Chapter 11

* * * *

The next morning, Carlton woke Eric up with sex, and after they’d showered, they decided to walk around the grounds before they went anywhere for breakfast.

“I’m glad I let you talk me into keeping the existing roses,” Carlton said as they were standing in the rose garden.

“It will be interesting to see what kind of roses they are,” Eric said. “I’m hoping that some of them might turn out to be heirloom roses—maybe even one or two varieties that were thought to have been lost over the years—that happens sometimes when very old gardens are restored. In any case, if you don’t like them, we can quickly replace them with modern varieties.”

“Wouldn’t all of the roses be, by definition, heirloom roses?” Carlton said. “After all, they’ve been here for a hundred and sixty years or so.”

“That’s probably true, but a more recent owner could possibly have replaced some of the roses with more modern varieties. We won’t know anything until the blooming season starts.”