harken.
"Please sit," he motioned to a chair in front of him. Beside it was a vase of fake roses. Penny took the chair as he spoke again. "As I'm sure you noticed when you came in, the flowers need tending to. I've tried many gardeners, but none were capable of bringing lilies to life in my yard, or anything else for that matter. The last one mentioned you and said that you have such a talent for flowers that your house puts Central Park to shame. Is this true?"
Penny thought for a second, "I suppose it is, although I wouldn't be so bold as to all it better than the flowers at the park."
"How humble," Mr. Harken smirked, clasping his hands in front of him as he leaned forward. "I'm delighted that you responded so quickly to my letter. Of course, money is no issue so I can pay you what you like if you are able to get lilies to grow once more in the gardens in front of my manor. The butler can assist you with any tools you should need and you're free to come in for a drink or nourishment as you see fit. I only ask that you stay in the kitchen, garden, and the shed and away from the rest of the house as I'm a rather private person and enjoy my space. I'm sure you can understand such wishes." Penny nodded as Mr. Harken stood. "When can you start?"
"Well, I have nothing else to do today."
He smiled. "Good. Mr Wing!" Harken snapped his fingers and the help came lumbering into the room. "Lead Ms. Greensend to the shed in the back. Show her where the gardening tools are." He nodded and gently guided her into the kitchen and from there through a side door. He waved her on her way and retreated back into the manor.
Penny saw the shed in the back. It was nearly the size of her small house. What she assumed was once a dogwood tree leaned against the shed, dead or nearly there judging by the way a tiny green leaf still clung stubbornly to one of its branches. "Five gardeners have already tried to tame this land, but nothin' ever grows." His voice was, she now noticed, heavily accented. Judging by his mop of ginger hair, she assumed he was Irish, but didn't deem it apropriate to ask.
"Why is that?" she asked curiously.
"Dunno. Mr. Harken is, as he told you, a very private person. Even I'm not allowed in a good majority of the rooms." Mr, Wing reached into his pocket and pulled out a large ring of keys. "He gave me the keys to all the rooms, though, but I don't dare cross him. He seems the type to not be very forgiving." He sorted through the keys before settling on a larger one. He opened the lock of the shed and opened the doors. "I should have the master make you a set for the kitchen and shed, well if you last as our gardener that is. None ever do beyond a few days."
She looked over the bags of fertalizer and pesticide. There was a box of lily bulbs and several other seed packets tossed haphazardly onto a shelf. On the wall hung tools of various sizes and types for gardening. "He sure has everything covered, it seems, although I think I may have to bring in some of my own fertalizer and such as I'm not familiar with this stuff here."
"I'll ask the master if that's okay. I'll go ahead and leave you to this, just lock the door behind you and stay on track." Penny waved as Mr. Wing lopped back to the manor. She sized up a few hoes and spades before selecting a few satisfactory ones. She grabbed a bag of fertalizer so she could examine it and the box of bulbs. She pushed the door closed behind her and juggled the load in her arms as she locked the door back then headed to the front and set to her work.
