Chapter 35
I plan to introduce Susan to a man as she seems to be interested in romance. But since I don’t know any eligible bachelors myself, I’ll need to ask someone for help. The only person I could rely on was the Marchioness. She successfully married off her three sons, so she must know the ins and outs of the marriage market.
“Lady Dorothy, could you perhaps introduce a suitable gentleman for my eldest sister-in-law?”
“You’re talking about Susan Edmond, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I refuse.”
I could understand Dorothy’s refusal in a single breath. After all, matchmaking is likely one of the hardest, most exhausting things in the world. And if the person in question was Rita’s daughter, everyone would surely shake their heads. No matter which gentleman was recommended, Rita would likely react harshly.
“What kind of man would you dare bring into the Duke of Edmond’s household?”
Even in my previous life, whenever a matchmaker recommended one of the few eligible bachelors for Susan, Rita would make a big fuss like this. Thanks to her, Susan ended up as a spinster at twenty-five.
Quickly brushing away memories of my past life, I asked cautiously, “If I may ask, how did your sons get married?”
“All my sons had childhood friends from a young age. The Marquess has always been very well-connected, so we had a steady stream of guests at the manor.”
Hearing Dorothy’s words made me suddenly feel sorry for Susan. With her personality, she wouldn’t sell well in the marriage market. And with Rita’s difficult nature, there were no visitors to the duke’s estate, so it seemed Susan’s marriage prospects were doomed from the start.
If that happened, it would significantly impact my plans too. Unnecessary arguments with Susan would tire me out, and if this delayed my own pregnancy, the day I could escape the duke’s household would be far off.
Perhaps my gloomy mood was showing, as Dorothy discreetly asked me, “Rachel, is Susan overly trying to assert herself as the sister-in-law?”
“Ah… not yet.”
“Then why are you already concerned about her marriage?”
“Because if I don’t step in, it seems like she’ll have a hard time getting married.”
Dorothy nodded in understanding at my words.
“It’s not just Susan; with Rita, she would likely keep a tight rein on any son-in-law. It’d be tough to find a match for Susan in the capital because of her strong-willed mother.”
Taking a hint from Dorothy’s words, I decided to make another request of her.
“Excuse me, but could you send a letter to my brother for me?”
“You’re not thinking of asking the unmarried Viscount Burke to find a match for Susan, are you?”
“I don’t have high expectations, but if it’s difficult to find someone in the capital, we may have to look in Courtney.”
“Rita might not approve of that…”
“Since my mother and hers are from the same region, I think Courtney will be acceptable.”
“Rita is from Courtney? That’s news to me…”
Dorothy tilted her head in doubt, raising yet another question.
“And there’s a homing pigeon at the duke’s residence as well, isn’t there? Why ask me…?”
“I don’t have access to one. Only the Duke and the Duchess are allowed to use the homing pigeons here.”
I made sure to smile bitterly. That way, Dorothy would be more inclined to help me.
“So the rumors are true.”
“Rumors?”
“There’s been talk that Rita inspects all the mail for the duke’s household staff. But I didn’t know she went so far as to do it to her daughter-in-law as well.”
There were indeed such rumors. I was just unaware of them in my previous life.
Because of Rita’s interference, I couldn’t even exchange casual greetings with Leopold back then. To be more precise, every letter I sent to him would always be intercepted and burned by Rita, while any letters from him would disappear after reaching her hands instead of mine.
Looking at me with pity, she took my hand.
“Alright, leave it to me. I’ll send your letter using the Marquess’s homing pigeon.”
“Thank you, Lady Dorothy.”
“By the way, the two of you are fraternal twins, so you must look quite different, right?”
“I resemble our mother, while my brother takes after our father.”
“Could you describe Viscount Burke’s appearance a bit more?”
“My brother has brown hair, black eyes, and he’s tall, about six feet.”
“So he must be quite the handsome man, with a vibe completely different from the Duke of Edmond. It’s a shame I couldn’t get a proper look at him at the wedding. That day, the Duke and Duchess drew all the attention, so I barely noticed anyone else.”
She laughed cheerfully. Feeling reassured by her reaction, I asked for her permission and began writing the letter right then and there.
I wanted to get the letter to Leopold as quickly as possible, but I also wanted to show Dorothy that I deeply trusted her.
Entrusting someone to deliver a letter has traditionally been a gesture reserved for people in strong, trusted relationships. Furthermore, since I wrote it right in front of her, she’d naturally be aware of its contents.
Once she realized that the letters Leopold and I exchanged were just sibling updates or trivial matters like finding a match for Susan, she would send the homing pigeon without any hesitation.
Later, if anyone raised suspicious concerns about running errands with letters, she could stand by her actions without guilt.
As I moved to put the letter in an envelope, she shook her head firmly.
“Looks like you’ve never used a homing pigeon before.”
“No…”
“Letters are placed in the message tube, so you can’t put it in an envelope.”
“…I see. Please take care of it, Lady Dorothy.”
“Don’t worry.”
While Dorothy smiled brightly, I was more concerned about whether Leopold even knew how to use a homing pigeon, given that neither of us had ever used one.
Our parents had kept us entirely out of their trading business, saying we were too young to learn the harsh ways of the trade.
As a result, we were naturally excluded from the business and never even got the chance to see a homing pigeon up close.
***
The Marchioness’s homing pigeon was a remarkably clever bird, seasoned by many years of carrying letters for the Marquess and Marchioness of Cotta.
The problem was that there happened to be another man at Viscount Burke’s residence who resembled the description Rachel had given of Leopold’s appearance. And, unfortunately, when Leopold briefly stepped out of the office, it was Bell who encountered the homing pigeon.
Neither Rachel, who had no way of knowing, nor the pigeon, who couldn’t distinguish an unfamiliar recipient, bore any fault.
“It’s surprising that Viscount Burke also has a homing pigeon,” Bell remarked.
Being skilled in handling all types of homing pigeons, he deftly retrieved the letter from the message tube. He knew that intercepting someone else’s letter was not something a gentleman should do, but this time, he considered it an exception. After all, he was here as a collaborator, assisting the Burke family.
And it wasn’t as if he intended to steal the letter. He merely wanted to discreetly check who the sender was before Viscount Burke had a chance to see it.
“Rachel? How did the Duchess of Edmond manage to send a homing pigeon?”
Bell’s dark eyes sparkled with intrigue. After all, an encounter with an interesting person always held a certain thrill.
**“My dear Leopold, I hope you’re doing well.
I also hope you’ve managed to resolve the issues with the Burke family. The trading business must be difficult and exhausting for you since it’s your first time dealing with it, and I’m sorry I can’t be there to help. I know you’re busy, but please take good care of Remington’s education as well.
And I’m really sorry, but could you look for a suitable groom for Lady Susan of the Edmond family in the Courtney area? It’s not urgent, so please take your time.
From now on, we’ll exchange letters only through this homing pigeon. So, please don’t send any other pigeons. I’ll be waiting for your reply.
Your sister, Rachel Edmond.”**
“Smart bird, you’re waiting for a reply too, aren’t you?” Bell praised the pigeon perched on his shoulder, and it cooed in response as if it understood.
Putting Rachel’s letter back in the message tube, he transferred the pigeon to his finger and requested, “Just wait a little. The owner of the letter will give you a reply soon.”
The pigeon tilted its head curiously as Leopold entered the office. Only Bell could fully understand what that gesture meant.
“A homing pigeon arrived while you were briefly away, Viscount.”
“A homing pigeon?”
Leopold’s sudden surprise made it clear he had never used one before.
“Could it be your first time receiving a homing pigeon, sir?”
“….”
“In that case, may I retrieve the letter from the message tube for you?”
“If you could, I’d be grateful.”
With a calm demeanor, Bell took the letter from the message tube and handed it to him, observing his expression closely.
Every shift in Leopold’s expression reflected his emotions.
He felt joy and tenderness toward his sister’s well-wishing, guilt and regret for causing her concern over the Burke family business, and bewilderment at her sudden request to find a suitor for Susan Edmond.
But above all, he seemed most confused by the pigeon that was patiently waiting for his reply.
“So this pigeon really is waiting to carry back a response?”
“Yes, sir.”
Leopold quickly sat at his desk and jotted down a brief reply. He included positive responses to Rachel’s concerns and mentioned that Stefan’s assistant was currently at the viscounty.
