Garden of May — Chapter 4

BUT WHAT IF, AT THE END OF SUMMER,

YOU FIND YOU’RE NOT TIRED OF ME?

TH-THAT WON’T HAPPEN.

AND...

I’D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU’D SHOW ME THE PROPER COURTESY DUE TO A LADY.

IF YOU WANTED COURTESY, SHOULDN’T YOU HAVE MADE A BETTER OFFER?

ONE THAT DIDN’T INVOLVE PAYING TO SELL YOURSELF OFF CHEAP.

...MONEY IS THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO OFFER RIGHT NOW.

......

I HEARD IT WAS A BARON OVER 70 TODAY.

?

ISN'T THAT JUST AWFUL?

Like She's A Piece Of Merchandise...

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY, SOME OLD NOBLEMAN COMES TO SEE HER LADYSHIP.

SHE WAS BASICALLY THROWN ON THE MARKET THE MOMENT SHE GRADUATED.

I CAN’T SAY I’M SURPRISED. HIS LORDSHIP’S LATEST BUSINESS VENTURE COMPLETELY FAILED, AFTER ALL.

I HAVE AN ANNUITY IN MY NAME,

AND I CAN REQUEST A PAYOUT IF I HAVE A CHILD.

IF I GET IT, I’LL PAY YOU EVERY YEAR FOR 5 YEARS.

AND I DO HAVE OTHER WAYS OF MAKING MONEY BESIDES THAT.

SO IF THERE’S A CERTAIN AMOUNT YOU WANT...

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THIS.

I UNDERSTAND YOU’RE IN A TOUGH SPOT, BUT

I'M NOT EXACTLY DESPERATE FOR MONEY.

Y-YOUR UNCLE, MR. ROSS —

I KNOW HE'S EMBEZZLED THE MAINTENANCE FUNDS!

HE'S SPENT QUITE A BIT OF MONEY... SUPPOSEDLY FOR GARDEN MAINTENANCE, HASN'T HE?!

This Is My Uncle.

Mr. Ross, At Your Service.

AND I'VE SECURED ALL THE RELATED EVIDENCE.

ON THE SURFACE, LADY VANESSA'S PROPOSAL

SEEMED TO BE JUST ANOTHER VARIATION OF THE USUAL, UTTERLY UNORIGINAL STORY.

JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHERS IN HIGH SOCIETY HAVE DONE BEFORE.

I CAN BRING YOU EVEN MORE WEALTH AND HONOR, YOUR GRACE!

I'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU FOR SO LONG!

I WANT TO BE THE ONE TO HEAL THE WOUNDS OF YOUR CHILDHOOD!

RIVER ROSS!

I WANT TO BUY YOU.

COMPARED TO THEM, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THIS A RATHER INTERESTING CHOICE.

THAT WAS PROBABLY WHY

I BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT THIS WOMAN.

WHAT DOES THAT OLD MAN'S EMBEZZLEMENT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

HE IS YOUR UNCLE!

IF YOU JUST WANTED TO TUMBLE IN THE SHEETS WITH ME,

YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST CONFESSED YOUR UNDYING LOVE

MMPH

INSTEAD OF MAKING PATHETIC THREATS.

AND IT'S THE REASON I GAVE HER THE WRONG ANSWER — ONE THAT WOULD NEVER BE RIGHT, NOT IN MILLION YEARS.

BUT, RIVER,

WOULDN’T IT BE A LIE TO SAY THAT YOU LOVE SOMEONE

WHEN YOU DON’T?

...WELL.

THEN I GUESS THE DEAL’S OFF.

WAIT...!

SO ALL I HAVE TO DO IS FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU?

IS IT?

WHETHER YOU THREATEN ME...

OR CONFESS YOUR LOVE...

IT'S ALL POINTLESS IF I'M NOT INTERESTED, ISN'T IT?

W-WHAT...

DO YOU MEAN BY THAT...?

HNGH

IT WAS JUST AN ACT MEANT TO HUMILIATE, BUT...

IT WAS HORRIBLY TENDER.

SO MUCH FOR ASSUMING IT WOULD BE DISGUSTING.

SO?

DO I DESIRE THIS WOMAN?

PWAH!

...HOW WAS IT?

WAS IT ALL RIGHT?

HMM.

I DON’T THINK THIS IS GOING TO WORK.

BUTLER.

THAT MAN WITH VANESSA —

DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS?

I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM AT THE MANOR BEFORE.

I BELIEVE THAT IS THE GARDENER MR. ROSS'S NEPHEW.

HE IS IN THE NAVY AND IS CURRENTLY ON LEAVE, STAYING HERE TO HELP OUT.

THE NAVY, YOU SAY...

LOOK INTO HIM FOR ME, WILL YOU?

THE GARDENER'S NEPHEW, SIR?

But Why...?

IT'S JUST THAT...

HE LOOKS FAMILIAR.