Garden of May — Chapter 25

THE MAIDS WERE SAYING

THAT SOME GENTLEMAN IS MOVING INTO THE ABANDONED MANSION NEARBY.

RUMOR HAS IT HE'S A YOUNG NAVAL OFFICER.

IS THAT RIGHT?

THEY SAY THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF EXPENSIVE ITEMS BEING BROUGHT IN,

SO IT'S LIKELY HE'S SOMEONE OF VERY HIGH STANDING.

I NEVER KNEW YOU WERE SO INTERESTED IN GOSSIP.

THAT'S—!

THE BAG I LOST!

AN OFFICER CONTACTED ME WHILE I WAS ON THE WAY BACK. HE SAID SAID HE'D FOUND IT.

TH-THAT'S A RELIEF...

BLAIR AND ROSALIND'S BIRTHDAYS ARE COMING UP,

AND I WAS ABOUT TO BUY THEIR PRESENTS ALL OVER AGAIN...

?

BLAIR'S GIFT ISN'T HERE...

I GUESS SOMEONE TOOK JUST THAT ONE.

IT SEEMS SO.

WHAT A SHAME.

ANYWAY,

I'M GOING TO A PARTY ON A SHIP.

ON A SHIP?

YES. I WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE SOCIAL SCENE BEFORE I GET MARRIED...

AND THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO LOOK INTO AS WELL.

THAT'S GREAT.

TAKE THIS.

THIS IS...

RIVER... THIS IS TOO MUCH.

YOU RECOGNIZE IT?

I SAW IT IN THE PAPER.

IT'S A DE MUERS DIAMOND, MANAGED BY THE BATTENBERGS.

EVEN IF THIS IS A REPLICA, IT MUST BE QUITE EXPENSIVE...

YOU SAID YOU’D ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF OTHER MEN

TO PROTECT MY HONOR.

MEN ARE SIMPLE CREATURES, VANESSA.

EVERYONE

DESIRES WHAT APPEARS TO BE EXPENSIVE.

I CAN MANAGE JUST FINE WITHOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT’LL BE EASIER WITH IT.

POOR VANESSA WILL NOT ACHIEVE HER GOAL SO EASILY.

ARE NOT SO INTIMIDATED THAT THEY AVOID HER.

SO...

NOT UNLESS THE MEN WHO SEE THE BATTENBERG MARK ON HER NECK

MAKE SURE YOU WEAR IT.

...YOU CAN OUTSHINE EVERYONE THERE.

A FEW DAYS LATER

THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SO NERVOUS, VANESSA!

BUT... WHY THE BRIEFCASE? IT HARDLY GOES WITH THAT DRESS.

OH, THIS...

Never-mind!

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'VE HAD YOUR DEBUT YET, ANYWAY.

EVERYONE WILL UNDERSTAND IF YOUR ATTIRE IS A LITTLE ODD!

MEN ACTUALLY LIKE THAT SORT OF THING, YOU KNOW?

RIGHT.

I NEED TO MEET VISCOUNT DAWSON WITHOUT ROSALIND FINDING OUT.

HUH?

LOGAN DAWSON!

DAWSON...?

LADY ROSALIND.

AND

LADY VANESSA.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE GRADUATION, HASN’T IT?

DO YOU REMEMBER ME?

WE WERE IN THE SAME CLASS FOR ALL 3 YEARS.

LOGAN...

WAIT... DAWSON,

AS IN, THAT DAWSON?

I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT DAWSON,

BUT IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE HOUSE OF VISCOUNT DAWSON,

THEN YES, THAT'S ME.

YOU TWO HAVE A NICE CHAT.

I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING.

EXCUSE ME, LOGAN.

OH, YES! ANYTHING!

YOU SEE...

I'D LIKE TO SEE MR. BENJAMIN DAWSON...

DID HE HAPPEN TO COME WITH YOU?

HUH?

MY GREAT-UNCLE...?

BENJAMIN

LOGAN

DAWSON

I AM..

HE’S HERE WITH ME, BUT WHY DO YOU...?

I HEARD HE USED TO WORK WITH MY LATE FATHER.

THANK GOODNESS!

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I’D LIKE TO ASK HIM.

OH, I SEE...

IN THAT CASE...

HE'S PROBABLY INSIDE.

SHALL I SHOW YOU THE WAY?

YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I WENT TO ALL THE TROUBLE OF MARKING YOU AS MINE...

BUT YOU'RE QUITE RESOURCEFUL, VANESSA.