Garden of May — Chapter 20

THEO.

HM?

THEODORE.

HAH...

HAVE I COMPLETELY LOST IT?

I DON'T RECALL INVITING YOU TO SIT.

OH MY.

MAY I HAVE A SEAT?

I'M HAILEY.

HAILEY G. MORTON.

HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE?

MY COUSIN? OR MY GRANDMOTHER?

HMM...

I'M AFRAID I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.

I DON'T WANT TO UPSET YOU BY TELLING THE TRUTH,

AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE TRUST BETWEEN US, I DON'T WANT TO LIE EITHER.

HAH...

HOW AMUSING.

YOU TALK OF TRUST AFTER MEETING A FEW TIMES?

I HEARD A RUMOR

THAT YOU’RE COURTING A WOMAN IN THE SOUTH.

IF THAT’S TRUE,

YOU’RE GOING TO NEED ME SOONER OR LATER.

JUST AS I NEED YOU, YOUR GRACE.

I TOLD YOU, I REALLY DON’T NEED ANY HELP!

I’M PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF WASHING MYSELF.

BUT YOU WERE STRUGGLING SO MUCH SINCE IT’S BEEN A WHILE.

W-WELL, YOU...

KEPT PUSHING IT...

ANYWAY — I FINISHED THE DRESS FITTING WHILE YOU WERE AWAY.

I GUESS I'LL REALLY BE GETTING MARRIED ONCE SUMMER IS OVER.

THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME LEFT.

FOR THE WEDDING, AND FOR MY PLAN...

IF YOU SAY THAT HAILEY GIRL IS ACCEPTABLE,

I WILL DROP THE MATTER OF A ROYAL MARRIAGE.

SO IT WAS YOU WHO SENT HER, GRANDMOTHER.

UNFORTUNATELY, SHE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ACCEPTING A MARRIAGE INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY, EITHER.

ARE YOU TRULY DETERMINED

TO SEVER THE BATTENBERG LINE?

THE MORTONS ARE A FOUNDING FAMILY OF INGRAM, AND THEY HAVE A FINE REPUTATION.

IF YOU REFUSE TO MARRY INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY, THEN MORTON IS YOUR BEST OPTION.

PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO THE CROWN THROUGH THIS MARRIAGE.

GRANDMOTHER.

THEODORE.

WHAT CAME OF YOUR PARENTS’ PATHETIC LITTLE LOVE AFFAIR?

DID WE NOT WITNESS IT TOGETHER?

I SHALL NOT FAULT YOU FOR WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO DURING YOUR HOLIDAY.

MEET WITH THE MORTON GIRL AT LEAST THREE TIMES.

AFTER THAT, I WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION.

THIS OLD WOMAN'S HEART IS TRULY WRETCHED.

I ALWAYS TOLD YOU NOT TO FORSAKE THE FAMILY FOR SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS LOVE.

LOVE? WHAT LOVE?

IT WAS A RELATIONSHIP TAINTED BY DECEPTION AND LIES FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

AH...

THERE IT IS AGAIN...

I WONDER IF RIVER ROSS EVEN KNOWS

HOW HE LOOKS AT ME SOMETIMES.

THIS MAN OFTEN ACTS

AS IF SUMMER WILL NEVER END.

AS IF

THIS RELATIONSHIP

WILL GO ON FOREVER.