Garden of May - Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Oh, and one more thing.” Harold stopped her again as she attempted to pass. Vanessa looked at him questioningly, and he shook his head firmly. “Do not go into the garden for the time being. There’s electrical work being done, and the ground is uneven. New workers have been brought in from outside as well.”
“New workers?”
“Yes. They will be renovating the abandoned annex, hunting grounds, and gardens one by one.”
“Renovating? Suddenly?” Vanessa blinked in surprise. Her uncle spent lavishly on his own pleasures, but hoarded every penny otherwise. He had even sold off the family’s tenant farms to pay off his debts, so where did he find the money…?
“The guest quarters will be prioritized. The east wing’s reception room, the hunting grounds, the front yard, and the fishing pond will be first. Then the maze garden, the backyard, the west wing, and lastly, the rose garden. That’s the furthest out, so people rarely go there anyway.” Harold explained, ticking off each location on his fingers. He suddenly opened a window and frowned. The faint shouts grew louder. It seemed a fight had broken out among the newly hired laborers.
Men, covered in dust, grappled and rolled on the ground, clutching at each other’s collars. They tumbled into a cart laden with materials, causing the precariously stacked items to sway dangerously.
“Whoa! That’s going to collapse!” The workers, who had been watching the fight with amusement, finally lumbered over. Harold sighed and shook his head at the spectacle. “It seems this summer will be anything but quiet.”
Vanessa silently agreed. This summer promised to be long and noisy.
* * *
The faces of the soldiers, filling the old train station, were alight with the anticipation of a long leave. Trains arrived from all directions, briefly paused to engulf a wave of men, then hurried off to their respective destinations.
Theodore stood apart from the bustling crowd, accepting a letter from a messenger. The young officer’s smooth brow furrowed as he read. Sergeant River Ross, keenly attuned to his superior’s displeasure, cautiously inquired, “Bad news, sir?”
“No.” His reply was casual, yet the letter crumpled mercilessly in his large hand. River Ross, looking as if he’d swallowed a frog, gazed up at his superior with concern.
If the letter had been one of the countless love letters that bombarded the Admiralty’s mailbox daily, causing such disposal problems, it wouldn’t evoke such a visible reaction. Most of those letters ended up in the bin unopened anyway. This one didn’t bear the Ingram royal crest on its seal.
“A soldier’s mail is all the same. Inquiries about well-being, any injuries. That sort of thing.”
“But you seem rather…”
“Hm?”
“…displeased.”
Theodore chuckled, dropping the crumpled letter into the outstretched hands of the messenger, along with a gleaming gold coin. He could have easily brushed it off with a different explanation, but his sergeant always opted for blunt honesty. In Theodore’s world, that was a valuable trait. A consistent, almost foolishly upright man. Far more trustworthy than the calculating and frivolous types.
“My grandmother is rather persistent. It seems she hasn’t given up yet.”
“Was it regarding a marriage proposal, sir…?”
“An annual ritual I must endure with every leave. Lectures on marriage, engagements, even just courting.” The words tasted like ash in his mouth. He didn’t mind the company of women, but the prospect of a serious relationship filled him with a deep aversion. He had abandoned the hope of a normal courtship, or a respectable marriage, at the age of eight. The very day his mother died attempting to elope with the family chauffeur.
Nothing was as dreadful and hollow as the word ‘love.’ Theodore had learned that lesson earlier than most. His parents had married after six years of courtship, each other’s first love, yet their story ended in bitter hatred and death.
“It seems the Dowager Duchess of Batenberg is determined to shove her war-hero grandson into the royal court.” Theodore felt the lingering chill of cynicism as he placed a thin cigarette between his lips. He was quite fond of these cheap, army-issued smokes. He resisted the urge to light it immediately, instead holding the end firmly between his teeth.
The sky was exceptionally clear. Sunlight poured through the massive arched window, and the distant cries of gulls drifted on the air. Theodore gazed at the dazzling scene for a moment, then adjusted his white navy cap. “Officer River Ross, what are your plans for summer leave?”
