Chapter 6 – Chester (Part 10)

The main topic of conversation during lunch was, of course, the hunt. The two men talked about their preferences and experiences with hunting, sharing stories of favorite hunting grounds and memorable game, along with humble yet subtly boastful tales of prowess. They were so engrossed in their conversation that Evelyn had no opportunity to join in.

The two gentlemen seemed closer after their shooting competition. Jared’s attitude towards Bryant was kinder than before. This confused Evelyn. 

Did he genuinely like the man, or was he hiding his wariness?  The Jared Glenn I knew would likely be the latter, but could he still be the same after all this time?

3 years and 4 months. That is enough time for a person’s thoughts and habits to change, as it did for Evelyn.

Until she returned to her room after lunch, and even while cooling her head in her private space, Evelyn couldn’t quite shake off those thoughts.

She stood up just before 3 PM. It was time for tea, and she intended to go to the drawing room. Having finished reading the manuscript Bryant had given her, she planned to discuss it with him. Although sharing impressions of someone else’s work was daunting, she also looked forward to discussing the novel she had enjoyed reading.

The butler knocked on the door just as she was about to leave the room.

“Miss Dale. His Grace, the Duke of Windberg, has invited you to the tea room.”

Evelyn wanted to refuse the courteous message. She didn’t even ask if she was the only one invited by His Grace.

She didn’t need to ask such a foolish question. Evelyn knew much better than the butler that she was the only one to have tea with the Duke.

The butler led her to the first-floor tea room. It was Evelyn’s first time visiting this place. Despite staying in the mansion for four days, there were still many rooms she hadn’t seen.

When the butler opened the door, Evelyn’s first impression of the inside was that it was “white.”

The afternoon light poured in through the west-facing windows. The crystal decorations of the chandelier sparkled brilliantly. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all white. It was a room as white as a swan’s nest.

Jared’s black hair and clothes stood out even more against this backdrop.

He was seated facing the entrance. He made eye contact with Evelyn but merely stared at her silently. He did not stand up to greet her, nor did she expect such manners from him.

The table was set to serve tea to the guest. There were a pot and two teacups, as well as plates with cookies and cakes. Evelyn glanced at them briefly before looking back at the man. Jared still watched her without a word of welcome.

Only after she hesitated and took a few steps in, and the butler closed the door, did he speak.

“Sit.”

It was not a particularly polite tone.

On her way here, she had thought of a few things to say to him. Comments like how it was fortunate he wasn’t hurt on the horse earlier, how busy he seemed here, and how grateful she was that the servants took good care of her. Facing him was still extremely uncomfortable, but she had resolved not to be rude. He was now someone unrelated to her, and it was proper to show courtesy to such people.

However, seeing his attitude toward her, her desire to do so vanished. She was neither a servant employed by the Duke nor someone who had to follow his orders. Evelyn had no intention of being polite to someone who didn’t show her any courtesy.

“I didn’t expect to be invited to such an occasion.”

That’s why she responded in a sarcastic tone. With a cold face, she sat across from him, showing her reluctance.

“You don’t need to go through such trouble for me, Your Grace. If you wish to save your precious time, I will gladly understand.”

Evelyn spoke with her eyes lowered. The teacup, silver spoon, and shining tea fork on the table came into view. The man opposite did not reply immediately. He seemed taken aback by her provocative words. Then she heard a light snort.

“I must fulfill my duties as a host.”

Jared extended an arm and picked up the pot. Evelyn shifted her gaze to his hand. His long, pale fingers grasped the white pot.

“Having invited a guest, I should at least serve tea to somewhat make up for the neglect.”

His leisurely tone seemed to tease, yet the hand pouring the tea was steady. He leaned forward to pour tea into the lady’s cup first. His movements with the tea set were quite adept.

“I’m sorry to say, but it would have been better if you hadn’t invited me here in the first place. Then I wouldn’t feel this uncomfortable, and Your Grace wouldn’t have to deal with this inconvenience while being busy.”

“I’m sorry to have made you uncomfortable. But unfortunately, I’m not in a position to refuse the Empress’s request.”

Jared replied without batting an eye. He neither hardened his face nor sneered. He simply poured tea into his cup slowly and set the pot down, saying,

“If you were so reluctant to come, you should have asked Mr. Clifton to persuade Her Majesty the Empress.”

Mr. Clifton. Evelyn’s lips slightly stiffened.

“He seems to care for you quite attentively.”

Jared looked into the woman’s eyes as he said this. Evelyn did not avoid his gaze. 

Don’t avoid it. Answer calmly. 

That was all she could think of.

“He’s the one publishing my work.”

“Do all publishers take care of their authors like that?”

“That depends on the person.”

“Why didn’t you ask him for help? Aren’t you close enough?”

“Even if we were, asking someone to overturn Her Majesty the Empress’s wishes isn’t something easily done.”

“It could be done if you really didn’t want to come.”

After speaking, Jared picked up his teacup. Thanks to his natural lowering of his gaze, Evelyn was freed from his stare. She held her hands together under the table. Her fingertips were cold.

The man leisurely drank his tea. Watching him, Evelyn thought. 

Why did he call me here? What is the purpose of this meeting? Is he trying to test me?

Test what?

“Drink. Before it gets cold.”

Jared looked at her with the teacup in his hand. Evelyn hesitated, looking down before reluctantly picking up her teacup. She was inwardly surprised by how light the pure white porcelain felt. The yellowish tea had a unique fragrance.

“It’s marigold tea.”

The man said. The woman looked up at him with the teacup at her lips. His eyes watched her intently, as if waiting for a reaction. Their gazes met, almost clashing.

The fragrant smell of the flower tea mingled with the steam and rose. Evelyn cautiously sipped a mouthful. The temperature of the tea was just right, and the aroma was subtle. Even after swallowing, a sweet taste lingered on her tongue.

“It’s nice.”

She said, lowering the teacup to her chest. It wasn’t just a formal compliment. The tea was genuinely good.

Jared showed no particular response to her words. Instead of nodding or smiling, he brought his teacup to his lips and took another sip. Evelyn, sitting silently, also took another sip. The time in the tea room was mainly for conversation, yet the two of them were drinking tea without saying a word.

Jared spoke again after a short while.

“That’s cheesecake.”

“…….”

“I heard that in Chester, there are many dairies, so there’s a lot of fresh cheese.”

Evelyn looked up at him. Then she looked at the piece of cake in front of her. 

Was he suggesting I try it? 

As she glanced down at the shining tea fork, she felt a sudden sense of absurdity. 

Here I am, eating cake in front of this man. And I’ll say this cake is delicious too. Will he then suggest I try the cookies? And kindly pour me another cup of tea?

Are we really in a position to sit across from each other, drinking tea and eating cake?

For a moment, Evelyn recalled the drawing room in Maxville. She thought of the tea she drank there. And the honey cake. She remembered herself devouring that sweet piece of cake. Surprisingly, an emotion stirred. Was it a remnant of anger? Or a trace of self-reproach?

“How is Lady Glenn doing?”

Her tone sounded sharper than she intended. Jared looked at her with the teacup in hand. Evelyn met his green eyes. They, too, seemed a bit sharp.

“It’s kind of you to inquire about my family’s well-being despite your discomfort.”

“I’m not so forgetful of basic manners.”

“That’s a relief. I was just contemplating whether I should let you go since you seemed so unwilling to share a cup of tea with me.”

With a bitter smile, he set down his teacup. Then, with a clinking sound, he began to speak.

“Since you asked so politely, I should answer. Sister-in-law Veronia has left Maxville. She took the child with her since he’s still young, but once he grows a bit, I intend to bring him back. My mother is very attached to the child, as he’s the child my brother left behind. He’s also her only grandchild. But my sister-in-law wants to have sole custody. To avoid it turning into a lawsuit, we need to finish negotiations before the child grows too much, so Mr. Milton has been having quite a headache lately.”

Jared summarized the whereabouts of people she hadn’t inquired about. It was as if he was saying, “Does it relieve you to know that everyone in Maxville is this unhappy?” Evelyn was left speechless by the unexpected news.

“It seems my family’s well-being is, overall, not very good.”

“…I’m sorry to hear that.”

“How is your mother doing?”

At the returned question, Evelyn hesitated for a very brief moment before saying,

“I believe she’s well.”

She could distinctly feel the man’s eyes on her face. Jared looked at her in silence for a moment, then murmured as if sighing.

“You’re still the same.”

Evelyn slowly raised her eyes. She met the man’s face. A face that had turned cold.

“You’re a cold person.”