Chapter 80

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Dear Miss Laura (2)
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“…Mother, I know what you’re going to say. Perhaps I’m being a bit of a snob. But Mother, reality is reality. The Dalton children will be pointed at. Look at the facts. Look at the situation of Judge Anderson’s daughters.”

The Judge Anderson Olivia mentioned was the eldest son of a gentleman’s family nearly 150 years old, a member of a family respected for generations. However, his profligate nature had dragged their inherited reputation through the mud. He had taken a mistress nearby and had been living a double life for twenty years.

He had three daughters with his mistress, and the mother and daughters were well-known in the neighborhood. And such infamous notoriety never translated into popularity.

No family ever invited them. No one associated with them or sent them so much as a single letter. Even the laborers were reluctant to work at their house. Not only that, but they were also barred from the church. Judge Anderson's daughters were of an age to enter society, yet they lived as if confined within their home.

“Yes, Judge Anderson broke the vow he made before God and betrayed his wife. And now, his daughters are paying the price for their parents’ lack of virtue.”

“Exactly. No one wants to marry his daughters. They know the family’s immoral disgrace will surely affect their own reputation. And it’s obvious the pointing fingers will extend to any children they might have. Even the son of a small local miller avoids a woman of questionable birth as a potential wife. So, why on earth would a man like our uncle marry an illegitimate child? What is he lacking that he would do such a thing?”

Mrs. Fairfax watched her daughter in silence.

“You speak of reality, Olivia, and yes, you are right to a degree. If Ian and Miss Pendleton marry, Yorkshire will likely be abuzz for some time. There will be much gossip about her lineage, and if they have children, those children will also be talked about. But I have never thought it right to ostracize people in that way. Whether it’s Judge Anderson’s daughters or Miss Pendleton, it is unjust for the sins of the parents to be passed down to the children. And that belief, I might add, is one of the few things Ian and I have in common.”

“So you’re fine with Uncle being scorned for marrying the governess?”

Mrs. Fairfax shrugged.

“One must pay a price to get what one truly wants.”

Olivia was at a loss for words. She knew her mother was sometimes different from other ladies. She didn’t stake her life on social events or her children’s education like they did. The only times she seemed to cling to anything with such fervor were concerning her uncle’s marriage or her strange hobbies, like reading cards.

But the oddest thing about her mother was this way of thinking, so detached from reality. Olivia was sensitive to the words exchanged within her community, quick to gather and immediately accept them. That was why conversations with her mother often left her bewildered.

Just then, footsteps were heard from the direction of the drawing room. The sound of demure footsteps in shoes. One could tell who it was just by the sound of their walk. Mrs. Fairfax quickly gathered the velvet cloth spread on the table for her fortune-telling and tossed it behind the sofa.

“Miss Fairfax. You’re back? Did you have a pleasant time with your friends?”

Laura entered the drawing room and approached Olivia, asking her gently. Olivia nodded, her expression as if she were holding back a hiccup.

“Let’s go out for a little while before dinner and you can tell me about it. I’m curious about your friends.”

It was her way of suggesting they make up for the French lesson they had missed due to the party. Olivia obediently followed Laura out into the garden. As usual, she sat on a bench and recounted the day’s events in French, leaving out, of course, any mention of Laura herself.

Laura listened attentively to Olivia’s story and clapped, saying her grammar was flawless. Olivia felt shy but also quite pleased and proud. Since Laura’s arrival at Dunvil Park, Olivia’s French had improved by leaps and bounds. Both Laura and Olivia were aware of it.

“Everyone was so surprised today. They asked when my French had gotten so good, and if I had perhaps gone to France while they weren’t looking.”

“You must have been delighted.”

“Yes.”

“It’s all thanks to your determination, Miss Fairfax. You have every right to be proud.”

Olivia was silent for a moment.

“Miss.”

“Yes, Miss Fairfax?”

Laura looked at Olivia, her eyes curved into a gentle, lamb-like smile.

“Were you popular in London?”

“I wonder.”

“Were there no men who proposed to you?”

“Are you curious about that?”

“Yes.”

Laura paused, lost in thought. In truth, she had received more than her fair share of advances. But they had mostly been of a dishonorable nature. Rakes had endlessly tried to seduce her, hoping to make her their mistress.

Even the more innocent proposals had come only from older gentlemen who, sensing her disadvantageous situation, sought to seize an opportunity. It was not a very honorable sort of attention.

“I was not very popular in society.”

“But you are so beautiful.”

“Thank you for saying so, Miss Fairfax.”

Laura replied politely. But Olivia hadn’t brought it up just to receive thanks.

“Truthfully, couldn’t you marry whenever you pleased if you set your mind to it? Shall I introduce you to someone? There’s a doctor who often visits when our family is unwell. He is a very kind and intelligent man. Or, there’s the young tailor at the dress shop where Mother sometimes has her clothes made. He’s very handsome. You have no idea how popular he is with the ladies. He would be a perfect match for you.”

Laura wondered why Olivia was suddenly so interested in her marriage. The feeling of puzzlement soon triggered her keen intuition.

“Miss Fairfax, have you perhaps heard something about me?”

Olivia fell silent, her face a clear picture of alarm. Laura quickly grasped the situation. It seemed Olivia had met someone from her time in society who knew her. Or perhaps she had heard from Mrs. Fairfax.

She must have heard about her birth and, out of pity, was now listing off suitable marriage candidates. Though it was hardly helpful, Laura appreciated the sentiment behind Olivia’s words.

“I know there are stories about you. But still, there must be someone suitable for you.”

“I think it would be wonderful to be married someday. To meet a man I love, have children. But Miss Fairfax, I would like to continue this life for a little longer.”

“Why?”

“I am quite content with my current situation.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. She couldn’t understand how someone who had lived a life of privilege in an aristocratic family could find satisfaction in being a governess.

“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve felt this at ease and fulfilled. I want to maintain this for a while.”

“…Even if someone were to propose to you? For example, what if a gentleman of very good standing were to propose?”

“That is unlikely to happen, but even if it did, I would have to refuse. Not only am I not of the station to be united with such a person, but it would surely lead to unfortunate consequences because of my lineage.”

Olivia found that hard to believe. Frankly, she was convinced that if Laura received the affections of a wealthy gentleman (like her uncle, for instance), she would naturally marry him. It was, after all, the only way for her to return to her former respectable status and affluent life.

Hoping to coax the truth out of Laura, Olivia began to gently test the waters.

“But you have every chance of being loved by such a man. You are very beautiful and highly cultured. Not all men in the world choose their wives based solely on practical value. I’ve read in countless books and articles about marriages between people of unequal status. They win a wealthy spouse with their charm alone. Couldn’t that be possible for you?”

Far from being tempted, Laura looked at Olivia with an indifferent expression. But Olivia, failing to notice, wrung her imagination to paint the most romantic fantasy.

“Just imagine. A man with a vast estate sees you and falls in love at first sight. He sends you all sorts of jewels and flowers, and comes to fetch you in a white carriage attended by a footman. And he takes you to a beautiful villa on the coast of southern France or Italy. There, he suggests you live forever without caring about reputations. Yes, you could live abroad. You could live without anyone pointing fingers, couldn't you? Isn’t that right, Miss?”

“It is a lovely fantasy, Miss Fairfax, but it would be best if you stopped.”

“Why?”

“Because such fantasies are utterly useless. Entertaining such daydreams is not beneficial for a young lady.”

Olivia was so surprised she was speechless. It was the first time her governess had spoken in such a definitive tone.

“Miss Fairfax, if I were to marry, I would not step even an inch beyond my station. Aristocrats and landowners marry flawless noble young ladies who are their equals, and it is right for someone like me to marry a man of the middle class.”

“But, if you love each other…”

“No. It is not like that, Miss Fairfax.”

Laura shook her head firmly.

“Marriage is a union between two people. Miss Olivia, you do not yet know what that means. For humans, love is not such a powerful emotion. It cannot prevent the immediate financial strife, the scorn of society, or even the trivial conflicts that are inevitable when two people from different backgrounds live together. Human emotion is like custard cream—sweet, but prone to spoiling if not carefully kept. It is not a sword and shield to help one fight against the problems of reality. Perhaps, Miss Fairfax, when you are my age, you will understand this truth even better than I do.”

Olivia listened to Laura’s words with a bewildered heart. It was the first time she had ever heard someone speak so dispassionately about marriage.