Garden of May — Chapter 32

WHAT IS VANESSA DOING?

WE WENT OUT TO BUY SOME WRITING SUPPLIES EARLIER TODAY.

SHE'S RESTING IN HER ROOM NOW.

SHE DIDN'T MEET ANYONE?

NO...

NO ONE, MY LORD.

FROM NOW ON, JUST LEAVE HER BE,

FOR THE MOST PART.

ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE MEETS THE DUKE. DO NOT INTERFERE WITH ANYTHING SHE DOES.

BUT... AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE YOUNG LADY

HAS NEVER MET THE DUKE BEFORE.

YES, AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO STRANGE.

EVEN SO,

IN THIS WORLD, IF YOU BELIEVE SOMETHING IS REAL, IT BECOMES REAL.

BESIDES, THE RUMORS ABOUT HER AND THE DUKE HAVE RAISED HER VALUE.

IT WASN'T A BAD DEAL FOR US.

MY LORD...

DID YOU...

PLAN THIS SCANDAL?

OF COURSE, YOU IDIOT.

YOU MUST USE EVERY ASSET AT YOUR DISPOSAL

IF YOU WANT TO SQUEEZE SOME MONEY OUT OF IT.

B-BUT...

THIS IS THE BATTENBERGS.

DO YOU REALLY THINK I’D START ALL THIS WITHOUT AN ACE UP MY SLEEVE?

AFTER HE SIGNED ALL THE BUSINESS PAPERS,

HE ADDED ONE TRIVIAL CONDITION.

DO NOT ARRANGE A MARRIAGE FOR VANESSA SERIN SOMERSET FOR THE TIME BEING.

IT’S CLEAR SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM,

AND YET SHE SAYS THEY’VE NEVER MET...

I SHOULD JUST FORGET ABOUT IT.

I JUST NEED TO FOCUS ON MY JOB.

UM, MY LORD... DO YOU RECALL SAYING THAT YOU WOULD HELP FIND MY FATHER

WHO RAN AWAY?

OH, THAT.

HE FLED TO THE NEW WORLD, DIDN'T HE?

I DON'T THINK HE EVER LEFT.

WHEN I WAS OUT IN THE CITY WITH HER LADYSHIP, I HAPPENED TO—

MARY.

ARE YOU SUGGESTING I LIED TO YOU ABOUT YOUR FATHER'S WHEREABOUTS?

THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT...

I'M ALREADY BUSY WITH SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

WHY MUST YOU BOTHER ME LIKE THIS?

ALL THIS FUSS OVER A FATHER.

WHAT A LUCKY GIRL.

SO FOOLISH.

A COMPLETE IDIOT.

CAREFREE,

AND STUPID.

JUST...

HOW MUCH LONGER ARE YOU GOING TO STAY IN THIS MANOR?

ARE YOU AWAKE?

OH, MARY...

DID YOU EAT BEFORE YOU FELL ASLEEP?

You Should Have Gone To Your Bed.

I HAD A BITE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY I'VE BEEN SO SLEEPY LATELY...

WHEN THAT TIME COMES, THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU.

I WONDER WHAT HE WANTED TO TELL ME.

COULD IT BE...

THAT HE'S HAD A CHANGE OF HEART?

MY LADY! YOU NEED TO CHANGE INTO YOUR NIGHTGOWN!

OH,

RIGHT...!

MY LADY!

?

Y-YOUR...

YOUR PERIOD.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOUR LAST PERIOD?!

MY PERIOD?

IT'S ONLY ABOUT A WEEK LATE, I THINK?

I'VE JUST BEEN A BIT STRESSED LATELY...

THEN THAT MEANS IT'S BEEN AT LEAST 5 WEEKS.

WHAT'S BEEN 5 WEEKS...?

! ....

N-NO,

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE, MARY.

YOU'RE MISTAKEN, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY...

HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?

YOUR BREASTS ARE SWOLLEN

EVEN MORE THAN USUAL.

YOU’VE BEEN SKIPPING MEALS LATELY,

YOUR FEVER WON’T BREAK,

AND YOU’VE BEEN SO SLEEPY...

I HAVE SO MANY YOUNGER SIBLINGS.

I KNOW THESE SIGNS BETTER THAN ANYONE!

BUT...

I DON’T NEED A CHILD.

I CAN’T HAVE ONE, ANYWAY.

...B-BIOLOGICALLY?

OR...

HE SAID...

HE WAS INFERTILE...

IT WAS RIVER ROSS, WASN’T IT?

HOW DID YOU—?

MY LADY.

YOU MUST TELL RIVER ROSS YOU’RE PREGNANT RIGHT NOW.

AND THEN...

RUN AWAY WITH HIM. IMMEDIATELY.

BEFORE HIS LORDSHIP FINDS OUT.