Chapter 20
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20
The narrow path to the rose garden was River Ross’s masterpiece. A few years ago, feeling the grounds looked a bit dull, Mr. Ross had begun planting peonies, which now breathed new life into the otherwise plain Gloucester garden.
Vanessa carefully picked up two or three clean peony blossoms that had fallen to the path and shifted the heavy lunch basket on her arm. As she drew closer to the rose garden, her hesitation mounted. Was it really alright to drop by like this without any warning?
“…”
Vanessa, who had been gathering fallen flowers as she walked, suddenly looked up. At the end of the path, an iron gate stood slightly ajar. Staring quietly at the space beyond it, she quickened her pace.
She didn’t know why, but she had a nagging feeling that River Ross might not be there. Perhaps he had taken the servants on an outing to the river or gone into Bath. He often seemed to leave the warehouse for days at a time. On sleepless nights when she paced by her window, she sometimes noticed that not a single lantern was lit in his dwelling all night long.
Vanessa’s walk gradually sped into a jog, then a full run. She flung the rusted gate wide open and practically tumbled inside. In that single moment, the world transformed. The wild, lush Garden of May lay spread out before her.
Shielding her eyes from the sunlight that warmed her cheeks, she scanned the area. It only took a single turn of her head to find exactly what she was looking for. Or rather, the man she wanted to find.
Vanessa slowly exhaled the breath she had been anxiously holding. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm set by the sprint down the path. She had been holding her breath the entire time, she now realized, so tense that she hadn't even noticed. Perhaps she had been terrified that he might have left for good.
“…”
Dahlia was the first to spot her. The little white puppy, who had been rolling around at the man’s feet, barked happily and bounded over to tug at her skirt. At the sound, the man, who had been pruning overgrown rose branches, turned. Beneath the shadow of his straw hat, his handsome eyes narrowed as he stared at her.
Suddenly, her lips felt dry. Vanessa forced a sheepish smile.
“Hello, River Ross.”
* * *
Hello, River Ross. Vanessa didn’t miss the slight furrow of his brow the moment she offered the simple greeting. He looked at her as if she were a troublesome, annoying distraction. Her heart sank.
But when she blinked, his face had already returned to its usual indifferent mask, making that fleeting irritation seem like an illusion.
“It’s been a while, Vanessa.”
The way River Ross spoke her name was almost a sigh. It sounded like a reproach, as if he hadn’t expected her to return. Then again, that was probably just her own insecurity talking.
While she stood there, hesitating in her awkwardness, River Ross closed the distance with long strides. He pulled off the thick gardening gloves and took the basket that had been weighing down her arm. Lifting the cloth to peek at the contents, he looked at her with mild surprise.
“You brought this for me?”
“I thought it would be nice to eat together, if you hadn’t had lunch yet. Besides, we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
“I heard you were sick.”
“Yes. I’m all better now.”
His clean linen shirt and well-pressed trousers made him look less like a laborer and more like the master of this garden, or perhaps an honored guest. He seemed to have a knack for ordering the maids around—by paying them, she supposed. Or perhaps… by giving them something else. Just as her grip on her manuscript bag involuntarily tightened—
“Come in.”
Opening the door to the warehouse, he called to her from the dim interior. Vanessa set the squirming Dahlia down and stepped inside. The warehouse was almost exactly as she remembered it.
“Tea?”
“Yes, please.”
River Ross placed the basket on the table and set a kettle on the portable stove he used as a hearth. Unlike the other men she knew, who couldn’t even warm their own milk, River was adept at everything. Vanessa rested her chin in her hand and watched his back.
Her feelings for this man were now something closer to stubborn pride. For someone who had agreed to be her lover, his attitude was lukewarm at best. But perhaps her standards for a ‘lover’ were simply too high. From the very beginning, she had hoped for something more than a mere contract could provide.
A woman wanting a man, and the man gladly accepting her… that was something reserved for a normal relationship. Of course, Vanessa had no idea what was generally permitted between ‘lovers’ in the first place. The only man she had ever been close to was Blair, and unlike him, River Ross sometimes made her nervous just by looking at her.
“Sugar or spirits?”
“Just milk is fine.”
“I don’t have milk.”
“Then plain is fine.”
He took what he needed from a cupboard. It was practically bare, holding nothing but a bottle or two of strong liquor and a tin of tea leaves. It looked as though he had only unpacked the bare minimum, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The military bag in the corner seemed untouched from the day he arrived, as if he could pack up and be gone today if he had to. Staring at his back, Vanessa spoke on impulse.
“I’ve been thinking about what to do next.”
“Thinking about what?”
“A plan to ruin my reputation. Since you said you can’t have children.”
“Isn’t the South rather conservative? A rumor that you were alone with a man in the garden at night would be fatal.”
“But something like that won’t get printed in the newspapers.”
“You want to be in the papers?”
“Rumors can be hushed up. People’s memories fade. But once something is recorded in print, it becomes an eternal truth. Especially since I, the party involved, won’t deny it.”
Scooping tea leaves into the kettle, he turned to look at her pensive face. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice his gaze as she continued slowly.
“What if I have morning sickness while walking down the aisle? There will be reporters there that day.”
“They’ll just call a doctor.”
“Couldn’t I bribe one somehow?”
“Can you even contact one beforehand? I thought you were locked up.”
“What about faking a breakdown? To make myself look unstable, either mentally or physically.”
“It’s best not to start an act you can’t see through to the end.”
“What about pretending to be a woman who goes mad for any man?”
“Aren’t you doing that right now?”
Clack. With a faint chuckle, River Ross set a teacup down on the table. It didn’t even have a saucer.
“An uncertain plan will only ruin your life, Vanessa.”
“…”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the teacup before her. One thing was certain: he had ruined the black tea. If this could even be called tea. The dark, brownish-black liquid looked bitter just sitting there. No amount of sugar could ever make that taste right. She gently pushed the cup away and looked up at him.
“Anyway, I just came to see you today. I wanted to let you know that I’m fully recovered.”
“You sound like a merchant trying to prove their good faith to a business partner.”
“That’s not wrong. Our relationship isn’t any grander than that.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“After I eat my sandwich.”
Checking her wristwatch, Vanessa pulled her manuscript, fountain pen, and inkwell from her bag. She still had some finishing touches for the manuscript she had to send out tomorrow. She waved a hand at River Ross, who was staring at her in disbelief.
“Don’t mind me. Go on with whatever you were doing. I just have a few things to finish up.”
Watching her carefully arrange the manuscript pages, the corner of his mouth quirked upward.
“A novel?”
“Ah… yes. I told you I had a bit of money I could use.” She answered casually, but for some reason, she felt a little pathetic. She looked at him, her eyes tinged with embarrassment. “Do you also think this kind of labor is unnecessary for someone like me?”
“I wonder,” he mused, picking up her fountain pen from the desk. “I think it’s better than doing nothing. The era of living off inherited land is over.”
“Do you believe in the value of labor?”
“I believe in the value of money. It solves a lot of problems.”
“So that’s why you entered the Naval Academy. It’s the highest a commoner can hope to achieve.”
“Well… let’s go with that.” He handed the fountain pen back and nodded, as if telling her to get on with it.
Vanessa hesitantly took the pen. In truth, her deadline was tight; she had to finish now for a messenger to post it tomorrow morning. At first, she’d been desperate to ruin her reputation as quickly as possible, but if she spent time with an eye-catching man like River Ross this frequently, a scandal was bound to start on its own. If she killed some time here and returned to the castle when the servants were back, she could even secure a few witnesses.
“Vanessa.”
She had been so focused, her brow furrowed as she placed the final period on the page, that she had forgotten all about him. The moment she raised her head at the sound of her name, River Ross cupped her chin.
Leaning down, he gently captured her lips in a kiss that felt as if it might swallow her whole.