The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 15

HAVE I...

...ALREADY MENTIONED HIM TO YOU?

N-NO... BUT MISS CHESTER TOLD ME ALL ABOUT HIM!

I TOLD HER THAT I LOVE DOGS, YOU SEE!

I NEVER GOT TO HAVE ONE OF MY OWN BECAUSE MY MOTHER WAS AGAINST IT...

SO I WAS TELLING MISS CHESTER HOW NICE IT WOULD BE TO FINALLY SHARE A HOME WITH A PET.

I SEE.

YOU HAVE QUITE THE SWEET SIDE TO YOU, LADY WENTWORTH.

RUFF!

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THINGS GOT SO LIVELY AROUND HERE.

DID YOU ENJOY YOUR DAY?

I HEARD YOU WERE INTRODUCED TO OUR STAFF.

YES, AND THEY WERE ALL SO KIND.

AS THE ONE CURRENTLY IN CHARGE OF THE DOMESTIC STAFF, I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT.

IS IT JUST ME...

...OR DOES THIS FEEL LIKE SOME SORT OF TEST...?

HEHE

SHE'S FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE, BUT KNOWS HOW TO SPEAK LIKE A PROPER LADY...

AND HER MANNERS AREN'T TOO BAD EITHER, ALTHOUGH SHE COULD USE SOME REFINING.

HOWEVER...

IS VISCOUNT WENTWORTH VERY BUSY?

YES, HE'S ALWAYS WORKING HARD FOR HIS FAMILY.

I IMAGINE IT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFICULT FOR YOU LADIES TO MANAGE YOUR ESTATE ALL ON YOUR OWN.

BUT HE STILL SENDS US PLENTY OF LETTERS...

AND LOOKS AFTER US FROM AFAR.

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'S LIKE, TO HAVE A HUSBAND LIKE THAT.

YOU DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING.

MEN, AM I RIGHT?

YOU AND YOUR MOTHER SEEM ESPECIALLY CLOSE.

ENOUGH TO EVEN MAKE YOUR SISTER JEALOUS.

SHE DID PUT ON QUITE A SHOW LAST EVENING.

SHE'S ACTUALLY MY STEPMOTHER.

MY FATHER REMARRIED THREE YEARS AGO.

SHE PROBABLY GOT VERY EMOTIONAL AT THE THOUGHT OF ME LEAVING HOME.

OH MY, WHAT A LOVING FAMILY YOU HAVE. I ENVY YOU

I IMAGINE...

...THAT THE VISCOUNT WAS VERY INVESTED IN HIS ONLY DAUGHTER'S EDUCATION.

IS THIS SOME SORT OF INTERROGATION...?

OH, YES. I STUDIED FRENCH, HISTORY, AND—

I ENVY You

THE ROAST DUCK IS GETTING COLD.

IT'S BEST ENJOYED WHILE IT'S STILL HOT.

SO, YOU'RE TRYING TO SHIELD YOUR WIFE FROM ME ALREADY, ARE YOU?

BY THE WAY, LADY ANRI...

I'VE SENT A CARRIAGE TO COTNY TO BRING YOUR BELONGINGS.

WHAT?

ALREADY?!

OH, EDWIN! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

WHAT ABOUT LADY ANRI'S VALUABLES, LIKE HER INSTRUMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE?

SHE KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO, AT LEAST, RIGHT?

...IS WHAT SHE'S SILENTLY ASKING!

WE ALREADY HAVE PLENTY OF INSTRUMENTS HERE.

WHY DO WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF BRINGING THEM OVER?

I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE A POINT...

HAHA...

BESIDES...

...LADY ANRI PREFERS ART OVER MUSIC.

WHAT?

O-OH... I SEE.

LADY ANRI, WHAT SORT OF—

DUCHESS BRISTON.

INVITE HIM IN AT ONCE.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATE VISIT, DUCHESS BRISTON.

OH!

BUT I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO SHARE THIS EXCITING NEWS!

I KNOW WHO THIS IS.

LAWRENCE THE ART DEALER

HIS JOB IS TO CONNECT ARTISTS AND THEIR WORKS WITH WEALTHY SPONSORS.

THE DOWAGER DUCHESS IS A VERY GENEROUS PATRON OF THE ARTS...

AND LAWRENCE IS A MEMBER OF HER INNER CIRCLE.

BY EXCITING NEWS, YOU DON'T MEAN...

THAT'S RIGHT, DUCHESS!

BUT I ONLY BOUGHT PAINTINGS FROM ONE ARTIST THIS YEAR!

YES, AND A WORK BY THAT VERY ARTIST WAS CHOSEN AS "THE PAINTING OF THE YEAR"!

IS THIS TRUE, LAWRENCE?!

EVERY YEAR, THE ROYAL ARTS ACADEMY CHOOSES ONE WORK FROM THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION...

TO HONOR AS "THE PAINTING OF THE YEAR."

THIS YEAR'S WINNER WILL RECEIVE AN HONOR FAR GREATER THAN ALL THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE HIM!

AND THE NOBLE WHO HAPPENED TO HAVE PURCHASED THE WINNING PAINTING, OR SPONSORED THE WINNING ARTIST...

IS REGARDED AS AN INDIVIDUAL OF EXCELLENT TASTE BY THEIR PEERS.

THE HONOR OF BEING CHOSEN BY DUCHESS BRISTON!

CONGRATULATIONS, DUCHESS!

CONGRATULATIONS, MOTHER.

Edward Poynter

ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY ANY WORKS FROM OTHER ARTISTS?

I ASSURE YOU...

Edward Poynter

...THAT THERE IS NO OTHER ARTIST HERE WHO CAN SURPASS THIS ONE.

YOU SURE SEEM CONFIDENT.

YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOLD ME TO GET WHATEVER I WANTED.

HAVE FAITH IN MY JUDGMENT, MY LORD.

I PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

LOOKS LIKE SHE KEPT HER PROMISE.

FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS...

...I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO PROVE THAT I HAD THE INSIGHT TO DISCOVER HIDDEN GEMS.

BUT I FAILED EVERY TIME.

I CAN'T BELIEVE EDWIN LUCKED OUT ON HIS FIRST TRY!

I EVEN THREW A FIT WHEN I SAW THAT HE HAD BOUGHT FOUR PAINTINGS FROM THE SAME ARTIST!

ALSO, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT...

A SPONSOR HAS EVER BOUGHT FIVE PAINTINGS FROM THE WINNING ARTIST!

I SEE...

DID YOU SAY, FIVE PAINTINGS?

HUH? YES, I DID.

LAWRENCE, TO TELL THE TRUTH—

LADY ANRI WAS THE ONE WHO PICKED OUT THOSE PAINTINGS.

WHAT?

HUH?

WHAT?

I GAVE ONE TO HER AS A GIFT AS A TOKEN OF MY APPRECIATION.

OH... HAHAHA...

COME ON, EDWIN...

DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO BRING THAT UP, RIGHT NOW?!