Chapter 100
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 100
Aside from his claim that the Duke had assigned only a single maid to her, Blair’s insight was remarkably sharp. Even so, the decision was not an easy one. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Blair, but that she loathed the idea of dragging someone else into her predicament.
“I’ll find you a sanctuary abroad. I know just the place.”
“…How?”
“My family has been doing business in Amiens for a long time, and we’ve maintained ties with influential Lantian families for generations. Marquis Polignac will be able to look after you. He always had a soft spot for me, thanks to my aunt. I’ll write you a letter of introduction.”
“…”
“A trading vessel from the House of Winchester is making its final departure from the Port of Delta to Amiens tomorrow at dawn. It’s a four-hour drive from here, so you’ll have to leave by ten this evening at the latest. As soon as we arrive at Bath Station, I’ll rent two cars. I’ll send one to Kingston as a decoy, and the other will be waiting for you by the signpost at the three-way intersection until ten o’clock.”
On the surface, the plan sounded seamless.
“I know you can manage on your own. But please, let me help you. If only for Rosalyn’s sake. She hasn’t even stepped out of her bedroom lately.”
Please. If anyone should have been begging for help, it was her. Hesitating in Ingram only to be caught by the Duke with her child was the most horrific future she could imagine.
“Imagine if our positions were reversed. Would you have turned your back on me?”
“That’s…”
“It’s the same, Vanessa. I may not be the most innocent person, but I am your friend.”
The word friend was a strange thing. It possessed a kind of magic, feeling as warm as a blanket wrapping around her weary heart, yet as bittersweet as lemon sherbet in the dead of summer.
“At the very least, let me have the peace of mind of knowing you’re safe somewhere.”
After that, she could no longer refuse. In truth, she had been desperate for help from the start. The last thing she wanted was to be naively captured at the port and dragged back.
Vanessa pressed her fingers to her tired eyes before letting them fall. Despite her turbulent thoughts, Bath Station was steadily drawing near. Soon, the train ground to a halt, steam billowing from its engine.
Through the window, its blinds now drawn, she could see the corridor bustling with passengers. Behind her maid, who was busy pulling bags down from the luggage rack, Blair walked past their compartment. The moment their eyes met, he gave a solemn nod.
* * *
Waiting outside the station was a young driver sent from the estate at Rear Coast to pick her up. He deftly took the cart from the maid and loaded the luggage onto the roof of the car, one piece at a time.
“Shall I load that handbag as well, miss?”
Vanessa shook her head, clutching the small handbag with both hands.
“I’ll keep this with me.”
“It was a long journey; you must be exhausted. Please, rest your eyes for a bit. I’ll take you straight to the estate.”
“No. Take me to Gloucester Castle first.”
“Pardon? But that place is in ruins. No one even goes near it anymore.”
“I want to see the damage with my own eyes. I need to assess the scale of the destruction to plan for repairs. Besides, if any of my belongings are still inside, I’d like to move them all at once.”
At her words, the driver sighed in mild frustration but turned the wheel. The clock had already ticked past six. He was likely worried that a detour to Gloucester Castle would make them late for dinner. Spotting a stall selling donuts, Vanessa had him stop the car and bought two bags, offering a slightly self-conscious smile.
“I suddenly felt a little hungry. I bought plenty, so let’s share them later.”
After that, the drive along the gentle road to Gloucester’s main gates was uneventful. An hour later, the car pulled up smoothly before the rusted iron gates of the castle.
The sight of the abandoned, rusted bars rising high around the ruined castle was bleak. Vanessa unlocked the heavy gate with the key she had been clutching since stepping off the train. The gate let out a piercing screech before swinging backward under its own weight with a heavy thud.
“You two can wait here. It will only be an inconvenience if you don’t know the layout inside.”
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous for you to go in alone, miss? There might be vagrants hiding in there.”
“The Duke told me he had the interior thoroughly inspected when he handed over the keys. Besides, the iron bars are too high and pointed for anyone to easily climb over. You must be hungry, so please rest and have some donuts. It will take me some time to sort through the things I want to move.”
“Why don’t we come back tomorrow? It will get dark soon.”
“There are gas lamps inside, so it will be fine.”
The maid and the driver hesitated, but her stubborn insistence made it difficult to object. The imposing height of the iron fence also helped lower their guard. Scratching the back of his head, the driver suddenly held out his hand.
“In that case… please leave the keys with me, just in case you lose them inside.”
His ulterior motive was transparent, but Vanessa handed the keys over without a fuss. Adjusting her grip on her handbag, she stepped through the gate.
“This will take a while. I plan to inspect the interior of the castle first, then look around the gardens.”
She climbed the steps slowly, without rushing. As expected, the main door was unlocked. Navigating the darkening interior with familiar ease, Vanessa found a gas lamp and lit it. Guided by its glow, she lit a few more lamps along the corridor, then stood by the window to check her watch.
The Duke likely believed she was helpless, but when it came to Gloucester Castle, she knew far more than he did. She knew which river the kitchen drain emptied into, where the servants used to hide the key to the side door, and even the location of a broken section of the iron fence—a detail the Duke himself had once let slip.
Her decision not to run away had always been her own. Though, seeing how she had been left to her own devices, it seemed ‘River Ross’ hadn’t believed her.
Her insistence on writing her novels at the desk in his study had been a natural way to gain access to his information. Of course, the truly vital documents weren't kept there, but that didn't matter. She had never been after Battenberg’s business secrets. What she wanted were the trivial, seemingly innocuous details about him.
Among those details, Vanessa paid the closest attention to the Duke’s schedule. The hourly list of assemblymen requesting audiences, luncheons with high-society figures, urgent tasks for the week, military meeting schedules… According to that itinerary, Theodore was scheduled to attend an officers’ meeting at Navy Headquarters today. Though his rank was merely Captain, his status as the Duke of Battenberg demanded his presence.
Furthermore, meetings held at the military’s core were kept strictly confidential, and leaving midway was absolutely forbidden.
So, the news of my meeting with Blair won’t have reached him yet. With war on the horizon, the meeting won’t end quickly. I have plenty of time.
Vanessa checked her watch once more and headed to the second floor. There, she did exactly as she had on the first. After lighting all the lamps in the corridor, she sat on the stairs to wait, gently massaging her still-throbbing left foot.
At first, she had considered staging an accidental death. As a mystery novelist, she was practically an expert in fabricating fatal accidents. In truth, the plan didn't even need to be perfect. When gripped by the terror of losing someone, a person’s rationality is the first thing to crumble.
She had thought about gathering lantern oil to set fire to the warehouse. A raging blaze would prevent suspicion even if no bone fragments were recovered. Or she could stage a murder, mimicking a gunshot. Claiming her body had been washed down the drain would stall any investigation indefinitely. The easiest way would be to tear her clothes and smear a shovel with pig’s blood and wet soil. While the Duke was consumed by the delusion that her corpse lay buried somewhere on the grounds, she could secure a safer escape.
But she had decided against it. She wanted him to know she had left of her own free will, not by accident. She wanted him to understand that she hadn't been forced by circumstance but had chosen this path herself.
Will it hurt you?
She didn’t know. But at the very least, she hoped he would grasp the depth of the wounds she had suffered. She checked her watch one last time. 8:13 PM. Less than two hours remained.
* * *
September 3, 19:20
Testimony of the driver and maid. Miss V lit the gas lamps in the first-floor drawing room. Miss V was spotted moving through the castle via the corridor windows. Subsequently, all corridor lights were turned on.
September 3, 19:45
First light spotted on the second floor. Miss V leaned over the terrace to look down. Spotted by the maid. When warned of the danger, she replied that there was a lot of dust inside and it would take some time to look around. Confirmed to be within vocal range—verified. Subsequently, all corridor lights were turned on.
September 3, 20:15
First light spotted on the third floor. The driver noted a pattern of her inspecting one floor every thirty minutes. Testimony that it was difficult to discern objects in the garden due to sunset—verified. Subsequently, all corridor lights were turned on. A silhouette was seen lingering near the second window on the third floor.
September 3, 20:56
No light appeared on the fourth floor. Realized the silhouette in the third-floor window had barely moved for over thirty minutes. The driver entered the castle. Confirmed a light blue dress and a hat hanging by the third-floor window.
September 3, 21:37
First missing person report filed regarding Miss V.