Garden of May — Chapter 18

I HEARD YOU WERE SEEING A MAN FROM THE NAVY.

HE'S JUST A CHILDHOOD FRIEND.

I WAS HAPPY TO SEE HIM, SO WE SAID HELLO A FEW TIMES. THAT'S ALL.

IS THIS WHAT FRIENDS DO?

LET GO...!

DOES YOUR UNCLE KNOW

ABOUT THIS LITTLE GAME YOU’RE PLAYING?

OR ABOUT THAT NAVAL OFFICER?

DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM.

AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TREAT ME THIS WAY?

...WHAT?

FOR YOUR FIANCÉE’S SAKE,

I SUGGEST YOU DON’T CROSS THE LINE, BLAIR.

...THE LINE?

VANESSA.

MY MOTHER ONCE REMARKED THAT SHE ASSUMED

YOU’D ALREADY LOST YOUR VIRGINITY TO YOUR UNCLE.

OF COURSE, WHEN ROSALIND HEARD THAT, SHE FLEW INTO A RAGE.

SHE WAS CONFINED TO HER ROOM FOR THE ENTIRE VACATION FOR TALKING BACK TO OUR MOTHER.

YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE. I KNOW YOU WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

SHE BLAMED ROSALIND'S INSOLENCE ON YOU,

AND SHE EVEN TRIED TO WRITE TO THE HEADMASTER DEMANDING YOUR EXPULSION.

YOU WERE SO DISAPPOINTED YOU MISSED IT LAST SUMMER BECAUSE YOU WERE STUCK INSIDE.

TO GET ROSALIND OUT OF CONFINEMENT,

AND...

TO PROTECT YOU,

I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THE ENGAGEMENT MY MOTHER DEMANDED.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA

WHY I CAN’T “CROSS THE LINE.”

WHO WOULD’VE KNOWN

THIS CRAMPED, MISERABLE PLACE

IS WHERE THE DUKE HAS BEEN HIDING FROM THE KING?

VANESSA SEEMS TO GENUINELY BELIEVE YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A NAVY OFFICER.

WELL...

MY APOLOGIES, THEN.

HOW DARE YOU

REJECT THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY

IN SUCH AN INSULTING MANNER.

THANKS TO YOU, THE KING HAS BECOME A LAUGHINGSTOCK AT HOME AND ABROAD.

SUCH DEVOTION TO THE ROYAL FAMILY.

WHY DON’T YOU OFFER YOURSELF UP IN MY PLACE?

WRAP UP YOUR AFFAIRS HERE AND BE GONE WITHIN A FEW DAYS.

THE ONLY REASON I’VE KEPT QUIET UNTIL NOW

IS FOR VANESSA’S HONOR.

HER HONOR?

WHAT FOR?

THAT LADY SEEMED TO WANT ME TO RUIN HER REPUTATION COMPLETELY.

AND YOU, WINCHESTER.

WEREN'T YOU SECRETLY HOPING FOR THAT YOURSELF?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT—

I AM-

DID YOU THINK I WOULDN'T NOTICE YOU STARING LIKE A PEEPING TOM?

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WAS JUST A COMMON-BORN NAVAL OFFICER,

YOU MUST HAVE FELT SHE'D FALL RIGHT INTO YOUR HANDS.

ONCE SHE RUINED HERSELF IN A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR WITH A COMMONER,

YOU MUST HAVE THOUGHT, ONE DAY,

SHE MIGHT JUST FALL INTO YOUR BED.

ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

BUT WHAT A SHAME THAT THE ONE YOU CAUGHT

HAPPENED TO BE A BATTENBERG.

YOU'RE INSULTING ME.

IF OUR BUSINESS IS CONCLUDED, MAY I TAKE MY LEAVE?

UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE, I'M A VERY BUSY MAN.

PLEASE,

I'M ASKING YOU TO STOP BEFORE VANESSA GETS HURT ANY FURTHER.

SHE IS PRECIOUS TO ME.

AND WHAT GOOD ARE YOU TO VANESSA, EXACTLY?

YOU'LL SPEND YOUR ENTIRE LIFE SCRAMBLING TO HIDE YOUR HEART

FROM THAT PRETENTIOUS MOTHER OF YOURS.

OR AM I WRONG?