Garden of May — Chapter 5

HE LOOKS FAMILIAR.

WHO LOOKS FAMILIAR?

OH, ROSALIND.

ARE YOU ALL PACKED?

THE GRAND TOUR IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY.

WHAT'S THERE TO PACK?

I Have Nothing To Take...

IT'S NOT LIKE PEOPLE LIVE ANY DIFFERENTLY ELSEWHERE.

ANYWAY, IT WOULD BE NICE IF VANESSA COULD COME WITH US.

I OFFERED TO COVER HER EXPENSES, SO WHY DOES SHE KEEP TURNING ME DOWN?

I CURRIED A FAVOR BY STAYING HERE BEFORE THE TOUR. I REALLY THOUGHT SHE WOULD TAKE MY OFFER.

THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE. EARL SOMERSET WANTS TO HURRY UP AND MAKE THE "DEAL."

BUT STILL!

SHE JUST GRADUATED. HOW CAN SHE BE GETTING MARRIED ALREADY?

PERHAPS GETTING MARRIED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER

IS THE ONLY WAY FOR HER TO BE FREE.

BESIDES, THESE DAYS...

IT'S COMMON FOR MARRIED PEOPLE TO HAVE LOVERS.

BLAIR.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND VANESSA IS VERY PRECIOUS TO ME.

OUR FRIENDSHIP, THE ONE WE’VE BUILT OVER ALL THIS TIME.

ALSO...

YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR FIANCÉ.

IT WAS YOUR DECISION TO GET ENGAGED, WASN’T IT?

...YES, I KNOW.

I KNOW THAT

BETTER THAN ANYONE.

A FEW DAYS LATER

AH, SO IT'S HIM TODAY.

EARL RODEN.

IT SEEMS THE MARRIAGE TALKS WITH BARON HOWARD FELL THROUGH.

Honestly,

BARON HOWARD WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER!

W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN...?

Here, Drink This While-you-work.

Oh, Thank You...

HE HAS SUCH A TERRIBLE REPUTATION, YOU KNOW.

HE'S BEEN MARRIED SEVERAL TIMES,

AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS FORMER WIVES.

AND RUMOR HAS IT THAT HE'S MADE A PASS AT EVERY SINGLE MAID IN HIS ESTATE!

DIDN'T HE RECENTLY HAVE AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD WITH A WAR WIDOW...?

OUR POOR YOUNG LADY...

AND SHE'S SO LOVELY...

IS THERE ANY REASON TO PUSH THROUGH A MARRIAGE WITH THE WORST POSSIBLE OPTION?

IS HE TRYING TO DRAG WHAT'S LEFT OF THE FAMILY'S HONOR THROUGH THE MUD?

Through The Mud...?

What A Way To Talk...

YOU'VE BEEN IN THE ARMY ALL THIS TIME, SO YOU WOULDN'T KNOW, WOULD YOU?

FORGET HONOR —

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE MASTER'S BUSINESSES HAS FAILED.

SO NOW, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO SELL OFF IS LADY VANESSA.

SUCH A NOTION WOULD HAVE BEEN UNTHINKABLE

BACK WHEN THE FORMER EARL AND HIS WIFE WERE STILL WITH US.

TO THINK SUCH A LOVELY YOUNG LADY WAS ALMOST SNATCHED AWAY BY A BARON OVER 70...

THE VERY THOUGHT MAKES ME SHUDDER.

I CAN ONLY BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU CONTACTED US SO QUICKLY, LORD SOMERSET.

I ALMOST MISSED OUT ON SUCH A WONDERFUL MATCH!

INDEED, HAHA.

AND WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT LADY VANESSA GRADUATING FROM BOARDING SCHOOL?

I HEARD SHE'S VERY CLOSE WITH THE YOUNG MARQUESS OF WINCHESTER.

YOU NEEDN'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.

I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON BETWEEN HER AND THE YOUNG MARQUESS.

SHE'S SIMPLY BEEN FRIENDS WITH THE WINCHESTER TWINS SINCE THEY WERE BORN.

BESIDES, I MANAGE ALL ASPECTS OF MY NIECE'S PRIVATE LIFE, SO YOU CAN TRUST ME.

WE'D DO WELL TO HOLD THE CEREMONY THIS COMING AUTUMN.

IT WOULD GIVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE.

AHAHA, I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.

I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT.

NOW, THEN, ABOUT THE BUSINESS MATTER I MENTIONED EARLIER...

RIVER ROSS!

WE NEED TO TALK!

I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.

RIVER!

D-DO IT AGAIN!

DO WHAT AGAIN?

PANT

PANT

KISS ME.

I’M–

I’M SURE I CAN DO BETTER THIS TIME.