Chapter 89
<89> Whitefield (6)
"Of course."
Mr. Dalton raised the corner of his mouth and said confidently.
"Anyone who has visited Whitefield more than once is bound to fall in love with this land. Because it is the most beautiful place in the world. And if they come to love this land, they will naturally come to love me, the owner of it."
Olivia looked at her uncle with suspicion.
"I've come to Whitefield often, but I don't love you."
"Then who was it that lived here and proposed to me when she was seven?"
Olivia blushed with embarrassment. Ian chuckled softly.
"Don't be so anxious, Olivia. All you have to do is bring your teacher to Whitefield often. The more time she spends here, the more her heart will open without her even realizing it. With you in the middle, her guard will be down. After a month or two, there will be times when she'll stay overnight at this house because of the weather, or she might accept my request to be the hostess of a Formal dinner party, or even nurse me when I have the flu."
Olivia tilted her head.
"Formal dinner is one thing, but you've never even had the flu in your life. You always brag about how you don't even get a mild cold thanks to your constitution. So how is she going to nurse you?"
"I'll pretend to be sick."
Olivia thought for a moment, then clapped her hands together as if she understood.
"Uncle, you're a genius."
Olivia looked at her uncle with awe.
"It's a perfect plan. Someone as kind as Miss Pendleton will feel protective when she sees you groaning in pain. And she'll realize how lonely you are and feel great sympathy. It'll be easy for those feelings to turn into love. By the time you're all better, she won't want to leave you, and at that perfect moment, if you propose, saying, 'Love has found its way into my heart while being cared for by you. Please stay here for my lonely self,' she'll definitely accept."
"You guessed it."
Ian smiled at his clever niece.
"This winter, I plan to be sick for more than ten days. Just enough to be bedridden and on the verge of death, but not enough to cause the nurse too much trouble. When I'm almost fully recovered, I'll take your teacher's hand and stand with her in front of the bedroom window. The snowy Whitefield landscape will be quite romantic. I'll kneel before her and ask her to be my wife. She won't be able to resist. I'll be gaunt from skipping meals, and I'll even shed a few tears."
Olivia, impressed, silently gave him a thumbs up.
Laura's performance ended. Olivia and Ian applauded her enthusiastically. Laura, who had no idea what kind of conversation had taken place between the two, gratefully thanked them. Soon, she led Olivia to the piano. The two sat side by side at the piano and played a duet by Johann Strauss.
The large golden grandfather clock at the end of the hallway of Whitefield Hall chimed five o'clock. Laura finished playing and closed the piano lid.
"It's time to go."
Olivia, who had been standing next to Laura singing along to the accompaniment, sat down next to her teacher, looking disappointed.
"Teacher, can't we play just one more song before we go?"
"I promised your mother I'd be back before dinner."
"It only takes an hour to get there. Dinner is at half-past six, so we have thirty minutes to spare."
Laura gently smoothed Olivia's blonde hair.
"It's true that it takes an hour to get from Whitefield to Dunville Park. But it takes at least thirty minutes to say goodbye to your uncle, get home and greet your mother, change your clothes, and wash your face, Miss Fairfax."
That was true. Olivia took her bottom off the piano bench.
Mr. Dalton came out to see the ladies off. He smiled kindly at Miss Pendleton, who was sitting in the carriage seat through the window.
"Miss Pendleton, thank you for visiting. It was a pleasant day thanks to you. It gets quite lonely living alone."
"Thank you for treating me so well. Whitefield was truly impressive. I'm sure I'll be walking through Whitefield's white birch forest in my dreams tonight."
"Praise from Miss Pendleton is always precious. You have such a warm personality that you never fail to praise something."
Laura shook her head earnestly.
"Don't doubt the praise for Whitefield, at least. I was moved by Whitefield."
"Really?"
"Yes. I was worried that I would be disappointed when I saw it in person because I had heard so much praise and even seen pictures of it. But it was unfounded. Mr. Dalton, I was fascinated as soon as I arrived here. And..."
Laura's breathing became a little rough.
"I felt that it was as beautiful and pure as its owner."
Laura said that and looked embarrassed. She felt she had made a slip of the tongue.
He was just as embarrassed. Her praise was directed at him along with Whitefield. Pure and beautiful. Whitefield, and himself too.
His heart pounded.
Mr. Dalton held out his hand to her. Laura carefully placed her hand on his. He bowed his head and kissed Laura's small hand.
After an unnaturally long time for a ceremonial kiss, he took his lips off her hand. He stared intently at Miss Pendleton.
"Tonight, you will appear in my dreams adorned in rubies and silk dresses. Please have a safe journey home."
Laura's face flushed slightly. She smiled awkwardly and withdrew her hand.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
The carriage departed.
The person leaving. The person seeing them off. Their positions were different, but the two ladies and gentlemen had the same thought in mind.
'I shouldn't have said that just now.'
* * *
Less than a week after visiting Whitefield, Laura found herself in a carriage heading back to Whitefield with Olivia. Mrs. Star, the wife of the Whitefield Parsonage, had sent an invitation.
In a curious writing style that seemed to echo with a cheerful voice, she asked her to visit her humble Parsonage and have a cup of tea. Laura went to the Whitefield Church Parsonage for tea with Olivia, who was wrapped in lace and silk.
The Parsonage was crowded with ladies. All of them were girls between the ages of twelve and eighteen. They were all members of the choir, and all daughters of farmers or owners of large stores.
Laura had prepared herself, expecting that her friendship with Mr. Dalton would be mentioned more than once during the tea time. But she was wrong. Even before she set foot in the Parsonage, they had heard from Mrs. Star that Laura was a friend of the Whitefield landowner.
Throughout the tea time, Laura had an uncomfortable afternoon between Mrs. Star, who was eagerly offering her tea and cake, the innocent choir girls who didn't dare to speak to her but instead looked at her with a galaxy-like glow in their eyes, and Olivia, who embarrassingly bragged about her teacher's foreign language skills and piano skills.
After that, Mrs. Star's invitations continued. Laura was honestly reluctant to go. But she had to be polite to Mrs. Star and consider her friendship with Mr. Dalton, so she accepted the invitation.
There, she met the wives of farmers with rough hands and warm eyes, the wives of diligent merchants belonging to the women's association, and the boys and girls between the ages of nine and eleven who gathered once a week to study the Bible. They all knew that Laura was a friend of Mr. Dalton. That alone made Laura seem like a respectable person to them.
Greetings and smiles poured out. Affable middle-aged women asked her if she was comfortable in her life and took care of her in various ways, and young children sat next to the beautiful Laura and asked about various aspects of London. When Laura left, her arms were full of the simple gifts they had given her.
Laura soon realized that they were all kind and warm people. And she also realized that everyone, from the young children to the locals with graying temples, respected Mr. Dalton. A sincere, fair, and polite landowner. That was his reputation.
Gradually, Laura's aversion to visiting the Parsonage disappeared. She grew to like the residents of Whitefield she met there, became accustomed to Mrs. Star's cheerfulness, and instead of feeling awkward about being respected thanks to Mr. Dalton, she came to appreciate it.
Laura tried to behave properly so that her actions would not tarnish Mr. Dalton's reputation. She paid attention to etiquette and responded to goodwill with kindness and humility.
Her attitude was impeccable. The expectations that the residents who loved Mr. Dalton might have for his friend always ended with admiration and understanding.
After visiting Whitefield several times, the next destination after leaving the Parsonage was Whitefield Hall. It was only a 15-minute carriage ride from the Parsonage, so it was natural for Olivia and her to stop by for a while.
Arriving at Whitefield through the magical birch forest, they could always meet Mr. Dalton. After hearing so many positive reviews about him at the Parsonage, Laura couldn't help but feel respect for Mr. Dalton standing before her. She already knew that he was a responsible landowner, but after experiencing it firsthand in his home base, he seemed more wonderful than ever before.
He always treated Olivia and Laura generously. He allowed them to use the library as much as they wanted and showed them the beautiful flowers in the conservatory. On good weather days, he would take them outside to show them the maze garden and the beautifully decorated garden trees, and occasionally he would pick ripe red apples from the apple trees he was growing as a hobby and fill the ladies' skirts with them.
Laura enjoyed every moment she spent in Whitefield. The dignified beauty of the mansion stimulated her sensitivity, and the library with its many books was a paradise for her as a book lover. The servants were always kind to her, and the meals and desserts were amazing.
But the biggest reason she liked Whitefield Hall was because she could meet Mr. Dalton there. The time she spent sitting face to face with him and talking was the happiest and most fulfilling time.
