The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 29

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS (1)

WOW...!

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ACTUALLY VISITING A SUPPLY SHOP FOR ARTISTS!

THERE ARE SO MANY SUPPLIES HERE THAT I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF BEFORE!!

ARE THOSE PAINTS...?

CAN I HELP YOU FIND ANYTHING...

MY LADY?

I'M HERE TO BUY A GIFT. WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?

OF COURSE.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF ITEMS THAT WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT GIFT FOR...

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WITH PINK HAIR BEFORE.

HOLD ON, COULD THIS BE THE RUMOURED NEW DUCHESS?

THE ONE WHO SELECTED ALL THE WORKS OF THE ARTIST OF THE YEAR...

THE RISING STAR OF THE ART WORLD!

IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING, FOR WHOM MIGHT YOU BE PURCHASING THIS GIFT?

OH, MY SISTER HAPPENS TO ENJOY PAINTING AS A HOBBY.

BUT I'M NOT MUCH OF AN ARTIST, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE.

IN THAT CASE, YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH PAINT.

SHALL I RECOMMEND A FEW BRANDS FOR YOU...

...DUCHESS BRISTON?

OH, YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

OF COURSE!

YOU'RE ALREADY FAMOUS FOR YOUR KEEN EYE FOR NEW TALENT.

BESIDES, IF YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CAPITAL...

YOU NEED TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND TRENDS.

IT'S A LITTLE EMBARRASSING, BUT I CAN'T SAY I'M NOT FLATTERED.

IN THAT CASE, I'LL PUT MY FULL FAITH IN YOUR JUDGMENT, MY LADY.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHOW ME ANYTHING YOU'D RECOMMEND.

THE PRICE DOESN'T MATTER.

WINK GOTTA KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES.

IN THAT CASE, LET ME SHOW YOU THE NEW WATERCOLORS FROM WALTER & NEWMAN!

WALTER & NEWMAN FOR ARTIST

IT'S MADE WITH GLYCERINE, WHICH MAKES IT VERY EASY TO USE!

WALTER & NEWMAN, YOU SAY?

IT MELTS AND SOLIDIFIES IN A FLASH.

YES, IT MAY BE A NEW COMPANY...

BUT THEY'RE ALREADY KNOWN FOR THEIR QUALITY PRODUCTS.

THEIR LATEST LINE IS ESPECIALLY POPULAR, THANKS TO THE NEW CONTAINERS THEY'VE DEVELOPED.

IT SHOWS OFF THE COLOR INSIDE...

WHILE BEING MUCH LIGHTER THAN THE ANIMAL-SKIN POUCHES OTHER BRANDS USE.

IS THIS... GLASS?

IT IS.

IT REQUIRES DELICATE HANDLING, BUT THE CONVENIENCE IS WELL WORTH IT.

I GUESS IT'S STILL TOO EARLY FOR PAINT TUBES.

WAIT... WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS LOGO BEFORE?

OH, I KNOW!

THIS IS THE COMPANY THAT WILL EVENTUALLY INVENT THE PAINT TUBES!

IT WAS A HUGE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ART WORLD, AS I RECALL.

ANRI'S

FUN ART FACTS

WALTER & NEWMAN SAW THE POTENTIAL IN THE PAINT TUBES THAT AN ARTIST "INVENTED" FOR PERSONAL USE...

AND PURCHASED THE PATENT.

THEY ADDED THE "SCREW CAP" FEATURE, AND THE PAINT TUBE WAS BORN.

INVENTOR

THE NEW TUBES MEANT THAT PAINTS COULD BECOME MORE PORTABLE THAN EVER BEFORE...

AND ARTISTS BEGAN TO CARRY THEIR SUPPLIES OUTDOORS TO PAINT THE MANY SCENES OF NATURE.

AND THIS IS HOW...

"IMPRESSIONISM" CAME INTO BEING, USHERING IN THE MODERN ERA.

THIS MASTERPIECE ONLY TOOK THREE HOURS TO FINISH!

SINCE PAINT TUBES AREN'T ON THE MARKET...

PERHAPS THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INVENTED YET?

AM I...

...ABOUT TO WITNESS A REVOLUTION TAKE PLACE?

ANAIS, WE NEED TO MOVE FAST!

I MIGHT HAVE MORE THINGS TO DO TODAY THAN I THOUGHT.

HUH?

OH, BUT FIRST, WE NEED TO BUY EUNICE'S PRESENT...!

COULD I HAVE TWO SETS OF THESE, AND YOUR FINEST BRUSHES... AT EVERY SIZE, PLEASE.

OF COURSE, MY LADY!!!

OH, AND THIS... AND THAT...

OH DEAR...

LOOK AT THE TIME...!

SIR STEWART! DUCHESS BRISTON IS HERE TO SEE YOU.

J-JUST A MINUTE, PLEASE!

IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, DUCHESS BRISTON!

THE PLEASURE IS ALL MINE.

I'M HONORED THAT YOU CAME ALL THIS WAY TO SEE ME, MY LADY.

PLEASE, COME ON IN.

HELEN, COULD YOU BRING SOME TEA...?

JUST A MINUTE, PLEASE.

ANAIS.

COULD YOU GO GET SOME CHOCOLATE BON-BONS, PLEASE?

FEEL FREE TO TAKE YOUR TIME, MAYBE DO SOME SIGHTSEEING.

YES, MY LADY.

...?!

IS IT SO SERIOUS THAT SHE HAS TO SEND AWAY HER LADY IN WAITING...?

MARRIAGE CONTRACT

AS THE ONE WHO DRAFTED OUR MARRIAGE CONTRACT, I TRUST THAT YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF MY SITUATION.

YES, MY LADY. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO YOUR CONTRACT?

NO, THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE.

THE DURATION OF THIS MARRIAGE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS, RIGHT?

YES, MY LADY.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER IN REGARDS TO THE NEW IDENTITY I'LL BE ASSUMING AT THE END OF THIS CONTRACT.

WELL, THAT'S...

...MENTIONED IN ARTICLE ELEVEN, IN REGARDS TO THE FUNDS YOU'LL BE ENTITLED TO.

IT SAYS HERE THAT THE FUNDS WILL BE SENT TO AN ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED UNDER A MADE-UP RELATIVE'S NAME...

DID YOU WANT TO EXPAND THIS SECTION?

YES. I HAVE AN IDENTITY IN MIND.

HE SEEMS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN DOWN TO BUSINESS.

I SEE!

I WAS ACTUALLY MEANING TO ASK MORE ABOUT THIS DURING MY NEXT VISIT!

YOU'VE SAVED ME A LOT OF TROUBLE BY COMING TO ME FIRST. THANK YOU, MY LADY.

OH, MAYBE NOT THAT DIFFERENT.

I'D LIKE YOU TO USE THIS NAME AS MY NEW IDENTITY.

IT'S MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME.

OH, OF COURSE.

eph Stewart

IT'S MUCH LESS SERIOUS THAN I WAS EXPECTING.

LET'S SEE... THIS LOOKS LIKE A FRENCH NAME.

WHY WOULD SHE COME ALL THIS WAY JUST TO DISCUSS THIS?

I ALSO HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU...

OH, HERE COMES THE TRUE REASON WHY SHE'S HERE.

YES, MY LADY?

ARE YOU FREE THIS AFTERNOON?

I CLEARED MY ENTIRE SCHEDULE FOR YOU, DUCHESS!

I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT!

BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO ACCOMPANY ME SOMEWHERE.

OF COUR— WAIT, WHAT?

WHO? ME?

THEY MUST HAVE FINISHED TALKING BY NOW.

BUT... WHERE IS THE CARRIAGE?

DID SHE HEAD BACK ALREADY?

MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES, MY LORD...

BUT SIR STEWART IS CURRENTLY OUT OF THE OFFICE.

WHERE— NO, BEFORE THAT...

DID DUCHESS BRISTON ALREADY LEAVE FOR HOME?

WELL...

...THE TWO OF THEM LEFT TOGETHER...

BUT THEY DIDN'T SAY WHERE THEY WERE GOING.

TOGETHER...? HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN GONE?

DUKE BRISTON?

OH?

SIR STEWART.

WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE, MY LORD?