Chapter 9

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Strange Man, Ian Dalton (2)
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“Hello, Mr. Dalton. I’ve heard a great deal about you from the Fairfax siblings.”

Mr. Dalton’s lips curved into a smile as he replied.

“Have you, now? And what might Miss Fairfax and William have said about me?”

“That you are a wonderful uncle to your niece and nephew. And a good brother to your sister, I hear?”

“Well, as for whether I am a good uncle, shouldn't you ask the children themselves? What adults consider good intentions can often be perceived differently by children. The same goes for my sister. In fact, on that point, I can say with certainty that I am not doing a very good job of being a brother.”

“Oh, my. Why is that?”

“You must have heard how much trouble my sister went through just to drag me here. Wouldn’t a truly good brother listen without complaint to a sister who is old enough to be his mother—a sister, moreover, who is suffering from illness after giving birth to a late-in-life child less than a year ago?”

Miss Pendleton glanced at Mr. Fairfax, slightly taken aback by Mr. Dalton’s rather contrary response. Mr. Fairfax offered an apologetic smile, his expression conveying his regret.

However, Miss Pendleton felt no particular animosity toward the gentleman. Her friendship with Mr. Fairfax made her hesitant to criticize Mr. Dalton, and besides, there was something amusing about his attitude, so different from that of most gentlemen.

Typically, wealthy and ill-mannered gentlemen were steeped in arrogance or vulgarity. Such men were different in their actions, their gaze, their very tone of voice. They reeked of an indolent and crass stench. Miss Pendleton had a keen sense for detecting such odors.

But she sensed no such foulness from the Mr. Dalton before her. He was refined and immaculate. It was clear, however, that his temperament was far from ordinary. Much like Mr. Edward Morton, who had recently become Elizabeth’s partner.

Could this man be a gentleman of the same sort as Mr. Morton? Miss Pendleton found herself wanting to be more patient and learn more about this young gentleman.

‘But first, I must do something about this contrary attitude.’

“And yet, Mr. Dalton, you did come here in the end. In London, where your sister’s influence is surely limited, you could have ignored everything and enjoyed your freedom to the fullest.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate my sister. She is a woman who can appoint a proxy in London with a single letter. William here is her loyal vassal.”

“Hey, Ian. Do you enjoy making me look like a fool in front of a lady?”

“Mr. Fairfax, I do not think you a fool. I simply believe Mr. Dalton is a man who is embarrassed to receive praise.”

Mr. Dalton’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Embarrassed to receive praise? Is that how you see me?”

“Yes. You seem to be the sort of person who would rather appear wicked than accept a compliment. And I believe that is a most admirable attitude.”

“In what way do I seem admirable? I have never received such an assessment from anyone in society. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Miss Pendleton let out a cheerful laugh.

“You provide an excellent example of how the answer can be hidden within the question. You emphasize your own wickedness by bringing up your poor reputation, which I never even asked about. That is an attitude born of either humility or shyness. And I believe either to be a fine virtue for a gentleman to possess.”

“I believe it is a poor habit to disguise oneself with either humility or shyness. Since I am not deceiving you with any such pretense, Miss Pendleton, I would ask you to stop seeing me as a liar.”

“Then, would you first stop deliberately tarnishing your own reputation by speaking ill of yourself?”

“I merely stated the facts. That I am not a good uncle to my niece and nephew, and that I am a brother who causes my sister heartache.”

“That, in another sense, means you carefully consider how your young niece and nephew might see you, rather than making arbitrary assumptions. It also means you are here at this ball, dressed so handsomely in your evening suit, because you do not wish to cause your sister any more heartache.”

“That is…”

Mr. Dalton tried to form a rebuttal but could not find the words. Miss Pendleton, with her usual gentle demeanor, delivered the final blow.

“The world, Mr. Dalton, generally considers a man who remembers that his sister is suffering from illness after childbirth to be a rather good younger brother.”

Mr. Dalton fell silent. Mr. Fairfax, who had been quietly observing their verbal joust, felt a surge of triumph as he watched Dalton at a loss for words.

*She won. Miss Pendleton won! That rascal, always making a hobby of flustering others. How does it feel to be on the receiving end? I knew introducing him to Miss Pendleton was the right thing to do.*

His thoughts were accurate. Mr. Dalton, who had planned to act his usual contrary self to make his companion uncomfortable and then slip away from the tedious event without interference, had been stunned by the unexpected counterattack.

He stared blankly at the lady before him, who stood in her modest attire, smiling gently.

Her soft eyes held a deep gray hue, and her features were clean and beautiful. A delicate neck and shoulder line. She was a lady who appeared innocent and frail. That was why he had let his guard down and been so effortlessly defeated.

A spark of defiance and curiosity ignited within him toward the lady before him. Unconsciously, the thought of returning home quickly had vanished from his mind as if washed away.

“Very well. Be it humility or shyness, whatever the case, I shall stop disparaging myself. I hear, Miss Pendleton, that you have offered to be my friend during my stay in London. Is that correct?”

“Yes. If you wish it, Mr. Dalton, I would be delighted.”

“Then, what pleasure might I gain from becoming friends with my dear Miss Pendleton? I am curious as to how you bestow your friendship.”

“I will give you all that I have. Should you visit unannounced, I will make a place for you by a warm fire. I will be your companion for conversation over good tea. If you wish to broaden your circle of acquaintances, I will introduce you to my sincere friends, and if you wish to wander about London, I will guide you to the finest promenades and shops. Even when you are far away, I will ensure you always feel that someone, somewhere in the world, is thinking of you through my letters.”

Miss Pendleton continued with a tender smile.

“These are the things I give freely to my friends, and they are all that I possess. They may not be much, but I can offer them gladly. That is, if you promise to always be truthful with me.”

Instead of a contrary retort, Mr. Dalton replied in a gentler voice to Miss Pendleton’s words.

“You too, Miss Pendleton, speak in a manner that could be either humility or shyness. The things you have just listed are the finest one could hope to gain from a friendship.”

“What I have is simple and ordinary. I am not in a position to offer my friends a great deal. So I give what I have to the fullest.”

“It is true that what you offer, Miss Pendleton, does not have a price tag. But that is because it is impossible to put a price on it.”

A faint blush colored Miss Pendleton’s cheeks, but she quickly composed herself. Mr. Dalton, however, with his sharp eyes, caught the fleeting moment. And he found the clever lady’s bashfulness endearing.

He quickly suppressed the smile that threatened to form on his lips and spoke with sincerity.

“Miss Pendleton, I feel I must not miss the privilege of sharing a friendship with you. To do so would be a greater loss than forgoing any precious object. As you wish, I shall always be truthful. On my honor as a gentleman. Now then.”

Mr. Dalton extended his hand to Miss Pendleton. She lightly placed her own upon it. He bowed his head and politely pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Then, he lifted his head slightly and met her eyes.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Pendleton.”

Miss Pendleton smiled, her eyes meeting his, which held an unreadable gleam.

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Dalton. Then, as a first step in our friendship, allow me to introduce you to some of my lady friends. Ah, it seems this piece is just ending. You should dance with your new friends.”

Mr. Dalton shook his head.

“Thank you, but I must decline, Miss Pendleton. I cannot dance.”

Miss Pendleton took this as a sign of modesty.

“Do not worry, Mr. Dalton. My friends are generous enough not to judge a gentleman for missing a beat.”

“That is not it. I truly cannot dance. I have never once had a formal lesson.”

Miss Pendleton was so taken aback she was at a loss for words. If he could not dance, she would have to postpone the introductions. At a ball where ladies overwhelmingly outnumbered gentlemen, it would be a great discourtesy for a gentleman to be introduced to a lady and not ask her to dance.

Mr. Fairfax, who had been listening from the side, chimed in, sounding dumbfounded.

“We definitely had dance lessons at Eton. What were you doing then?”

“Do I look like the sort to attend such a class? I’d rather have been writing Latin compositions.”

“Good heavens. What am I to do with this troublesome fellow?”

Miss Pendleton said nothing, but she silently agreed with Mr. Fairfax’s sentiment.

*What am I to do with this gentleman, who has perfect prospects and an interesting personality, but is utterly hopeless at socializing?*

While Miss Pendleton was lost in thought, Mr. Fairfax snapped his fingers.

“Then how about a crash course right here? The waltz isn’t that difficult. You just have to spin around in time with the music.”

“Be serious, William. Do you want to see me turn some poor lady’s feet to pulp?”

“I know of quite a few ladies who would be willing to risk that much for a dance with you.”

“Whoever they are, they would be wise to put that resolve away. If a man of my build steps on them, their feet will swell so much they’ll have to sleep with their shoes on tonight.”

Listening to the two bicker, Miss Pendleton asked Mr. Fairfax.

“Mr. Fairfax, is Mr. Dalton athletic?”

“Absolutely. He can copy most sports after seeing them demonstrated just once.”

“Then that settles it. I will give you a crash course. Come to the dance floor with me, Mr. Dalton.”

Mr. Dalton’s expression turned serious.

“Miss Pendleton, I may have said it as a joke, but I truly cannot dance. I will surely step on your feet more than three times.”

“It’s quite all right. I shall try sleeping with my shoes on tonight. Let’s hurry, the dance is about to begin.”

Miss Pendleton took his hand and led him forward. Mr. Dalton, though flustered, felt a flicker of interest and followed her onto the dance floor.

Miss Pendleton took his hand, guiding it up to shoulder height, and had him place his other hand on her waist. She then rested her remaining hand on his shoulder.

She looked up at him and whispered softly.

“I will lead this dance. Watch my feet and follow me slowly.”

Ian gave a small nod. Soon, a romantic waltz began to fill the hall.

In a voice only they could hear, Miss Pendleton counted the beat—one-two, one-two—as she stepped, and Mr. Dalton looked down, moving his feet to follow hers.

At first, Miss Pendleton had worried whether he could truly learn the dance before the song ended, but her fears were unfounded. Though he fumbled a bit initially, in less than a minute, Mr. Dalton began to follow the steps quite well.

Inwardly surprised, Miss Pendleton noticed his shoulders were still stiff with tension and said in a voice tinged with laughter.

“It’s all right if you step on me, so please relax. You can’t hear the music when you’re so tense.”

“Don’t say such dreadful things. Your feet, peeking out from the hem of your dress, look so small they might break if I stepped on them even once.”

“They won’t break, I promise. Now, lift your head and look at me. Try dancing while keeping your eyes on mine. You can do it.”