Chapter 17
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17
A stack of opened letters and invitations rested on Rosalyn's lap. She read through them slowly, one by one, as if savoring a tedious multi-course dinner. When she reached the last one, she leisurely raised her head. With elegant movements, she folded the letters and slipped them back into their envelopes.
"It seems our departure date will be pushed back a bit further."
Rosalyn took a teacup and saucer from Mary, sighing as she shook her head. The gentle aroma of black tea drifted through the room with the rising steam. After an elegant sip, Rosalyn added playfully, "Of course, I'm glad I get to stay with you a little longer, Vanessa. Don't misunderstand."
"Of course. I'm glad to have you here, too. You're a great comfort."
"Father has business that requires him to come south. It seems he wants to use the opportunity to hand over a chartered company to Blair."
"If it's a chartered company near Somerset, do you mean the textile mill?"
"Exactly. We'll have to push back our schedule by a few weeks to accommodate him. Your uncle will probably be appalled that his troublesome houseguests are staying even longer, though."
Vanessa smiled and shook her head.
"If he hears that Marquis Winchester himself is coming, he'll welcome it with open arms. Especially if it's about business."
There was only one reason a high noble from the capital like Marquis Winchester would come south "on business": the Duke of Battenberg—the man rumored to have all but vanished in the south.
It was an open secret that the Duke was handling all his affairs by mail and telephone while keeping his whereabouts hidden. It was also well known that the post delivered to the ducal residence each week bore the postmark of the Bath post office.
Gossipmongers claimed the Duke's eccentric behavior was a rebellion against the Dowager Duchess of Battenberg's attempts to arrange a marriage with the royal family. Whenever they gathered, they chattered endlessly, speculating that he had found a scandalous mistress, that his emotional instability had flared up after the war, or that his face had been horribly disfigured. In these rumors, the Duke fluctuated between being a gynophobe and a man with five illegitimate children.
To think, when he was eight, they called him the angel of the era.
At any rate, it was safe to say that all eyes were currently on Somerset. Even the front page of the local newspaper Rosalyn held was about that very Duke...
"..."
Gripped by a strange sense of incongruity, Vanessa stared intently at the front page of the newspaper in Rosalyn's hands.
"What is it, Vanessa?"
"...Huh?"
"Is something wrong?"
"No... It's not that."
Vanessa's dazed reply made Rosalyn raise an eyebrow. Following her gaze to the newspaper's front page, Rosalyn's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me you've taken an interest in the Duke?"
"Vanessa did what to who?"
Blair, who had just opened the door, tilted his head as he took off his coat and draped it over the sofa. The smile on Rosalyn's lips deepened.
"The Duke of Battenberg. It seems Vanessa has finally taken an interest in a man."
"It's not like that. It's just... that photo. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"The Duke's face? But all the photos released to the public are as blurry as this one."
"Let me see it for a second."
Vanessa took the newspaper and slowly examined the photo on the front page. It looked like a candid shot taken from a distance, showing several soldiers standing together. The paper was cheap, and the print quality was terrible. Although it was the best newspaper available locally, even the finest things from Somerset were bound to seem insignificant in the capital.
Even so, one couldn't find a better photo in the capital, either. The Duke of Battenberg's face had only been revealed to the public when he was eight years old. Every photo published since had been so blurry that his features were completely indistinguishable.
And yet, people still raved about his incredible good looks based on nothing more than that.
All one could discern from the photo was that the soldiers in the group had impeccable posture. The fleeting sense of incongruity she'd felt just a moment ago vanished. Vanessa quickly lost interest and set the newspaper down.
"There are faces that make you want to plan a future just by looking at them. This man's face is exactly like that," Rosalyn, who claimed to have seen him in person once, whispered as she fluttered her fan with a haughty air.
With the faint sound of Blair's snort in the background, Vanessa thought of River Ross. Thinking of him made her understand Rosalyn's words perfectly. He was the kind of man who made her feel a desperate urge to become entangled with him at a single glance.
Perhaps that was why she had climaxed several times from his touch alone. With a face like his, how could she not? Blair's voice suddenly cut through her drifting thoughts.
"His private life seems to be quite a mess, though. I heard there's no shortage of women showing up at the House of Battenberg claiming to be pregnant."
"That's what the rumors say, but who knows? They say not a single one of those women could actually describe the Duke's appearance correctly."
"The fact that he hasn't agreed to a single photo shoot since reaching adulthood means he has something to hide. They say he hasn't even had a portrait painted since he was ten. And even those aren't public."
"I wonder," Rosalyn said, her lips curling into a cynical smile. "Speaking as someone who saw him in person, even from afar, the Duke was absolutely perfect. He probably avoids having his picture taken to ward off charlatans. Things are chaotic enough as it is—imagine what would happen if a proper portrait were made public."
"They might not be charlatans."
"How can you be so sure?"
"There's always a reason someone goes into hiding the moment they get leave, Rosalyn. He probably discovered an illegitimate child of his own."
At Blair's sharp retort, Rosalyn laughed knowingly. "Men are always like that. Whenever there's a man better than them, they act like they want to kill him."
"Do you really have to put down your other half to feel satisfied, Rosalyn?"
"Both of you, stop."
"Keep this in mind, Vanessa," Blair said, his warning biting. "When a man turns away women who throw themselves at him, there's always a reason."
Vanessa sighed, holding her throbbing head. "Sometimes I think Rosalyn ruined you. You were so cute when you were little."
"We ruined each other. Ever since we were in Marchioness Winchester's womb."
Seeing his proud expression left her speechless. Rosalyn set her fan on the table and chimed in.
"Anyway, it's a good thing to be curious about the opposite sex, Vanessa."
She delivered the haughty advice as if she were years older, though in truth, she was the same age as Vanessa and had yet to even come of age herself.
"In that sense, you must be fully recovered within two weeks, Vanessa. That is, if you don't want to miss the House of Wilton's picnic."
Rosalyn's reminder brought back the memory of the dazzling, forgotten invitation. Vanessa let out a deep sigh and buried her heavy head back into the pillow.
"I'll do my best."
* * *
—As for the Boville matter, I will send a lawyer to handle it as you instructed. Oh, and the acquisition of the shipping company is also progressing smoothly. We are currently negotiating a few minor conditions they proposed, but it should be finalized within the week. I will submit a written report soon.
"Good. I'll look forward to it."
—Um, Master. Also...
"Speak."
—This may sound presumptuous, but how long do you intend to stay there?
Theodore rubbed his tired eyes with the hand not holding the receiver. The sunlight pouring through the general store's large glass window was unusually intense. Out of habit, he let a smile play on his lips, though the person on the other end couldn't see it.
"I told you during our last call that I would spend the entire summer here. Don't you remember?"
—Of course I remember.
Butler Norman chose his words carefully.
—However, the Dowager Madam has been having a very difficult time lately. She has cut off all social activities and confines herself to her bedroom and the garden, with only a single maid to attend her.
"How typical of her. She always protests like that whenever the slightest thing doesn't go her way."
—Might you... have any plans to return a bit earlier than scheduled? The Dowager Madam is truly worried about Your Grace. She may seem cold because she doesn't express it outwardly, but more than anyone...
"I know, Norman."
He gently cut off the butler's rambling.