Garden of May - Chapter 102
“Let that man go at once, or I will call an officer!”
“Well now, miss,” one of the men pinning the vagrant to the ground said with a slick smile. “You must be from out of town, but this isn’t the first time this fellow has pulled a stunt like this.”
“He throws a fit whenever he sees a car with a peculiar color. It’s a scam to get money by pretending to be hit.”
“We’ve had several complaints from residents just this week. He’s a real piece of work.”
The man who had blocked her path pulled a constable’s badge from his pocket. Vanessa looked from the badge to the struggling vagrant, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
Meanwhile, the scuffle grew more violent. Then, somehow, the vagrant’s limbs went limp. Startled, Vanessa tried to approach, but was blocked once again.
“This happened in our jurisdiction, so we’ll handle it.”
“But, he looked like he was about to die. He was bleeding so much….”
“It’s probably pig’s blood. He keeps it in a small pouch and pours it on himself.”
Vanessa looked down at the blood drying on her hands, flustered. Was all of this pig’s blood? It looked exactly like human blood. And blood had been steadily flowing from his forehead….
“Your maid is coming.”
At the constable’s words, she turned to see Mary hurrying toward them with a basin of water. Her face was pale, as if she thought Vanessa was being harassed by ruffians.
“Don’t worry about this one. We’ll keep him at the station tonight and send him home tomorrow when he’s calmed down.”
“…I’ve called for a doctor. I’ll go with you to the station, so at least let him be examined.”
“You’re being unreasonable. We have many other things to attend to.”
“My apologies for not being able to attend to a noble lady’s whims.”
The man pinning the vagrant with his knee bowed like a court attendant, and dry laughter erupted from the crowd. Vanessa’s cheeks flushed at the unfamiliar mockery, but she summoned what little courage she had left and stood tall.
“If you know him so well, what’s his name?”
“What name would a vagrant have? Please, be on your way. Causing a scene here would be unwise.”
“Miss.”
Mary, who had drawn near, called to her softly. As the standoff dragged on, murmurs of complaint about the blocked path began to rise from the onlookers. With no other choice, Vanessa stepped back, and the constables dragged the unconscious vagrant away. Mary, who had grasped the situation from the brief exchange, stood beside her.
“A con artist, was he? Yes, I thought as much.”
Vanessa, still confused, watched the men’s retreating figures. The badge they had shown her was real, which made it clear who she should trust. But she couldn’t shake the image of the vagrant’s pitiful eyes, or the conviction in his voice when he said the people coming for him would arrive.
“How did they know I was from out of town?”
“Well, it’s a small town. I suppose this water is just for washing your hands now.”
“…”
“Go on.”
As Mary urged her, Vanessa looked down to wash her hands and saw something on the ground at their feet.
“Wait, Mary. Under your foot…”
Vanessa crouched down and picked up a locket covered in dust. Though she had only seen it briefly, she recognized it at once. It was the one the vagrant had been wearing around his neck. It must have fallen to the ground during his violent struggle with the constables.
She immediately understood why the man had treasured it so. It was made of gold, the craftsmanship delicate and beautiful, and it felt so familiar it gave her a sense of déjà vu. She was certain she had seen it somewhere before. That is….
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
Vanessa’s head snapped around. The voice was so vivid it was as if someone had whispered in her ear.
“This is something Mama lent to Papa. If you flip it like this, it opens, and like this, it locks, so you can keep something precious inside.”
“Wow.”
“Papa is going to commission a miniature portrait to put inside. Then he can see his little girl whenever he misses her, right?”
Following the memory, she flipped the locket once. The loose, broken clasp came off with a pop, and a piece of paper that had been tucked inside fell to the ground. It looked like someone’s portrait, or a faded old photograph. With a trembling hand, she picked it up.
“Miss?”
Vanessa slowly raised her head at her maid’s voice. Her face, drained of all color, was strangely cool.
“I need to borrow a telephone. I have to tell them something urgent has come up and I won’t be able to make it.”
“Wait. You’re not going to Essex?”
“No. I have somewhere else I need to be.”
“Go… where?”
Vanessa folded the portrait and placed it back in the locket.
“To Gloucester.”
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 152 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 151 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 150 - Jun 16, 2026
