Lord Preston's Secret Tutor (47 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 22

For some reason, Windsor thought Jacqueline’s smile didn’t seem like a genuine laugh as he accepted the handkerchief she offered. Wiping his hands, he spoke casually.

“I merely checked what Benjamin has been learning lately. Didn’t you tell me to show concern for my nephew?”

At his words, Jacqueline’s expression softened slightly. He still didn’t understand when she would get angry or when she would calm down. Her moods were like sudden storms—arriving without warning and vanishing just as abruptly.

“Why did Viscount James Hammington come to see Lord Preston?”

Windsor, who had been about to pass her by, stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly turning his head, he fixed Jacqueline with an intense stare.

“Do you know him?”

She let out a light sigh as she searched for the right words, her expression uneasy. Resignation seeped through her voice as it slipped between Jacqueline’s lips.

“Did that man happen to mention anything about a mine? He claimed to have inherited land containing a high-grade iron ore mine, and that his wife is ill, so he urgently needs money. He said he’s looking for someone to buy the mine—offering it below market price if paid in cash. Did he tell you he first approached the trustworthy Lord Preston and insisted it must remain a secret from everyone else?”

As she continued speaking, Windsor’s expression shifted subtly. He clasped his hands behind his back, his posture precise and disciplined—more like a naval officer than a nobleman.

“That’s exactly right. Word for word, he said precisely that.”

Jacqueline gave a bitter smile, as if she’d expected this all along.

“He’s a fraud. Ah, please don’t ask me how I know. I didn’t want to find out either.”

Windsor’s brow furrowed faintly. His steel-gray eyes darkened slightly.

Jacqueline touched her bare throat, her expression troubled. The man possessed a curious talent—getting what he wanted through silence alone.

“In truth, my father fell victim to him. Fortunately, Uncle Walter—I mean, Count Greenwood—Lord Greenwood informed my father that the man was a fraud, so we only lost the deposit. We nearly lost a great deal of money. It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.”

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