The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 14

EDWIN'S BUTLER...

THE QUEEN'S PARAMOUR — 1 —

HE WASN'T A MAJOR CHARACTER...

BUT I DEFINITELY REMEMBER HIM.

EDWIN'S ORIGINAL BUTLER WAS NAMED BEN...

AND HAD SERVED EDWIN'S FATHER, THE FORMER DUKE OF BRISTON.

BEN DID NOT APPROVE OF EDWIN'S INDIFFERENCE TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF BRISTON...

AND REPORTED EVERYTHING EDWIN SAID AND DID TO THE DOWAGER DUCHESS.

UNSURPRISINGLY, HE WAS EVENTUALLY DISMISSED FROM HIS POST...

FOR FAILING TO RECOGNIZE WHERE HIS LOYALTIES SHOULD LIE.

UH... MY LADY?

BUT BEN WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DISMISSED THIS EARLY IN THE STORY.

IS SOMETHING BOTHERING YOU, PERHAPS?

BESIDES, THIS "ALBERT," THE NEW BUTLER...

...HAS BEEN WITH EDWIN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN WE FIRST MET!

ALBERT, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION?

OF COURSE, MY LADY.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SERVING THE DUKE AS HIS BUTLER?

EVER SINCE HE INHERITED HIS TITLE.

I WAS HIS FIRST FOOTMAN PRIOR TO THAT.

OH MY, SO YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

I HAVE, YES.

HEHE

BUT... WHAT ABOUT THE BUTLER WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? DID HE RETIRE?

HE RESIGNED.

TO BE QUITE HONEST, HE WASN'T THAT GREAT OF A—

OUCH!

MAY I ASK WHAT HIS NAME WAS? THE OLD BUTLER, I MEAN.

HIS NAME WAS...

BEN ROVER, MY LADY.

I KNEW IT!

I KNEW A BUTLER NAMED "BEN" WORKED FOR THE BRISTONS!

BUT HE MUST HAVE LEFT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON BEFORE I ARRIVED.

WHY HAS THE PLOT STRAYED FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY?

HAIRLINE CRACKS

BRISTON MANOR IS COMPRISED OF THREE BUILDINGS, MY LADY.

THE FIRST IS WHERE THE BALL WAS HELD LAST NIGHT...

...AND THE SECOND IS "ELIZA HOUSE," WHERE THE DOWAGER DUCHESS RESIDES.

AND THIS IS "MAYFAIR HOUSE," WHERE THE DUKE RESIDES.

IT'S ALSO WHERE YOU'LL BE LIVING.

WOW... THREE WHOLE MANSIONS...

AND THIS...

...IS THE ROOM TRADITIONALLY GIVEN TO THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE, MY LADY.

WOW...

THIS ROOM...

...FEELS LIKE AN EXPRESSION OF "LOVE."

IT'S THE LOVELIEST AND MOST ELEGANT ROOM IN THE ENTIRE MANOR!

THE DUKE...

HAS INSTRUCTED US TO GIVE YOU FULL USE OF THIS ROOM, MY LADY.

HUH?

WH-WHO, ME?!

OF COURSE.

YOU'LL BE THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE SOON, SO IT'S ONLY NATURAL.

I SUPPOSE SO...

MS. CHESTER IS POLITE, BUT I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE AROUND HER.

SHE'S VERY LOYAL TO THE HOUSE OF BRISTON, SO I CAN IMAGINE SHE'D BE DISAPPOINTED...

TO SEE SOME COUNTRY BUMPKIN LIKE ME MOVE INTO THIS ROOM...

...THAT'S BEEN SITTING EMPTY FOR SO LONG.

I MADE SURE YOU'D HAVE EVERYTHING YOU'D NEED TO MOVE IN IMMEDIATELY.

I'LL PROBABLY BE OUT OF HERE IN THREE YEARS...

SO I SHOULDN'T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

THANK YOU. I KNOW ALL THIS MUST HAVE COME AS QUITE A SURPRISE TO EVERYONE.

IT'S ALL PART OF MY DUTY AS THE HOUSEKEEPER.

I THOUGHT SHE'D BE OVER THE MOON TO HAVE THAT ROOM TO HERSELF.

SHE'S DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HER CRASS FAMILY.

SHE'S BEEN POLITE TO EVEN THE SERVANTS, UP TILL NOW, ANYWAY.

IF THIS IS ALL JUST PART OF SOME ACT, SHE'S QUITE THE SCHEMER, BUT IF IT'S NOT...

...I SUPPOSE IT'LL WORK OUT BEST FOR ALL OF US.

SO PRETTY.

ALTHOUGH IT DOES SEEM OLD-FASHIONED.

SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.

WHY WAS BEN DISMISSED SO EARLY IN THE STORY?

IF BEN HAD BEEN BY EDWIN'S SIDE WHEN WE FIRST MET, I WOULD'VE RECOGNIZED THEM BOTH IMMEDIATELY.

WAIT...!

THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING THAT'S OFF.

I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT THAT A BUSY GENTLEMAN SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD TAKE SO MUCH INTEREST IN YOUR ANIMALS.

HOW THORUGH AND ATTENTIVE YOU MUST BE!

NOT AT ALL. ANY DECENT HORSE OWNER WOULD DO THE SAME.

EDWIN... I NEVER KNEW YOU CARED ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF!

I KNOW KIRISTAN IS A VERY VALUABLE HORSE...

BUT WHY WOULD THE GREAT DUKE OF BRISTON PERSONALLY DRAFT HIS OWN BREEDING PAPERS?

EDWIN MADE AN EXCELLENT POLITICIAN...

BUT HE HAD NO INTEREST IN BEING THE MAN OF HIS OWN HOUSE.

HE WAS HARDLY HOME, AS HE SPENT MOST DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR AT THE CAPITAL.

THAT'S WHY THE DOWAGER DUCHESS...

...HAD TO HANDLE THE AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSEHOLD, AFTER THE ELDER DUKE BRISTON PASSED.

THE DUKE NEVER GOT MARRIED...

AND NEGLECTED THE UPKEEP OF HIS OWN DOMAIN.

THIS ROOM WOULD HAVE BEEN ABANDONED, LEFT ONLY TO COLLECT DUST.

HOW COULD A MAN LIKE THAT BE OUT SHOPPING FOR PAINTINGS FOR HIS MOTHER?

UNLESS HE'S HAD SOME SORT OF REAWAKENING, THERE'S NO WAY ANY OF THIS MAKES SENSE...!

I SHOULD LOOK INTO WHAT'S GOING ON HERE...

...JUST IN CASE I GET CAUGHT UP IN SOME UNEXPECTED PROBLEM.

ELIZA HOUSE

NOW THAT I'VE AGREED TO MARRY THIS MAN...

...I'LL BE STEPPING INTO THE CENTER OF A STORM.

WELCOME, LADY WENTWORTH.

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO DINNER, DUCHESS.

Uu OH, YOU!

OH, THIS MUST BE... THE DOWAGER DUCHESS' PRECIOUS BABY...

SO CUTE!!!

...BROWNIE!

HE'S EVEN CUTER THAN I IMAGINED!!!

HELLO BROWNIE...

OH...

HAVE I INTRODUCED MY BROWNIE TO YOU ALREADY?

WHAT DO I DO NOW?!?