Garden of May

Chapter 23

She stared at him, speechless. Of course, she had plenty to say to him. Questions to ask, curiosities to satisfy, and hurts to express. The problem was, she simply didn’t know where to begin. The sky was exceptionally clear, the garden, filled with the fresh scent of grass, felt serenely detached from the world, and the man before her… was dazzlingly handsome.

“No. Not at all.” Vanessa forced a smile, her eyes wide. She turned sharply away from him, her steps toward the rose bushes deliberately brisk, or at least she tried to make them seem that way. Gripping the watering can tightly, she wrinkled her nose. ‘Don’t cry. And don’t even look at him.’

Her efforts to maintain composure crumbled in less than half an hour, all thanks to River Ross, who seemed completely engrossed in the poplar tree, oblivious to her presence.

She hated how small and insignificant she felt whenever she was near him. She hated her situation, waiting to be sold off, this castle full of beautiful facades, this garden left in disarray, mirroring her own feelings, and this relationship where her focus was solely on him. Vanessa swallowed a deep sigh. She felt ridiculous and pathetic.

***

“Dahlia!” The dramatic cry made Theodore narrow his eyes and glance towards the sound. He’d been planting saplings. A small dog, barking excitedly, dashed across the garden. Vanessa, scooping up the fluffy white creature, wore a rare, bright smile.

The affectionate name, Dahlia, sparked a memory. It was the name given to the dying puppy the maids had taken in a few days ago. He’d seen her sneaking into the kitchen to feed it several times, and now it seemed she’d decided to become the puppy’s official owner. The tiny dog lapped loyally at Vanessa’s face and hands.

“That tickles…. What are you doing here? Where’s Mary?” Lady Vanessa was now, surprisingly, attempting a conversation with the puppy. Theodore watched her silly profile as he slowly emptied his lukewarm water bottle.

‘Quite persistent and diligent.’

That was his conclusion after observing Vanessa throughout the day. Initially, she’d been distracted and clumsy, constantly making mistakes. But at some point, she’d taken the initiative, rummaging through the rose bushes, clipping leaves with black spots, applying treatments, digging the soil, and meticulously spreading dried pine needles beneath the bushes. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she was covered in dust from head to toe. She was a far better worker than the lazy cat in the backyard.

“Look at that belly. Dahlia, what have you been eating?” Her touch, as she gently patted the puppy’s plump belly, was tender. The May sunlight, filtering through the lush branches, fell upon her golden hair. With every rustle of leaves in the breeze, shadows danced across her forehead, nose, lips, and small earlobes.

Theodore slowly erased the polite smile he’d been wearing. The desire that swelled within him whenever he looked at Vanessa had become bothersome. Like lukewarm water held in his mouth, neither swallowed nor spat out.

If he wanted her, he could have her. They had made that agreement, and the choice was fair to both of them. There was no room for complications, and even if there were, he was capable of handling them. So why? Why was he hesitating?

He repeatedly questioned himself, but the reason remained unclear. It had been an impulsive decision from the start. He deliberately looked away from Vanessa, as if pushing aside the bothersome thoughts. It was at that moment that her constant chatter abruptly changed.

“Ri, River….”

He lowered the hand that had been shielding his eyes from the sun, and saw Vanessa’s face, suddenly pale. It was as if the cheerful moment with the puppy had been a complete fabrication.

She couldn’t even speak loudly, her face like she’d swallowed a frog whole. What had she done this time? Theodore sighed, pushing himself off the tree he’d been leaning against.

“What.”

“I, on my, ba, back….”

“Slowly. Breathe.”

Vanessa nodded, as if trying her best to follow his instructions. But it seemed a futile effort; the trembling wouldn’t subside.

After a vain attempt at a calming smile, Vanessa, realizing its futility, whispered, her face pale, “A, a spider… I think a spider… crawled, crawled into my, my clothes.”