CHAPTER 03. The Duke’s Strange Desire

Bronwynner believed environment mattered more than innate temperament. Her birth was unremarkable and her upbringing likewise, but at least she could try to change her environment.

She had never experienced such a dramatic change in environment as in the past few weeks, making this the perfect time to feel its influence.

Truly, she felt like a different person.

Her conscious effort to forget the past added to this feeling. Except for the brief trip to Whittingham for the interview, she hadn’t left Crimsworth Court. Whenever Alec Bingham’s leaden face appeared in her mind, she would pound the piano keys or walk around the garden at a breathless pace until the memory faded.

Thanks to this, the events of that night gradually dimmed in her memory. As did her guilt about the diamond cufflinks hidden deep in her closet.

‘I didn’t steal them; he forced them on me.’

But they were payment for becoming Alec’s mistress. She found another justification for herself.

‘It’s not like I’m going to sell them for money.’

She had considered sending them to the Bathgate police station, but belatedly learned it was impossible to send something anonymously through the post office. She could take a train later when the opportunity arose and leave them secretly. When she could freely come and go from Crimsworth Court without Jeremy’s permission.

Apart from that, Bronwynner’s life proceeded smoothly.

She woke early to walk through the camellia forest or by the backyard pond. Generally, a lady shouldn’t show signs of being awake before eight in the morning, but neither Countess Windell nor Miss Jenkins prohibited this.

After quietly returning to her room and finishing her morning tea, a maid would come to inform her that her tutor was waiting. Once she had gone down before the maid arrived, and Miss Jenkins had sent her back up, saying a lady must wait patiently for invitations or announcements.

Mornings were spent cramming her head with knowledge like literature, history, and aesthetics, while afternoons were devoted to piano, waltz, and embroidery lessons, making the days pass quickly. New clothes arrived daily, which she had to model before Countess Windell and Maude.

Lunch was sometimes taken casually in the tea room, but dinner always required proper formality. Her employer, the Duke of Crimsworth, only occasionally appeared at dinner. Maude had hinted that he was normally very busy with the territory’s business, gentlemen’s social gatherings, and his own hobbies, so “paying this much attention to Miss Pemberton is already exceptional.”

When the letter announcing the admission date from the Whitman School arrived, Jeremy wasn’t home. Instead, an extremely excited Maude burst into the atelier with the letter in hand.

“Miss Pemberton! Let’s all celebrate your great achievement.”

“It’s not that significant.”

Bronwynner answered modestly. Maude waved the admission notice in front of her eyes.

“Why not? Miss Pemberton, you’re actually thrilled. You can’t fool my eyes.”

Rather than being unable to fool Maude’s eyes, Bronwynner simply couldn’t hide her joy well. Though she had strong patience, some emotions she felt more intensely. She was accustomed to suppressing anger, sadness, or fear, but not joy or pleasure.

Countess Windell suggested,

“Why don’t we go to Crimsworth Station to see the trains? Maude loves that.”

“No, we should do something more splendid.” Maude’s silver-gray eyes sparkled. “Let’s go to the Whittingham Theater!”

Seeing a proper performance at a theater had been Bronwynner’s dream, but she was reluctant to visit crowded places like Whittingham.

“Lord Crimsworth won’t allow me to go out.”

“That’s only if you go alone. There’s still so much interest in the Lovedale family’s ward. If you say you’re going with us, Jeremy will let you go.”

“Maude is right. Lord Crimsworth frequently visits Whittingham, so he might even escort us.”

At the countess’s agreement, Maude’s enthusiasm somehow deflated.

“But Jeremy hates things like plays…… Then who will escort us?”

The answer to Maude’s question came in the form of a visitor. The lord of Goldenborough, Count Derek Farraway, had stopped at Crimsworth while visiting Whittingham on business.

He shared his sister’s soft brown hair and milk-chocolate colored eyes, but his personality was quite different.

Not expecting his visit, Bronwynner found their first meeting awkward. Since Bronwynner Pemberton was supposedly the Duke of Crimsworth’s ward through Count Farraway’s introduction, both Maude and Countess Windell assumed she and the count were already acquainted.

Fortunately, he navigated the situation with natural ease.

“Miss Pemberton! I’m glad to see you doing well. You’ve become unrecognizably beautiful.”

Of course she would be. They had never met before.

She smiled awkwardly and lightly took his hand.

“Yes, thanks to you. Thank you, Lord Goldenborough.”

She thought that would be it, but this cheerful young man was rather talkative.

“Now I understand why Jeremy won’t let Miss Pemberton take a single step outside. I was just passing through Whittingham, and the gentlemen and ladies there asked so many questions about Miss Pemberton that I almost couldn’t make it here today.”

Ladies were one thing, but why gentlemen……?

She was confused. Maude quickly interjected.

“Lord Goldenborough, you’re absolutely right. Miss Pemberton will soon be thrown into the center of Whittingham society, but the poor thing is isolated in this boring Crimsworth. She needs some fresh air—please convince my brother.”

“Anyone listening would think there’s no wind in Crimsworth.”

Jeremy, who had been standing aside patiently observing this cheerful, talkative guest flirting with his ward, responded.

The count turned to him.

“Jeremy. How can you keep a lady who will soon be imprisoned in society confined to the house? Why not take her on an outing to Whittingham?”

Jeremy was a harsh employer to Bronwynner, a perfect nobleman to Countess Windell, and a generous if not affectionate brother to Maude. Bronwynner found it fascinating how the Count of Farraway addressed him with such familiarity.

Perhaps this was the essence of Jeremy Lovedale as a man.

A person who appears as others wish to see him.

That’s why his detachment could be read as arrogance, composure, or coldness. If there was one aspect of his personality that everyone recognized, it would probably be that crooked attitude.

Jeremy turned to Bronwynner.

“Miss Pemberton. Do you really want to visit Whittingham, which is just crowded, noisy, and dirty?”

Yes, exactly like this.

Bronwynner, unable to resist her rebellious feelings toward him for his sarcastic remarks despite her never having expressed a desire to visit the capital, and unable to ignore Maude’s pleading eyes, answered,

“I don’t mind places that are crowded, noisy, and dirty. ……Especially places like theaters.”

Count Farraway burst out laughing.

“See, Jeremy? Ladies need a change of scenery. There aren’t many theaters as nice as the Whittingham Opera House in Goldenborough. If you really don’t want to go, I’ll escort Miss Pemberton and the other ladies.”

Before Jeremy could speak, Maude quickly retrieved something from the reception room bookshelf. It was the opera house’s quarterly program catalog.

This revealed that the person who truly wanted to go to the theater was Maude herself, not Bronwynner, but fortunately no one pointed this out. Seeing that Jeremy didn’t make any more sarcastic remarks, it seemed he was willing to indulge his sister’s whim.

* * *

The Whittingham Opera House was a historic building over 200 years old.

The entrance roof was so dizzyingly high and the columns supporting it so enormous that Bronwynner nearly tumbled down the red-carpeted stairs while looking up at them.

“Careful, Miss Pemberton.”

Count Farraway lightly grasped her arm and then released it. He was cheerful yet kind, giving the impression of an older brother.

Taking advantage of Maude’s conversation with Countess Windell, the count leaned toward her and whispered softly,

“Miss Pemberton, you’re actually from Goldenborough, right? I’m genuinely happy to help someone from my hometown.”

Even if they were from the same place, he was the Count of Goldenborough, and she was a worker’s daughter. Her parents had paid taxes to the Farraway family.

“……How much do you know?”

“Only that Viscount Pemberton received a hefty bribe in exchange for gaining such a dazzlingly beautiful daughter.”

His eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Don’t worry. Despite appearances, I’m good at keeping secrets.”

Bronwynner returned a grateful smile. While increasing the number of people who knew her secret was generally something to be wary of, if Jeremy was her supervisor, this count felt more like an accomplice.

“Derek.”

Countess Windell called her brother. Her voice sounded troubled. When the count turned around, she handed him the theater pamphlet.

“The lead actor can’t perform, so the opera ended earlier than scheduled. They’re showing this play instead……”

He casually picked up where his sister left off.

“Then we’ll watch the play. We can’t turn back for such a reason after coming all this way. ……Ah.”

His eyes narrowed. Bronwynner wondered why.

He explained briefly,

“It’s a rather provocative piece for a young lady like Maude.”

Beyond the countess’s shoulder, Bronwynner could see the girl pretending to be captivated by the opera house’s luxurious hall and the crowd filling it.

⌜But Jeremy hates things like plays……⌟

Bronwynner sighed inwardly.

Maude must have somehow discovered that the performance schedule had suddenly changed from opera to play. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have specifically mentioned “play.” Then she had persuaded Count Farraway, who happened to visit, to escort them.

All to see this ‘provocative piece.’

A plan that was clever in intent but completely flawed in execution.

It was so typical of Maude.

At that age, it’s natural to want to try forbidden things, and since Maude sought stimulation, Bronwynner wasn’t particularly angry. It actually reminded her of Elise and Kaylee, making Maude seem endearing. Still, if the play had inappropriate content, it would be better to prevent her from seeing it. Sorry for Maude.

“How provocative is it……”

According to Miss Jenkins, dramatic popular plays were especially trendy among Whittingham nobility lately. Thanks to the remarkable advancement in stage production techniques in recent years, directors and actors were making new attempts every day.

“It’s not just the production……”

As the count began to speak, a heavy bell sound resonated through the hall. It was the bell announcing the start of the performance.

“Miss Pemberton, Your Lordship, aren’t you coming?”

Maude already had one foot on the stairs leading to the box seats. Elegantly dressed ladies and the men escorting them passed by the girl.