Chapter 97

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: In the Woods (3)
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He stared at Laura without a word.

“I tried to live differently from them. I always tried to face reality, to think with reason and discernment above all else. I never allowed myself to follow my emotions. That effort was so constant that it became a part of me, like your smoking habit, Mr. Dalton. Now, just as I intended, I've become a completely different person from my mother and father. When I feel a strong emotion, I freeze up. I immediately analyze and assess it, then respond accordingly.”

“That doesn't sound like a bad quality.”

He spoke in a soft voice, one he rarely used even with those closest to him.

“I admire your rational side, Miss Pendleton. Any person of sound judgment would feel the same. You are always calm, gentle, and fair. You are gentle because you are wise, and kind because you are strong. Your parents in heaven would surely be proud of these qualities.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course.”

Laura smiled. Mr. Dalton looked up at her smiling face with a gaze full of warmth.

As she met his gaze, Laura felt a languid warmth spread through her body, as if she had been drinking wine. The affection she had always kept hidden deep within her heart began to riot, desperate to break free.

She wanted to express her feelings for him with her eyes, her expression, her words, and her gestures. She wanted to become the cigarette case he held, to be caressed by him; to be like the shirt he wore, pressed close against his body; to be like the flames in the hearth, warming him.

Crack, crack—the lid on her heart continued to break. At the same time, the soft blush of a lady in love spread across her face.

Mr. Dalton’s gaze, as he looked at Laura, became peculiar.

Laura flinched. Had her true feelings unwittingly written themselves on her face? Had she exposed an inappropriate affection that would make her a laughingstock and put Mr. Dalton in an awkward position?

Terrified, Laura wielded her reason, the weapon she always turned to in a crisis. She found the most appropriate words to easily escape the situation.

“A lady who can recognize your true nature and love you unconditionally should hurry and fill that empty place. How far has she come, Mr. Dalton?”

Mr. Dalton’s gaze sank into a pitch-black abyss.

Laura’s heart fluttered with relief.

His expression shadowed, he answered rather bluntly.

“She is very far away.”

*He must be talking about London.*

Laura thought of Miss Lance. *Ah, so it's true. The two of them must have already come to an understanding.*

*Of course, Mr. Dalton wouldn't act in a way that could cause a misunderstanding without a plan. He’s not that kind of scoundrel. My worries about Miss Lance were unfounded. What a relief.*

But for some reason, contrary to her thoughts, her nose tingled and her chest ached with a sharp sting.

Laura smiled brightly.

“Distance is nothing these days. We have trains. I don't know where the lady lives, but it shouldn't take more than two days to meet her.”

He gave a short laugh. It was a self-deprecating one.

“There is a greater obstacle than distance preventing her from coming to my side.”

“What is it?”

“She doesn't know that I love her.”

“Ah…”

Laura’s eyes shifted. The Miss Lance she had seen before leaving London had been completely smitten with Mr. Dalton. Could he have failed to notice her feelings?

*Could it be that he has another lady in mind besides Miss Lance?*

Laura simply couldn't figure it out. She had always prided herself on her good intuition for sensing others' affections, but it didn't work on him. Still, she couldn't openly ask him whom he liked. Such a blunt question would be against etiquette.

Unable to bear his somber expression, Laura asked.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“How can I obtain in this place the love I failed to win in London?”

“You could write her a letter… Ah, no, that wouldn't do. Or how about visiting London again?”

“I cannot leave Whitefield for long.”

He gazed out the window. He looked forlorn. His face clearly showed the torment of a man who had failed to win the heart of the woman he loved.

Laura grew increasingly melancholic. And the more she did, the more desperate she became to ignore her emotions. She racked her brain, trying to find a way for the man she secretly loved to win another woman's heart.

Being clever, she soon found an answer.

“Then, what about hosting a hunting party?”

“A hunting party, you say?”

“Yes. If you host a hunting party, you can gather all the ladies and gentlemen of London to Whitefield. Send invitations to everyone you greeted in London. Hunting, of course, but also dance parties, dinners, card games, concerts, picnics. They'll be able to enjoy every delightful pleasure at Whitefield. Everyone will rush here by train. Among them will be the young lady you love, Mr. Dalton. Once she sees Whitefield, she will surely fall in love with you.”

Laura emphasized the last sentence. She thought he would be tempted, but he looked as appalled as if she had suggested he invite a swarm of rats into his house. Then again, he was the renowned Miss Havisham.

“Since you enjoy a reclusive life, you may not be keen on it. But you can keep the lady at Whitefield for at least a week. Winning her love during that time should be an easy task.”

Upon hearing the duration, the look of discomfort vanished from his face. The prospect of spending so much time in the same house with the woman he loved was surely something to welcome.

“…But I haven't the slightest idea how to prepare for such a social gathering. My butler won't know either. The last grand ball our family hosted was in my great-grandfather's time. If dozens of ladies and gentlemen from London were to come, the servants would feel as if they'd been struck by lightning.”

“Ah, that is a predicament. From selecting the menu to arranging the tables, there will be so much to attend to from start to finish, and the butler who must lead it all has no experience.”

“What if you were to help, Miss Pendleton?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You've attended countless balls and dinners in London, Miss Pendleton. You also hosted excellent dinners and tea times at your townhouse. There is no one as capable of executing an event of this scale as you.”

“To do that, I would have to come and go from Whitefield constantly, as if commuting. It would cause a great disruption to the children's lessons.”

“That is fine. Even at Dunville Park, my marriage is considered more important than the children's studies. If I explain the situation to my sister, she will surely send you. Daniel and George will get a holiday, in a way.”

The gloom from moments before had completely evaporated, and he now looked full of life. He seemed to be greatly looking forward to the chance to have the woman he loved stay at his estate.

For a moment, Laura felt a sickening nausea. It was an emotion she had never felt before in her life. She couldn't immediately find the word to interpret the feeling.

“Very well. I'll help you.”

Mr. Dalton extended a hand to Laura, a broad smile on his face. Laura placed her hand on his. He bowed his head and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“What could I ever do alone without you?”

He murmured softly as he lifted his lips. Laura smiled and tried to withdraw her hand, but he wouldn't let go. His gaze was fixed on her small, gloved hand.

It felt as though a stinging sensation touched the spot where his gaze fell.

Feeling the heat rise to her face, Laura deliberately made a joke.

“What other favor are you planning to ask of me now, Mr. Dalton?”

He slowly lifted his gaze to look up at Laura.

“Please attend the gathering, Miss Pendleton.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean that I want you to enjoy the gathering with the other invited nobles.”

It was an unexpected request, and from her perspective, an impossible one. She was no longer a noble. She was a laborer, employed in another's house after having given everything up. She could not dare to set foot in that world again.

“Mr. Dalton, I'm truly grateful for the invitation. But I must accept only the thought.”

She expected him to ask ‘Why?’, but he knew what she was thinking.

“I do not wish for my dearest friend to hide away and work like a housekeeper.”

“Please forgive my refusal, Mr. Dalton. I really cannot accept. It would not align with the purpose of helping you. As the host of the party, you must introduce your guests to friends of a suitable station. Inviting me there would be a neglect of your duty.”

“I believe inviting you would elevate their station.”

“They will not think so. And neither will the lady you love.”

“Then I would be sorely disappointed in that lady. If she were to dismiss the daughter of the benefactor who saved my childhood over mere bloodlines and class, then I would have no interest in her either.”

Laura was about to retort, but he raised his free hand, covered the one he was holding, and pressed down gently. Her hand was now completely enveloped by his two large ones.

A subtle pressure squeezed Laura's hand. She lost her voice, as if her mouth had been covered.

“Without you, I can do nothing. Without your help. My tongue will freeze, my gaze will turn to ice, and my feet will be rooted to the ground. It is embarrassing, but when it comes to the matter of love, I am relying on you for everything.”

Laura's eyes wavered.

“Please, stay by my side. Teach me and guide me. I will follow you alone, like a sheep guided by its shepherd.”

Her heart was a whirlwind of confused emotions. Pity for Mr. Dalton, who was clinging to her so desperately; the pain of knowing his love was directed at another woman; the fear that she might have to watch him court that other woman.

But the greatest emotion of all was the joy of being so needed by him.

Even if it was only as a friend, the fact that she was someone this man could trust and lean on, the fact that she had the ability to do something for him, made Laura sorrowfully happy.

Laura nodded.

He beamed. Securing her surrender twice over seemed to have put him in a cheerful mood. He gently stroked her small hand in his and spoke in an excited voice.

“I never thought I would look forward to a social event in my life, but I suppose one can never be certain of anything. I will entrust everything to you. Spend whatever is necessary for the expenses. Think of everything as your own—my house, my servants, my household. Do whatever you please, as if you were the mistress of Whitefield.”

Laura struggled to maintain her usual gentle composure.

The rain had stopped. Their clothes had long since dried while they talked by the fire. The two of them left the cabin.

They passed through the dark chestnut forest and entered a path of white birches where the sunlight began to filter through. Walking beside Laura, Mr. Dalton held her shawl in one hand and had the other in his trouser pocket, whistling softly. He seemed to be in a very good mood.

Laura clutched her father's sketchbook tightly and looked up at the sky.

She felt as though tears might fall, but she held them back.