“It would,” Nina said. “But not as much fun. I know it seems like I’m making things hard for myself, but it’s good for me to have a project on the go, something that isn’t child-related. And a decorator would just take over. I want to do things my way.” She bent down to pluck a stray toy from the path: a pink plastic shovel. “Plus, we have to be careful about how many people we have on the property. Aurelia isn’t good with strangers.”

It occurred to Emily that Nina’s accent wasn’t English. Not totally, anyway. There were plenty of British sounds, but underneath them was something flat and throaty. Dark “L”s and an inflection at the end of sentences that made her statements seem like questions.

As they got closer to the sheds, the shapes behind the fence came into focus. Chickens—but barely recognizable as such. White and fluffy with a puff of feathers sprouting from their heads, they looked less like birds and more like balls of cotton wool. Their plumage was so long that it hung over their eyes and spilled over their feet like flared trousers.

“Silkie chooks,” Nina explained, pushing open the door of one of the sheds. “Sweetest animals ever.”

Chooks. The accent fell into place. Of course. Australian.

Emily followed, ducking through the doorway and squeezing past nesting boxes until she emerged into the yard.

“These girls will need checking every morning and every evening,” said Nina. “Let them out first thing, grab any eggs, then lock them back inside before you go to bed. The food is kept in the end shed. I’ll give you a full rundown of their schedules.” She reached down and scooped one of them up, stroking it like a kitten.

Aurelia pushed past them and did likewise, squatting in the dirt and picking up a slightly smaller chicken. She brought it right up to her face and nuzzled at the white fluff.

They moved onto the neighboring enclosures. Four brown-and-white goats rushed around them, bleating and nibbling at Emily’s clothes. Two huge floppy-eared bunnies peered up at them with black eyes and twitching noses. In the farthest pen, a very small and sleepy-eyed pig trotted out to greet them. Francis Bacon had black spots, a wrinkly snout, and a snuffly little snort that made Emily weak at the knees. “Oh, my goodness.” She laughed, bending down.

“Cute, isn’t he?” said Nina. She took a handful of green veggies from a nearby tray and scattered them around Emily’s feet. “Here, sit down. Let him come to you.”

Emily lowered herself to the dusty ground and Francis edged forward. He sniffed the air and decided she was okay. Trotting over, he snorted into her hand, his front trotters resting on her crossed legs. “He’s just gorgeous.”

A short distance away, Aurelia stood watching, expressionless.

“Hey,” Emily said, sensing an opportunity to make friends. “Am I doing it right?”

Aurelia stared back with eyes as dark and dreamy as her father’s. She took a few tentative steps forward.

“I don’t know much about pigs. Will he let me hold him, d’you think? Can you show me how to pick him up?”

Aurelia shuffled closer.

From the corner of her eye, Emily saw Nina stiffen. Relax, Emily thought, kids like me. “I have to be gentle with him, right? And quiet?” Emily lowered her voice to a whisper. “Like this? He probably doesn’t like loud noises.” She raised a finger to her lips—“sssshhhh”—and reached out to take Aurelia’s hand.

And then something weird happened. As Emily’s fingertips brushed the bare skin of Aurelia’s palm, the kid opened her mouth and shrieked—a single sharp note that sent Francis Bacon and all the surrounding animals scattering in alarm. Simultaneously, Nina charged in, slapping Emily’s hand away and sweeping Aurelia back as though out of harm’s way.

Emily recoiled, too shocked to speak.

In a far corner of the pigpen, Nina fussed over her daughter, holding her face in her hands and whispering urgently. Emily couldn’t hear the words, but they seemed to be pleading, reassuring, placating.

“I’m—I’m so sorry,” Emily stammered at last. “I was just … I thought … Is she okay?”

Nina kissed Aurelia’s cheeks and smoothed her hair away from her eyes before retrieving her hat from the dirt. “It’s not your fault,” she said, throwing Emily a quick smile. “I should’ve warned you. She doesn’t like to be touched.”

Standing still with her head bowed, Aurelia was breathing heavily, her hands clenched into balls at her side.

“I’m so sorry,” Emily said again, getting to her feet. She felt like the worst, most thoughtless person who had ever lived.

“Really, it’s okay. You weren’t to know.” Nina placed the hat back on Aurelia’s head and smiled again. “Look, I’m sure you’re tired from your journey. Why don’t you head on back to the guesthouse? Grab a shower and make yourself at home. We’ll finish up here, won’t we, Strawberry?”

But Aurelia did not reply. Under the brim of her hat, the little girl’s eyes were screwed shut.

* * *

Up in her stunning white bedroom, Emily stood on the bed and waved her phone in the air. When after ten minutes she still hadn’t found a signal, she climbed down and contemplated her unpacked bag. Clearly, the job wasn’t going to work out. The property was lovely, but Aurelia hated her, and Nina was too perfect, too Stepford. Besides, Emily had already messed up so many times that she was as good as fired. Again. Best to just get in there first this time.

“I’m sorry,” she said to her suitcase, “I’m not sure this is for me.” She shook her head and tried again. “It’s been really great meeting you, Nina, but I can’t see this working. Would you mind if I called a cab?”

A knock at the door startled her into silence.

“Emily?” a voice said. “Are you in there?”

“Just a minute.” Emily quickly unzipped her bag and threw some clothes over the bed so it might look like she’d been busy unpacking. She opened the door to find Nina smiling anxiously on the landing.

“Hi,” Nina said. “Um. I just wanted to say … I wanted to apologize. This hasn’t exactly been the welcome I hoped we’d give you.” Nina paused, placing her hands on her hips then crossing her arms. She didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands. “We’re not used to having people around, and I’m afraid we’re a little out of practice.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I understand,” Emily said, even though she didn’t.

Nina fell silent again. Her eyes flicked from surface to surface, as if she might find the words she was looking for written on the walls or hanging from the ceiling. “Look, can I be honest with you?” she said at last.

“Sure.” Emily sighed. Here it comes.

“Having you here is a really big deal for Aurelia and me. We’ve both been so excited to meet you, but we’ve also been extremely nervous, and I think it just got the better of us. The better of me, anyway. I just … I really want you to like us. I know that sounds lame, but it’s true.”

Despite her misgivings, Emily felt the corners of her mouth twitch upward.

Nina swallowed and looked down at her fingernails. “It might take us a little while to adjust,” Nina continued, “but if you give us a second chance, I promise we’ll do everything we can to make you feel at home. Starting with lunch.” She glanced through the doorway to Emily’s unpacked suitcase. “That is, if you’d like to join us?”

Emily couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Nina wasn’t so bad.

“Lunch sounds great. I’d love to join you.” She’d give it a few more days at least.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EMILY

EMILY SPENT the next morning exploring Querencia. Nina, in an apparent attempt to show her fun side, had come up with a game: a scavenger hunt with clues and prizes. The first clue had Emily stuck for at least half an hour.

My first is in Facial, my second in Blue

Third and fourth are in Able, my fifth is in You

I have my own kitchen, a place you can bake,

So come on inside for some coffee and cake.

After a search that took her through the orchard and past the gym (an extension tacked onto the back of the family house, with bifold doors that opened onto the patio), Emily found a child’s playhouse—a cubby, she thought, congratulating herself—complete with painted shutters and a little picket fence. On a table inside, wedged under a child-sized coffee pot and a plastic triangle of “cake,” she found another riddle, which led her to an old apple tree bursting with fruit. From there, she discovered the art studio, an enormous tree house, and an actual secret garden with an ivy-covered door, just like in the story.

Nina’s hunt took several hours to complete and took Emily all over the property. She walked the entire perimeter, following a huge wall that towered over the estate on the forest side but that became shorter as the ground sloped down toward the ocean. At the wall’s lowest and most westerly point, the garden had been sculpted to accommodate a wide paved area and an outdoor lounge setting. The sunset point. She peeked over the side to find a grassy verge that gave way to a tumble of treacherous-looking rocks and an uninterrupted sprawl of water.