Chapter 150
<Side Story Episode 3>
Simple Daniel was quickly persuaded by Laura and overcame his fear of boarding school. As he was leaving, he only regretted having to say goodbye to his aunt and the rest of the family, and was able to head to school without much resistance.
After Daniel left, George caused less than half the trouble he used to. It must have been because the brother he used to play pranks with had disappeared.
George missed his brother, but on the other hand, he was also glad that his brother was gone. The rival he had to fight for his aunt's attention was gone. George was able to have his aunt all to himself while playing in the forest with her. There was no greater joy for a boy in his childhood.
After Laura delivered the gifts and had a light chat about her visit to London, Laura and George held hands and went out to play in the forest. Olivia, who was completely taken with the hat Laura had bought, went up to her room to find a dress that would go well with it, and even Mr. Fairfax put on his new hunting gloves and headed to the hunting grounds. Only Ian and Mrs. Fairfax were left in the drawing room.
Mrs. Fairfax fiddled with the brooch she had received as a gift.
"Goodness, how did you pick out such an elegant thing?"
"Laura picked it out."
"Of course, your wife picked it out. You always buy things that are good for the body. You have no sense."
Mrs. Fairfax pinned the brooch on the thick shawl she was wearing. The elegant and restrained design of the brooch went well with Mrs. Fairfax, who maintained a simple style with a plain impression.
"I like it. I should thank Laura one more time before she leaves."
Ian was pleased to see his sister happy with his wife's gift.
"So, what did the people in London say about Laura becoming Mrs. Dalton?"
"No one was openly chattering. But they looked at her as if they were looking at the Queen."
Mrs. Fairfax chuckled. Her expression of mocking something was exactly like her younger brother's.
"Laura is the same person she was when she was a maiden, but now that she's Mrs. Dalton, they recognize her worth."
"That's how nobles are. They're such snobs. By the way, when is little Ian going to wake up? I want to see him once before I go back."
"Wait. I told them to bring him to me as soon as he wakes up."
About ten minutes later, the door to the drawing room opened and little Ian, holding the hand of his nanny, came in.
Ian's face brightened when he saw the child.
"Uncle."
Little Ian, wearing a custom-made suit modeled after a naval uniform, called out to his uncle with a tongue that didn't quite turn.
"Come here."
He stretched out his arms to the child.
As the child ran to him, Ian, like an uncle who had many nephews, hugged the child in a familiar pose and sat him on his lap. And with his large hand, he stroked the thick black cowlick that sprouted on the top of the child's head. The child smiled brightly, happy to see his uncle.
Big Ian whispered to little Ian.
"Uncle bought you a present from London. Look in my pocket."
The child fumbled through his uncle's pocket. From his small hands came the matchbox, wallet, silver cigarette case, handkerchief, and mints that he always carried. Finally, the child found a small, colorful gift box.
The child wiggled his fingers and clumsily unwrapped the package. Inside was a small train toy.
The child stared intently at the toy. There was a gleam in his eyes. The child wiggled his bottom and squealed.
Ian laughed happily and looked at his sister across the room.
"He seems to like it?"
Mrs. Fairfax, who had been discussing the nanny and nursery management, nodded vaguely to her brother and continued her conversation with the nanny. She loved her children, but she was not one to be swayed by their joys and sorrows. Her personality was consistent with her first and last children.
When the story was over, Mrs. Fairfax told the nanny to go downstairs and have some tea. After the nanny left, she stroked the sapphire brooch she had received as a gift one more time before turning her gaze to her younger brother.
Her younger brother was completely absorbed in the young nephew on his lap. He was giggling at the child's play of driving the train along the imaginary railroad, and seriously listening to the chatter about the stops, which he was diligently explaining with a tongue that didn't quite turn.
Mrs. Fairfax stared at the scene.
Ian had loved babies since he was a child. Even when he was just eight years old, when he was still a child himself, he was overjoyed to see his first nephew, Henry. Later, he played with Olivia, who was born late, just like he was sitting on his lap now, and he lavished affection on Daniel and George until they almost turned Dunville Park's green forests into ashes.
Watching Ian playing with her son, a question crept into Mrs. Fairfax's mind. It was a rather frivolous curiosity. But she never hesitated when she wanted to ask her younger brother something.
"When are you going to have a child?"
He, who had been on a train trip with Ian Fairfax, looked at his sister.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"It's already been a year since you got married. Why is there still no news?"
Ian chuckled.
"You'll have to ask God about that."
"Are you doing what you're supposed to be doing?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Mrs. Fairfax clicked her tongue.
"Did you become a fool after visiting London? I mean, are you giving Laura the baby seeds well?"
Ian was flustered and covered the small ears of little Ian, who was sitting on his lap, with both hands. Fortunately, little Ian was not even aware of his uncle's large hands suddenly covering his ears and was only focused on driving the train. He was an excellent conductor.
"Watch what you say in front of the child."
Unlike her younger brother, whose face was red with the explicit question, Mrs. Fairfax's expression was calm.
"He's no different from a monkey. He doesn't have the cognitive ability to understand what we're talking about."
"How do you know that?"
"I know it by looking at you. You don't remember anything that happened before you were 30 months old."
"That's because you keep making up things that didn't happen."
Mrs. Fairfax frowned as if she was very sorry.
"My dear, I've played countless pranks in my life, but I've never committed the sin of making up things that aren't true. I don't need to make up memories with my younger brother, especially since it's enough to make fun of him without adding any seasoning."
"If you're going to talk about that again..."
Before he could say, "I'm going back now," Mrs. Fairfax narrowed her eyes and began to recall her memories.
"I remember you at 27 months old. You were a clever little boy. Whenever I was invited to a Ball, you would toddle around your sister, who was getting dressed up, and list the gifts you would give me if I didn't go to the Ball. Ginger cookies in the ceramic jar in the nursery, a set of toy soldiers in the toy box, and the horse doll you always slept with. When I was all dressed up, you would cling to my legs like a koala and cry. 'Don't go, Sister. Don't leave Ian behind.' The hem of my dress was covered in your snot, so I had to change my clothes in the end."
Ian's face was as if he had bitten into a bug as he listened to his sister's story.
"I don't remember."
"See? Humans can't remember things from before they're 30 months old, can they?"
"Because it's a made-up story."
"Look at this guy. If you really don't believe me, ask Ramswick."
"I'm not going to play along with your pranks."
Ian retorted coldly.
He firmly believed that the episode his sister had told was a lie. He really didn't remember it, but even if it was true, he didn't want to admit it.
Mrs. Fairfax shrugged her shoulders.
"Just because you deny it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Then, let's put that aside. What about the baby?"
"You're like a usurer who's left money on interest. Why don't you mind your own business about our marriage?"
"I wouldn't interfere if you weren't the head of Whitefield. You haven't forgotten that if you don't have a son, all of your land will go to a distant relative you've never even seen, have you? Now, Ian, tell me honestly. Are you using your strength well at night? Should I send you some of what my husband eats?"
He shouted without realizing it.
"I'm making the bed collapse every day even without that!"
The wife laughed so hard that she almost fell backward.
Ian's face turned red. He had been caught in his sister's trick and had revealed the secret life of the couple.
"Yes, Ian. Of course, how did you get your wife? Besides, you're an old bachelor for your age."
Ian was glad that he hadn't taken his hand off his nephew's ear.
His sister became serious again.
"If the number of times isn't the problem, is it the seed? Hey, is there something wrong with your seed bag? Is it empty like a bag of holed beans, or is it all rotten like a fruit box with rotten apples mixed in?"
Mrs. Fairfax stared intently between Ian's legs. As if she had the ability to see through his clothes. Ian quickly moved his nephew, who was sitting on his lap, between his legs to block his seed bag from his sister's gaze.
"There's nothing you can't say. Don't make unpleasant assumptions about other people's bodies, even if they're your brother. And what does smoking have to do with producing children?"
"It has a lot to do with it. When I look at the men in our town, the smokers don't have any children. At most one or two. And you know, in families with more than ten children, the husbands don't drink or smoke at all. The Schultz family, the pharmacists in our town, just had their twenty-fourth child, and Mr. Schultz doesn't drink or smoke, and he only eats a piece of meat for dinner."
"That family should have the husband smoke. But above all, they should sleep in separate rooms."
He replied dryly.
"What's wrong with that? It's good to have a lot of children if you can. That woman is as healthy as a bull. She was out in the potato field raking less than a week after giving birth."
Ian wondered why women's health was so different. One woman could give birth twenty-four times and still be fine to work in the fields, while his sister's body had become as fragile as a glass doll after her fifth child. He always had a worry about his sister's health in his heart, so he was more surprised by Mrs. Schultz's health than Mr. Schultz's productivity.
"You smoke cigarettes all the time. Why don't you quit cigars for the sake of your descendants?"
"I can't quit smoking. I've been doing it for over 15 years, and it's become a part of my life."
Mrs. Fairfax sighed.
"Father made a bad habit."
"I agree with that."
Mrs. Fairfax closed her mouth as if she was trying to think of another way.
Ian was also lost in thought.
'Hmm. A child.'
