“Up ahead is the greenhouse. It’s designed with a warm, controlled environment. Right now, it’s empty, but if you’re interested, Madam, you could plant vegetables, strawberries, or flowers—anything you like.”

“If you’d rather not get your hands dirty, in spring, I’ll have professional gardeners plant all kinds of blooms for you to enjoy.”

Hope Newton: Uh… that’s probably unnecessary. She wasn’t trying to live like a rich socialite.

Ahead, the path led through the regular landscaped gardens, which were beautiful enough even without her inspecting every detail.

When they returned to the “Wishing Fountain,” Hope thought the tour was over.

But as the car drove toward the main house, she...