Chapter 16
<16> Who is the Woman of Fate? (2)
Mr. Dalton turned and walked away. Miss Pendleton was dumbfounded but thought it was just one of Mr. Dalton's strange pranks and went inside. She then took out the flowers she had soaked in water to finish the flower arrangement she had been working on earlier and began to trim them.
However, as she snipped, the image of Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton walking together in Hyde Park kept popping into her head.
As the person who had introduced Mr. Dalton to Miss Lance, Miss Pendleton felt responsible for protecting Miss Lance in their relationship. She began to ponder Mr. Dalton and Miss Lance.
Mr. Dalton and Miss Lance. Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton. Could the two of them really be falling in love?
It wasn't entirely impossible. Miss Lance was probably the most beautiful young lady among the aristocratic women of London, and Mr. Dalton was a remarkably handsome young man, hard to find anywhere in England, not just London.
Miss Lance had a title, though her dowry was lacking, while Mr. Dalton didn't have a title but had a family even more impressive than a title and the wealth he had built upon it. It seemed like there couldn't be a more perfect couple.
However, the unsettling part still wasn't resolved. Mr. Dalton's quiet and taciturn demeanor. A quiet attitude that was hard to show to someone you were affectionate towards. It was the opposite of what she had expected Mr. Dalton to be like when he fell in love.
But perhaps that was Mr. Dalton's way of loving. Hiding his feelings from others and fully revealing his heart only to his lover.
The only concern was whether Miss Lance might be misunderstanding Mr. Dalton's feelings and acting solely on her own emotions.
Miss Pendleton hoped that Miss Lance wouldn't be like that, but she was worried about her pride. Miss Lance was superior to other ladies not only in beauty but also in intelligence. She knew a lot and was very talented. But since she was only twenty years old, she lacked experience and knew nothing beyond what she had learned from books and what her friends told her.
And the biggest problem was that she didn't know that there was much she didn't know.
She had so many admirers around her, and they were all busy praising her. And Miss Lance accepted those praises indiscriminately.
In this situation, it was only natural to suspect that Miss Lance might have fallen for Mr. Dalton alone. It would be a disaster if someone around her had encouraged her and planted fantasies in her mind. The shame she would feel the moment she realized that Mr. Dalton was indifferent to her would be indescribable.
Miss Pendleton paused her thoughts for a moment. The work of trimming the flowers was finished. She concentrated on arranging the flowers in the vase for a while.
After arranging all the flowers, she turned it this way and that, examining the overall harmony. She hmmmed, pondered, and then took out a few daffodils and put them back in. Then the overall shape became quite pleasing.
Miss Pendleton immediately took the vase to the living room and placed it on the table that was most visible when a guest entered. Then she went to the kitchen and discussed wages with Mr. Germain, who was taking a break before starting dinner.
He was delighted by the sudden offer of a pay raise and expressed his joy to her in French, and began to fuss about making her favorite fruit pudding for dinner tonight. She thought to herself that she wouldn't have to worry about Mr. Germain leaving for a while, and then returned to her room.
As she returned to her room, the thoughts that had been interrupted continued in her mind.
On the one hand, she wondered if her suspicion was an underestimation of Miss Lance. Just because Miss Lance was full of pride, where was the guarantee that she would be so foolish? In the past three years, Miss Lance had never ruined things because of her pride.
Even in a situation where so many fans around her were intent on making her a lump of vanity, showering her with nothing but praise, she acted with some awareness. She was weak to compliments about her appearance, but she was not easily swayed by other opinions. It was evidence that there was discernment within Miss Lance.
Miss Pendleton decided to trust Miss Lance and postpone the suspicion that she was the only one who liked Mr. Dalton. And she thought about the case where the two of them had feelings for each other.
Assuming that Mr. Dalton's earlier statement that 'mediation is no longer necessary' was about Miss Lance, and if the two of them's feelings came to fruition and led to marriage... that would be a truly wonderful thing.
At that moment, a faint pain arose in Laura's heart. But she didn't even recognize it because she was busy following her thoughts. She continued to think.
It would be a beneficial marriage for both of them. Mr. Dalton was a picky gentleman, but he was rational, intelligent, and had a broad view of the world. If Miss Lance married him and lived with him, she would be positively influenced and grow in many ways.
It was also a good marriage for Mr. Dalton. He would be starting a family with the most beautiful unmarried woman currently remaining in London. He would enjoy the happiness of a rich family due to his beautiful and talented wife. Isn't that the greatest happiness a man can dream of?
In addition, he may be able to get help from her title and the aristocratic network that comes with it when he does business in the future.
Miss Pendleton thought that if the two loved each other, a perfect marriage would be achieved. And she organized her thoughts to calmly watch what would happen in the future, and then left the window.
* * *
It was already May. The world was dazzlingly sparkling and beginning to bloom abundantly. The full-fledged social season had begun.
The upper classes, who had been lingering in their Estate or spending leisurely time in resorts, were flocking to London as if moths were drawn to light. In London's Townhouse districts, invitations to all sorts of parties, Formal dinners, Balls, and Concerts were exchanged every day, and a dazzling feast of hedonism unfolded every night.
But Ms. Abigail Pendleton's Townhouse was one step away from hedonism.
The respected Ms. Abigail Pendleton had already retired from society 20 years ago and was content with doing elegant chores as an advisor to artists. Even that was falling into a life close to seclusion due to her worsening health these days.
She had now retired from attending even the Tea party held within the Pendleton family mansion, and spent more time sitting alone in a rocking chair, and sometimes even that was too difficult, and she often retreated to bed. Miss Pendleton, who was originally an introverted character, became even more distant from socializing, conscious of her grandmother's condition.
She mainly read books to her ailing grandmother or took care of her medicine. And when her grandmother fell asleep, she had a servant guard her grandmother and then spent her time in the study. She sat at a large oak desk, reading books, writing letters, and studying.
She cherished that time very much. It was her original nature to like quiet and peaceful time. She loved the desk she always sat at, she loved the books that were full of bookshelves, and she loved the time she could quietly enjoy.
But these days her study was neither peaceful nor quiet. It was because there was someone she spent her afternoons with.
Miss Hyde visited Miss Pendleton's house the very next day after receiving Miss Pendleton's offer two months ago. At first, Miss Hyde hesitated, wondering if she could receive such kindness from Miss Pendleton, but Miss Pendleton unreservedly took her to the study.
Miss Hyde was quite surprised because it was the first time she had seen a study of this size in a London Townhouse, and she slowly looked around the cozy place.
With all the walls surrounded by oak bookshelves, a subtle fireplace was burning. On one side of the study, there were two large desks, one facing away from the window and one facing the fireplace, forming a ㄱ shape. Both were large and splendid desks.
While Miss Hyde's eyes were taken away by the study, Miss Pendleton squatted under the desk opposite the fireplace and began to take something out, grunting.
Miss Hyde heard Miss Pendleton asking for help and approached her, and soon realized that it was a typewriter. Miss Hyde quickly approached her and took out the typewriter together. And together they lifted it and placed it on the desk.
Miss Hyde stared at the typewriter with wide eyes. The typewriter was perfect for office use. It looked black, rough, and professional.
"How on earth did you get this?"
"I bought it because it was available second-hand at an office supply store. I heard that a law firm had closed down. You can make any document with this."
Miss Hyde looked at the typewriter as if she were looking at a strange relic.
"Have you been practicing with this? Are you going to be a typist?"
"Yes."
At Miss Pendleton's answer, Miss Hyde said in surprise.
"That's amazing. I've never even thought about this before."
"When the future is uncertain, you have to do something."
"Then, is Miss Pendleton also going to be a typist?"
Miss Pendleton shook her head.
"When I was twenty-five, I was wandering around like Miss Hyde. I didn't think marriage was my thing. So I had to make money. While I was walking down the street wondering what I should do to make a living, I found a typewriter and bought it right away and typed for three months."
Laura sighed softly as if she was reminded of those days.
"I was relieved when I could fill a page of paper without any typos even with my eyes closed. I got help from an acquaintance and learned about document formats from a typist. Once I was in a state where I could get a job at any time, I was able to seriously draw a picture of myself working in an office."
Miss Pendleton frowned as if the image she had drawn was drawn again in her head.
"Conversations with strange men, smoky cigar smoke, paperwork that I had to work on every day. Everything didn't suit me. So I gave up in the end."
Miss Hyde tilted her head.
"It's the opposite of me. I can't stand the greasy kindness that gentlemen show to ladies. I'd rather have them smoke and give me instructions. My father always treated me like that when he was alive. I liked that, Miss Pendleton."
"Yes, Miss Hyde is the opposite of me. Miss Hyde will probably do well. Enough to make a living with this."
Miss Pendleton took Miss Hyde's hand.
"But to do that, you have to become a master first. Here."
Miss Pendleton put her hand on the typewriter. And she made her press one of the keys with one finger. The sound of a click echoed in the quiet study.
It was the first time Miss Hyde had ever typed on a typewriter. She was surprised by the sensation she felt at her fingertips. She was trembling with vibration. There was a commotion in her heart. It was a little scary, but exciting and thrilling.
"Miss Hyde, would you like to learn typing from me?"
