The Return To Misselthwaite Manor

Chapter Three: I am the Garden Collin, I am the Garden:
Home | Chapter One Continued | Return To Misselthwaite Manor: The Sequel To The Secret Garden | Chapter Two: The Funeral and Internment of Lord Craven | Chapter Three: I am the Garden Collin, I am the Garden: | Chapter Four: Pouvoir Je Avoir Ceci Danser Pour Le Reste de Mon Vie | Chapter Four: Continued: Pouvoir Je Avoir Ceci Danser Pour Le Reste de Mon Vie | Chapter five: The Blessed Event of 1924 | Chapter Five Continues: The Blessed Event of 1924 | Chapter 6: Collin's Wish Comes True: The Birth of Lady Elizabeth Lily Rose Craven | Chapter 7:Summer at Misselthwaite Manor: The Garden of Memories | Chapter 7: Summer of 1924: The Garden of Memories (continues) | Chapter Eight: Return To Lily's Garden | Chapter Nine: A Cold Winter Comes Early To Misselthwaite Manor | Chapter Nine: A Cold Winter Comes To Misselthwaite Manor Early (continued) | Chapter 10: Christmas Comes To Misselthwaite Manor 1924

The next morning Lady Mary got up out of bed, she noticed that tea and scones had been laid out for her to eat.  She looked out of her bedroom baywindow and said, " Today I will go into Lily's Garden. It is my safe and peaceful habor."
 
Lily's Garden always brought comfort and peace to Mary. When she was in the garden she was happy, there was no way she couldn't be happy amongst all the flowers and green growing things.
 
Mary went over to her wardrobe and looked through her dresses and she picked out a simple white dress of sateen and a white straw hat with a white ribbon to wear a to shield her face from the sun.
 
She dressed quietly and walked down the backstairs so no one would see her, and exited the backdoor from the kitchen to go outside of the manor. She started to walk down the path that lead into Lily's Garden.
 
Mary opened the door, as she had always left it open for Will and Dickon to get so they could tend to the garden.  Mary walks in and says, "Ma Jardin je avoir coupe de manque trop."
"I have been way from you for 13 years but never again shall we be parted." Mary said,
 
Mary walked around the garden and past the trellis of roses to come to her favorite place within the garden. It look out over the Moorish hills that were all covered  with heather. Mary remembered that Martha told her that when spring arrived in Yorkshire  the Moors would be covered with heather that smelled so sweet it could sweep you away.
 
She looked out over the Moorish hills,  and it was abeautiuful site just as she remembered.
 
Lily's Garden was in bloom, all the flowers were in bloom included some roses. There was every color of  flower in bloom and Mary loved the flowers as much as she loved the garden herself.
 
She remembers when she first met her Late Uncle who asked her if she needed anything or wanted anything, she said, " May I May I " Lord Craven said, "Speak up child?"
"May I have a bit of earth." Mary asked
"A bit of earth." Lord Craven said.
"Yes so I can grow things. I love gardens." Mary said
Lord Craven remembering back about how his dear Late Lily loved Gardens said, "I once loved someone who loved garden s too. Take your bit of earth but don't expect anything to come of it"
"May I take it from anywhere if it is not wanted?" Mary asked
"You may take it anywhere now leave me." Lord Craven said.
Lady Mary curtseyed and ran out of the room to tell her dear friend, Dickon, that her uncle said she can her earth."
 
This was before she found Collin, in his room all by himself .  Mary smiled at the thoughts of the past when she met  Dickon and Collin.
Oh how one could tell there was jealously between Collin and Dickon they both were vying for Mary's affection and attention.
Lord Collin got jealous easily when Dickon showed Mary some attention.
Mary laughed at it all she was grown and Collin and she were engaged to be married.
Deep down inside she knew a marriage between Dickon and she would never be permitted as he was not her of caste. She would be expected some one of her caste.
Mary started to walk around the garden to see how it was coming along when someone entered the garden, Mary did not know who entered the garden she waited under the trellis of roses to see who it was.
 
It was Dickon and Will Weatherstaff come to tend to the garden and keep it beautiuful she walked over and touched Dickon on his shoulder and Dickon said, "Lady Mary what are you doing the garden so early in the day?"
"I came to get away from all the noise and commotion." Mary said, " I haven't been in  my garden for 13 years ."
"Aye we have been keeping her up for ye because we know Lord Craven told us one day Lord Collin and ye would return."
Dickon said.
"Yes Lord Collin doesn't know where I am." Mary said.
"Ye know he will come looking for ye." Dickon said.
"Yes I know but I hope he waits. I need time alone." Mary says.
"Dickon you know that Lord Collin and I are engaged to be married sometime in late June both in the church and in the garden." Mary said.
"Aye I heard of the good news I want to extend my congratulations to you both on your marriage." Dickon says.
"Thank you Dickon." Mary said.
" I saw the engagment annoucement in the Thwaite Crier and it is a good picture of Lord Collin and you." Dickon said.
"Yes it is a good picture." Mary said
"Please excuse me Lady Mary, Will and I need to get started with our gardening before it gets to hot to do any work." Dickon said.
"Yes, don't let me keep you from your work." Mary said, and Mary started to walk away from Dickon and Bill so they could do their work.
 
 
 

Lady Mary went over to the swing that was still attached to the large Oak tree and sat down on it and started to swing.
It was the first time she felt like she was young again.
She remembered what Dickon said, "Lady Lily fell off the swing and hurt herself so badly she died the next day."
 
Mary looked up the tree and she did not notice any thing else wrong with tree and limb.  There had to be more that caused her Aunt Lily to die shortly after giving birth to Collin.
Mrs. Medlock told her she died in child-birth result of the injuries she sustained in the garden in 1900.`
 
Mary sat in the swing, and pushed herself back and forth it was as if she was young again with no worries in the world. She was carefree.
 
She didn't notice someone entered the garden and she heard the voice. " Lady Mary, how long have you been out here?"
"Oh it is you Mrs. Medlock. I have been out here for sometime." Mary said, 'I need my privacy."
"Lady Mary shall I send Martha out with your tea and scones so you can enjoy them in the garden?"
Mrs. Medlock asks.
"Yes that will be very nice." Mary said stopping the swing.
"Lady Mary would you like me to tell Lord Collin where you are?" Mrs. Medlock said.
"No, he will know where I am if he can't find me in the manor." Mary said.
"Very good Lady Mary I will have Martha bring your tea and scones out in the garden." Mrs. Metlock said.
"Thank you Mrs. Medlock. You may go now." Mary said and continued to swing in the swing hanging down for the large Oak tree.
 
Mary was happy in the garden it was her place to come and get away from the outside world. The garden was a whole new world inside of it. It was peaceful and tranquility was always there.
 
Mary was glad to be able to spend some time by herself in the garden it gave her time to think.
 
She sung as she swung on the swing and Dickon and Will stopped their work just to listen to her voice.
Dickon said, " Lady Mary has the voice of a nightingale."
"Aye Lady Mary is very accomplished." Will said and they continued their work in the garden.
 
Lady Mary was once more at peace. She found her peace within the Lily's Garden. She was once again able to smile again.
 
Lady Mary spent many hours in her garden until Lord Collin finally came out and  called out, "Mary are you in the garden?"
"I am in the garden Collin, I am in the garden over by the big Oak tree with the swing attached to it."
Mary called back.
 
Collin finally found his way to where Mary was swinging and said, " It is beautiful day so I decided to come into the garden. I talked to Dickon and Will and then I found myself over here at the swing." Mary said smiling. Lady Mary was from that day on very happy and no one knows quite what transformed her into a once more happy young woman. All people could say that it was the garden itself that made her happy once again.
 
Collin was glad to see Lady Mary happy again. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders and she could live again.
 
Mary called out to Collin, "Push me Collin, Push me."
Collin got behind the swing and pushed Mary until her heart was content and finally she slowed down and said, " I am thirsty come and join me for tea."
 
Collin smiled and said, " I would love to join you for tea and scones in the garden." They walked together hand and hand over to the bistro table and chairs and sat  down and had their morning tea and scones too. They talked for hours and it was if both of them became much happier out in Lily's Garden.
 

Lady Mary and Lord Collin walking back to Misselthwaite Manor after they have their morning tea and scones in Lily's Garden in late spring of 1923.
 
"It is such a beautiful day Collin. How can you want to be inside." Mary asks
"Soon my dear Mary it will become very hot and you may come down with sun stroke." Collin said.
"I wear a hat to keep my face shield from the sun." Mary said.
"We will come out later into the garden. We need to start planning our wedding for June 19." Collin said.
"I thought that was Mrs. Medlocik's job." Mary said.
"It is but we need to make up a list of guests we want to invite to the church wedding." Collin said.
"I can't think of anyone accept Dickon, Martha and Mrs. Sowerby." Mary said.
"I have a feeling it will be a small but private wedding."
Collin said.
"I perfer it that way." Mary says, "It makes it all the more special and romantic."
Collin just smiled at his fiancee and opened the doror, he allowed her to go in first and followed her in to the foyer and Mary proceeded to the study.
Mary looks out the window that looks out in the garden.
She smiles that garden is such a happy place.
 
Collin asks " What are you thinking about dear Mary?"
"I am thinking about what beautiful wedding our garden will make."
"My bouquet will be made out of fresh garden flowers." Mary said, "It will make it all more special.."
"Your boutonniere will be a fresh rose from our garden." Mary said.
"What will you wear on our wedding day?" Collin asks
"That is a surprise the groom may not see his bride in her wedding dress until she is walking up the aisle." Mary said.
"You will make the most beautiful bride in the world." Collin says kissing Mary.
"Yes you will make the most handsome groom in the world." Mary answers back.
 
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With cockle-shells, and silver bells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
 
Lady Mary was no longer Mistress Mary, quite contary as the children that came back with her on the ship that carried them all back to England after their parents  all die from the cholera.
 
Lady Mary had grown up, she was happy as soon she would become Grand Mistress of Misselthwaite Manor as her late Aunt Liy had become.
 
Lady Mary was content with her life and content to stay at Misselthwaite Manor. She knew eventually that Collin and she would have children and she looked for to become a wife to Collin and a mother to their children.
 
It was certain for one thing, she would never treat her children as her mother had treated her. Whereas Lady Rose couldn't love her daugthter, Mary, Mary would love their children with all her heart.