Chapter 14
While she was steadying her emotions, the gardener approached cautiously, clutching his hat.
“Um, you’re a guest, right?”
A guest.
Julia no longer knew whether she should answer yes or no.
But the answer came unexpectedly quickly from the young gardener’s mouth.
“His Grace said so himself. That you are a valued guest, and that you are to be treated with courtesy…”
“……”
“I apologize for startling you. H-His Grace repeatedly emphasized that we must provide perfect hospitality to our guest, and if he were to learn that I behaved so clumsily…”
Only then did Julia understand what the young gardener was worried about.
Believing Julia to be Duke Drexton’s ‘precious guest’, the young gardener was anxiously afraid that his immature handling of the situation might reach the Duke’s ears and earn him punishment.
“I’ve already forgotten about it.”
That was about all Julia could say. Only then did the young man seem relieved, letting out a breath he’d been holding.
“Would you like to see the greenhouse? Missus, your nose has turned red from the cold. Please warm yourself a bit inside the greenhouse.”
Once he felt reassured that she wouldn’t report him, his attitude became much friendlier. For Julia, his familiarity felt somewhat uncomfortable, yet at the same time, it was fascinating to see how that child from long ago had grown up like this.
She realized that rejecting him curtly would likely only make the young man flustered again. Julia gave a faint nod, barely perceptible.
The gardener guided Julia to the glass greenhouse without touching her at all. When the greenhouse door opened, warm air enveloped them.
Inside, flowers bloomed luxuriantly, as if winter had been forgotten. The harmony of warm air and beautiful blossoms brought a faint smile to Julia’s lips.
“You can sit here and enjoy the view. This way.”
The gardener looked excited. Perhaps he was planning to boast to Mary about how skillfully he had attended to and pleased a guest.
Julia obediently sat where the young gardener guided her. It felt as though all manner of vine flowers might tumble into her arms. The rich fragrance made her head spin slightly.
“This is the pride of the ducal estate in winter, Missus. What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful.”
So much so that it made her want to live here forever.
Julia answered vaguely, a little dazed. Seeing that she had fully relaxed, the gardener laughed heartily and asked whether she would like some tea.
When Julia nodded without a word, the gardener stepped out of the greenhouse and soon returned with a brass kettle sending up steam.
“Your name?”
As far as Julia knew, the former gardener’s son had been named Theodore.
“Teo.”
As expected.
Teo poured water into the tea set prepared for guests and steeped the leaves. He didn’t seem accustomed to such tasks, getting the order slightly wrong and making awkward gestures. Julia quietly let it pass.
With a sense of curiosity, she stared at Teo’s face. It was surprising to see traces of the chubby child of five or six lingering in the young man’s features.
Julia silently drank the tea, which was more bitter than what a seasoned servant would brew. At the same time, she found Teo very comfortable to be around. Coachman Matthew and Head Maid Mary were like ticking time bombs, people who might recognize Julia at any moment.
But Teo would surely not remember her. Given how young he had been, that was far more natural.
The sense of anonymity made Julia’s previously hunched chest straighten. By then, she even began to find this much younger young man rather endearing.
The two chatted lightly in the greenhouse. The topic was mostly Duke Drexton. Like his father before him, Teo had a carefree and talkative personality.
Even when Julia didn’t say much, the conversation never lapsed into silence.
“I really thought His Grace would never marry, Missus. But then he suddenly declared he would.”
When the topic of Duke Drexton’s marriage came up so abruptly, Julia’s back stiffened reflexively. But Teo, oblivious, didn’t notice anything odd about her reaction. For Julia, that was a relief.
“And that was only a few weeks ago. It was incredibly sudden.”
How should I respond.
After a moment of thought, Julia smiled softly.
“To think you believed he would remain a bachelor for life. He’s only twenty-eight, after all.”
“Well, that’s true.”
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