Chapter 44

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Jealousy (1)
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Soon, the two of them approached the group, arm in arm. The ladies all rose at once and curtsied. Ian Dalton, who had removed his hat and bowed politely, soon spotted Miss Pendleton. He stared intently at Miss Pendleton for a moment. But he quickly averted his gaze and gave a light nod.

“It has been a while, Miss Pendleton.”

Miss Pendleton offered a faint smile. Then she quickly introduced Miss Jensen to him.

“This is Miss Joan Jensen. She is engaged to my cousin, Charles Pendleton. She is the goddaughter of my uncle's friend, Mr. Price.”

At the mention of ‘Price,’ he glanced at Miss Jensen for a moment. Then he looked at Miss Pendleton with an uncomprehending expression. But the look was so fleeting that Miss Pendleton did not notice it.

Mr. Dalton greeted Miss Jensen with a reserved demeanor before his gaze swept over Miss Lance and her friends.

“I have been looking for you all. May I join you?”

The ladies all agreed. Mr. Dalton joined them.

After he joined, the conversation centered around Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton. This was because Miss Lance's three friends seemed to be steering the conversation toward the pair.

Mr. Dalton occasionally turned his attention to Miss Lance’s three friends, Miss Pendleton, and Miss Jensen, but he spoke mostly with Miss Lance. It was not that he was intentionally excluding the other ladies, but rather that he was simply going with the flow of the conversation.

For Miss Pendleton, this was something of a relief. She had been inwardly flustered the moment she saw Ian Dalton. She had expected they would meet again someday, but not so suddenly.

She worried that his feelings for her might have remained unchanged. However, Mr. Dalton’s current behavior immediately dispelled her concerns. He showed little interest in her.

Nor did it seem as though he was deliberately ignoring her. There was no sense that he was angry with her or suppressing his emotions. He seemed perfectly at ease.

*‘Why? In the woods, it seemed as if he was on the verge of proposing.’*

At first, she suspected he might be acting, conscious of their last encounter in the woods, but Miss Pendleton soon felt ashamed of her suspicion. His behavior was natural. The only difference from before was that the object of his ease had shifted from her to Miss Lance.

Miss Pendleton began to think it was one of two things: either he was a man who did not hold grudges, or she had misread his feelings in the woods. Initially, she was convinced it was the former, but gradually, the latter possibility began to seem more likely.

Strictly speaking, he had never actually voiced his feelings. She had merely assumed them based on nonverbal cues like his gaze, expression, and tone of voice. What if he had visited so persistently after the picnic to clear up her misunderstanding?

At that thought, she could not help but feel a deep sense of shame. To hide her embarrassment, she began to focus on Miss Jensen, who was speaking to her.

Because of this, Miss Pendleton did not feel Ian Dalton’s gaze, which occasionally lingered on her face.

From the moment he realized he was in the same space as Miss Pendleton, Ian had been using all his self-control to suppress the urge to focus his attention on her. But no matter how hard he tried, his gaze kept drifting to Miss Pendleton unconsciously.

It had been too long. She was still just as he remembered. Her auburn hair, neatly arranged in a hairnet. Her dark gray eyes set in a gentle gaze. Long eyelashes. A small, straight nose. But he noticed it immediately. Her complexion was paler than before, and she had lost weight, making her jawline more defined. The moment he realized this, he was overcome with a burning anxiety that was almost unbearable.

But no one among them noticed Mr. Dalton’s true feelings.

That the only reason Mr. Dalton was sitting there was for Miss Pendleton. That he had become so absorbed in Miss Pendleton’s every move that he sometimes lost the thread of the ladies’ conversation. And that he was restraining himself to the point where his muscles ached, all to keep from revealing his feelings for her.

They saw only the handsome figure of Mr. Dalton sitting beside Miss Lance, and they merely marveled at how well the two suited each other.

“Mr. Dalton!”

Miss Lance called out to him as he was lost in thought, gazing at Miss Pendleton’s profile.

“Ah, yes, Miss Lance.”

Miss Lance asked charmingly.

“Can you guess which university each of us has bet on?”

He recovered his polite demeanor and replied smoothly to Miss Lance.

“Well, I imagine Miss Wilkes and Miss Orson have bet on Oxford, as their brothers are Oxford graduates. But as for Miss Donovan and you, Miss Lance, I cannot say.”

“Miss Donovan is for Oxford as well. Her entire maternal family are Oxford alumni.”

“Hmm, then you, Miss Lance, are my only hope. On which have you placed your bet?”

“You guess!”

“I shall wager that you have bet on Cambridge.”

“Why is that?”

“If everyone bets on Oxford, there would be no wager. Also…”

“Also?”

“Because I hope to have at least one of the ladies on my side. It would be an honor if you, Miss Lance, were to join me.”

At Mr. Dalton’s gentlemanly reply, Miss Lance hid her blushing face behind her fan.

Listening to their conversation, Miss Pendleton felt her throat go dry. She excused herself, saying she was going to get a drink, and left her seat.

Behind the guest seating, a buffet tent was set up with various refreshments. There, she drank a cold fruit beverage. But the tightness in her chest did not ease in the slightest.

Proper etiquette dictated she should return promptly, but somehow, she did not want to. She turned her back on the seats facing the Thames and began to walk toward a grassy area where people were scattered about. She felt strange. An inexplicable sense of displeasure. Was it because she had not attended a social gathering in a long time? Or perhaps…

The image of Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton sitting side by side resurfaced in her mind. She bit her lip. Her heart sank into a state of turmoil. Why on earth? In truth, she knew the answer.

She had admitted her feelings for him the day he left London. But she had sealed those feelings away, believing they could never be realized. So what was this feeling now?

She suddenly became aware that she was touching the pearl pendant around her neck. It was the answer to her question. Her heart was wavering. Her feelings for him were trying to force open the locked door once more.

Miss Pendleton stroked the violet engraving and steeled her heart.

*His heart is already closed. That is a relief. So I must lock my own heart away again. An affection that knows no bounds only brings misery. I have learned that lesson to my very core through experience and observation. So, calm down. Calm your heart, Laura Pendleton.*

“Miss Pendleton.”

Startled, Miss Pendleton glanced to her side. Ian Dalton was standing beside her, though she hadn't noticed his approach.

“Mr. Dalton…!”

She looked at him with a surprised expression. He was watching her with a blank face. Miss Pendleton noticed that he, too, had lost some weight since she last saw him. She felt a pang of worry. Had he been ill?

He gazed at Miss Pendleton for a moment with his dark eyes, then held out what he was carrying.

“Oh.”

Miss Pendleton’s face turned red. In his hand was a feather that had come loose from her hat.

“Do not worry. I caught it before it hit the ground.”

Miss Pendleton quickly took the feather. To have made such a mistake. She blushed. Seeing her flushed face, he gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“It has been a long time.”

“Yes. Indeed.”

“Have you been well?”

Miss Pendleton nodded. They both knew it was a lie.

“That is good to hear. The ladies were looking for you, as you did not return to your seat.”

Running errands for the ladies. This was something one would not have expected from the Mr. Dalton of before.

“Oh, dear. I seem to have troubled you, Mr. Dalton.”

“Not at all. It is my great pleasure to be of service to the ladies. Was it not you, Miss Pendleton, who taught me that friendship with ladies can be a source of joy?”

Miss Pendleton said nothing. He offered her his arm, signaling their return. Miss Pendleton took his arm, and they began walking back toward the guest seating where the other ladies were.

“How did you fare while you were at Whitefield?”

“It was not a pleasant time. I was terribly busy, catching up on overdue work.”

“Duty cannot always be a source of pleasure, I suppose. But does your presence in London mean your work is all finished?”

“More or less. I found myself wanting to come to London. Whitefield no longer feels as comfortable as it once did.”

“Oh. Why is that? You love Whitefield more than anything.”

“I cannot say for certain. I suspect my time in London has had some effect on me. For instance, my acquaintance with people like the Mortons, whom you introduced me to. After meeting such a harmonious couple, I found Whitefield to be unbearably lonely.”

Mr. Dalton suddenly stopped walking.

“I have a request. Would you care to take a short stroll with me over there?”

“But the other ladies will be waiting.”

“My business will take no more than three minutes.”

Miss Pendleton nodded. They walked for a moment to a secluded spot away from the crowd. A promenade shaded by large, leafy trees. Mr. Dalton paused for a moment before he spoke.

“While at Whitefield, I found myself constantly reflecting on what you said. Soulmates. A harmonious life between a man and a woman. Yes, perhaps I was moved by your words. Whitefield needs a mistress. That is why I have come to London.”

Miss Pendleton held her breath and listened. She could not fathom what words would come from Mr. Dalton’s lips. Had it not been for his earlier behavior, she might have guessed he was about to propose again, but now, she could not read his intentions at all.

He stopped and looked down at Miss Pendleton with a serious expression.

“Miss Pendleton, it was through my acquaintance with you that I finally realized I have been living a solitary life. I need a wife. And you, Miss Pendleton, are the only one who can help me.”