The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 18

W-WOW...

WHAT A LOVELY ROOM...!

HAVE A SEAT, EUNICE.

YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY TO SEE ME, RIGHT?

O-OH, YES...

YOU MUST HAVE READ MY MIND!

I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU, TOO.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GENTLEMAN YOU MET AT THE BALL?

HAVE YOU EXCHANGED LETTERS?

B-BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT... THIS IS FOR YOU!

IT'S YOUR WEDDING GIFT!

D-DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP, THOUGH.

WOW! WHAT COULD IT BE?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DON'T GET MY HOPES UP...

IS THIS...

AFTER MOTHER PASSED AWAY...

...FATHER BEGAN ERASING ALL TRACES OF HER FROM OUR HOME.

HER ROOM WAS SEALED OFF, AND ALL HER PORTRAITS WERE TAKEN DOWN.

MY POOR, AMATEURISH ATTEMPT AT PORTRAITURE IS THE ONLY IMAGE I HAVE LEFT OF HER.

I THOUGHT YOU'D APPRECIATE A PAINTING, SO...

...I TRIED MY HAND AT ONE.

YOU MADE THIS?!

YES... I KNOW IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH...

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!?

THIS IS THE MOST WONDERFUL GIFT I'VE EVER RECEIVED FROM ANYONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EUNICE.

N-NO, I'M JUST HAPPY...

THAT YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH...

HER FINGERTIPS ARE STAINED WITH PAINT.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT EUNICE WAS SUCH A TALENTED ARTIST...

ERM, BARBARA...

DID YOU NEED SOMETHING, LADY EUNICE?

IF IT'S A SNACK, I'VE ALREADY ASKED THE KITCHEN TO MAKE ONE FOR YOU.

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF SHE NEEDED A HAND...

I GUESS EUNICE KNEW ALL ALONG ABOUT MY LOVE FOR ART...

DID THIS PICTURE FALL DOWN?

...AND HOW MUCH I MISSED MY MOTHER.

SHE LIKES IT! WHAT A RELIEF.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEDDING, ANRI.

A LIAR SHOULD HAVE A BIT OF FLAIR (3)

THE NEXT DAY

DID YOU SUMMON ME, MY LADY?

YES, I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD SEE THE GUEST LIST FOR THE WEDDING.

OF COURSE... WOULD YOU LIKE IT RIGHT NOW?

NO, IT'S NOT URGENT. ANYTIME BEFORE THE END OF THE EVENING SHOULD BE FINE.

YES, MY LADY.

HOWEVER...

I THOUGHT I ASKED MISS CHESTER TO BRING THE LIST TO ME...

SO, HOW'D I END UP BEING CALLED DOWN TO EDWIN'S OFFICE?!?

WHY DO YOU NEED TO SEE THE GUEST LIST, ALL OF A SUDDEN?

I JUST WANTED TO CHECK SOMETHING.

UGH!! THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING...

I WAS WONDERING IF THE GENTLEMAN MY SISTER EUNICE MET AT THE BALL WAS INVITED TO THE WEDDING.

IS THAT ALL...?

WOMEN.

COULD YOU STOP INTERROGATING ME OVER EVERY LITTLE THING?!

IT'S ON MY DESK, SO FEEL FREE TO HAVE A LOOK.

HMPH.

LET'S SEE... SHE SAID HIS NAME STARTED WITH A "W."

W...

"I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN AT DUKE BRISTON'S WEDDING." THAT'S WHAT HE WROTE YOU?

YUP.

IF HE'S ALREADY RECEIVED HIS INVITATION, HE MUST BE FROM A VERY PROMINENT FAMILY.

HE HAS SUCH LOVELY HANDWRITING.

AND THE STATIONERY GAVE OFF A PLEASANT SMELL.

IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S TAKEN QUITE THE LIKING TO YOU!

R-R-R-REALLY?

HE EVEN TOOK THE TIME TO SCENT HIS STATIONERY. I'D SAY THAT'S DEFINITELY A GREEN FLAG.

A GREEN... FLAG?

WHAT'S HIS NAME?

WELL...

HE SIGNS HIS LETTERS WITH A "W," SO THAT MUST BE HIS FIRST INITIAL...

WILLIAM, WILLIS, WARREN, WALTER, WADE, WHITLEY...

THERE'S WAY TOO MANY!!!

BUT I'VE GOT NO OTHER CLUES!

A MAN MAY CHOOSE TO HIDE HIS NAME FOR ONE OF TWO REASONS.

!!

DID HE FIGURE OUT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO...

JUST BY HEARING ME MUTTER SOME NAMES?

HE MAY BE A CON ARTIST, LYING TO DECEIVE OTHERS, OR...

...HE MAY BE SOMEONE FAMOUS WHO JUST WANTS TO AVOID TROUBLE.

WILLIAM H. BRANEWER

HUH...?!

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

A-ARE... THE CROWN PRINCE AND PRINCESS ALSO INVITED TO OUR WEDDING?

YES.

BUT... WHY?

IT'S JUST A FORMALITY.

THE HOUSE OF BRISTON HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH THE CROWN, AFTER ALL.

BUT SINCE I RARELY SOCIALIZE WITH THE ROYAL SIBLINGS...

IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THEY'LL ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO THE WEDDING.

PRINCE WILLIAM, MAYBE. BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT THE PRINCESS WILL BE THERE...

I SEE...

PLEASE DON'T COME, ELIZE.

IF YOU'RE REALLY CURIOUS TO KNOW WHO THIS GENTLEMAN IS, ASK ME AGAIN AT THE WEDDING.

I'M SURE I'D RECOGNIZE MOST BACHELORS FROM THE CAPITAL.

IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR YOU...

I'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

WELL, YOU GOT WHAT YOU CAME FOR, SO YOU MAY LEAVE NOW.

I'M SURE YOU MUST BE BUSY.

I WAS ON MY WAY OUT ANYWAY! THERE'S NO NEED TO RUSH ME.

CAN'T-STAY NICE FOR LONGER THAN THREE SECONDS, CAN YOU?

OH, BY THE WAY...

?

THANK YOU, FOR YESTERDAY... AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

I'M NOT SURE I QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN.

IF YOU DON'T GET IT, I'M NOT GOING TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

WELL, THEN.

AND SO, THE DAY OF THE WEDDING FINALLY ARRIVED.

HMM? I WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT WAS TOO EARLY FOR ROSES.

OH...!

THESE ARE ARTIFICIAL PETALS THAT HAVE BEEN SCENTED TO SMELL LIKE ROSES!