Chapter 29

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Dunville Park (2)
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"...I suppose I shouldn't have come here."

Mr. Dalton immediately turned to leave the room. But Mrs. Robert Fairfax, who typically loathed moving due to her frail health, could move with the speed of lightning when it came to catching her fleeing younger brother.

She deftly seized her brother, who was young enough to be her son, and, with the authority of an older sister, forced him onto a stool beside her. Mr. Dalton, fearing his sister might collapse if he resisted too forcefully, had no choice but to sit. Inwardly, he cursed that chatterbox William.

Mrs. Fairfax grabbed the collar of her brother’s jacket as if seizing him by the scruff of his neck.

"It's definitely that young lady. Am I right? Ho ho, yes, Ian Dalton. I knew something was different about you from the moment I saw you. Your whole expression has changed. A man with a lady in his heart can't help but show it. I saw right through you."

"Saw through what? Let go of me. You're wrinkling my clothes."

"Tsk, don't struggle. You're tiring out your old sister. Now, hurry up and tell me. What is this Miss Pendleton like? Hmm? William's letter only said she was a gentle and kind lady. But she must be very beautiful and intelligent, right? How old is she? Twenty-one? Or twenty-two?"

"Don't even think about prying for personal information. She and I are just friends."

"Just friends?"

"Yes."

"In that case, may I send her the letter you gave me the day before I was married?"

"What did you say?"

"The letter you gave me when you came to my room the night before my wedding, sniffling and crying. 'Even if you marry and go far away, Ian will always love his sister,' and so on and so forth."

"Oh, honestly, Sister!"

"It was full of crooked letters and riddled with spelling errors, and even those were smudged with tears. I cried so much after reading it. My eyes were so swollen I could barely open them when I walked into the chapel. That letter is a precious memory, so I always keep it right at the top of my letter box. If I were to send it to William right now, wouldn't he be so moved as to show it to Miss Pendleton?"

Ian's face went pale. Mrs. Fairfax was only teasing, but in Ian's mind, she was more than capable of actually doing such a thing if provoked.

Seeing her brother's hardened expression, Mrs. Fairfax felt certain her guess was correct. She rejoiced inwardly and tightened her grip on Ian's jacket.

"Now, little brother, hurry up and tell me. What is this Miss Pendleton like? What family is she from?"

Ian kept his lips tightly sealed, staring at the floor. But when his sister threatened him with the letter again, he had no choice but to speak.

"I can't say. For her sake."

"Why not?"

"I haven't won her heart yet. And the chances of doing so are not high."

"Does she dislike you?"

"..."

"Well?"

"We're just friends."

"...Wow, you're nursing an unrequited love, aren't you? Our Ian is in the midst of an unrequited love. Am I right?"

"You find it amusing to mock me, don't you?"

"No, of course not. Why would I ever tease my poor Ian? I wouldn't do something so cruel as his older sister."

"It certainly feels like you're teasing me."

"I am not. It seems you've become rather sensitive. But I suppose I can understand, as the heart of a bachelor whose love is unreturned is bound to be steeped in sorrow. Oh, my poor Ian. My pitiful Ian!"

*I definitely shouldn't have said anything.*

Ian regretted his confession as he watched his sister, who feigned a look of sympathy while her eyes danced with amusement. He should have just kept his mouth shut, found his sister's letter box, and personally burned that embarrassing piece of his history.

Mrs. Fairfax teased Ian a little longer before stopping her jest just as he was about to storm out of his seat. Then, her voice suddenly turned serious as she murmured.

"Capture the young lady's heart, Ian. Capture it and marry her within the year. I'll support you."

"This isn't something that can be solved just because you support me."

"Why?"

Ian fell silent. He couldn't explain this matter to his sister. Setting aside the fact that he had no desire to confess the long and winding tale of his romantic troubles, this issue was intimately connected to Miss Pendleton's personal history.

It would be improper to reveal every detail of her birth, her dowry, and her personality to his own family, who were not even acquainted with her.

Ian made that point clear to his sister. Fortunately, Mrs. Fairfax was someone who knew how to control her desire to satisfy her curiosity by prying into others' personal affairs. However, that did not mean her desire to support her younger brother's romantic pursuits had diminished.

She draped an arm over her brother's shoulder, pinning him in place so he couldn't escape, and fell into thought. A moment later, she asked.

"Does she have any fondness for you?"

"As a person, yes."

"But you're saying she would never accept you? For some undisclosed reason?"

Ian nodded.

"Then, remain friends for a while. Don't try to approach her recklessly. Wait until the lady lets her guard down and creates an opening. You've seen your brother-in-law lie prone in the bushes for hours, holding his breath, when you go hunting with him, haven't you? You must do exactly that."

"Sister, you're comparing a lady to prey."

"I know. It's not a genteel comparison. But you're not going to shoot this lady with a gun, are you? Now, stay by her side as a friend for a while. And be moderately kind to her. Always show her favor and make yourself seem like a comfortable and harmless person. And while you're at it, get friendly with some other ladies."

"What did you say?"

"If you stick only to her side, she'll become wary. So, be kind to other ladies as well."

"What are you trying to teach me?"

"I'm teaching you how to steal a woman's heart. If you keep this up, that lady will let down her guard around you, and she won't close the bolt on her heart even if you continue to approach her. You must build a relationship where you share your most intimate thoughts with her. Let her grow fond of you. A woman's greatest vulnerability is her affections."

"..."

"When you think she's grown plenty fond of you, pretend to give your heart to another woman. Ask her for romantic advice. On the surface, she'll pretend to take it in stride, but she'll be overcome with jealousy, and through it, she will come to desperately realize her own feelings. In the end, that lady will end up lovesick over you."

"You have a talent for long-winded jokes. But they aren't very funny."

"I'm serious, Ian."

"Then I'm disappointed. To think you would seriously advise me to play games with the heart of the woman I love. I'm leaving now. You should rest."

Ian removed his sister's arm, stood up, and walked toward the door.

"Ian! Wait a moment!"

He left the room without another word. Left alone, Mrs. Robert Fairfax clicked her tongue as if she had expected her brother's scrupulous reaction. She then turned her gaze back to the cards spread out on the table.

*Still, this is a fortune that clearly indicates marriage.*

She decided to trust the romantic fate the cards foretold and cheerfully imagined the new mistress who would soon arrive at Whitefield.

***

Back in London, there was one person more surprised than anyone by Ian's sudden disappearance: Miss Lance. She had sent Mr. Dalton an invitation, only to receive a polite letter of refusal from Mr. William Fairfax. He explained that Mr. Dalton was unable to attend the dinner as he had departed for Whitefield.

Miss Lance read the letter, which lacked any precise reason, several times over. To discover the exact cause, she invited Miss Janet Fairfax for a visit.

Miss Fairfax, who had long admired the beautiful and cultured Miss Lance, was utterly elated. She had her hair styled in the morning, put on her prettiest visiting dress, and called upon the Lance residence.

Miss Lance engaged her in casual conversation before nonchalantly asking why Mr. Dalton had returned to Whitefield. Miss Fairfax, nibbling on a cookie, replied that the parish vicar of Whitefield had passed away, and he had gone to appoint a new one.

"Oh, my. How unfortunate... In that case, what will he do after the new vicar is appointed? Will he remain there?"

"I should think so."

"But surely he might miss his life in London."

"Hmm... I doubt it. My brother Ian said he dislikes London. He says it's no place for a person to live."

Miss Janet watched Miss Lance's expression.

"You find it hard to understand too, don't you, Miss Lance? If London isn't a livable place, then where is? In any case, now that my brother Ian has gone down to Whitefield, he won't be back for several years."

"Did Mr. Dalton say that himself? That he wouldn't return for several years?"

"No. It's just my impression of the matter, Miss Lance."

That statement, paradoxically, set Miss Lance's mind at ease. The notion that he wouldn't return to London was merely the opinion of the fledgling Janet Fairfax. Miss Lance put no stock in Miss Fairfax's powers of observation, so she lightly dismissed the thought.

Miss Lance calmly waited, believing that Ian would return to London in short order after his business in Whitefield was concluded. However, days passed with no news of his return.

A sense of anxiety began to creep into Miss Lance's heart. What if, during his stay in Whitefield, he forgot all about the beautiful lady Dora Lance he had seen in London and fell in love with a local girl? Out of sight, out of mind, was it not?

Gripped by unease, Miss Lance began to frequently invite Miss Fairfax to tea and other social gatherings with her friends. She praised the girl, saying she wanted to become closer to the lovely Miss Fairfax, but in truth, it was to hear news from Whitefield.

However, Miss Fairfax failed to satisfy Miss Lance's expectations. She herself was not particularly close to her distant in-law, Ian Dalton.

Born late in her parents' lives, Miss Fairfax had been raised by relatives immediately after their passing and had grown up in a boarding school, meaning she had only recently met Ian. Although she admired Ian, she was also afraid of his stern demeanor, and Ian, for his part, had no interest in Miss Fairfax.

Due to these circumstances, Miss Lance's plan to use her association with Miss Fairfax to slip a mention of her own well-being into the girl's letters and thereby remind him of her existence was dashed to pieces.

If she could, she would write to him in Whitefield herself, but in British high society, it was an unspoken taboo for an unmarried man and woman who were not betrothed to exchange letters. Of course, many men and women broke this taboo and corresponded freely, but she and Ian had not yet reached such a stage in their relationship.

Miss Lance was disappointed but not defeated. After all, there was still Miss Fairfax's brother, William Fairfax.