"It's nothing serious, just that the butler saw you heading into the woods after leaving the party and was a bit worried, so he sent me to check on you. The backwoods are vast and it's getting dark. Even though there are street lamps, it's easy to get lost since you're not familiar with the area, Ms. Nightshade."
"No worries." Xanthea brushed off her hands and stood up. "I'll just take a quick look at the flowers and head back."
"Alright!" Linda smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Do you have a favorite type of flower, Ms. Nightshade? I can help you look for it here in the woods."
"Yes, but it's quite rare. I love irises."
"What a coincidence!" Linda clapped her hands excitedly. "Just a few hundred yards ahead, there's a cliff, and right at the base, there's a patch of wild black irises!"
"Really?"
Xanthea looked at her, surprised and delighted to find wild irises in the woods, especially rare black ones.
"Let's go take a look then."
"Sure, I'll come with you, Ms. Nightshade!"
Linda followed her for a while but then suddenly stopped, turned around, and dashed off.
In the villa's four-story library.
Anthony Marlowe finished signing a contract and stood up, shaking hands with Orion, smiling, "Mr. Lockwood, it's a pleasure to work with you. Here's to a successful project!"
"Likewise."
Orion, with his typically cool demeanor, seemed unusually congenial today.
"You seem in good spirits today, Mr. Lockwood. Any particular reason?"
"Is the company of a beautiful lady reason enough?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Beloved Has Risen from Death's Embrace