Miss Pendleton knocked with a pounding heart. It was quiet. She entered her grandmother’s room.

The scene that unfolded inside the room momentarily surprised Miss Pendleton. Uncle Gerald was crouched beside the bed where her mother lay. And he was holding Lady Abigail’s hand, burying his face in it.

A faint sobbing sound could be heard. Miss Pendleton stood frozen in confusion, then suddenly became aware of Charles standing off to one side. Her cousin, standing like a folding screen with an expression of obvious boredom. She stepped aside to a corner of the room like her cousin.

Soon after, Uncle Gerald made a sound between sobs. Miss Pendleton listened closely.

“Mother… Please forgive me… This unworthy son…”

Miss Pendleton watched in surprise. Soon, grandmother placed her hand over her son’s hand and patted it.

“It’s alright. Everything’s alright…”

The uncle’s sobbing and grandmother’s comforting continued for a while. Miss Pendleton felt strange. The only image she had of these two was them fighting and mocking each other. She had never seen or even imagined them holding hands like this.

Soon, the uncle beckoned to his son who was standing to one side. Charles erased his indifferent expression, put on a tearful face, and approached them.

“Grandmother, it’s me, Charles. Your grandson. You named me when I was in the cradle, didn’t you?”

At Charles’s choked-up voice, grandmother nodded with difficulty.

“My grandson. Let me see your face.”

Charles brought his face close.

“You’ve grown well. Really grown well.”

Charles burst into tears at once and hugged his grandmother.

Miss Pendleton stood apart, just watching the scene.

It was a touching family reunion. Miss Pendleton should have been relieved by this situation. If one ignored the suspicious Charles, wasn’t this a perfect scene of reconciliation? It was almost miraculous that these two had reconciled so smoothly.

But Miss Pendleton’s instincts troubled her. Everything felt unnatural. It felt like watching an awkward melodrama performed by amateur actors.

“Laura, are you there?”

Grandmother soon called for Miss Pendleton. Miss Pendleton approached the bedside.

“Gerald, take our granddaughter’s hand. She has been faithfully taking care of me until now.”

Uncle Gerald looked at his niece with a tear-stained face. And awkwardly took his niece’s hand.

“Yes, you’ve had a hard time.”

He shook his niece’s hand lightly. Miss Pendleton still remembered the contemptuous look he had given her earlier. But she smiled.

“No, Uncle. I’m glad you came from so far away.”

Miss Pendleton said kindly, suppressing the urge to pull her hand away from her uncle’s grasp.

For a while, they stood around grandmother’s bed. Miss Pendleton had become part of this fake melodrama. Her role was the kind granddaughter rejoicing at the mother-son reunion after over a decade. She played that role faithfully.

In fact, whether this situation was fake or not didn’t matter much to her. All that mattered to her was that grandmother fulfilled all her wishes and closed her eyes peacefully in her lifetime.

She focused solely on that one goal. The uncle’s contempt was something she could endure compared to grandmother’s happiness.

That evening, the Pendleton family’s formal dinner was a perfect family gathering. Lady Abigail, who had painfully come down for her son, father and son Gerald, Miss Pendleton, and adding to that, the guest Miss Jensen and Mr. Price who had crossed the Pendleton threshold after a long time.

They enjoyed a warm and pleasant time with a course meal prepared by Mr. Germain, the proud exclusive chef of the Pendleton family. It was a heartwarming occasion from any perspective.

Amidst the energetic godfather and goddaughter livening up the atmosphere, Gerald Pendleton boasted of his filial affection to his mother.

He kept whispering to his mother and personally cut the barbecue to place on his mother’s plate first. Lady Abigail, not to be outdone, kindly nagged her son not to drink too much as he asked for a third glass of sherry.

Mr. Price, seeing the mother and son together for the first time, praised their relationship endlessly. He said there couldn’t be a more affectionate mother-son relationship than theirs. Miss Pendleton, who had been eating silently throughout, had to struggle to swallow a bitter smile.

Lady Abigail was curious about how her grandson Charles had lived while she was away. Charles proudly began to talk about his life as a diligent second son.

He had followed the elite course of attending Eton School and Oxford as per his father’s wishes. Then he studied law at university and got a job at a law firm.

But he found law rigid and materialistic, and office life stifling. He soon lost interest in law. Eventually, he left that path and after several ‘career explorations’, he was currently studying to become a pastor.

He said that as soon as he received ordination, he would immediately receive a benefice at the church on the Pendleton estate and be appointed as pastor. Although it was a path destined for poverty, he said he would endure it with determination.

Gerald was extremely proud of such a son. Lady Abigail, who had been listening to Charles’s words, gave her blessing that he would make a good pastor.

Miss Pendleton, who was listening, quietly continued her meal, hoping that Charles’s earlier ogling of the young maid had been a one-time mistake in his life.

As the night grew late, Mr. Price and Miss Jensen left again by carriage. Charles and Gerald Pendleton insisted on personally supporting Lady Abigail to her bedroom, and Lady Abigail leaned on her son. They slowly disappeared upstairs.

Miss Pendleton remained downstairs to direct the cleanup. However, another perfectly strange event occurred, fitting for this strange day.

Knock knock knock.

Miss Pendleton was instructing the servants on how to handle the leftover food in the dining room when she heard a knocking at the entrance door. Soon, she heard a maid going out, and then, someone strode into the dining room. It was Mr. Price.

Miss Pendleton turned pale as she looked at Mr. Price. He took off his hat and bowed slightly.

“I’m sorry. I forgot my gloves.”

Miss Pendleton quickly looked around. A pair of gloves was placed on the chair where Mr. Price had sat. They were placed so neatly that it seemed more appropriate to say he had left them on purpose rather than forgotten them. Miss Pendleton quickly returned them to him.

“Miss Pendleton.”

He opened his mouth, sweating.

“I’d like to ask a favor regarding our Joan.”

“Pardon?”

“Please pave the way for her into London’s social circles. Actually, that’s why I came.”

“…That’s not difficult. But my connections are nothing special, and besides, I’m not sure if Miss Jensen will be interested in British society.”

Mr. Price shook his head.

“That’s essentially why she came to London. You’ll understand as you get to know her, Miss Pendleton. She’s not malicious by nature, but she’s ambitious. The blood of a conqueror flows in her. Joan has conquered American society over the past 3 years and played the role of queen. Her next conquest is London society. Probably, starting with London, she’ll try to grasp all of European society in her hands.”

“Miss Jensen seems to be a lady full of enthusiasm.”

“As expected, you interpret it positively. Someone like you, Miss Pendleton, is the epitome of an English lady. Indeed, you’re the only one who can help Joan adapt to London society. Please.”

“As long as Miss Jensen is Charles’s fiancée, I’ll do my best for her. Don’t worry.”

“I know. Your diligence. You are a kind and conscientious woman. I can trust you. Of course I can.”

Mr. Price mumbled. Cold sweat ran down Miss Pendleton’s back. She wished he would leave before other family members saw him. But as if crushing that wish, he took a step closer to Miss Pendleton. And alarmingly, he tried to bend one knee again.

Miss Pendleton was horrified and quickly grabbed Mr. Price.

“Mr. Price, please. Please stop.”

“But, but Miss Pendleton!”

“Stop it! If you propose again, I’ll never attend dinner again. Even if it means ignoring my duty to my uncle and Miss Jensen!”

At Miss Pendleton’s firm outcry, Mr. Price straightened his awkwardly bent leg. And after carefully examining Miss Pendleton’s disgusted face, he sighed, “Hmm.”

“If you would clearly tell me what I lack, I would actively adapt to it. But ladies never directly tell that. I know it’s women’s way to get what they want through a game of twenty questions with their suitor. But, isn’t it alright to give even a small hint?”

Miss Pendleton was genuinely curious beyond bewilderment at the old gentleman’s words. She had never given him false hope through any hints until now. Yet he was acting as if she had seduced him and then rejected him.

Miss Pendleton opened her mouth once again to clearly convey her feelings to him. But before any words could come out, he put on the hat he was holding and bowed his head.

“Please don’t forget that I’m always waiting eagerly for your decision, Miss Pendleton. With one word from you, I’ll be your man.”

After saying that, he immediately turned his back and ran outside. Miss Pendleton watched him leave through the dining room window. He hurriedly boarded the waiting carriage.

Through the carriage window, Joan Jensen could be seen laughing heartily. With the final image of Mr. Price wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, the carriage departed.

Miss Pendleton slumped her shoulders. His love confession was, unfortunately, just the perfectly bewildering end to a bewildering day.

She sighed and went up to her room. But halfway up the stairs from the first floor to the second floor, she encountered the person she least wanted to meet. Uncle Gerald Pendleton.

Gerald Pendleton seemed to be going out, wearing a frock coat and holding a cane and hat. Miss Pendleton gave a light bow and tried to pass her uncle. But her uncle called her to stop. Miss Pendleton turned around. Her uncle looked at her quietly.

“You handled the guests very skillfully today, Laura Pendleton.”

Miss Pendleton said nothing. Judging by his tone, expression, and past events, it was not a compliment. If anything, it was criticism.