Garden of May — Chapter 17

YOU WANT ME TO HOLD YOUR HAND AND RUN AWAY WITH YOU?

OH, I SEE, RIVER ROSS. YOU’RE THE ONE WHO WANTS TO RUN AWAY, AREN’T YOU?

YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO RUN AWAY SOMEPLACE, VANESSA.

YES, BUT

I DON’T WANT TO CAUSE TROUBLE FOR ANYONE.

IF I RAN AWAY,

MY FRIENDS WOULD BE PLACED UNDER SURVEILLANCE.

THE MAIDS WHO WORKED FOR ME WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING A JOB WITH ANOTHER FAMILY,

WANTED POSTERS OF ME WOULD BE PLASTERED ALL OVER INGRAM,

AND WHOEVER HELPED ME WOULD BE DRAGGED AWAY.

SO IT’S BETTER IF I...

IF I JUST RUIN MY OWN REPUTATION.

...SO I’VE GIVEN IT SOME MORE THOUGHT.

I’M PLANNING ON STARTING SCANDALOUS RUMORS WITH A FEW OTHER MEN, NOT JUST YOU.

REMEMBER HOW I SAID I'D DO MY BEST TO KEEP YOUR NAME OUT OF IT?

WELL, I'VE COME UP WITH A SUREFIRE WAY.

MEN CONSIDER IT A BADGE OF HONOR TO BE INVOLVED WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

AS LONG AS I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT, THEY'LL RUN THEIR MOUTHS AS THEY PLEASE.

AND ONCE RUMORS START FLYING THAT I'M WITH MANY MEN,

THE INTEREST IN YOU WON'T LAST LONG.

SO THAT'S YOUR NEW PLAN?

TO GET CLOSE TO AS MANY MEN AS POSSIBLE?

A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION I CAN'T QUITE PLACE RISES IN MY THROAT.

...YEAH.

SHE'S SO METICULOUSLY CALCULATING,

AND YET...

THIS WOMAN HAS NO PLAN AT ALL.

I HAD A TRULY WONDERFUL TIME TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY MEMORY, RIVER.

I DON’T THINK I’LL EVER FORGET TODAY.

...LIAR.

HM?

YOU’LL FORGET WHAT I LOOK LIKE IN A FEW YEARS.

...WILL I?

HOW COULD I FORGET THAT FACE?

WELL, YOU FORGOT MY FACE FROM CHILDHOOD.

...NO, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING.

WHAT DID I LOOK LIKE, THEN?

WELL...

YOU HAD BLACK HAIR.

AND BLUE EYES.

THE WAY SHE SAID IT SO BRAZENLY, WITH SUCH A STRAIGHT FACE...

I COULDN'T HELP IT.

LYING AGAIN.

I ALMOST TEARED UP.

HOW COULD I POSSIBLY LIE ABOUT EYES LIKE YOURS?

YOU'RE JUST GETTING HOME NOW?

B-BLAIR...?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

You Scared-me.

WAIT,

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?

YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FEELING WELL LATELY.

ROSALIND WAS WORRIED BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T SEEM TO SHAKE OFF

I Heard From Rosalind You'd Be Away Today...

THE ACHES FROM YOUR FEVER.

OH, RIGHT, BUT...

I SUDDENLY FELT BETTER TODAY.

BUT...

HOW DID YOU GET IN?

I SHOULD BE THE ONE ASKING QUESTIONS.

WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM, DRESSED LIKE THAT?

W-WELL...

I WAS JUST... HOT.

TURN

AGH!

I WAS TAKING A WALK—

VANESSA.

YOU CAN NEVER LOOK ME IN THE EYE WHEN YOU LIE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, BLAIR...?!

DID YOU GO AND GET YOURSELF A LOVER ALREADY?

?!

WHAT ARE YOU—

I HEARD YOU WERE SEEING A MAN FROM THE NAVY.