Garden of May — Chapter 29

WELL, THAT'S UNEXPECTED.

I WAS SO SURE YOU WERE THE ONE BEHIND THAT SCANDAL.

THEN AGAIN, I DID THINK

IT WAS FAR TOO PETTY A METHOD FOR A BATTENBERG.

I THOUGHT I MADE IT CLEAR

YOU’RE GOING TO NEED ME SOONER OR LATER.

JUST AS I NEED YOU, YOUR GRACE.

THAT THIS MEETING WAS UNWELCOME.

WOULD YOU HAVE WELCOMED IT

IF I HAD BEEN MORE POLITE?

I’D LIKE TO PROPOSE A DEAL, YOUR GRACE.

A DEAL?

A DEAL IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN BOTH PARTIES HAVE SOMETHING OF EQUAL VALUE TO EXCHANGE.

AND

I SENSE NO SUCH POTENTIAL FROM YOU, MY LADY.

OH? EVEN IF THE DEAL I'M PROPOSING

IS RELATED TO LADY VANESSA?

A RUMOR THAT AN UNMARRIED WOMAN

SOLD HERSELF FOR BUSINESS GAINS...

FROM NOW ON, THAT WOMAN WILL BE TORN TO SHREDS IN NEWSPAPERS, WEEKLY MAGAZINES,

AND AT EVERY SOCIAL GATHERING...

LIKE THE GREATEST WITCH OF THE AGE.

IS THERE ANYONE

WHO COULD ENDURE ALL THAT UNSCATHED

AND WITH THEIR SANITY INTACT?

OF COURSE...

IF LADY VANESSA WERE TO BECOME THE DUCHESS SOON,

THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY.

BUT, WILL YOU REALLY UNITE WITH THAT FAMILY?

EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING SUCH AN UNNECESSARY LOSS?

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO RESTORE LADY VANESSA'S HONOR.

YOU MUST CONVINCE EVERYONE

THAT THE SCANDAL WAS NOTHING MORE

THAN A VICIOUS, BASELESS RUMOR.

FOR EXAMPLE,

WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR ENGAGEMENT.

AND IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER IF WE APPEARED TO BE A DEEPLY AFFECTIONATE COUPLE.

HAH.

DO I LOOK LIKE THE KIND OF MAN WHO WOULD AGREE TO A MARRIAGE

FOR THAT WOMAN'S HONOR?

ME?

OF COURSE.

BECAUSE YOUR GRACE IS SINCERE ABOUT THAT WOMAN.

SINCERE ENOUGH TO GIVE HER THE MERMAID'S TEAR.

AND WHY SHOULD IT BE YOU,

AND NOT SOME OTHER WOMAN?

BECAUSE

I WON'T CARE WHO YOU TAKE AS A MISTRESS.

AH, I SEE.

IS IT BECAUSE

YOU ARE IN LOVE

WITH MY COUSIN, EDGAR?

LOVE

IS NOTHING BUT A LAVISH EMOTION.

AND

I WISH TO RISE TO A HIGHER STATION.

I WANT THAT VALUE

TO BE ETERNAL.

YOUR GRACE,

THERE'S A RUMOR THAT YOU'RE INFERTILE.

STILL, THE FAMILY LINE MUST CONTINUE, MUST IT NOT?

SINCE YOU AND EDGAR ARE COUSINS ANYWAY,

THE BLOODLINE WON'T BE ALTERED ALL THAT MUCH.

RIGHT.

THE BLOODLINE I INHERITED FROM MY WRETCHED PARENTS...

THE RUMOR I STARTED TO SEVER IT...

AND NOW YOU'RE ASKING ME TO PASS ON THE BATTENBERG NAME TO EDGAR'S CHILD?

TO THINK IT WOULD COME BACK TO ME LIKE THIS.

WHOEVER YOUR GRACE DESIRES, WHEREVER YOU DESIRE THEM,

I WON’T DARE INTERFERE.

I CAN EVEN SHIELD YOUR LOVELY MISTRESS

FROM THE CRUEL GAZE OF HIGH SOCIETY.

I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

AND THAT, YOUR GRACE,

IS PRECISELY WHAT WILL PROTECT LADY VANESSA

AND KEEP HER SAFE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

WOULDN’T YOU AGREE?

I’M CALLING OFF MY ENGAGEMENT.

AND AS SOON AS IT’S OVER,

I'M GOING TO PROPOSE TO VANESSA.

I MUST HAVE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK.

I'M STARTING TO HEAR THINGS.

I DIDN'T COME HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR PERMISSION.

I INTEND TO HOLD THE WEDDING

AROUND THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

I'VE CONCLUDED IT'S THE ONLY WAY

TO PROTECT VANESSA FROM THE SCANDAL.

BLAIR,

DON’T TELL ME...

YOU’RE THE ONE WHO STARTED THE RUMOR ABOUT VANESSA AND THE DUKE.

I MERELY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS

OF A REPORTER WHO CAME TO SEE ME.

AHH...

AH...

NO, BLAIR...!

BRING HOME ANY OTHER WOMAN IN THE WORLD

BUT HER.

PLEASE.

UNLESS YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR MOTHER!

WHAT IS IT ABOUT HER THAT YOU FEEL SO...?

BACK WHEN HER PARENTS WERE STILL ALIVE,

YOU CARED FOR HER AS IF SHE WERE YOUR OWN CHILD—!

THAT GIRL'S UNCLE...!

...?!

THAT MAN...

HER UNCLE...

IS YOUR BIOLOGICAL FATHER.