Chapter 103
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"The governor is coming?"
"Yeah!"
Murray's thick palm slapped Noah's bewildered back. He took a drag from the thick cigar he held between his other fingers, then pulled one out of the case and handed it to Noah.
"No, thanks."
"I want you to know it's my wish to share a cigar with you."
Murray smirked and closed the cigarette case.
"It's called the Lotra Club, you've heard of it, of course you have, being from the mainland."
The Lotra Club was the largest racetrack on the mainland. It was famous for attracting the nobility of the most prominent families, as well as the Emperor himself, who traveled there every season.
"I bet you didn't know that our governor is also a rumored horse racing gambler."
He chuckled and stubbed out his cigarette.
"He's looking to build up his horse racing business in a big way, and with the federal government pushing for full legalization, the water is well and truly under the bridge. Soon there's going to be a huge racetrack in Angus, like the Lotra Club. Apparently, one of the investors introduced our farm to him. Can you believe it? Of all the dozens of horse farms in Angus, how did they find this one?!"
"...."
Noah's mouth dropped open in thought. It was amazing. Cotter's Farm was growing rapidly, but it wasn't big enough to be a state-level operation.
"I can't tell you how many times I've bragged to the governor about you, that you're the best picker of racehorses in the Commonwealth, if not the world!"
Me?
"Anyway, I want you to get ready. Buy some clothes, and here."
A wad of money was placed in front of him. Noah folded his hand in disbelief. Murray gave him a stern look and shoved it further in front of him.
"If only you could get Dorothy one, too."
"For Dorothy...?"
"I was thinking of offering her a position as my maid."
Noah was genuinely stunned and froze in place. A beat too late, he came to his senses and opened his mouth.
"But, Mr. Murray, we don't intend to continue working here."
"Huh?"
Murray burst out laughing and slapped Noah on the back again.
"Don't be so judgmental about the world, Dorothy was just offered a job as a maid….”
Just then, the door opened and someone walked in.
"Oh, Nina!"
Murray beamed as she entered, carrying a tray. On the tray were whiskey, glasses, and fruit.
Noah watched the woman bustle about. She was so similar to Dana, from her height and build to her innocent air.
Watching her tiny hands move carefully made his heart flutter.
..... I miss you.
Nina wore a plaid blouse over her gray maid's uniform. Earrings dangled from her earlobes, and she wore a nice coat of blush on her cheeks.
"Here, have a drink."
Murray handed him a glass. Hesitantly, Noah took a cautious sip.
"Don't drink too much. I'm worried.”
Naturally, he thought of Dana. He often drank to socialize with the Merchants, and there had been quite a few times when he'd gotten so drunk that he couldn't get up the next day.
Dana used to worry about him.
“You know,” she said, 'I care about you and Dorothy much more than I care about the teahouse.”
The words made Noah feel both elation and despair.
He felt jealous sometimes, even of Dorothy, so how much more about any other man?
Even in the parsonage, Dana had always attracted the attention of men. Ever since the salt tea had become so popular, there had been more than a few men who'd deliberately come over and hit on her.
Some of them were decent enough, but she didn't even give them a second glance. Dana always drew a line in the sand. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from her overly wary of men.
Theodore Macmilan.
The man who broke her and made her run away.
And because of him, Dana had closed herself off to the opposite sex. From Dorothy's account, he had been Dana’s constant tormentor on the Shore.
Male masters who abused their servants and indulged their perverse desires were plentiful. Maybe he'd even tried his hand at Dana.
When was this?
Probably not long after they settled into the parsonage. On the feast of St. Michael, they joined Dorothy at a village festival, dancing and drinking all night.
But when they returned home, Dana suddenly burst into tears.
Noah couldn't help but feel white in the face as she burst into tears without saying a word.
He wanted her to confide in him, to lean on him, but she never did.
If he hadn't been forced into the situation, he wouldn't have even allowed the fake marriage.
"What are you going to do if you find a girl you really want to marry?”
Noah felt miserable when Dana said that with a stark refusal.
"...."
Murray glanced at Noah, who looked a little dazed, then suddenly raised his hand toward Nina.
"You should come over here and sit down."
Murray gestured to the seat next to Noah. Nina hesitated, but did as she was told. Noah turned around and exchanged eye contact with her.
"By the way, I noticed you two are about the same age."
"Oh, is that so?"
Murray smirked at them both.
"You should have a drink, too."
Murray poured a drink and handed it to Nina. Noah was surprised again; Murray usually paid no attention to his maids, and the fact that he'd offered Dorothy the position of maidservant had come as a surprise to his ears.
Nina's slender arm reached out and took the glass, and she took a sip.
"How are you? Isn't the work hard?"
"No, I'm fine."
Nina replied, smiling sheepishly.
"Noah,"
Murray suddenly looked back at Noah.
"I need you to take care of Nina."
"She's ....?"
"She just lost her family."
Noah's eyes widened slightly, and he stared at Nina, who looked forlorn. After watching them both, Murray poured himself a drink. More than enough to overflow.
"Here's something to drown your sorrows. Here!"
The glasses clinked. Each man's drink went into his own mouth.
Murray's goal was simple and clear.
To get Noah and Nina, two young people, drunk.
To make them intoxicated and unaware of what had happened all night.
Tilly Bryson had nailed it: never do anything illegal. In such a situation, there was no other way to ignite a couple who had just met, a married man and an unmarried woman.
To liven things up, Murray played a little trick with the drinks. It wasn't illegal in Angus, and there was nothing wrong with a married man spending the night with a woman who wasn't his wife.
Tomorrow morning, the two would be entangled in an unsavory affair, regardless of the truth.
‘But in the end, it's all for his own good.’
Murray had always cared for Noah. Noah was a trainer with great potential. He's not a vessel to be tied down to a tearoom, which was why Murray felt a little resentment towards his wife, Dana Miller.
Murray watched Noah and Nina with a clear conscience.
***
After visiting the exhibit, the four went to eat at a nearby restaurant. It was an upscale restaurant on the lakeshore.
It was not just any aristocrat, but the heir to a prestigious family. The restaurant's owner, chef, and staff lined up at the entrance and greeted them politely.
A twelve-course meal was served under an exotic octagonal-roofed gazebo.
A harp was played throughout the meal, starting with an aperitif performance by a soothing baritone.
The food was excellent. Enjoying the finest lamb served on exotic china with consommé, asparagus, and oat floral designs while overlooking the water's edge in the distance was an experience not for the faint of heart. Add in the bronze lamps that lit up as the sun set, and the mood was ripe.
But Dana couldn't enjoy a moment of it.
Her wristwatch was handcuffed to her arm, and her eyes were dizzy from the image of ‘Eighth Avenue’. She couldn't concentrate on the conversation.
"You need someone to help you.”
"A man who will stand by your side, a man of strength and power, so that you can continue to do something worthwhile.”
No matter how calmly she reflected on it, it sounded like he truly wanted to help her.
Her heart pounded wildly, as if she'd just heard a confession of love.
Her eyes flicked to Theodore, who must have felt it too, for he turned his head in her direction, but Dana couldn't bear it and looked away.
"Gourmet food has been a fad among the gentlemen of the mainland for a very long time, hasn't it? I think it's only just catching on in the Federation, and we certainly lag far behind in culture and the arts."
Olivia talked nonstop. Her gestures were so large that her white, fine fingernails constantly brushed his arms and shoulders.
No matter how much Dana denied it in her head, she couldn't control her emotions and sensations.
Dana liked Olivia, liked her personality, her tastes, her cheerful way with words, but the only thing she didn't like was what she did around Theodore, and there was no way to explain the fluttering unpleasantness in her stomach other than jealousy.
“You wanted to clear the past, and all I have is this.”
"What's left between us now?”
He asked a question Dana had never asked before, and it terrified her.
“Do you really think I've changed?”
“Well, I'm not so sure.”
His eyes were twisted somehow. His affectionate tone was sometimes cold, and his demeanor often sent ambiguous messages. Who wouldn't be confused by his dual persona?
After acting so strangely, so misleadingly, Theodore disappeared as soon as he left the room. As if on cue, he reverted to his gentlemanly self, standing by Olivia's side.
"I've prepared this dessert especially for the two of you."
The small cake that came out toward the end of the meal was topped with tiny flags symbolizing the Empire and the Federation. It was as if everyone already knew that the two were lovers.
When they had finished eating, Olivia looked back at Dana.
"I heard there's a botanical garden nearby, do you want to come with me?"
Dana draped her brush over her chilled shoulders.
"I'm sorry, but I'd really like to get back home now, and I've finished talking to Mr. Macmilan about the investment, so you two can talk comfortably without interruption."
"I'll count myself out, there's nothing worse than being caught between lovers."
Mr. Wisburne said jokingly.
They exited the restaurant. Theodore didn't stop Olivia as she put her arm around him.
What a weak, deceitful heart.
Dana shuddered again at the fire in her chest.
At the ready carriage, Dana turned back to the two of them.
"Thank you for the experience."
"It's a shame, I was hoping to go with Mrs. Miller."
"Yes, me too."
"Ah."
Olivia called out to her as she turned around after exchanging a formal greeting.
"How about this? I'd like to take you two somewhere nice for the weekend. I hear they're very famous for their midnight cocktails."
Mr. Wisburne declined, saying he had a prior engagement, and Dana paused to think. Theodore, who had been silent the entire time, stepped forward.
"Come," he said, "because contrary to what you think, I don't think we're done talking, and I promise I'll give you a definite answer that day."
The watch on her wrist weighed heavily on her heart. The arteries beneath her skin pulsed as if she'd been caught by him.
"Yes, Mrs. Miller. We need to talk."
Wisburne interrupted when he thought Theodore was talking about the investment.
"So when you're sure of your position, be sure to let me know."
"I'm trying to show you that I can help you, or I can ruin you.”
And then her belief faded again, and she realized that Theodore's demeanor had never been the same.
What could he really mean?
She had felt similarly before.
Theodore's eyes, his words, made Dana feel like she was in hot and cold water, but it wasn't a lukewarm confusion anymore. Her consciousness was a chaotic mix of ice and fire.
"Yes, if you'd like to invite me."
She replied, deliberately looking Theodore straight in the eye.
Then the carriage door opened.
The entire ride home, Dana couldn't help but shiver. The wind had grown fierce, and she pulled her shawl tighter around her and braced herself against the whip-like chill.
***
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Peached (Sunday, 29 December 2024 11:39)
Thank you Dora and Virginie!!!