Garden of May — Chapter 26

BY THE WAY, VANESSA...

WHAT'S THAT ON YOUR NECK?

OH...

IT'S A REPLICA.

IT WAS A GIFT FROM A FRIEND.

...?

A REPLICA? THAT THING?

YES. IT LOOKS PRETTY REAL, DOESN’T IT?

VANESSA SERIN SOMERSET.

?

YOU’D BETTER

EMOTIONALLY PREPARE YOURSELF.

HUH? WHAT DO YOU—

LOGAN.

WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN?

AH, UNCLE.

THAT MAN IS

VISCOUNT B. DAWSON...!

SO, LADY VANESSA.

WHY HAVE YOU COME TO SEE ME WITH MY NEPHEW IN TOW?

FIRST, I’D LIKE YOU

TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

THIS IS...!

I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING MY FATHER HAD ON HIM

AT THE TIME OF HIS ACCIDENT.

I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE WHO COULD RECOGNIZE IT

TO CONFIRM WHETHER IT TRULY BELONGED TO MY FATHER.

HAVE YOU... BY ANY CHANCE, SEEN IT BEFORE?

I HAVE INDEED.

MANY, MANY TIMES...

THE YOUNG EARL WOULD TAKE IT OUT WHENEVER HE HAD THE CHANCE.

THAT STOIC MAN

WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON WHEN IT CAME TO BRAGGING ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER.

I REMEMBER HE COULDN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW CUTE AND LOVELY HIS LITTLE GIRL WAS

EVERY TIME HE OPENED HIS MOUTH.

I SEE...

THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT.

ACTUALLY,

THIS IS WHAT I REALLY WANTED YOU TO SEE...

I TRANSCRIBED MY FATHER'S WILL,

WHICH IS BEING KEPT AT THE COURTHOUSE.

YOU TRANSCRIBED

ALL OF THIS YOURSELF?

I NOTICED SOME AWKWARD PARTS AS I WAS REVIEWING IT,

SO I FOCUSED ON THOSE SECTIONS.

AS YOU CAN SEE,

SOME SENTENCES CUT OFF AWKWARDLY.

THERE ARE EVEN PERIODS PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF SENTENCES.

I BELIEVE... THAT THE WILL HAS BEEN ALTERED

IN SOME WAY.

THAT’S WHY I NEED AN EXPERIENCED PERSON WHO IS WELL-VERSED IN INHERITANCE LAW—

LADY VANESSA.

I’M AFRAID THIS IS NOT A MATTER I CAN INVOLVE MYSELF IN.

BUT...!

I CANNOT CARELESSLY DISCLOSE MATTERS

THAT PERTAIN TO A CLIENT'S HONOR AND GOOD FAITH.

I UNDERSTAND YOUR DESPERATION, AS THIS CONCERNS YOUR FATHER,

BUT WE SOLICITORS HAVE

PRINCIPLES WE MUST UPHOLD AT ALL TIMES.

HAA...

OF COURSE

IT WOULDN'T BE THAT EASY.

BUT IT'S TOO SOON TO GIVE UP.

I'LL LOOK FOR MORE MATERIALS

AND THEN TRY TO PERSUADE HIM AGAIN.

I'LL JUST HEAD BACK TO THE CABIN FOR NOW—

AH-

OH, MY. ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

YOUR CLOTHES...

OH.

IT’S... ALL RIGHT...

DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. I CAN JUST CLEAN IT UP IN MY CABIN.

OH DEAR.

THE CABINS ON THIS SIDE

ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE, I'M AFRAID.

PARDON?

WE WERE JUST TOLD THE SAME AND WERE HEADING BACK.

OH... WHAT SHOULD I DO?

UM,

PERHAPS...

IF YOU DON'T MIND, I COULD GUIDE YOU TO ANOTHER CABIN—

WELL NOW.

IT SEEMS THE LADY IS IN A PREDICAMENT.

SHALL I HELP?