Lilith was so young, even younger than Katherine. When she looked wistfully at the roses, Cassandra saw more of that child than the young woman in politics. "I'll let you in on a secret," she said conspiratorially, smiling at her own memories. "When I was a little girl, about three years old, I would do just that. I'd crawl under the Glamis Castle roses over there when I wanted to hide from my mother for any reason. Of course, I wasn't really hiding. I knew she would find me there. But, she always let me stay hidden for a while before she came to find me.
"I'll miss them come winter," she added, taking another sip of tea. "I've been thinking we might build a very small greenhouse where the old gazebo is at the centre of the hedge-maze, so that we could have roses year round. Or, perhaps convert one of the larger drawing rooms to a conservatory."
Nodding in understanding, Cassandra chose her words carefully. "Secretary of State for Media and Communications does sound grand. I hope you'll forgive my ignorance; I spend so much time with the business, I do tend to lose track of politics some. What is it that you do? I know I have seen the press releases you've authored. I imagine you must spend a good deal of time working with reporters?"