Chapter 34

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Mr. Price (3)
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Mrs. Lance chuckled.

“That’s because you’re still naive. Many couples live that way, my dear.”

“That’s absurd. It’s truly disgusting. You can’t call that a normal marriage.”

“Yes, it is disgusting. And it’s not normal. So, if you don’t want to end up in the same position…”

But Miss Lance paid no mind to her mother’s words.

“Mother, isn’t it just dreadful? Even if she lives under her mother’s name instead of her father’s, she’s still the daughter of an earl. To think she has to entrust herself to some uncultured, pot-bellied old man from America. How does English society even function?”

“Well, it is dreadful. Dreadful indeed. That’s why you must keep your wits about you and secure Mr. Dalton. Time is never on a woman’s side, you know. Miss Pendleton failed to realize that, and as a result, she hasn’t been able to shed the title of ‘Miss.’ It’s a stroke of luck for her that Mr. Price has appeared now.”

Miss Lance, who had been trembling with sympathy for Miss Pendleton, widened her eyes at her mother’s words.

“Mother, do you really think Miss Pendleton should accept Mr. Price’s suit?”

“Of course. What other choice does Miss Pendleton have besides accepting Mr. Price?”

Miss Lance replied, disgusted.

“Is that truly Miss Pendleton’s only option? If that’s the case, she’d be better off dead!”

“My dear, don’t be so childish. Mr. Price is incredibly wealthy. As his wife, she’ll be known as Mrs. Price and live in luxury among New York’s high society. That’s a far better fate than death, and a much, much better life than her current one as a spinster. If she misses this chance, Miss Pendleton will literally be out on the street. Now *that* is a situation where one might rather be dead.”

But these words from Mrs. Lance, who had never known a day of poverty, failed to resonate with her daughter. She continued to respond to her mother’s views with endless contempt and denial, grating on Mrs. Lance’s nerves.

Eventually, frustrated by her daughter who ignored her teachings and spouted her own opinions, Mrs. Lance gave her lovely daughter a light flick on the forehead to silence her.

But this only fanned the flames of her resentment toward her mother. In proportion, Miss Lance’s sympathy for Miss Pendleton grew. She felt a desperate urge to confide in someone and find a sympathetic ear.

However, her friends had already been brainwashed by their own mothers into believing that Miss Pendleton ought to accept Mr. Price’s proposal. She was quite displeased when her friends, who usually agreed with her, opposed her on this particular issue.

She needed someone who would agree with her. After a moment’s thought, she decided to visit Miss Fairfax, who always readily agreed with her opinions.

On the pretext of taking a walk, she dressed in a pretty visiting gown, took up her parasol, and made her way to the Fairfax residence. As it happened, Miss Janet was in the middle of a piano lesson with her instructor, and Mr. Fairfax was working in his study, so he was the one who received Miss Lance in the drawing room.

The two exchanged simple greetings and updates over tea. Soon, Miss Lance poured out the thoughts that had been weighing on her mind.

“It seems everyone thinks Miss Pendleton should accept Mr. Price’s suit. It’s such an unfair situation for her. Don’t you agree?”

Mr. Fairfax sighed. He, too, felt a certain bitterness regarding the topic.

“Indeed, Miss Lance. Miss Pendleton is in a very difficult position. It’s an absurd courtship, but since he is her uncle’s friend and a man of far greater authority, it won’t be easy for her to refuse him outright.”

“And he’s so much older! Twenty-four years, no less!”

“Yes. The age difference is, in fact, the greatest issue. This is a humiliating situation for Miss Pendleton.”

Miss Lance sighed. Having someone agree with her felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She looked at Mr. Fairfax with a warm gaze and chattered on in an excited voice.

“If only Miss Pendleton’s circumstances were a little better, she wouldn’t have to suffer such a humiliation. It’s truly a pity. Would it be so difficult for Mr. Pendleton to show his niece a little mercy?”

“I wonder.”

“Considering how Miss Pendleton has cared for the lady of the house all this time, one would think he could at least provide a dowry.”

“That is a family matter, so it is not for us to say.”

“But it’s so heartless. If Miss Pendleton had at least five thousand pounds to her name, she could marry a young man of her own age. Of course, he’d likely be from the new gentry or a middle-class professional, but that would still be better than Mr. Price.”

Mr. Fairfax paused for a moment before speaking.

“It is true that Miss Pendleton is at a disadvantage due to her lack of a dowry. However, I do not believe that is the greatest problem. It’s a shame that people judge her so unfairly based on their prejudices. They don’t truly know Miss Pendleton.”

But Miss Lance was so agitated by the matter that she was already interpreting his words in her own way.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I think! It’s unfair that she’s in this situation just because she has no money and is disliked by the head of her family. She was originally the flawless daughter of an earl and would have had a large dowry, but now she’s being scorned simply because of her parentage. If Miss Pendleton’s mother had married a proper nobleman, none of this would have happened. It’s not as if Miss Pendleton chose to be born to such pa—”

Mr. Fairfax interrupted her in a gentle voice.

“Miss Lance, I believe we are delving too deeply into Miss Pendleton’s personal affairs.”

Miss Lance stopped talking. A moment later, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“I trust you know I didn’t mean to speak ill of Miss Pendleton.”

Mr. Fairfax smiled and said soothingly.

“Of course. I know you hold Miss Pendleton in high regard, Miss Lance. But it would be best if we spoke no more of her. Miss Pendleton may be in a disadvantageous position, but she is more than capable of making her own way in life, even without all of society gossiping in the name of concern.”

Mr. Fairfax’s tone was gentle but firm. Realizing her words had been judged as ‘gossip,’ Miss Lance’s pride was wounded, and she felt an equal measure of shame. After all, if Mr. Fairfax was saying this much to her, she must have truly made a fool of herself.

As she considered Mr. Fairfax a wise gentleman, she quickly admitted her mistake and resolved not to speak so carelessly in his presence again.

But beneath her shame, a practical thought took root in her mind. She had to be careful so that Mr. Fairfax would not describe her negatively in his letters to Mr. Dalton.

Of course, Mr. Fairfax had no intention of describing her ‘gossip’ in his letters to Mr. Dalton. Not only was he not the type of man to speak ill of a lady, but Miss Lance also had a profound misunderstanding of how men corresponded with one another.

Correspondence between men had often been replaced by the wonderful invention of the telegram, and when a letter was necessary, they tended to write as concisely as possible, as if every word cost a fee, sticking only to the main points.

There was no room in Mr. Fairfax’s extremely brief letters to Mr. Dalton to include Miss Lance’s foolishness.

So what kind of letters did Mr. Fairfax send to Mr. Dalton? They were primarily concise reports on his own well-being, that of his sister Janet, and that of Miss Pendleton, who could be considered Mr. Dalton’s only acquaintance in London.

This was because, shortly after Mr. Dalton left London, he had asked Mr. Fairfax to keep him briefly informed of Miss Pendleton's well-being. He had casually assumed that Ian had simply grown quite fond of Miss Pendleton and had been regularly sending news of her to Whitefield.

However, Mr. Fairfax could not accurately report on Miss Pendleton’s recent situation. The courtship of some old gentleman that was wearying her mind and body—it was not only a deeply personal matter but also a humiliating one to have known.

Considering Miss Pendleton’s honor, Mr. Fairfax simply wrote that her uncle’s friend was in London and they were seeing each other often, then sealed the letter. He then called for his butler to have it posted.

Just then, the butler brought him a letter. It was from his sister-in-law at Dunville Park.

He handed his own letter to the butler and took his sister-in-law’s to read.

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My dear brother-in-law, I trust you are well. Is Miss Janet still madly in love with London? Well, I suppose that question needs no answer. There is no gentleman who fares better on his own than you, William, and few young ladies who could enjoy London life as much as Janet.

I am not writing to exchange such trivial pleasantries. I am writing to take you to task.

Brother-in-law, how could you? How could you not tell me that a suitable match has appeared for our Ian (not little Ian, but the troublesome one who is more than ripe for marriage yet insists on holing up on his estate, twiddling his thumbs)? And you know I consider Ian's marriage a higher priority than my own health, or even the future of my own children!

Ah, but perhaps I have been unobservant. I should have realized sooner that the lady who often appears in your letters, a Miss Laura Pendleton, was the one in question.

Since Ian seems to have no intention of speaking for himself, you will have to answer for him, William. How old is this lady? What of her family? Her height? I trust there are no consumptives or harelips in her immediate family?

You must write down everything you know, William. Because, dear brother-in-law, you have willingly accepted the position of London chapter president for the ‘Committee to Get Ian Dalton Married.’

I shall await your reply.

Feeling slightly betrayed,

But still your friend,

Mrs. Robert Margaret Fairfax.

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Mr. Fairfax was so stunned he felt his brain cease to function. What was this? A match for Ian had appeared? And it was Miss Pendleton? Had he read that correctly?

He set the letter down and briefly pondered what he might have missed about Ian Dalton’s time in London. Before long, he slapped his forehead.

‘You fool! How could I not have noticed until now! Why else would Ian Dalton, who loathes society, have worn out the threshold of the Pendleton house!’

He immediately called the butler back and retrieved the letter he had just given him. He tore it to shreds, then pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and began to write a new letter—one about the trouble Miss Pendleton was currently facing.

He wrote in detail but did not exaggerate. If Ian Dalton was truly in love, the situation was enough to make his blood boil without any need for embellishment.

Mr. Fairfax instructed that the letter be sent by express post, and thanks to this, it arrived at Whitefield in Yorkshire in less than two days.
Ian, wondering what could be so urgent as to warrant an express letter, tore open the envelope and began to read.

His face hardened as he read the letter. As soon as he finished, he set it down on his desk. Then, he fell silent, saying nothing for a long moment.

His eyes glared at every single word on the page.