Chapter 102
<102> Hunting Party (5)
As twilight fell, the men who had gone hunting returned to the mansion with their respective spoils.
The gentlemen and ladies, dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, gathered in the drawing room after a lavish Formal dinner. They mingled in groups of three or five, chatting, drinking wine, and enjoying the leisurely evening with card games and piano performances.
Miss Lance sat in a corner.
Her friends had gone to the billiard room for the sake of solidarity among the Orson family, leaving her alone. Being isolated in such a gathering would normally have been unbearable, but she was rather pleased with her situation now.
Ever since they left the Long Gallery, her friends had begun to seriously suspect something between Mr. Dalton and Miss Pendleton. If any feelings were starting to develop between Mr. Dalton and Miss Pendleton, it would be a grave matter indeed, as it would mean her friend was being robbed of a potential husband by a lowly, illegitimate, old maid.
Miss Lance coldly dismissed her two friends' concerns and forbade them from voicing them. The two ladies obeyed the Queen's command, but Miss Lance knew that they were likely pacing around the billiard table with cues in hand, carelessly spouting all sorts of speculations that they were holding back in front of her.
Sitting in a secluded spot behind a screen, Miss Lance leaned deeper into the sofa and stared intently at a woman she had been watching for some time.
Miss Pendleton was wearing a blue evening gown. It was a light and innocent garment, as if a piece of the autumn sky had been cut out and made into fabric. She wore large sapphire earrings and a diamond bracelet sparkled on her wrist.
She spoke with a relaxed demeanor to those who approached her with smiling faces, occasionally glancing around the drawing room. To see if the wine was running low, if anyone was bored, or if the servants were doing their jobs properly.
Miss Lance turned her gaze to a gentleman standing by the drawing room window. A man in a tuxedo, leaning against the wall, surrounded by young gentlemen. Her prince, Ian Dalton, whom she had been waiting to reunite with for months.
He was talking to the gentlemen, occasionally glancing across the room. At Miss Pendleton, who had her back to him. He smiled slightly each time he looked at her.
Miss Lance's heart sank lower and lower.
Soon, Miss Pendleton excused herself from the people she was talking to and approached the servants. She quickly gave them some instructions. The servants bowed slightly and immediately went outside. Soon, a makeshift stage was set up in the drawing room.
Guests who had been growing slightly bored with the long evening without any special events gathered around the stage. Soon, a charades game began.
Miss Lance lowered her eyes. Everything instilled a strong conviction in her mind. Miss Pendleton was now acting as the mistress of this house. And that authority had been delegated to her by Mr. Dalton. Along with his mother's dress.
'How?'
Miss Lance knew the general outline of their relationship. There had been circumstances where friendship had turned into affection. However, when Miss Pendleton's birth was revealed, Mr. Dalton had abandoned her.
After that, Miss Pendleton was kicked out of the family and soon hired as a governess for the Fairfax family. Miss Lance had heard the rumor and thought that Mr. Dalton had arranged the job out of guilt for the woman he had abandoned. It was an action befitting Mr. Dalton, who had a noble and warm heart.
But now, Miss Pendleton was wearing Mr. Dalton's mother's dress, adorned with splendid jewelry, and acting as the mistress of his house. Miss Lance struggled to understand this situation.
Perhaps he had simply asked for her help in entertaining the guests. Ah, but if that were the case, he should have only had her help with the preparations, in accordance with Miss Pendleton's position, and not brought her out to a gathering like this.
Perhaps he wanted to show favor to the daughter of his childhood benefactor. Then Miss Pendleton herself should have refused. No matter how much of a past connection they had, it was senseless for her to dress up like this and act as the mistress in a position that was not appropriate for her.
Observing Miss Pendleton's natural demeanor, Miss Lance suspected that some kind of confidence was hidden within her. That suspicion, in collusion with jealousy, created an astonishing deduction.
'Could it be, could it be... that Miss Pendleton has become Mr. Dalton's mistress?'
It was certainly possible. It happened often in London society. Noble men would brazenly bring their mistresses to social gatherings, and even invite friends to their other homes and have their mistresses act as the hostess. It was immoral, but because it was so often committed by people of high status, everyone just accepted it.
'Surely, Mr. Dalton and Miss Pendleton! A man as noble and gentlemanly as Mr. Dalton, and a woman as kind and upright as Miss Pendleton, how could they do such a thing...!'
Miss Lance tried to deny it, but she couldn't find any other reasonable answer. Because in her way of thinking, it was unthinkable that a man like Mr. Dalton would want to take Miss Pendleton as his formal wife.
'Ah, to think that Mr. Dalton was such a libertine. He took advantage of the fact that Miss Pendleton had nowhere to go and toyed with her. He doesn't want to marry her, but he desires Miss Pendleton's body... So he took her to his bedroom...!'
Miss Lance felt terrible. Along with despair, a strong jealousy seemed to burn her chest.
The fantasy she had of Mr. Dalton had faded slightly. He was an immoral person. A person who had done something a gentleman should not do.
Even so, Miss Lance's resentment kept turning towards Miss Pendleton.
Miss Lance glared at Miss Pendleton, who was smiling as she watched the charades game on stage.
'How could someone who knows the ways of the world fall into such a trap? How could she collapse so helplessly at the temptation Mr. Dalton offered? Doesn't she know that in these cases, the woman suffers more than the man?'
Miss Lance felt suffocated with frustration and contempt.
'Did he promise to marry her? Or did he say he would support her materially, even if they were just lovers? No matter how he tempted her, Miss Pendleton should not have responded. She should have packed her bags and left the moment he tempted her. For someone who was once called a lady to have such a dissolute relationship. Her reputation as a woman is over!'
Miss Lance thought of Miss Pendleton's mother. The unfortunate countess who left home at the age of 17, had a child without getting married, and died. What a cruel fate. Her daughter was about to repeat her life.
'Ah, what if she gets pregnant!'
As the thought reached this point, Miss Lance felt a chill run down her spine. Perhaps she would end up raising Miss Pendleton's illegitimate child!
This was also a common occurrence in society. The wife raising the child born to her husband's mistress. It was the custom in this town to praise such wives for their virtue, but no woman wanted to boast of her virtue in that way. Her husband's illegitimate child, honestly, was a hateful thing that she wouldn't even feel bad about drowning.
Miss Lance stared suspiciously at Miss Pendleton's belly. It was still a slender waist, but Mr. Dalton's child might already be conceived inside.
'No. Absolutely not.'
Miss Lance clenched her fist. For the sake of a stable married life with Mr. Dalton, she had to intervene in their relationship. She had to stop the immoral relationship and make them go their separate ways.
If Mr. Dalton proposed to her soon, she would be able to confidently send a warning to Miss Pendleton, but her position was still ambiguous. Moreover, she was afraid to act rashly because Miss Pendleton was under the protection of a powerful family in Yorkshire.
After a moment of contemplation, Miss Lance decided to handle the matter in the same way that Miss Pendleton had previously advised her. By pointing out her imprudence through subtle hints.
As the night deepened, the guests departed. Mr. Dalton approached Miss Pendleton and began to converse with her.
Miss Lance rose from the sofa and walked towards them.
As she got closer, she could hear them whispering quietly. They were discussing tomorrow's schedule. The sight of the two of them standing together looking so well-matched made Miss Lance feel like her blood was running backwards.
The two stopped talking at Miss Lance's approach.
"Miss Lance. It's been a while. We haven't had a proper conversation today."
Miss Pendleton asked after her kindly. Miss Lance responded with mechanical politeness. Anger was bubbling inside, but she couldn't let it show. Especially in front of Mr. Dalton.
"Miss Pendleton, or rather, Miss Sheldon, it's so nice to see you after so long. Shall we go out to the veranda and talk while looking at the stars, to catch up?"
Miss Pendleton seemed puzzled. In fact, the two of them were not the kind of people who would take the time to chat separately unless something special was going on. But she nodded readily.
"Then, I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you have a pleasant time."
Mr. Dalton gave a discreet bow and left the drawing room.
The two walked towards the open veranda.
The two ladies shivered in the cool early autumn air. Because they were wearing dresses that exposed their shoulders and upper chest, their skin was directly exposed to the night air.
Miss Pendleton told her to wait a moment and left her seat. When she returned, she was holding two cozy-looking shawls.
"I prepared them in advance in case there was a lady who felt the cold. Please put this on, Miss Lance, if you don't mind."
Miss Lance's gaze, which had been wide-eyed with contempt, softened. Miss Pendleton was a kind person. She had been like that in London, and she was like that here too.
Perhaps her corruption was due to this kind heart. Perhaps she had been drawn to Mr. Dalton because she felt sorry for refusing his desires.
Miss Lance began to speak in a much softer tone than she had intended.
"I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared from London. You didn't even leave a word of farewell, you're so heartless."
"Please forgive me. The situation unfolded so urgently that I didn't have time to look around."
"How is life here?"
A sincere story of country life followed. But Miss Lance was firmly determined to read between the lines and believed without a doubt that a romance with Mr. Dalton was intertwined in her life.
