Translator: Nox

Chapter 100

<100> The Hunting Party (3)

Laura visited Whitefield every day. She checked each room of the mansion, looked around the grounds, and assessed the size and labor of the servants.

The innocent country servants, who had only known cleaning, laundry, and cooking, were beside themselves with shock. Ramswick, the butler, was equally bewildered.

Laura gave Ramswick detailed instructions from A to Z. She shared specific schedules and told him where to place which servants.

Ramswick, having memorized Laura's instructions, assigned roles to the servants. It was like an army. The servants were soldiers, Ramswick was the chief of staff, and Laura was the general.

Laura arrived at Whitefield around 10 a.m. She toured the mansion with Ramswick, designating guest bedrooms and examining the newly arrived decorative banners and wines.

As she busied herself, it was soon lunchtime. No matter where she was, Mr. Dalton came to escort her personally. The two went to the dining room side by side and ate together.

In the dining room, with the scenery of Whitefield unfolding like a painting, the two faced each other and dined. It was a pleasant and comfortable time.

After the meal, the two took a short walk around Whitefield. Then, they returned to their respective tasks. He went to his study, and Laura to the office he had provided.

According to Ramswick, the butler, this was the office of the late Mrs. Dalton. Laura could glimpse Mrs. Dalton's refined taste in the luxurious furnishings.

There, Laura created the cooking menu and interviewed the musicians.

Around 4 p.m., Mr. Dalton came to Laura's office, pushing a cart laden with refreshments. It was shocking that the head of the household was doing the work of a servant, but he didn't care.

He poured tea for Laura himself, cut the cake, and handed it to her. Then, he pulled up a chair, sat beside her, and began to chatter.

Laura hadn't realized that Ian was such a chatterbox. She guessed that he must have been lonely, having no close friends to be near.

Laura listened attentively to him. And she told him how she had spent the afternoon. He listened to each detail. Even though it wasn't a big story, a smile bloomed on his face.

After chatting about this and that, it was soon time for Formal dinner. The two went to the dining room again and had dinner. And she returned to Dunville Park with his escort.

Spending every day like this, Whitefield became as familiar to Laura as Dunville Park. The names of the servants and the structure of the house were clear in her mind. She became close to Mr. Ramswick, and she became comfortable talking to the chef, Mr. Philip. And thanks to Mr. Dalton's chatter, she knew his daily routine inside and out.

Every day was as happy as walking in a dream.

Whitefield was a beautiful place. Even Laura, who was more developed in reason than sensibility, was moved. Laura enjoyed the time she spent walking around the mansion. And she liked sharing her daily routine with Mr. Dalton. She almost wished this moment would never end.

But time did not stand still, and the hunting party was fast approaching.

Laura packed her bags for the week-long stay. She had many party dresses now.

The day before the hunting party, Mrs. Fairfax called Laura to her dressing room. She opened the closet and handed her a pile of silk dresses. Each one was stylish without being flashy. Even Laura, who had seen tens of thousands of dresses in society, thought they were wonderful.

They were clothes that the late Mrs. Dalton had passed down to her daughter upon her death. Mrs. Fairfax told her to wear these dresses to the upcoming party.

Laura declined, but Mrs. Fairfax persistently persuaded her. The lady even lent her mother's jewels.

“Dress up nicely and take good care of Ian by his side. He can't do anything without you. But that doesn't mean you should only work. Don't be intimidated, and have fun.”

Knowing that refusing too much would be rude, Laura accepted the dresses, promising to take good care of them and return them clean.

The next day, Laura got into the carriage. And she headed to Whitefield Hall, leaving behind the Fairfax mother and daughter, who were smiling and sending her off, and the brothers, who were whining about the fact that they had to be separated from their teacher for a week, and that too to their uncle's house, which was scarier than a ghost.

* * *

Rattle, rattle.

The scenery of the plains where sheep grazed passed by outside the window.

Miss Lance, who was looking out the window, smiled. Based in London, Miss Lance was enjoying the trip to the countryside after a long time away from the city. She filled her eyes with the green foliage and enjoyed even the swaying of the train, which caused a slight motion sickness.

She heard a "koo-ool" sound in her ear. She turned her head to the source of the sound. The top of Janet's head came into her eyes, which had been filled with greenery.

Janet was tired and nodding off, her head drooping forward. She was snoring "koo-ool, koo-ool" all the time.

Miss Lance smiled and looked at Mr. Fairfax. He met Miss Lance's eyes and smiled.

“She must have been very tired.”

“Yes, she couldn't sleep thinking about going to Whitefield.”

He placed his sister's head, which was swaying like ears of rice in the wind, on his shoulder. Then, he asked Miss Lance for her understanding and lowered the curtain on the window.

‘What a kind brother.’

Miss Lance felt pleased as she watched Mr. Fairfax put a blanket around his sister's shoulders.

Miss Lance had originally planned to ride with her usual three friends. However, Miss Victoria Wilkes became engaged to Mr. George Orson, the brother of Miss Daisy Orson, and the Orson family, who had suddenly become one family, sat together.

If that was the case, Miss Susan Donovan, her only friend, should have been by her side, but Miss Donovan was visiting her aunt's house with her mother and was scheduled to join them later.

Miss Lance, who had suddenly become alone, had no reason to refuse Janet's offer to share a train car with her, asking with a shy face.

The three were quite happy. They played cards, took turns telling interesting stories they knew, and recited poetry books they each had. But after about half a day, even that faded, and silence fell for a while.

It was Janet's snoring that broke the silence.

“How long has it been since you went down to Yorkshire, Mr. Fairfax?”

“I think it's been almost two years since I've been busy with business and everything else. I don't know how much my nephews and nieces have grown. I'm not even sure if they'll remember me.”

“You seem like a very affectionate uncle. You're so good to your sister.”

Mr. Fairfax smiled shyly, crinkling his eyes. His handsome face looked even more wonderful with a smile.

“I'm close to my nephews and nieces. I like children.”

“Oh my. I'm surprised you're not married yet.”

Miss Lance was taken aback. She remembered that he had been chasing Miss Jane Hyde half a year ago and had been dumped. It was a bland piece of gossip and had been forgotten by most, but the person involved may not have healed yet.

But he was still smiling brightly.

“I haven't met my match yet. I'm praying hard every night for a good bride.”

“So you do have thoughts of marriage?”

“Of course. I'm not a bachelor. I guess people assume that young, single men doing business in London want to enjoy their free lives and postpone being tied down by marriage as much as possible. But I've always thought of my current life as temporary.”

He continued in a soft tone.

“I need a family. A wife who gets along with me for the rest of my life and cute children who will call me father. My life will begin in earnest after marriage. I think the life of a husband and father is the real life where a man fulfills his role.”

It was a truly sound thought. Miss Lance was impressed.

“If you get married, will you liquidate your life in London?”

“If my wife wants to stay, I'll continue to live in the Townhouse, but I want to go down and live in the countryside. I've already bought a small Country house in Somerset, which I'm renting out now.”

Although she hid it as if she wasn't interested, real estate was one of her interests. She asked roundabout questions about the size of the Country house.

Mr. Fairfax noticed Miss Lance's intentions but did not show it and answered plainly.

“It's nothing compared to Whitefield Hall, where we're heading now. It's even worse than Dunville Park, where I was born and raised, and which my Brother Robert inherited and is managing well.”

Miss Lance carefully asked a few questions, and she was able to predict the size of the country house from his answers. The size was a two-story stone house between a mansion and a cottage. A large garden with a gazebo. An excellent view overlooking the hills and orchards. A large market nearby, making the transportation of goods smooth.

Miss Lance was surprised. Even though he had succeeded in business, it was a great feat for a second son, who could hardly inherit any property under British law, to have amassed this much wealth at the young age of twenty-nine.

Miss Lance thought of Miss Jane Hyde. She was a slender and unique lady, but she couldn't be called a beauty. That lady rejected Mr. Fairfax and got a job as a typist.

It was something Miss Lance couldn't understand. How could she turn down such a good groom and choose to become just a typist?

A woman earning money with her own hands meant that she had been eliminated from the marriage market. Either her family was poor, she had married the wrong man, or she was terribly ugly. That was the world's view, and Miss Lance also secretly thought so.

‘I can't understand that girl at all.’

Miss Lance clicked her tongue inwardly. And she felt pleased that Mr. Fairfax, who might (no, definitely) become related to her, was such a sound and capable gentleman.

The train continued to run.

The two talked more than usual. It was because Janet, who usually never stopped talking, was asleep. Mr. Fairfax, who tended to keep his mouth shut unless someone deliberately spoke to him, spoke more than usual to keep the lady in front of him from getting bored.

Since both of them had affable personalities, the conversation was not boring.

Mr. Fairfax felt happy as he looked at Miss Lance, who was chattering cheerfully. She was a very cute lady. Before he got to know her, he had only admired her from afar, thinking she was quite beautiful. But now that he had unexpectedly become acquainted with her, he felt fond of her and didn't mind being with her.

She had an innocent and honest personality, and she was cheerful and imaginative. At twenty years old, she couldn't be called young in society, but she was just like a girl. She sometimes seemed overly honest and immature, but he knew that she had no great malice, so he felt it was naivety.

Miss Lance was far from his ideal type. The wife he wanted was an intelligent woman with clear convictions. A respectable woman who shared opinions equally with him.

But that was because he was an unusual man. A cute woman like Miss Lance would be the ideal wife that many London gentlemen dream of.

‘Which lucky man will be this lady's husband?’