Chapter 10

I wanted to shake Ashley, rattle some sense into her, but there was no time. I grabbed the mop out of her hand.

“Stop. Get rid of this.”

“But Mother, I haven’t fin—”

Ughhhh, you are so frustrating.

I put the mop back in Ashley’s hands. “A guest has arrived. Get rid of this and go get changed. Understand?”

I had no idea what Ashley had been doing. Her face and clothes were covered in soot. This hall didn’t even have a fireplace!

I made sure that Ashley left with the mop and water bucket before I walked toward the door. I straightened my dress.

“Welcome.”

When I opened the door, Daniel was standing there at an angle, one hand on his hip. His face had been blank, but he straightened up.

Huh...

The sight gave me an odd feeling, but it wasn’t because of Daniel’s arrogant posture. His face brightened the moment he saw me. It was like I had seen the stage before the curtain rose.

“Come in.”

My eyes moved from Daniel to the people behind him. I opened the door and I escorted them to the sitting room, which we had vigorously cleaned.

I hope Lily did a good job. I pray...

“Welcome.”

Fortunately, the sitting room was clean. Lily was waiting for us, empty-handed. She had already taken care of the papers that I’d left her with.

Thank goodness. Relieved, I offered our guests a seat. Daniel had brought three people with him: two women who appeared to be modistes and an elderly man who appeared to be a doctor. I doubted it could be the reverse.

“Thank you for coming.” As I thanked them, Iris entered with tea. I quickly introduced my daughters. “This is Iris Vans and Lily Vans. I have another youngest called Ashley Vans.”

Right then, Ashley could be heard running. Maybe I need to put it in writing.

<Do not run in the hallway.>

Is this a house or a high school?

“This is Ashley Vans.” I introduced her when she entered. Ashley had changed her clothes. Her dress was in disarray from running here, but she still looked pretty.

“I-I’m sorry I’m late.”

“That’s all right. But you mustn’t run in the hallway.”

Daniel burst out into laughter.

Sure. It must be funny to you too, huh? I ignored Daniel and straightened Ashley’s dress and hair.

“This is Dr. Hampton,” Daniel said. “And this is White Dress’s—”

“White Dress?!” Iris exclaimed.

Huh? I looked at her in surprise. Lily and Ashley also looked impressed.

I was relieved that Daniel looked as startled as me. So did the doctor.

The women who had apparently come from White Dress seemed to expect Iris’ reaction.

Is White Dress famous?

I shot Iris a look of warning, then asked Lily, “Is it famous?”

“Yes, of course! It is the queen’s dressmaker.”

That is something. I turned back to Daniel. He’s going to pay for a dress for me from such an impressive place? Daniel appeared to have much, much more money than I thought.

“White Dress? That is amazing.”

The doctor saw to me, then the dress shop workers took my measurements, and they left. As planned, I asked Daniel to stay for a meal. He seemed to expect this offer and came with me to the dining room.

There was only one thing the girls would talk about throughout the meal: White Dress.

“I see they have a reputation,” I said as I ate the roasted chicken.

“It is a decent place,” Daniel said modestly, holding his glass of wine.

“It’s not just decent! It’s the White Dress!”

Lily spoke in excitement. Ashley too. Iris was doing her best to hide any emotion. Perhaps she was embarrassed after getting so excited in front of the White Dress employees earlier.

The White Dress? I looked at Daniel with interest. Lily had said that it was the queen’s dressmaker. I recalled Iris also mentioning their name in front of the first shopkeeper we visited a week earlier.

“I would not go as far as to say that.” Daniel grinned at Lily, then turned to me. He took a sip of wine. “They are skilled.”

“Well, they are the queen’s dressmaker.”

“I suppose they do make the queen’s clothing on top of running their business.” Daniel acted like he didn’t know much, even though he was the one who had brought them. I wondered if he was humble or humblebragging.

The White Dress employees did seem to know what they were doing. Unlike Davina, they measured me without any wasted movements and showed me a design catalog before asking me what I was looking for.

Before they left, they said they would return the next day or so with fabric that might work with the design. They said they would make the dress out of the fabric I liked best after I saw it firsthand. This was the skill required to be the queen’s dressmaker. I sighed.

“More importantly, how is your wound?” Daniel asked. “The doctor said you were fine, but are you having any trouble walking?”

“No,” I answered reflexively and looked at Daniel. He seemed to find the White Dress to be an uncomfortable topic.

Maybe he was just modest.

“It’s been a week already. I’m fine now. The doctor even said that it wouldn’t scar.”

He had also given me plasters before leaving and advised me to apply them in the morning and night. I was too scared of what they might be made of to use them.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. He smiled with his head to the side. “I am glad.”

Hmm. He seemed to feel guilty.

I smiled, looking straight at him. The kid who had pushed me that day seemed to be about Iris’ age. Judging from the age difference, he seemed more likely to be Daniel’s younger brother than his son.

But it was still possible that he was his son.

I observed Daniel. A wealthy man and the father of a twenty-something-year-old boy. He looked more like the former than the latter.

I supposed I was the same.

“What about the child you were with the other day?” I mentioned the boy casually as I stretched my hand to my glass. I considered introducing him to Iris. I wondered if it was possible.

I glanced at Iris. Maybe she wouldn’t like him. Their first meeting had been a disaster.

“What kind of relationship does he have with you, Lord Wilford?”

Daniel grinned. Iris looked tense. I could tell she had realized that our guest could be related to the child she had been up in arms with.

“If you are asking if we are related, we are not,” Daniel said, and took a sip of wine.

Well, I suppose they didn’t look very much like each other. I shouldn’t be that surprised. Iris looked relieved.

Daniel glanced at me, then Iris, and beamed. “I don’t know him well enough to call him a friend, but I know him too well to call him an acquaintance.”

What does that mean? Before I could wear a bemused expression, Ashley and Lily beat me to it.

Daniel saw their faces and went on, “I am teaching him things.”

Hmm. That’s surprising. I raised an eyebrow. “Teaching him what?”

“This and that, like I said.” Daniel looked humble.

Ugh, just say what it is. It makes me more curious when you’re so evasive.

“Are you teaching him business?” Ashley interjected.

Iris and Lily looked at Daniel at the same time. He was unfazed by the simultaneous attention of three girls.

“That’s something I teach him, yes.”

Interesting. I looked at him with fascination. The attention of so many women would make most men either flustered or cocky; the former could be adorable, but the latter was hard to bear. Daniel, however, was neither. He was perfectly at ease.

“What do you do, Lord Wilford?” Lily asked, then glanced at me. “Pardon me, but is that okay to ask?”

Good. Very good. I could sense Mildred’s satisfaction through her memories. In most situations in high-ranking society, a young woman was obliged to ask personal questions to a gentleman in a roundabout way. Or they would add phrases like “Pardon me.”

“Various kinds of things.” Daniel smiled at Lily.

Uh-huh... This man is using his beauty.

It was my first time seeing a man use his looks. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was just smiling at Lily because he didn’t want to answer.

Lily blushed in response. I remembered reading a research paper somewhere that said a handsome man could make someone more interested in just about anything.

I could tell Lily’s mind had gone blank. Iris elbowed her, as she was gawking at Daniel.

“Have you often transacted with White Dress?” It was Iris’ turn to ask him a question.

Interesting. I smiled, understanding what Iris was trying to ask. White Dress was a women’s dressmaker. Iris was asking if he had a wife or daughter who would make purchases at White Dress.

He glanced at me before answering. “No. I’ve never done business with them before.”

Daniel had received the fastball well. Thus, we still did not know whether he was married or had children. After all, Daniel may not have made transactions at White Dress before, but his wife could have.

“What about your wife, Lord Wilford?” Ashley interjected.

The dining room fell silent. Iris’ and Lily’s eyes turned from Ashley to their plates.

I glanced at Ashley, then turned to Daniel. She seemed completely unaware that she had asked a question outside of social etiquette.

Fortunately, Daniel simply looked amused, which did not mean he wasn’t offended.

I interrupted, “That reminds me, I know nothing about your family, Lord Wilford.”

Daniel turned to me, looking even more amused. I know you are trying to cover for your daughter’s mistake. I pretended not to read this message from his expression.

“My father passed away two years ago.”

“Oh no.”

I tilted my head to the left. In response, Daniel tilted his head to his right.

“That’s all right. We did not get along that well.”