Translator: Nox

Chapter 38

“My Lady. Here it is.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

Vanessa offered a faint smile as she took the thick manila envelope from Mary’s hand. Mary gave a stoic nod and quietly slipped out of the room.

It had already been a little over two weeks since the girl had begun mailing manuscripts on her behalf and making trips to the publishing house in Bath. It was all for the sake of money. As Mary’s younger brother’s condition worsened, the hospital bills had risen to a level that was impossible to cover with a maid’s weekly wages alone.

“You’re going to give me money?”

Vanessa had wanted to contribute every penny she could, however small, but Mary had flatly refused at first, saying there was no reason to take the lady’s money. Perhaps it was a matter of conscience. She was already receiving a higher weekly wage than the other maids for the express purpose of keeping an eye on Vanessa.

“I do need five more pounds a week to keep him in his current ward…. No, I think it’s better if I refuse. What if I lose my nerve when it’s time for you to run away? I have to keep making a living, you know.”

“I’m not going to run away, Mary.”

“Everyone says that. But if you knew how many young ladies run off because they’ve found a lover right before the wedding, you wouldn’t say such things.”

“Look, here. It’s a letter from the publisher.”

Mary had looked at the letter Vanessa held out with deep suspicion, as if it were an explosive about to go off. But after reading it through, she had looked at Vanessa with wide, startled eyes.

“Did you really write this novel yourself, My Lady?”

“I did. Until now, I’ve been paying the milkman to mail the manuscripts for me. If you’ll take over the job, I’ll give the money I was paying him to you instead.”

“The milkman…. So that’s why all this time….”

“Once my uncle realizes I have the ability to earn my own living, he might reconsider my marriage. This notebook here is where I’ve recorded the royalties I’ve received so far. Except for the money I’ve set aside for university tuition, I’ve been saving little by little every month to persuade him.”

Of course, the ‘university tuition’ she had saved separately had mostly been spent on gifts for Rosalyn and Blair. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of the lost pendant and cufflinks.

“You’ve saved quite a bit.”

“It was getting harder to meet the milkman in secret, and it was inconvenient that he only came on Wednesdays. So, Mary, I’d like you to help me….”

Since then, Mary had been handling several minor errands for her. She handed manuscripts over to the postman early every morning to avoid Earl Wyatt’s surveillance, and on the weekends when she stayed out to visit her brother, she would personally pick up the proofs from the publishing house. Like today.

Vanessa brushed aside her thoughts and quickly slit the envelope Mary had left with a paper knife. In the corner of the first page of the thick manuscript, a short comment from her editor had been added.

The deepening of the dry descriptions of romantic relationships is particularly noteworthy. The first meeting between Miss Welsh and the ‘Naval Officer,’ the murder suspect, was also impressive. I assume this charming character’s name will be revealed upon their next reunion?

In particular, the scene where the two are trapped in a narrow dressing room, and the scene where Miss Welsh touches the ‘Naval Officer’s’ chest while pretending not to….

“My Lady.”

Vanessa jumped, hurriedly dropping the manuscript she was reading. It was a harmful text to read in the early morning for many reasons. And of all the parts to be reading…. Vanessa fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand and looked up.

“What is… ahem… what is it?”

The maid who had entered the room blinked, appearing taken aback by Vanessa’s flustered reaction.

“You didn’t seem to hear me no matter how much I knocked…. The silk veil imported from Cologne has just arrived. Would you like to try it on now?”

“Now?”

“Lady Rosalyn is waiting in the drawing room.”

Vanessa hesitated for a moment before tucking the letter away as if nothing were wrong.

“I see…. Tell her I’ll be down shortly.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

The maid gave a polite curtsy and turned to leave the room. Vanessa watched her retreating figure, seized by a strange sensation. Recently, the attitude of the staff at Gloucester Castle toward her had shifted subtly.

While there were still many who viewed her as a headache waiting to happen, the number of maids who offered her friendly glances had increased significantly. They would occasionally smile when their eyes met, and they were genuinely delighted when she shared treats she had received as gifts. As a token of their appreciation, her favorite custard cream began appearing as dessert on the dinner table….

‘They must have heard that I helped with Mary’s hospital bills.’

Though Mary was young, she was one of the longest-serving maids at Gloucester Castle. When Vanessa had first arrived here immediately after graduation, she thought she would never be able to befriend anyone, but now she felt as if she could manage quite well in the future.

Vanessa left her room with a much lighter heart. The hallway was a bit hectic; the Winchester servants were busy carrying luggage up and down the stairs. Vanessa watched them curiously before opening the door to the drawing room.

“Ah, there you are, Vanessa.”

“Rosalyn.”

Seeing the familiar face smiling brightly at her, Vanessa involuntarily faltered. For some reason, she felt uneasy. Even though she knew Rosalyn’s confinement was a thing of the past, Vanessa reflexively avoided her gaze. She found it difficult to meet her eyes.

Rosalyn had fought to protect Vanessa’s honor, yet Vanessa had practically dragged that very honor through the dirt….

Vanessa briefly returned Rosalyn’s embrace as the other girl reached out, then sat in the chair opposite her. As soon as the maids set down the iced tea, Rosalyn leaned her chin on her hand and asked, “You’re being strange today, Vanessa. Why do I feel like you’re avoiding my eyes?”

“I’m not. How could I….”

“See? Even now.”

“I’m really not. It’s just, I’ve had a lot to do today, and I’m tired….”

Feeling inwardly stung, Vanessa finally managed to look up. When she met her gaze and offered an awkward smile, Rosalyn stared at her with narrowed eyes for a moment before shrugging as if she would let it slide just this once.

“Well, if it’s nothing, then fine.”

“What about our plans for tea? We had an invitation from the Elliots.”

“I cancelled everything when I heard your wedding veil had arrived. They say the closest woman to the bride should be the first to see her in her veil. I absolutely loathe Lord Roden, but I couldn’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime moment for you.”

It was a very old promise between them. That they would be the first to see each other in their veils and serve as bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. Thinking back to those innocent days, a smile naturally touched Vanessa’s lips.

“Thank you, Rosalyn. I mean it.”

“Who knows? Maybe the Earl will lose his mind and cancel the wedding as early as next month.”

Vanessa let out a short laugh at the silly joke. Only after seeing that expression did Rosalyn seem relieved, her own lips curling into a smile. Vanessa consciously scanned the drawing room before bringing up the topic she had been trying to ignore.

“Where is Blair?”

“Oh, he went to meet a real estate agent.”

“A real estate agent? Why?”

“The Grand Tour has been cancelled. He decided to stay in the south a bit longer instead.”

“The tour was cancelled? I had no idea….”

“The decision was made only a few hours ago. Blair suddenly insisted he wouldn’t go. The attendants will return to the Linden estate first. Blair and I will stay at a hotel in Bath for another month or so.”

“Won’t a hotel be uncomfortable? If it’s alright with you, you’re welcome to stay here.”

“Even between us, it would be a bit inconsiderate to overstay our welcome. What was supposed to be a one-month stay has already turned into nearly two. You wouldn’t believe how much Madame Winchester raged over the phone.”

Rosalyn shook her head with a sigh and continued casually.

“She told us to come back to Linden immediately. She’s only putting up with it because Blair’s wedding has been moved up.”

“Blair’s wedding… has been moved up?”

“He personally scrapped the tour he’d insisted on going on. Now that there’s no reason to delay, being dragged to the altar is the natural next step.”

“I see.”

“He must have liked staying here, because he’s looking for a marital home in the south. Cissy was happy to give her consent.”

Vanessa had known for a while that the Grand Tour was Blair’s way of delaying the wedding as long as possible. At one time, she had thought his stubbornness was simply because he wasn’t yet ready to lead a family, or a sort of childish rebellion.

She had assumed the masculine looks he occasionally sent her were nothing more than a sense of possessiveness toward an old friend….

“Of course, Cissy seemed purely delighted that the wedding was moved up.”

Vanessa avoided Rosalyn’s gaze, painfully picking at a hangnail. Blair’s confession from a few days ago seemed to float above the silence between them. Her stomach churned with a strange sense of guilt.