Chapter 29
A Changed Relationship
Liri tried not to listen to the story of Lord Belmore cautiously kissing Cecil on the forehead, cheeks, and back of the hand, but her ears perked up on their own.
“Cecil, what does a handsome man whisper while kissing your hand?”
“Recently, he said he wants me, but I’ve been refusing him.”
Lord Belmore being handsome? The adjective was almost unbelievable. Liri had never seen a man more handsome than the one who had kissed her—that difficult, irritable man who occasionally smiled at her.
After the tea party, the young ladies paired off and left. Rose stayed behind until the very end. When she saw Liri standing to tidy up, she hurriedly fled.
Where Rose had sat, a luxurious fan lay behind—a finely crafted piece with cedarwood ribs and silk overlay.
Liri grabbed it and ran, dodging the departing guests. She didn’t care if the hem of her dress became filthy.
By the time she caught up with Rose, the young lady was about to step into a carriage. Rose didn’t even take the fan Liri offered.
“Don’t pretend to know me.”
“…….”
“I hope no one finds out I used to be in a convent.”
Liri could not approach Rose further. The girl seemed to recoil from gentle gestures as if they were infectious.
“Please, act as if you don’t know me in public.”
Rose’s desperate plea left Liri speechless. This was nothing like the first encounter she had imagined with Rose.
Dressed in beautiful clothes and adorned with jewels, Rose didn’t look beautiful—she looked unhappy. She whispered almost inaudibly, afraid Cecil or any other young lady might appear.
“If anyone finds out I was in a convent… I’ll die…”
“Rose……”
“So please, don’t pretend to know me.”
Such was the smallness of life. Moments of excitement got stuck in the mud, and the people one longed for were no longer the same.
Returning with tired steps after giving Rose the fan, Liri faced Cecil’s sharp reprimand.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
“I’m sorry, Miss. Rose—Miss Evans—left a fan behind, so I had to return it.”
Cecil was irritated by the maid’s easy responses.
“Rose Evans… what do you think? Really, she lived abroad for so long? Didn’t she seem… strange in some way?”
Cecil had a habit of detecting others’ flaws and poking at them mercilessly.
“She seemed like a refined and gentle young lady.”
Cecil scoffed at that.
If the lady was gossiping about someone else, and the maid didn’t echo her opinion, what would that make her? Cecil decided she needed to properly teach this maid her role. It had been a long time since she’d felt such irritation.
“By the way, some gentleman came looking for you.”
Liri’s heart sank. Recently, hearing that someone was looking for her made her think of the man in Room 301. Since that one kiss, she hadn’t gone to the garden alone. He always came to mind in her solitary moments.
“Who?”
“Why do you look so startled? Did you do something wrong? Apparently, he’s a reporter from the Londinium Tribune. What could a journalist want with you?”
Relief washed over Liri. He seemed to be trying to reclaim his role as her trustworthy friend.
“He’s a friend I grew up with,” Liri said candidly.
Hearing this, Cecil focused back on her embroidery frame with an “aha” of acknowledgment. She was stitching a handkerchief, decorating it with the initials “Christopher Archibald Belmore.”
“So, this Timothy friend—what family is he from?”
“The Rutland family.”
“Rutland? Is he your follower?”
Cecil used a disdainful word to describe Timothy Rutland, a servant who followed the maid. She had no interest in him but was annoyed by his behavior.
‘Elizabeth Gardner is here?’
He had politely inquired after the maid, but the question was rude.
‘She’s my maid. Who are you?’
‘Timothy Rutland. Could you pass this to her?’
‘Mr. Rutland… I’m not sure if you know she’s my maid, but understood.’
Liri remembered his gaze then—a restrained disgust…
‘There can’t be a personal maid in a hotel.’
She felt a surge of anger at how even a mere maid could be so cared for, while Lord Belmore had never looked at her once.
“Elizabeth, Lord Belmore recently went to Hatton Garden.”
“Hatton Garden?”
“You don’t know Hatton Garden? There are jewelry stores and galleries on that street. Famous gemstones eventually end up being sold there.”
Cecil’s voice brightened slightly.
“I’ve never actually seen jewelry myself,” Liri admitted honestly.
Cecil’s delight increased.
“I wonder what kind of gem he picked. Last time, it was an emerald necklace. At marriage, he’ll probably give something even more extravagant.”
Cecil valued humility, but in front of Liri, she discarded that mask.
The problem was that Liri didn’t possess the knowledge to envy or understand such luxury. Cecil wanted to see a trace of longing or envy on her delicate face but had never succeeded.
“Do you know how expensive those jewels are? You could buy two mansions in Londinium for that price.”
“Two mansions?” Liri’s eyes widened in shock.
Cecil sneered at her reaction.
“Giving such jewelry proves a man cherishes the woman.”
Liri was puzzled. From his behavior, Lord Belmore seemed indifferent, not caring for Cecil.
Cecil felt lonely and constantly asked the manager about Lord Belmore. Each time, the reply was that he had business in Avery or was occupied with his schedule.
Is love among nobles measured by jewelry? Isn’t love about touching beaks like pigeons and gently leaning heads together?
Liri absentmindedly touched her forehead, remembering the feel of his lips.
Stop thinking about him, Elizabeth. Thinking of him is losing.
She had not seen him since that day.
“Next week, we’ll go to the exhibition. He personally came up with the ideas for the buildings. They’re said to be beautiful. Taking a carriage would take too long, so we’ll go by train.”
Liri regained focus at Cecil’s words, snapping the thread with her scissors. She swallowed hard. Perhaps Cecil heard, as she looked up.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, Miss. It’s fine.”
Cecil’s expression reminded Liri oddly of Rose’s. Perhaps high-born ladies were delicate enough to have unease settle in their hearts.
The exhibition would certainly bring unprecedented prosperity to the hotel. Guests visiting the glass palace in the outskirts hoped to stay in the modern yet classically styled hotel, with its hot showers and manual elevators.
At the same time, the name Belmore gained wealth and prestige. Londinium society watched closely for when Cecil and Christopher’s engagement would be announced. It was unthinkable to pity a young lady who had it all.
“You may wander freely while Lord Belmore is at the exhibition,” Cecil said magnanimously. She only wanted to get her maid out of the way to be alone with Lord Belmore, yet she still wished to display generosity.
“Thank you so much, Miss,” Liri said sincerely. Having only known the convent, even the thought of an exhibition made her heart race.
“You don’t need to wear your maid uniform. Wear good clothes if you have them.”
Liri only had a green dress, but she nodded.
Cecil, feeling better, shifted her attention back to the embroidery frame.
