In the end, Eloise finished her dessert.

“This is delicious. Is it vanilla cream?”

“It is, isn’t it? I devised a new recipe, but Mr. Palmer dislikes sweets, and Sergeant Thornton doesn’t eat them at all, so I had no one to ask. Since you like it, I can add it to Blissbury’s menu without any worries.”

“Really? Could you share the recipe with me?”

“Oh my, I’ll tell you in a year. If I tell you now, Emily will make it even better than I do in no time, and I do have my pride.”

“Oh dear, I guess I’ll have to follow you around for a year. I’ll be at Blissbury every day, craning my neck, waiting for your dessert to appear.”

“Oh my, then I should extend it to three years. You have no idea how lonely I’ve been since you stopped coming to Blissbury. As you can see, Sergeant Thornton isn’t exactly the type to keep this old woman company.”

Mrs. Parker’s voice was loud enough for Ryan to hear, and he gave a wry smile.

Then, he imagined Eloise actually following Mrs. Parker around.

She would probably chatter nonstop until she finally got the recipe. And whenever she saw him, she would frown, just as she always did.

According to the staff at Blissbury, Eloise used to spend a great deal of time there before he arrived.

When the banquet season approached, she would even stay for weeks to oversee the preparations.

That must mean that preparing for the summer banquet was no easy task.

Even though he had taken over the paperwork, he still needed guidance in many aspects.

If she could stay and help with the preparations as she did before, it would be ideal…

Ryan suddenly realized what he was thinking and shook his head to clear away the thought.

“Sergeant Thornton?”

Eloise looked at him curiously as he shook his head.

“It’s nothing. Miss Eloise, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to review a few more documents before you leave.”

At his words, Eloise let out a small groan and sighed. But then she nodded.

“Alright. Since my father isn’t here, I’m the only one who can explain these documents anyway. Besides, rather than making another trip later, it’s better to finish everything today.”

“Oh dear, Sergeant, don’t finish everything today. That way, Miss Eloise will have a reason to return.”

Mrs. Parker quickly interjected, sensing Eloise’s determination to complete her work in one go.

Ryan chuckled at her words and nodded.

“I suppose I’ll have to create extra work just for you, then.”

“Yes, that’s reassuring. In that case, I’ll prepare a few more desserts for Miss Eloise to take home while you two handle your business.”

Humming cheerfully, Mrs. Parker made her way to the kitchen.

Ryan led Eloise back to the study.

“It’s not just because of Mrs. Parker’s request—there are genuinely a lot of difficult aspects to figure out. If placing an order causes this much trouble, I can’t wait to see what other issues arise.”

“That’s inevitable. The Blissbury Summer Banquet is the biggest event in the region, so all sorts of things happen. So, what else do you need to ask about?”

“The seating arrangement for the banquet dinner. There’s a chart from last year, but as I understand it, these arrangements usually change yearly.”

Eloise glanced at the seating chart he handed her.

When she saw it, she instinctively pressed a hand to her forehead.

Seating arrangements for the banquet dinner were one of the most delicate tasks. Last year, it had taken her and her father an entire week to finalize them.

“Yes. It doesn’t change as often as it does in the capital’s banquets, but it still requires careful attention. Ah, I also included the one from two years ago.”

Eloise pointed at the seating chart and began explaining.

“This year, placing the Wilkins couple a bit farther from the center would be best. They had a dispute with the townspeople over warehouse usage during the winter, so their relationship is strained. As for the Ogilvy family… hmm…”

She hesitated before turning to Ryan and asking,

“…Would you like to strengthen your friendship with Miss Julia Ogilvy? If not, do you plan to invite a young lady for tea?”

Traditionally, the Surberton family had occupied the most central seats.

But this year, Sergeant Thornton would be taking that place. That meant the seat directly across from him was particularly important.

In Albion, when an unmarried man hosted a banquet, the seat opposite him was usually assigned to a woman with whom he had a “potential for a good relationship,” as the noblewomen often put it.

So, it was a highly significant placement.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was considering seating Julia across from you.”

“Is there some special meaning to that seat?”

At his question, Eloise stared at him in surprise.

“Haven’t you ever attended a banquet dinner in the capital?”

When he had turned away all the young ladies of Blissbury, the townspeople speculated that someone of his charm must have encountered many ladies in the capital. They assumed that the women of Blissbury simply did not meet his standards.

Displeased that their daughters had been rejected, the mothers glared at the gossipers for speaking so recklessly. But even they did not deny Sergeant Thornton’s attractiveness.

Eloise was no different.

Her sentiment was that he was unlucky, but objectively speaking, he was a rare example of a tall, well-built, handsome man.

That was why Feltham was in such an uproar.

Honestly, his looks weren’t something that would only stir Feltham. Even when he was in the capital, there must have been plenty of women courting him, and he had surely been invited to numerous gatherings. So, she assumed he would have been aware of that much.

“I attended several times, but most of those occasions were by order, so I would simply have a meal and leave immediately. There were also some invitations I received personally, but…”

“Were those invitations, by any chance, to events where an unmarried lady was seated across from you?”

“…That does seem to be the case.”

As he spoke, Ryan suddenly realized something and let out a sigh.

“I see what those gatherings were meant for. Goodness, how did I not notice?”

“Yes. Typically, people are seated across from someone they hope to develop a good relationship with. It seems you received quite a few invitations.”

He had intensely disliked attending such gatherings, yet Baron Stanford had insisted it was an order and forced him to go.

Just as the baron had described it, it was a banquet with excellent food. Ryan was content to eat, and as soon as the event ended, he returned immediately.

He had noticed the host’s daughter seated across from him watching him, but honestly, it wasn’t much different from the attention he received when he visited the capital incognito. So, he hadn’t paid much attention to it.

But to think that those occasions were, in essence, arranged meetings to introduce potential partners and explore deeper connections.

‘I’ll have to confront him when I return to the capital.’

Even at those gatherings he had attended under Sergeant Thornton, Baron Stanford must have introduced him as a trusted subordinate.

That must have been why they seated a stranger like him at such events.

After silently blaming the baron for a while, Ryan returned to the seating chart.

Just as she had said, the Surberton family had been seated at the host’s table last year. When he confirmed this, Ryan instinctively checked the name of the person sitting across from Eloise.

“Andrew Ogilvy?”

The name written there was unmistakably that of a man.

He was undoubtedly a member of the Ogilvy family. Ryan vaguely recalled something Julia had mentioned before.

“There are five siblings in our family. My eldest brother usually resides in Camborne, where he works as a middle school teacher. He was married once, but unfortunately, his wife passed away from a fever. Since then, he has lived alone. As for my second eldest sister…”

Then, was this Andrew Ogilvy the eldest brother she had spoken of?

Eloise’s eyes softened with warmth when he mentioned the name Andrew.

“Yes, he is the most handsome man in Feltham. His soft, curly golden hair is charming, and when he smiles, it’s as if the whole world brightens. Is there anyone in Feltham who doesn’t adore Andrew?”

What’s with this reaction?

For some reason, Ryan felt like the meal he had just enjoyed was suddenly stuck in his throat at the affectionate tone of her voice.

“But Andrew is too popular, so he never pays attention to just me,” Eloise added.

Ryan was speechless. How could she call someone like that the most handsome man, claiming everyone adored him?

“He must be someone with abundant love to give,” Ryan remarked dryly.

“Oh, yes. He always greets everyone he meets with a bright smile,” she replied.

“Is that so? Julia says he spends his days in Camborne with a perpetually gloomy expression…”

Ryan trailed off, realizing he had gone too far. It was rude to make such remarks about a gentleman he had never met.

At that moment, Eloise frowned at him as if he were speaking utter nonsense.

“What? Camborne? You must be talking about their eldest brother Edward.”

“Then Andrew Ogilvy is…?”

At his question, Eloise let out a small chuckle before answering.

“Andrew Ogilvy is the youngest of the Ogilvy family—he just turned five this year.”