Free Roses For Katie by Dilys Xavier Page A

times what your main occupation was,’ Katie commented. ‘Exactly what do you do on the estate?
    ‘Do?’ he asked, giving a wry smile. ‘Did, is the more likely word. I managed it. I hold a degree in horticulture and my dream was to open my own garden centre and landscaping service one day, but to do that I’d need a sizeable piece of land… and a lot of capital.’ He shrugged. ‘I had neither of those, but I was fortunate to secure the manager’s job on the estate on the strength of my degree. At least it was well-paid, and a house came with the job, just like there are on estates and large farms.’
    Pat seemed to be deep in thought. ‘Now that they’ve made me redundant, I can no longer expect to have use of the house.’ He gave a quick shrug. ‘They’ve indicated they need it for other purposes, so I have to move out as soon as possible. I’m currently looking for somewhere else to live. In the meantime, my gardening jobs give me pocket money and keep me busy.’ He shook his head slowly from side to side. ‘But this isn’t what I want for the rest of my life.’ He cast her a quick glance. ‘For heaven’s sake, I’m not finished at my age.’ He lifted his brows. ‘I’d like to carve out a new life for myself. In Ireland.’
    Katie’s heart gave a jerk. ‘Surely, you’re not leaving Berkeley?’ She looked upset. ‘Pat, I hope you won’t go off suddenly to live in Ireland… not until you’ve put my garden right, anyway. And when you do go, who on earth is going to help me out?’ She pulled a face. ‘I forbid you to go.’
    ‘Yes, Madam,’ Pat said, entering into the spirit. ‘Your wish is my command.’ He cleared away the scraps and litter. Then he held out his hand to help Katie out of the confining grip of the bench seat, and draped her jacket over her shoulders. ‘I think we should go now, because you’ll probably need a lot of time to choose your plants.’
     
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    As they drove to the garden centre, the thought that Pat had notions about going to live in Ireland bothered her. Did he really mean it? How on earth would she manage that huge garden without him? It would soon become as wild as it was before he appeared, and that worried her. Between her concern over Aunt Bertha and the disappointing possibility that Pat had just given her, the happy feeling she had enjoyed in the woods earlier that afternoon had faded.
    While Pat quietly drove, Katie began to wonder why she should feel so concerned about his going away. There must be other gardeners around, she thought, but they would be unlikely to be happy souls like Pat. Silently acknowledging that he was a delightful personality to have about the place, she realized that it was selfish to want him to stay, when his greatest wish was to return to his homeland.
    ‘Here we are,’ Pat said, breaking into her thoughts as he drove into the garden centre. He parked the car as near as possible to the entrance, and escorted Katie through the main building and out to the display of plants at the back.
    ‘I’m spoilt for choice,’ Katie said, looking around, ‘but I don’t have a clue what to buy, so I’ll rely on you to point out what I saw in that garden.’
    He smiled with the patient look she had come to know so well, and began to push the huge trolley he had collected on the way in.
    Katie pointed to the rhododendrons. ‘I love these,’ she said. ‘I’d like a deep mauve one, and a pinky mauve.’
    ‘This one’s all right, it grows to shrub size, but that one will be huge,’ Pat cautioned. ‘You don’t want your garden taken over by this kind of giant.’
    ‘Okay. You pick them out, then.’ Katie said. ‘I don’t mind which they are, as long as they’re rhododendrons; I’ve always fancied them… they make a lovely evergreen hedge, and the blooms are gorgeous.’
    The trolley began to fill up as they walked around. They had picked up two magnolia trees, a white one, and a pink one, and a