Garden of May - Chapter 111
Vanessa’s eyes widened, and she pulled the shawl tighter around herself. Mr. Wyatt was standing in the dim entryway. The butler, holding a lantern to illuminate his master’s feet, raised one eyebrow slightly at her disheveled appearance.
“Uncle.”
She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled slightly. She couldn’t quite recall what expression she usually wore when facing him. Nothing had been proven, yet she was plagued by the horrific delusion that her uncle might be connected to her parents’ deaths…
Yes. It had to be a delusion. Vanessa steadied her ragged breathing.
“Come here. Let me see your face.”
She approached him with measured steps, keeping her expression placid while inwardly clutching an unresolved question. Where could he possibly be going at this early hour? Her uncle rarely emerged from his bedroom before noon.
That was the only reason she had dared venture into the garden, even knowing he had returned to Gloucester yesterday.
And why did he suddenly want to see her face?
Usually, he ignored her even if they made eye contact. Vanessa nervously clenched the fabric of her skirt. As she drew near, he used the handle of his umbrella to lightly tip her chin up.
Vanessa kept her eyes demurely lowered while he studied her. Mr. Wyatt acted like a merchant inspecting valuable porcelain for flaws. He looked her over critically before lowering the umbrella.
“Your face looks a bit wan.”
“It might be from the long carriage ride… I felt a little sick.”
“I heard. That you were unwell.”
“Yes.”
Outwardly, she might have appeared calmer than anyone, but she couldn’t quite swallow her surprise, and her words trailed off. It was hard to believe she was having this kind of conversation with her uncle. It was as if they were a normal uncle and niece, inquiring after each other’s well-being, as if they had always done so.
In the past, she would have been delighted by such attention. She would have been happy as a dog wagging its tail even after being hit. But now, it only made her anxious. Why is he suddenly acting like this? Does he know I’ve been investigating the will?
While she fretted, trying to guess his unfathomable intentions, Mr. Wyatt scrutinized her with sharp eyes.
“Word came from the Count of Essex. His wife was asking after you.”
“The Countess?”
“She was worried about your health, told me to check on you.”
“I’m all better now. I’ll write her a letter apologizing for making her worry. I simply couldn’t go yesterday. I was afraid I would be even more of a bother…”
Vanessa replied in a voice pitched high, feigning cheerfulness. She didn’t even realize that her desperation to hide her secret was creating a jarring gap between her words and her behavior. The butler frowned slightly, but fortunately, Mr. Wyatt didn’t seem to be listening to her in the first place.
He gave a satisfied smile, tapped Vanessa’s shoulder, and took his hat from the butler.
“Yes, well… I’m sure you’ll handle yourself properly.”
Properly. And handle herself. In all the time they had lived together, had her uncle ever responded so generously? As far as she could remember, this was unequivocally the first time. Vanessa’s grip tightened anxiously on her shawl.
Does he know something after all? Maybe the lawyer told him, or a clerk at the provincial court gave him a tip. Perhaps everything, from the vagrants to the constables, had been a trap. A test to see how devoted she was to the family…
Once the negative thoughts started, they swelled endlessly. It was hard to tell if this was rational concern or just paranoid suspicion born of a guilty conscience. She was on the verge of suffocating under the weight of it.
“Ah, and one more thing.”
Mr. Wyatt, who had taken a step down from the entrance, suddenly turned back and raised a finger. Vanessa smiled reflexively.
“Yes, Uncle?”
“Your wedding has been postponed for the time being.”
This was news she hadn’t expected at all. Her heart hammered with joy.
“Is that truly…?”
“Yes. Next spring, perhaps… or maybe even the spring after that. Various circumstances have overlapped, creating a headache.”
My goodness. Vanessa clenched her shawl with trembling hands, trying to hide her elation. She couldn’t believe this sudden stroke of luck.
Of course, it was a shame the engagement wasn’t canceled entirely, but at the same time, it was a very good thing. As long as the engagement held, the “guests” would stop coming.
“In any case, just be aware of that. The betrothal isn’t completely broken, so don’t worry.”
“…”
“So long as you aren’t hiding any secrets from me, that is.”
Mr. Wyatt’s gaze, fixed on her, was strangely different from usual. It
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