Chapter 54
“Lady Rosalyn.”
A group of people who had been noisily exchanging pleasantries passed by, followed by a gentleman with his hair neatly slicked back with pomade. Unlike the men who had just passed, he still had a youthful air about him.
Spreading his arms wide as if meeting a very dear friend, he took Rosalyn’s hand with theatrical flair. While the two shared a brief reunion, Vanessa watched the man through narrowed eyes. He looked strangely familiar.
Had she met him somewhere before? If he was a friend of Rosalyn’s, their paths might have crossed at least once in passing… As she struggled to recall his name, the man, having kissed the back of Rosalyn’s hand, turned toward her with a look of slight surprise.
“And… Lady Vanessa.”
Flustered by the fact that he knew her name so accurately, Vanessa hesitated, slightly bunching the fabric of her skirt in her hands. If Rosalyn hadn’t given her a subtle nudge in the side with her elbow, she wouldn’t have even been able to offer her hand in time.
The man gently took her somewhat awkwardly extended hand. Vanessa noticed that he held her hand a fraction longer than he had Rosalyn’s. Finally releasing her, the man straightened his back and gave a playful wink.
“Aren’t you even going to greet an old classmate you haven’t seen in ages?”
“Don’t tease her for no reason, Logan.”
Rosalyn stepped in with an elegant motion, slightly shielding Vanessa from his gaze.
“You barely even spoke to her at Saint Louis. It’s shameless of you to expect a warm welcome now.”
“Still, we were in the same class for three years.”
“She’s just nervous. She didn’t sleep well last night.”
At those words, the man’s eyes widened, and he let out a pleasant laugh.
“How should I put it… She has an unexpectedly cute personality.”
“Vanessa was always cute. What on earth did you think of her?”
“She looked kind enough, but for some reason, she didn’t feel easy to approach.”
“That’s because you boys put her on a pedestal like some kind of goddess.”
“…What are you talking about?”
Vanessa, completely baffled by the incomprehensible turn of the conversation, interjected hurriedly. At her question, the man shrugged and answered readily.
“It was the nature of the times. We were all trapped in that tedious place, and there weren’t many pretty girls around. Of course, you were included among those pretty girls, Rosalyn.”
“I’m so honored.”
Whether he caught her sarcasm or not, the man grinned broadly, showing his teeth, and scratched the back of his head as he continued.
“At first, quite a few guys tried to approach her seriously, but after seeing her recoil in surprise and run away even when Mason spoke to her, everyone gave up. They figured if she ran away from a face like that, the rest of us didn’t stand a chance.”
“Vanessa had every right to. You boys were quite a rough-looking bunch.”
“Well, we just watched from afar, and eventually, we all reached a friendly agreement to leave her as ‘inviolable territory.’”
Inviolable territory. She knew the boys had often whispered about her behind her back, but she had never imagined it was anything like that. She had assumed they were gossiping about her poverty or her uncle’s poor reputation, so she hadn’t paid them any mind.
Back then, every day had been exhausting. Her entire focus had been on keeping her grades up. She would wake at dawn to head to the library, and during lunch, she squeezed in campus volunteer work. She believed that if she proved herself with even better grades, if she were selected as a student representative, and if she could just get a letter of recommendation from the Dean—
Then, perhaps, her uncle might allow her to take the entrance exam for Alltempose University.
“I… I had no idea… at all.”
Vanessa’s voice trailed off as she looked away. Even though it was all in the past, she felt embarrassed enough for her cheeks to flush hot.
Though even if she had known, nothing would have changed. Most of the boys attending Saint Louis already had their marriage partners decided. They might have been sincere for a moment at first, but as graduation approached, they were bound to think of their families and fiancées first. Much like the sensible Blair.
“…Vanessa, look over there.”
Just as Logan was about to say something, Rosalyn grabbed Vanessa’s arm and pulled. Unlike her usual calm self, she seemed momentarily unable to control a surge of intense emotion.
Vanessa turned her head in the direction Rosalyn indicated with her eyes. At first, she couldn’t see clearly through the dense crowd, but then, through a gap of people dispersing with clear laughter, she saw a man and a woman walking arm in arm.
“It’s Eden Harley and Miss Stanley.”
Vanessa observed them closely with cautious eyes. Unlike Eden Harley, who looked somewhat gaunt from his continuous military service, Miss Stanley was exceptionally fresh and beautiful. When the woman covered her mouth with a fan and whispered something, the man leaned down to listen intently, a slight smile on his face.
Rosalyn turned pale and bit her lip hard. She looked utterly devastated, and at the same time, resentful.
“Eden wrote to me saying he was coming on leave this time. He asked if we could meet at the shipboard party, and of course, I said yes. I should have considered that he might bring Miss Stanley with him….”
“Are you going to tell Eden Harley what we saw at the café?”
Rosalyn nodded, her gaze still fixed on the couple.
“I thought it would be better to tell him in person, so I’ve been holding it in. Until Eden came on leave. But how could she… how could she be so shameless….”
Rosalyn anxiously brought her hand to her mouth. She was about to bite her nails, an old habit she had when nervous. Vanessa firmly caught Rosalyn’s hand mid-air and pulled it down. Her friend’s confused eyes met hers.
“Don’t be like this. Go to Eden, Rosalyn.”
“…What?”
“You’re doing this because you’re worried. Whatever the case, it’s best to go and talk to him. Just don’t tell him about seeing Miss Stanley yet…. There might be some kind of circumstance. It might turn out to be nothing once you know the truth.”
After a moment of hesitation, Rosalyn lifted her head with resolve as Eden Harley moved toward the deck. She then pushed Vanessa toward Logan, who was looking on, bewildered by the situation he didn’t understand.
“Could you look after Vanessa for a moment? This is her first time at a gathering like this.”
“Oh, me?”
“I won’t be gone long. Just take her inside the hall and find her a proper table. I’m counting on you, Logan Dawson.”
Dawson. At that moment, a light flashed in Vanessa’s mind. She looked up at Logan Dawson with sudden interest. At her intense gaze, a faint flush colored the man’s face.
“Dawson? Are you that Dawson?”
“…I don’t know what you mean by ‘that’ Dawson, but if you’re looking for the family of Viscount Dawson, then yes, that’s me.”
Logan Dawson replied with a shrug, his tone playful. It seemed the reason he had looked familiar was not because of him, but because of his family. For the past few days, she had been preoccupied with searching through old newspapers just to find the face of that lawyer.
“I’d like to meet Mr. Benjamin Dawson. Did he happen to come with you?”
“My granduncle? You want to see him?”
He asked back, tilting his head. The question in his mind was plain on his face.
“I heard he worked with my late father. I have a few things to ask him regarding the time the will was drafted.”
“Ah.”
Nodding as if he understood, he scanned the surroundings. Then, as if he had found the right direction, he held out his hand.
“He’s probably… inside, enjoying a game of whist with the other gentlemen. Shall I take you to him?”
“Really? Do you know where to go?”
“Well, I’ve been around enough. The layouts of these passenger ships are all pretty similar.”
“That’s a relief. I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know which way is which….”
Vanessa followed him with quick steps, fingering the necklace beneath her dress’s neckline like a lucky charm. River Ross had said it was an imitation and that she could lose it for all he cared, but still. To her eyes, it looked far too expensive. And expensive items that didn’t suit one’s station were always bound to draw unwanted curiosity.
That was why she had hesitated until the very end, but ultimately, there was only one reason she had put this necklace on as River Ross wished. It was because she was grateful for his heart, which had wanted her to shine the brightest in this place where she felt so out of place and lowly.
“Excuse me, Somerset.”
