Chapter 23
‘I would like to expedite the wedding. I am hoping for the 27th of next month.’
The letter to Bishop Seamus had already been dispatched. It requested that he officiate the wedding at Maxville on June 27th. Gerard knew his wedding would proceed as scheduled. That woman would not send a telegram of refusal.
In the unlikely event that she did decline, he would simply choose the next best option among the other candidates. Therefore, the ceremony would take place on that day. Only the bride would change.
“Your Grace. Are banquets like this held every day at Maxville?”
At the young woman’s voice, Gerard set aside his thoughts and looked up. The Viscount’s second daughter was a flighty, charming young lady. Unlike her sister, she was blonde and bore little resemblance to her, but once she grew up and lost her girlish air, she would surely be a beauty as striking as her sibling.
“One could say so, Miss Fairfield. Maxville rarely has an empty guest room, as visitors come from all over. It is a host’s duty to treat those who visit my home with sincerity, so I gladly spend time with them.”
“How wonderful. Your Grace must be a truly magnificent host.”
“I strive to be, Miss Fairfield.”
“But Your Grace, you call both my sister and me ‘Miss Fairfield.’ I understand it for me, but shouldn’t you address my sister more affectionately?”
Hearing the second daughter’s chirping remark, Gerard revised his earlier assessment. She was cute, but she wasn't entirely thoughtless. Seeing her subtly trying to help her older sister, he realized she wasn't one to be underestimated just because of her age. The sisters were identical in the way they made shrewd calculations behind innocent faces.
“You make a fair point. Thank you for the advice.”
“You’re very welcome, Your Grace. Then, as a reward for my advice, may I ask one more thing I’m curious about?”
“Of course. What else would you like to know?”
“What do you think of my sister?”
“I think she is a wonderful lady.”
“In what way, specifically?”
She pried relentlessly with a beaming smile. At this point, he wondered if she had been given instructions by her sister, but Gerard did not lose his gentle demeanor. He was far too old to be rattled by a sixteen-year-old girl. A wry smile touched his lips as he recalled that the Viscount’s second daughter was roughly half his age.
“To be more specific, Miss Rosalyn is a very beautiful and dignified lady.”
“My sister does value dignity. She’s always scolding me, saying a lady must maintain her manners even when she’s alone.”
“Taking your sister’s advice to heart will be of great help to you. Wisdom is another of Miss Rosalyn’s virtues.”
“So, is my sister exactly the lady Your Grace has been looking for?”
At that, Gerard couldn't help but glance at the woman in question. She was looking at him with eyes full of awkwardness and embarrassment. Though her face seemed restless due to her sister’s antics, he wondered if the thoughts in her head were the same. Gerard could have bet that her expression did not match her true feelings.
Furthermore, he was acutely aware of the attention focused on him. Everyone gathered around the table, as well as the servants waiting on them, had their ears strained toward him. The Duke of Windberg had come here as a suitor, and that woman was playing the role of the courted. It was only proper to say a few words to save her face.
So, Gerard nodded without hesitation.
“Certainly, Miss Fairfield.”
He looked at the girl's younger sister with a kind face.
“I am certain of it.”
The faces of the entire Fairfield family brightened at those words. Not particularly wanting to see the expression of the woman herself, Gerard lowered his gaze. For a man who had just indirectly confessed his love, a slightly bashful look would be appropriate.
“I am truly grateful that you think so highly of my daughter, Duke of Windberg.”
“I do not believe speaking the truth is something I should be thanked for, Viscount Andover.”
“Ah, of course, you are right. You have simply stated the facts.”
The Viscount could not hide his joy. Gerard could feel that everyone in the dining room was immensely satisfied. Amidst this atmosphere of delight he had created, he looked at the woman across from him. Rosalyn Fairfield was looking down at her plate with an unreadable expression, a ghost of a smile—or perhaps not—on her lips.
Good grief, getting married is quite difficult.
As he watched the face of the woman who avoided his gaze, a new dish arrived. Though he was already full, he had to taste at least a little for the sake of etiquette. He moved the smallest piece of what appeared to be duck meat to his plate and savored it slowly, thinking of an appropriate compliment for his host.
*
The Duke of Windberg had given her three days to think, but in truth, it was not a matter that required three whole days of deliberation. The very act of ‘thinking’ about the Duke’s proposal was absurd. Who on earth would ‘think’ when faced with such immense fortune?
During the three nights that passed, Rosalyn tried her best to find even a single reason why she should not accept his proposal.
She seriously mulled over the rumors surrounding him—that he was a cripple who could not father children, or that he was a degenerate who avoided women. Indeed, the Duke had remained unmarried until now, four years after inheriting his title. There must have been some problem.
However, as to whether it was wise to decline the Duke’s proposal based solely on such rumors, she had no choice but to shake her head.
She recalled the countless people who had filled the ballroom at Maxville, the daughters of prestigious noble families and their shrewd chaperones. If the Duke had a fatal flaw, they would never have flocked to him. Rosalyn trusted their information-gathering skills more than her own vague anxieties.
‘I advise you sincerely, child. Think of your father as well.’
Considering their circumstances, she absolutely could not refuse this proposal. Her father wanted to remarry Mrs. Selma, and it was best for her to leave Fairfield House before the new Viscountess arrived. In any case, she could not stay in Andover forever. She certainly couldn't let herself become a burden to her siblings by missing her chance to marry.
Becoming a Duchess would also allow her to help her family immensely. Her father and the heir, Victor, would instantly enter the highest circles of society. Lucas would have a good job after graduation, and it went without saying that Andreana would find a better match. So, what reason was there not to take that man as her husband?
‘Didn’t you want to marry me, Miss Fairfield?’
For three nights, Rosalyn searched for reasons why she shouldn't marry Gerard Glan. And until the morning star faded, she couldn't find a single one.
Then, as the sun rose and the world became clear, she tried to be cold-headed again. She imagined the worst-case scenarios she might face by marrying him. She tried to guess why he had chosen her, of all people, over the daughters of Dukes and Marquises.
‘Why me?’
She tried to gauge whether she could be loved if she married him, and whether they could live while loving each other.
‘So, is my sister exactly the lady Your Grace has been looking for?’
‘Certainly, Miss Fairfield.’
She tried to believe that he truly thought so.
‘I am certain of it.’
But how could he be so certain?
Rosalyn told no one that the Duke had already proposed to her. If it became known that she had deferred her answer, everyone would surely say she had lost her mind.
Nevertheless, her father, her siblings, and even the servants of the manor already believed it firmly. They did not doubt for a moment that Rosalyn would become the Duchess of Windberg.
It would have been nice to have someone to confide her agonizing worries to, but unfortunately, Rosalyn had neither a mother nor an older sister. Her maternal aunt, Baroness Elwood, was not close enough to show her inner thoughts to, and she couldn't exactly discuss such matters with the head maid. Her father was even less suitable.
In her frustration, she searched the library, but there were no books discussing ‘Things to Consider When Receiving a Proposal’ or ‘Guidelines for When One Doubts the Sincerity of a Courtship.’ Why didn't scholars take more interest in such practical matters? In real life, wasn't marriage a far more significant issue than history or philosophy?
Thus, three nights passed and three suns rose. Over those three days, Rosalyn ultimately did not send a telegram to Maxville. To the very end, she could not find even one reason why she must do so.
