He was the only person in London who officially corresponded with Mr. Dalton. Frequent exchanges with him would make it easy to include her regards in his letters.

Miss Lance decided to initiate a connection with Mr. Fairfax. As her first attempt, she persuaded her parents to invite the Fairfax siblings to dinner.

Her mother was reluctant to associate with Mr. Fairfax due to the small size of his country estate and mansion, despite his success as a self-made businessman. However, she was convinced by Miss Lance’s argument that he was Mr. Dalton’s in-law and that a connection with Mr. Fairfax was necessary to secure Mr. Dalton, and thus agreed to the invitation.

Mr. Lance surprisingly gave his consent readily, as Miss Lance had cleverly informed him beforehand that the Fairfax siblings were descendants of an old gentry family from Yorkshire.

Soon after, the Fairfax siblings were invited to dinner at the Lance residence. The Lance family enjoyed their company more than expected. The siblings were attractive, gentle, and lively. Moreover, they were generous with praise and admiration, satisfying the pride of each member of the Lance family.

The Lance family developed a much greater fondness for the siblings than before. Mr. Lance, in particular, was so pleased with Mr. Fairfax that he even offered him his premium cigars after dinner.

Mr. Fairfax graciously accepted his offer. Unlike Mr. Dalton, he was more tolerant of the nobility’s self-praise.

Before they left, Miss Lance asked Mr. Fairfax, as he kissed her hand, to convey her regards to Mr. Dalton in Whitefield.

Mr. Fairfax gladly agreed and helped his sister into the carriage. Miss Lance watched the departing carriage with a satisfied smile, having achieved her goal.

Afterwards, Miss Lance frequently interacted with the Fairfax siblings. She would occasionally visit Mr. Fairfax’s townhouse for tea or attend concerts and operas together upon invitation.

Although these interactions were intended to inform Ian Dalton of her news, Miss Lance began to genuinely enjoy their company.

Miss Janet Fairfax was a lovely young lady and an ardent admirer of Miss Lance. She marveled at Miss Lance’s every action and agreed with her every opinion, which naturally pleased Miss Lance.

However, Mr. Fairfax proved to be an even more valuable friend.

Until then, Miss Lance had known Mr. Fairfax only as a kind and handsome gentleman. But as their interactions increased, she realized he was more than just a nice man.

He was as thoughtful as he was kind. He listened attentively to Miss Lance’s words and carefully expressed his own opinions. Each of his words was filled with consideration and wisdom.

Miss Lance, having a fairly good eye for people, quickly recognized Mr. Fairfax as an admirable person. She was delighted to learn that Mr. Dalton’s best friend was such an excellent individual. As a result, she eagerly engaged not only with Miss Fairfax but also with Mr. Fairfax.

* * *

While Miss Lance was forming new friendships and enjoying these interactions, London’s social scene was blossoming brilliantly, as if each day were its peak. Parties and balls were held daily, with new faces constantly flowing in and out like the tide.

Amidst this, another newcomer appeared in society.

Tom Price. At first, he didn’t stand out much. He was an unremarkable man in his fifties, short in stature with a protruding belly and piercing eyes. However, as soon as it became known that he was an incredibly successful tycoon in the securities industry from America, he began to attract attention.

Before long, he became a subject of considerable interest in London society. It was due to his personal charm.

He was British, yet thoroughly American. He always bet big in card games, won big, and even when he lost big, he never held a grudge.

Like a businessman, he was always confident and stubborn, and always looked people straight in the eye when meeting them. He was also widely knowledgeable about the world and had a great sense of humor.

Soon, information about him began circulating at ladies’ tea parties. He was the third son of a British naval captain, and immediately after finishing university, he had gone to America just as the Civil War ended, making a fortune by selling timber to the South during reconstruction. With that capital, he ventured into the securities business and now was one of the wealthiest men in New York.

During his rise to success, he had married a beautiful and elegant lady from a fallen Southern family and lived happily with her for 25 years, having seven children together.

The eldest two were already adults, either married or running their own businesses independently. The other five, ranging from thirteen to seven years old, were currently being raised by nannies and tutors in America.

Now, he had set foot on his homeland after 30 years to attend his sister’s silver wedding anniversary and was staying in London for an extended period to spend quality time with his long-lost family.

As his story came to light, people began to whisper about whether Mr. Price’s frequent appearances in London society might be to search for a new wife. Otherwise, there seemed no reason for him to mingle in society so often.

Perhaps he couldn’t forget his late, elegant wife and was seeking another lady to fill the empty space beside him?

It was certainly an interesting topic, and at tea parties, Mr. Price’s story was brought up whenever conversation lulled. The people gathered at the Pendleton’s tea party were no exception.

However, Miss Pendleton didn’t find it particularly interesting. His popularity factors – wealth and outgoing personality – were not enough to capture her attention. These elements were so different from her that they aroused wariness rather than curiosity.

But soon after, an event occurred that made it impossible for Miss Pendleton not to take an interest in him. It all started with a letter.

* * *

Miss Pendleton was sitting in the study as usual, sorting through the letters delivered by the servant who had just returned from the post office. Invitations to events and household bills were placed on the left along with Miss Pendleton’s personal letters, while letters from friends and relatives to her grandmother were on the right.

Having done this for the past 12 years, Miss Pendleton was working mechanically.

As she placed a picnic invitation with an ornate envelope on the left, Miss Pendleton suddenly froze upon seeing the sender’s name on the white envelope underneath. She looked at the name she was seeing again. The letters in front of her eyes were too clear to doubt:

Gerald. Pendleton.

‘Uncle…’

Goosebumps rose on Miss Pendleton’s back. She quickly checked the recipient.

Laura Pendleton. Her own name was written there. It was sent to her by her uncle.

If it had been her grandmother’s name written there, it wouldn’t have been so disconcerting. The goosebumps that had risen on her back spread to her shoulders and arms. She shuddered involuntarily.

Miss Pendleton placed it neither to the left nor right, but close to herself at the bottom, and finished sorting the rest of the letters she was holding. Then she checked if there were any receipts that needed urgent attention or letters requiring immediate reply.

Fortunately, there were none. She pushed the letters aside for a moment and took out the letter from her uncle from its envelope and unfolded it.

Even as she opened the letter, the situation seemed unbelievable. Her uncle, who had never sent even a postcard for Christmas or birthdays until now, had suddenly sent a letter. Miss Pendleton opened the envelope, inwardly prepared to see an obituary of someone from the Pendleton estate.

The letter began abruptly without any proper greetings. There was no trace of politeness or affection in the tone. But Miss Pendleton, who never expected any warmth from her uncle, rather thought it fortunate to quickly understand her uncle’s intentions.

Surprisingly, her uncle mentioned Mr. Price in the letter. He said that Mr. Price was his college classmate.

Six months ago, her uncle and his second son, Charles, had visited America and happened to meet Mr. Price. Mr. Price introduced them to his goddaughter, Joan Jensen, an heiress to a New York tycoon family, and soon love blossomed between Charles Pendleton and Joan Jensen, leading to their engagement.

After the engagement ceremony held in America, Mr. Price had come to London ahead for the silver wedding anniversary, and he wanted her to properly host Mr. Price as a guest until he and his son’s couple arrived in London.

At the end of the letter, he ordered in a cold and imperious tone to prepare the townhouse without fail for Charles and himself to stay.

After reading the letter to the end, Miss Pendleton briefly held her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She felt as if the neural circuits in her brain had been pulled and tangled like a six-year-old child had played with them. All sorts of complicated memories and anxious prospects troubled her.

Soon, her uncle would come to the Pendleton townhouse. It would be their first reunion in nearly 20 years since she had left the Pendleton house to enter boarding school at the age of ten. But no matter how much time had passed, the memories of her uncle were not easily forgotten.

She took a deep breath, feeling as if someone was pressing hard on her solar plexus. Although she was an adult now, just thinking about her uncle made her feel like a frightened seven-year-old hiding in the nursery, waiting for her uncle’s footsteps to fade away.

But she could endure these feelings somehow. She had been the subject of constant ostracism and gossip for the past 20 years, even if not to the extent of that abuse. She had developed a habit of maintaining her dignity and doing what needed to be done even in stressful situations.

No matter how frightening her uncle was, if she performed her role well, he would surely recognize that she had become an adult. Then, even if he remained cold and aloof, the events of the past would never be repeated.

In fact, what troubled her most was something else. Her uncle’s visit meant the reunion of her grandmother and uncle. It was uncertain whether her grandmother would even allow her uncle into the house, but if they did meet, it was impossible to gauge what situation would unfold.

The two hadn’t exchanged even a single letter of greeting in over a decade since their messy legal battle. Their grudges against each other would still be festering, so what would happen if they saw each other’s faces in this state? Her grandmother was now an elderly woman who could barely sit up.

‘What if a fight breaks out rashly and grandmother becomes critically ill?’

At this thought, Miss Pendleton’s heart began to race anxiously. Her fingers turned ice-cold. She recalled what Dr. Webster had said during his recent house call.

‘It will be difficult for her to survive this year. She needs absolute rest, and you must not create situations that upset her. Take care of her to keep her mind at ease. And it’s important to continue giving her hope. Tell her often that she will live a long life. Just as I do every time I visit.’