Garden of May — Chapter 21

I'M GOING AWAY FOR A WEEK TOMORROW.

WHY?

THE ESSEX FAMILY IS HOSTING A HUNT. I'M GOING WITH EARL RODEN.

I TRIED TO MAKE THE EXCUSE THAT I WASN'T A DEBUTANTE YET,

BUT HE SAID I SHOULD GET SOME EXPERIENCE BEFORE WE MARRY.

APPARENTLY, HE'S VERY FOND OF HUNTING.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HUNTING BEFORE?

ME? HUNTING?

I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO HOLD A GUN.

...?

HUH?

TAKE IT.

PRESS IT TIGHTER AGAINST YOUR SHOULDER.

L-LIKE THIS?

YOU'LL WRECK YOUR SHOULDER IN THAT POSITION.

A REAL GUN WILL BE HEAVIER THAN THIS.

WIDEN YOUR STANCE AND KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT.

A LITTLE HIGHER.

THE SERVANTS WILL TAKE CARE OF LOADING IT,

SO YOU JUST FOCUS ON HOLDING IT STRAIGHT.

O-OKAY...

BACK STRAIGHT.

Y-YOU REALLY ARE A NAVAL OFFICER!

YOU EXPLAIN EVERYTHING SO CLEARLY—

VANESSA.

Y-YES?!

INSTEAD OF TEETH AND CLAWS, PEOPLE AIM GUNS.

EVEN THE WEAKEST CAN KILL THEIR OPPONENTS —

IT'S THE GREAT EQUALIZER.

ONCE YOU GET USED TO IT,

YOU MIGHT EVEN MISTAKE A PERSON FOR AN ANIMAL AND PULL THE TRIGGER.

BANG~

IF

I'M NOT MISTAKEN...

IF RIVER ROSS

NGH...

REALLY HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ME...

THEN I HAVE TO PUSH HIM AWAY EVEN MORE.

I CAN'T LEAVE A FATAL STAIN LIKE MYSELF

ON HIS BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE MILITARY.

IF THIS REALLY IS LOVE,

I WANTED TO TREASURE IT DEARLY.

NOT BECOME HIS WEAKNESS.

THE NEXT DAY

MY LADY, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

YOU DON'T LOOK WELL AT ALL.

OH...

I'M JUST... A LITTLE CARSICK, I THINK.

IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THIS OLD CLUNKER.

HIS LORDSHIP HAS SO MANY CARS.

WHY DID HE HAVE TO GIVE US THIS ONE?!

BUT UNCLE STILL CHERISHES THIS THING.

He Painted It Himself And Even Imported The Engine...

THIS IS KINGSTON STREET.

ONCE WE CROSS, WE'LL BE IN ESSEX.

KINGSTON...

THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN KINGSTON.

THE CARRIAGE OVERTURNED, AND BOTH OF THEM...

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

NOTHING AT ALL...

!

WE'VE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION YOU ASKED FOR ON VANESSA SERIN SOMERSET.

THERE'S NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY

EXCEPT FOR SOME STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES REGARDING HER INHERITANCE.

ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE PREVIOUS EARL AND COUNTESS OF SOMERSET — THE YOUNG LADY'S PARENTS — PASSED AWAY,

THE HEIR WAS ABRUPTLY CHANGED TO THE CURRENT EARL OF SOMERSET.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY UNSETTLING THINGS ABOUT THE INHERITANCE DOCUMENTS.

THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE LAWYER WHO SIGNED AS THE NOTARY ARE UNKNOWN.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER UNCLEAR DETAILS,

SO I'LL INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND REACH OUT AGAIN.

HAH...

VANESSA.

IT SEEMS THERE IS SOMEONE

YOU SHOULD BE AIMING YOUR GUN AT.