Chapter 75

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: A New Life (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Laura made it clear to Olivia that most of the information she had was greatly exaggerated. The guidebooks to high society sold in bookshops, in particular, bore no resemblance to the real thing.

Such books were mostly irresponsible works penned by washed-up socialites, short on funds, who added layers of exaggeration and fabrication for a bit of pocket money. The content was largely composed of trends that had long since passed or had never been in fashion at all.

Laura pointed out each misconception Olivia believed to be true and offered sound advice.

“It’s a place where people live, Miss Fairfax. While cultured women are admired, what’s truly necessary are lineage and fortune. As a lady from a well-established gentry family in Yorkshire, you will be most welcome in society.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Olivia felt a sense of reassurance at Laura’s words.

“See? I told you there was no need to be so anxious, didn’t I?”

Mrs. Fairfax chimed in, her voice tinged with laughter.

“From now until your debut, just treat dancing and painting as hobbies. And please, relax and have some fun. Once you’re in London, you’ll be entering the marriage market in earnest. It would be a shame to spend your last years as a girl doing nothing but studying.”

“But what is there to do for fun?”

“Go to the woods with your brothers and their teacher, or perhaps ask your Uncle Ian to teach you how to fish.”

Olivia shook her head. Even though her fears of high society had been assuaged, she was now too old to be interested in children’s games.

“I don’t want to. That’s not something a lady would do.”

“Oh, this obsession with being a lady.”

Laura asked quietly.

“Then, Miss Fairfax, how would you like to spend your time?”

Olivia thought for a moment before answering.

“I… I’d still like to study more. Even if the threshold to society isn’t as high as I thought, having many talents is better than having none.”

“What would you like to study?”

“I want to read more books and be able to converse perfectly in French. I wish Mother would find a French tutor a little faster…”

Olivia said this and looked at her mother. It was a clear, demanding gaze.

“Alright, Olivia. You don’t have to look at me like that…”

“Mrs. Fairfax.”

At the call, Mrs. Fairfax turned to Laura.

“What if I were to teach Olivia French whenever I have some spare time?”

“You, Miss Pendleton? But I’m sure you already have your hands full with Daniel and George.”

“An hour or two in the morning would be fine. Olivia has already learned a great deal from her governess, so I imagine there won’t be much for me to do.”

“I would be most grateful, but…”

Mrs. Fairfax looked at Olivia.

“What do you think?”

Olivia hesitated for a moment. The thought of having the old maid who had stolen her first love—her uncle—as a teacher was distasteful. Frankly, it was a blow to her pride.

“It’s alright. You’re not French, Miss Pendleton. Mother said she would find someone soon, so I’ll wait.”

Olivia refused primly, though she didn’t believe her own words. It was unlikely her utterly indifferent mother would suddenly resolve an issue she had been dragging her feet on for a year.

“Miss Fairfax, even if you doubt my abilities, please try studying with me. I am certain it will be of help to you.”

“I don’t want to be a bother to you.”

“It’s no bother at all. In fact, I need to study with you as well, Miss Fairfax. Languages, especially conversation, deteriorate easily when not used. If you would help me, it would be a great aid in preserving my own skills. Even if my abilities are lacking, please think of it as us helping each other, and agree to have lessons with me. Won’t you?”

Laura’s request was impeccably polite. Olivia’s resolve wavered at such a courteous appeal. She also found it rather pleasing that a lady who had mingled with so many London notables would make such a request of her.

“Olivia, your teacher is asking so nicely. Hurry and accept. It’s a good opportunity for you, too.”

Her mother nudged her from the side. Olivia’s eyes darted about before she finally stammered a reply.

“W-well, perhaps I should?”

***

On the afternoon of Laura’s tenth day at the manor, she had an unexpected visitor.

Laura, Daniel, and George were sitting on a rock deep in the woods, sharing wild strawberries. George had crawled under a bush to pick them. His clothes were covered in dirt as a result, but he couldn’t have cared less.

The look on his teacher’s face when he poured a heap of strawberries onto her skirt was reward enough. And when she stroked his hair and praised him, he felt like he could walk on air. Daniel, on the other hand, felt a pang of jealousy at the praise George received and chewed his strawberries with a pout.

They had forgotten their initial fear and wariness of their new teacher and had grown deeply fond of Laura. She was interested in everything they did, marveled at their discoveries, and joined in their games without hesitation. No other adult had ever shown them such attention. Their father was absorbed in hunting, their mother was only interested in teasing them, and their sister was a prim little thing.

Though they lived a carefree and unruly life, they were, in truth, starved for attention. When this beautiful new teacher suddenly appeared and offered them recognition and praise, the young, simple mischief-makers fell completely for Laura.

They had even begun to vie for her affection. If George brought Laura a gift of acorns he had gathered, Daniel would collect handfuls of wild berries and pour them onto her lap. If Daniel picked flowers from the forest for her, George would climb a tree and present her with eggs from a bird’s nest.

Laura carefully navigated the rivalry between the two boys, encouraging them while ensuring neither felt slighted or hurt. She showered their gifts with praise, shared the berries, and decorated her dress with the flowers. The bird’s eggs, however, she told him to return, explaining that the mother bird would be sad, and so they were safely placed back in the nest.

Just as the two little boys had come to adore their new teacher, Laura, too, had begun to open her heart to them. These boys, who offered her their pure, unadulterated affection. Laura cherished their innocence. Playing with them, she almost felt like a child again.

She had lived for so long amidst artifice and pretense that she had thought it impossible to recover her own innocence. But as she ran with the boys between the trees and tumbled on the soft earth, she felt that long-lost purity begin to stir within her. As if she, at twenty-nine, had become nineteen again, or even a clueless nine-year-old. Here in the clear, quiet, pristine woods, Laura felt surprisingly cheerful, and at times, overwhelmingly happy.

After finishing the strawberries, the three of them headed to the lake to skip stones. As they neared Dunville Park, the path widened and the ground leveled out. A large dirt road appeared, flanked by trees that formed an arch like a tunnel. In the distance, a man was walking toward them from the direction of the woods. Laura stopped in her tracks at the familiar figure.

“It’s Uncle Ian!”

Recognizing the gentleman, the two boys frantically brushed down their clothes and pulled on the caps they had crumpled in their pockets. But it was Laura who truly needed to tidy her appearance. She became conscious of her own state. Strands of hair had escaped her hairnet and tumbled down, her dress was smudged with dirt, and it was stained here and there with strawberry juice.

It was a mess, especially for a governess. But unlike her pupils, she couldn't fix it. He was already nearly upon them. In stark contrast to her, he was impeccably dressed in a gray suit, a black tie, and a gentleman’s hat.

“Good afternoon, Uncle.”

The boys greeted him politely, their usual boisterousness gone. Mr. Dalton nodded and then turned his gaze to Laura. A faint blush rose to her cheeks. He seemed surprised at first, taking in the stray curls of reddish-gold hair and her flushed complexion from the exercise, then broke into a mischievous smile.

“Was today’s lesson a nature study?”

Laura blushed slightly and nodded.

“Sounds like you had fun. What did you do?”

“We climbed a tree to observe a nest. And we searched for wild strawberries. George has a real knack for finding berries.”

“And for occasionally making the manor staff faint,” he added. “While he’s finding berries, he also manages to find thumb-sized caterpillars and centipedes with about twenty-four legs. He slips them into his pocket and deposits them in a coachman’s hat left unattended or a maid’s apron pocket, all while keeping a straight face.”

Laura let out a small laugh. Mr. Dalton cast a stern look at George.

“You haven't tried any of that on your teacher, have you?”

George quickly shook his head.

When he heard that Laura and the boys were on their way to skip stones, he decided to join them. Ian had the boys walk on ahead, leaving him to walk alone with Miss Pendleton.

“My apologies for not visiting sooner, Miss Pendleton.”

“Not at all. I know you’re busy with the estate, Mr. Dalton.”

“Have you had any difficulties settling in? I’m sure there must have been some shortcomings.”

Laura shook her head.

“Not at all, Mr. Dalton. If anything, the hospitality has been overwhelming.”

Mr. Dalton looked at her with an expression of disbelief. He must have thought she was merely being polite. Laura quickly added.

“I don’t know if it’s noticeable, but my waist has grown by two inches since I arrived. Mr. Fairfax insists on offering me food every morning and evening, and since I’m always hungry from running around like this, I have no self-control and eat everything. I’ll have to have my clothes remade by next year.”

Mr. Dalton let out a soft chuckle. Laura’s face warmed slightly.

“I’m glad to hear it. I was certain you would be finding things difficult. Adjusting to a new place is no small matter.”

“Perhaps if I were working elsewhere, that would be the case. In the usual situation of a governess. But honestly, I’m doing better now than before I started working. The people at Dunville Park treat me not as an employee, but as family. I feel at home here, Mr. Dalton.”

There was a cheerful lilt to Laura’s voice. Mr. Dalton watched her face quietly with his dark eyes.

She was quite different from the woman he had seen in London. There was color in her cheeks, and her walk was energetic. Though she was still slender, her jawline was much softer, a sign that she had gained some weight. Her words, it seemed, were true.