Garden of May - Chapter 104
“That’s not quite right.”
“Not right?”
“It’s true that I intend to start a horse racing business, but it will not be in the form of taking over an existing track or race.”
“By that you mean….”
“A map would be helpful.”
As if he had been waiting for the command, the Count of Essex shot to his feet, rummaged through his desk, and brought out all the old maps he could find. A few smelled of decaying paper, and even the ones that had been well-preserved bore the place names of a decade ago.
Theodore slowly traced an invisible line over the old map, connecting Linden with the major cities of the South.
“Within three years, a new railway will be established, connecting Linden, Denver, Headington, and Gibbs Hill, and passing through Bath. The destination will be here, the southernmost port city.”
“My God…”
Greed instantly lit the Count of Essex’s eyes. Had he heard this from anyone else, he would have dismissed it as a terrible joke or demanded the source of the information, but his guest was the Duke of Batenberg.
“If that happens, the South will certainly see exponential growth. With the convenience of transportation, factories displaced from Linden will begin to move in one by one…. Bath, in particular, will be the greatest beneficiary.”
Seemingly not entirely clueless when it came to reading the political landscape, the Count of Essex correctly grasped the context of the statement. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he asked, “But doesn’t Wilton already hold the monopoly on the horse racing business in the South?”
“Here. A new royal charter, granted to His Grace by the King.”
Edgar, joining the conversation at the opportune moment, placed the charter, stamped with the royal seal, on the table. The Count, who had been glaring resentfully at Edgar ever since he’d accepted the handkerchief from the maid, feigned ignorance.
“…And this gentleman is?”
“An investment expert. And my cousin.”
“Edgar Lowell Marlborough.”
A thoroughly skeptical gaze swept Edgar from head to toe. The Count seemed to find it utterly unbelievable that such a flippant character could be the Duke’s kinsman. In any case, since the Duke said it was so, he could hardly nitpick, and he quickly averted his gaze.
“In that case, are you truly… planning to build a new racetrack?”
“The largest in the South. And we’re thinking of this location.”
Edgar, his tone light as if to clear the air, pointed to a vacant lot not far from Bath. As he identified the location, the Count of Essex sucked in a sharp breath, then gasped, steadying himself on the table.
“Your Grace, this is….”
“It straddles the Essex and Somerset estates. In the hundreds of years of Ingram’s history, the grandest building outside of the royal palace will be erected there. That is, if you, my Lord Count, will sign these transfer documents.”
“This is certainly… not a matter I can answer on my own. Would it be all right if I took a moment to call my solicitor and, that is, the investment expert employed by my family?”
“Be my guest.”
“Just a moment, please. Just one moment.”
With a flushed face, the Count scrambled to his feet and scurried out of the study. The moment the door closed, Edgar leaned his elbow on the back of the couch and crossed his legs in a roguish manner.
“I never thought you’d actually build a racetrack for a woman.”
“I was already weighing Liège in the east against Somerset. Both were suitable, and the potential returns were the same, so I merely chose the one that better suited my personal circumstances.”
“Your circumstances? Are you really planning to marry your hidden woman in the South?”
Marriage. At the word, Theodore let out a dry laugh. Marrying Vanessa Cyrene Somerset. Nothing would make the Batenberg name more ridiculous.
Thanks to his uncle’s efforts, Vanessa Cyrene Somerset was a noble and, at the same time, not a noble. Though she herself was likely still unaware. That must be why, despite possessing such beauty, she received a string of proposals only from such flawed men.
“Theodore.”
The voice that had called his name so sweetly was superimposed over the memory of that night. He admitted it. From that day on, Vanessa had held a rather special meaning for him.
Her small, slender, pliant body; the cheeks that so easily flushed whenever she met his eyes; her eyes, her nose, her soft, full lips…. Theodore leaned back leisurely against the sofa and tilted his head back slightly. Some memories related to that woman made him thirsty just by thinking of them.
And yet.
“Marriage is a bit much.”
- 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
