Chapter 57
Episode 57: Lady Abigail (1)
Miss Pendleton finished her conversation with Miss Lance and returned home directly.
She was restless about the issue between Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton all the way home, but she soon forgot about it as the carriage entered Grosvenor Street. Because there was a bigger problem in front of her now.
Her uncle would surely call her to his study as soon as she arrived and press her about the marriage issue, and she would have no choice but to tell the truth. What would her uncle say after hearing what she had done today? What kind of reaction would he show?
'Something worse than yesterday might happen.'
As she thought that, her right finger throbbed. Miss Pendleton caressed her gloved hand and looked out the window.
'If that happens, I won't just stand still. I can't fight him head-on. I'll obviously lose. But at least I can throw things and run away. Anyway, I won't be subjected to the same thing as yesterday again.'
The carriage stopped in front of the Townhouse. Miss Pendleton got out of the carriage and entered the house. But the atmosphere inside the house was quite different from when she had left. The atmosphere was gloomy, and the servants all greeted her with dark faces.
Miss Pendleton asked a maid,
"Did something happen while I was away?"
"Mr. Webster came."
"Why would he suddenly...? Oh, no, could it be that Grandmother, while I was away...!"
"No, Miss. She just lost consciousness. Mr. Webster is waiting for you, Miss."
Miss Pendleton hurriedly went upstairs. Inside her grandmother's room, Mr. Webster and three maids, including Ann, were watching over her grandmother. Mr. Webster stood up as soon as Miss Pendleton entered.
"Miss Pendleton..."
Miss Pendleton forgot to greet him and examined her grandmother. Her grandmother's face, lying pale as a corpse, looked like a dead body.
Miss Pendleton put her ear close to her grandmother's nose. She faintly heard her breathing. Only then did Miss Pendleton let out a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Webster, is my grandmother... is she okay?"
He moved his lips with a troubled expression.
"It would be best to prepare yourself. In my opinion... she won't be able to hold on for more than four days."
Miss Pendleton stared blankly at her grandmother's appearance. Mr. Webster said something more beside her, but she couldn't hear anything.
The teacher gave the servants a few meaningless prescriptions and left the room with his medical bag. During that time, Miss Pendleton only looked at her unconscious grandmother. Due to the shock, even tears did not come out.
The servants couldn't bear to leave the dying Lady Abigail and the Miss who was out of her mind. It was because they loved Lady Abigail and the Miss.
And the servant who felt the most sorry among them was Ann Still. But she was also a smart woman who knew that she couldn't just be immersed in emotions for the sake of her mistress.
Ann thought that there was no need to add the servants' emotions to the already heavy atmosphere of the bedroom.
So, she distributed work to the servants, such as telling them to go to the apothecary to get medicine, or to inform the other servants in the kitchen, and sent them out. And she went outside to give Miss Pendleton some time to pull herself together alone.
Ten minutes later, Ann came back into the room with a glass of wine. Miss Pendleton was sitting on one side of her grandmother's bed. Ann approached Miss Pendleton.
"Miss."
Miss Pendleton didn't move. Her face was as white as a sheet of paper. Ann handed Miss Pendleton the glass of wine.
"Please take a sip of this. It will give you strength."
Miss Pendleton looked up at Ann. Her clever brown eyes were anxiously examining her mistress.
Ann silently brought the glass of wine to Miss Pendleton's lips. Miss Pendleton took a sip and then pushed it away.
"...She was fine even when I greeted her yesterday. She looked healthy. Why."
Ann looked at Miss Pendleton for a moment. Her intelligent brown eyes were thoughtfully examining her mistress.
"Ann. Where is my uncle? I have to call my uncle."
Ann sighed.
"Mr. Gerald Pendleton is out."
"Didn't he say where he was going? He can come back anytime within four days. If she regains consciousness even for a moment, he has to be there to see her pass. Ask the servant outside. Did he say where he was going when he left? Oh, maybe he's with Mr. Price. At Mrs. Naisley's..."
"Miss."
Ann shook her head at Miss Pendleton. Miss Pendleton looked at Ann with a puzzled expression.
"Lady Abigail wouldn't want to see Mr. Gerald Pendleton."
"What... do you know something?"
"Miss. First, have another sip of wine. You didn't even have dinner, Miss. I'm worried you'll collapse. I'll tell you everything after you drink it."
Miss Pendleton drank all the wine as Ann said. During that time, Ann pulled a soft rocking chair next to the fireplace and placed it next to the bed. And she took the empty wine glass from Miss Pendleton and moved her to sit in the chair.
"Now tell me. What's going on?"
Ann placed a small cushion at Miss Pendleton's feet and sat on it. And after holding Miss Pendleton's hand, she opened her mouth.
"Lady Abigail collapsed because of Mr. Gerald Pendleton."
Miss Pendleton's eyes widened. Ann told her everything she had seen and heard earlier.
* * *
Ann was carrying Lady Abigail's soup bowl upstairs. She was in a very bad mood. Every time she entered Lady Abigail's room, she would have to see Gerald Pendleton, who was always sticking to her like glue. After making our Miss's hand like that, he would shamelessly try to flatter Lady Abigail again.
Ann had not forgotten the right hand she had seen that afternoon, when she put gloves on the Miss's hand, who had finished dressing up before leaving for the Ball. Four of her fingers were bruised and turned as black as if ink had been sprinkled on them. She stood in front of Lady Abigail's room, imagining pouring the steaming soup on Gerald Pendleton's face.
From inside Lady Abigail's room, the quiet voices of the two mothers and sons could be heard. Lady Abigail's affectionate and gentle voice and the elder's voice with pretentious kindness.
Ann sighed. Lady Abigail wouldn't know. What the elder had done to Lady Abigail's granddaughter. She couldn't even tell her because the Miss had begged her to keep it a secret.
She felt like she was going to burst. Even if she missed her son so much with death at her doorstep. After ignoring her old mother and living her life, she was now spending time with her son who had come late, and ignoring her granddaughter who had been taking care of her with all her heart.
Ann's stomach was boiling, but she shook her head and supported the bottom of the tray with her hand. And with the other hand, she reached for the door to knock.
But, just as she was about to knock.
"Gerald!"
Ann stopped breathing at Lady Abigail's shout. Instead of knocking, she put her ear close to the door.
A mumbling sound came from inside. A snorting sound flowed out. Ann put her ear closer to the door.
"Why should I?"
The elder's voice, full of anger, was heard.
"Laura has been by my side until now and has done her best. It's too much to drive her out with her bare hands. So, it's only natural to give her that much money. I thought you had forgiven me, so you wouldn't have any old grudges against Laura."
"Yes, I don't. Of course not."
Gerald Pendleton said as if growling. Ann felt that his answer and tone were completely separate.
"I have more than 300,000 pounds worth of assets to leave to Charles. So, you can't spare about 5,000 pounds for Laura."
Ann's eyes widened. Five thousand pounds was nothing to a noble family, but it was an amount that could change the lives of ordinary people.
"She will be penniless when I die. You're a kind child, so you wouldn't be uncomfortable with that, would you? I don't expect you to take her in, and I don't think she'll expect it from you either. So, how about leaving her at least 5,000 pounds so she can make a new start? It's showing recognition as the head of the family."
Lady Abigail coaxed him gently.
"Mother, don't worry. Of course, I think about Laura. So, I've been looking for a husband for her. A husband who is too good for her."
"Who are you talking about?"
"Mother, you once said that Tom was a very good man, right? You saw it well. Tom is a very good friend. He's generous and responsible. So, while I was in America, I decided to make that friend Laura's partner."
No sound was heard from inside. Ann held her breath and eavesdropped.
"...Tom Price and Laura Pendleton. Your friend and my granddaughter. I didn't hear you wrong, did I?"
"Yes, that's right. Mother, your ears are still sharp. Tom loves Laura. He courted her very diligently. But the immature Laura keeps rejecting his advances. Today, she will receive another proposal at the Ball. If she takes Tom's hand, Laura's future will be bright. Because she will become a rich lady. So, put your worries about Laura aside now."
'Bright future, my foot. It'll be a dark abyss!'
Ann gritted her teeth. She wondered how Lady Abigail would react. Soon, Lady Abigail's voice was heard. The tone of gently coaxing until now had completely disappeared.
"I'll give you one warning. If you let that meddling old man continue to hang around Laura, I'll scatter all the inheritance for Charles into the Thames River without leaving a penny."
No sound was heard from inside. Ann, who was biting her lips, let out a silent exclamation.
"Mother. How can you say such a thing...!"
"How can you do such a thing to your niece? Tom Price is the same age as you. He's twenty-four years older than Laura. Are you trying to marry your niece to a man who will soon be lying in a coffin? Are you out of your mind?"
Silence fell again inside. Ann couldn't stand it and carefully put down the tray and looked inside through the keyhole. Gerald Pendleton was holding his forehead as if he was dumbfounded. Snorting heavily.
"I was just worried about Laura's future. Frankly, Laura is an old maid. Not being sold to anyone until she's twenty-nine is a huge disgrace as a virgin. Besides, her bloodline and wealth. Ha, there's no need to talk about this for long. I introduced her to a suitable husband. Although that immature thing keeps making a fuss without knowing her place, she will still accept the proposal today. Just watch."
