Still reeling after the recent, untimely death of her beloved husband Thomas, young Mrs. Catherine Cravens has embarked on an audacious new course by accepting a time-sensitive proposal from her friend, the Earl of Lanark, Lord Alexander Stevens. But timing has yet to be on their side, and a summons requesting the earl's immediate return to Clan Stevens' ancestral home in Scotland makes it clear that some things may never change. Forced to decide between following the earl -- and possibly jeopardising the plan by ignoring a previous agreement -- or remaining safely at Suttonley Hall in England, Catherine makes the only choice her heart will allow. But no matter the circumstance, the couple is far from alone, and with the help of the people who care for them the most, the two may finally have a chance at their happy ending. The third installment in the English Garden Series, "When An Orchid Blooms But Once" begins where the previous volume, "A Rose Between Two Thistles", ended.