Grace in Wonderland - Chapter 20

20. The Reversal of a Decision

“W-welcome.”

“Where is the Madam?”

Richard slightly nodded in response to Grace’s greeting, which was laced with unease, and immediately inquired about Lady Montague’s whereabouts.

“S-she’s on the second floor, in her bedroom. B-but…”

“Let’s talk as we go up.”

Richard ascended the stairs in one swift motion. Grace hurried her pace to follow him closely.

“What exactly happened?”

“Th-the truth is…”

Grace’s face was pale as a sheet. Richard halted in front of Lady Montague’s bedroom and waited for her answer.

“I-it’s n-not a big deal…”

“Not a big deal, you say?”

Richard furrowed his brow sharply. The notion that Lady Mary Montague’s collapse was “not a big deal,” coupled with the fact that a servant had been dispatched to the Spencer estate to summon the family physician, made no sense whatsoever.

“S-she did collapse, b-but she regained consciousness almost immediately after I sent someone.”

“And then?”

“S-she said it was just a sudden case of indigestion. S-she mentioned it happens sometimes when she’s overly stressed and told me not to worry.”

Grace’s voice was barely above a whisper as she finished explaining. Richard let out a short sigh and asked another question.

“Has the family physician arrived yet?”

“N-not yet.”

“What’s her current condition?”

“S-she took some digestive medicine and is now resting. I-I decided not to wake her until the doctor arrives, so I’ve just been watching over her.”

“I see.”

Richard looked down at Grace, who was trembling slightly. Considering the time it would take for the servant to bring the physician, for the physician to prepare for the visit, and to travel here, there didn’t seem to be an immediate need to disturb Lady Montague.

“Miss Gurton.”

“Y-yes?”

“If you don’t mind, could we have a brief conversation?”

Richard proposed this as an opportunity to learn more about Grace Gurton, the recent source of his headaches, while waiting for the physician’s arrival and the completion of the medical examination.

***

“Why didn’t you immediately accept my aunt’s proposal, Miss Gurton?”

Richard’s tone was dry as he posed the question. Despite holding a steaming teacup, his voice was devoid of warmth.

“I-I never considered such a possibility before.”

“But it’s quite an enticing offer, isn’t it? Being adopted by the Montague family would change many things.”

Richard had expected Grace to eagerly embrace the proposal, even going so far as to prostrate herself in gratitude. Sebastian had thought the same. Most people would likely share that sentiment. Thus, Grace’s refusal was not only surprising but puzzling.

Grace Gurton had a glaring weakness: she stammered. Even the most noble-born ladies would become objects of ridicule if they stammered, and an uncorrectable flaw brought shame to their parents. Richard Spencer himself was such a source of shame to the Countess Spencer.

Moreover, Grace’s lineage was far from noble. She was the daughter of Annabel Gurton, who had been the subject of society’s scorn for the past twenty years.

Annabel Lovelace, the daughter of a viscount from southern Ingrint, had fallen in love with a man twenty years ago and conceived a child out of wedlock. While scandalous, such incidents occasionally occurred in society, and marrying the child’s father could have mitigated the disgrace and restored her reputation.

However, the issue was that the man she loved was a young priest assigned to the parish of the Lovelace estate. According to Ingrint’s national church law, it was not entirely forbidden for clergy to marry. The controversy arose from the fact that the priest was already married.

As the saying goes, “No grave is without an excuse,” both parties had their reasons, although these did not justify their actions. Annabel claimed she had no knowledge that Reverend Gurton had a wife. Likewise, Reverend Gurton claimed he was unaware that he had been married in his hometown.

Reverend Lewis Gurton had left his hometown early to study theology. Upon learning that his son had safely become a priest, his father arranged a marriage for him without his consent to secure a hefty dowry.

Such an arrangement would have been unthinkable in Lydon. However, in the remote southwestern corner of Ingrint, such practices were far from uncommon.

In Ingrint, though a nation governed by law, customs often took precedence over legal statutes the further one ventured from the capital. The marriage of Lewis Gurton was one such example.

Adherents of Ingrint’s national church were required to report any changes in their personal circumstances to their parish records. These updates were then forwarded to the archdiocese and eventually consolidated at the central headquarters in Cantonbury. This process could take several years. That was why Lewis Gurton was unaware of his own marital status.

Unaware that he was already married, Lewis Gurton fell for a cheerful young noblewoman who attended mass at his church. Before long, the two fell deeply in love and conceived a child away from the watchful eyes of their elders.

Viscount Lovelace was furious. However, unable to marry off his pregnant daughter to another man, he reluctantly granted permission for the union.

But after the wedding, as the overjoyed couple basked in their happiness, a woman claiming to be Mrs. Gurton suddenly appeared. Lewis had written a letter to his family back home, informing them of his marriage to Annabel Lovelace. That letter had been received by the woman living in Lewis’s family home—his legal wife, as recorded in the church registry.

Mrs. Gurton declared that the marriage between Lewis Gurton and Annabel Lovelace was invalid. She then filed charges against Annabel in the ecclesiastical court, accusing her of adultery with a married man.

Devastated, Lewis Gurton persuaded Annabel to flee with him. Their destination was Eyre, a distant corner of the continent beyond the jurisdiction of Ingrint’s legal system.

Lewis Gurton and Annabel Lovelace left the land where they had been born and raised. On a stormy night, Lewis secretly boarded a ship with his heavily pregnant wife. After that night, no one ever saw them again.

After their disappearance, Lydon’s social circles erupted into chaos. Such a massive scandal could never be quietly buried. In fact, the aristocracy of Lydon thrived on unearthing and showcasing even the most deeply hidden scandals.

Though Lewis and Annabel had left, they had not truly escaped. Their physical bodies were gone, but their names lingered in Ingrint, endlessly gossiped about, dissected, and relished.

Premarital pregnancy, adultery, and elopement. A tale composed of these three elements would not be seen again for the next century, ensuring it was sung and retold countless times. That was why Annabel Gurton became the title of an everlasting refrain in Lydon’s high society.

Though the couple was said to have died, their daughter, Grace Gurton, survived. With the help of Lady Mary Montague, Grace left Eyre and came to live in Ingrint.

Richard believed it would be better for her to continue living quietly, out of the public eye. Grace Gurton seemed to be living an ordinary life under the protection of Professor Charles Dodgson at Grentabridge.

He didn’t assess whether Grace was an enchantress. He simply thought that presenting her to the jungle of high society might backfire.

Nevertheless, Mary Montague’s decision to take Grace under her wing must have been driven by her friendship with Annabel Gurton. Mary likely intended to restore Annabel’s tarnished reputation, which had been relentlessly invoked in idle gossip, and to secure a better future for Grace.

Meeting someone who could embrace such flaws was a rare stroke of luck in life. Having made her decision, Mary and her husband Anthony Montague extended their generous goodwill by accepting Grace Gurton. All Grace had to do was accept the good fortune that had been laid before her.

If Mary Montague became her mother, Grace’s future would undoubtedly become brighter and more prosperous. A comfortable lifestyle, a prestigious background, and the presence of kind, respected adoptive parents—there was no reason to refuse.

Yet Grace Gurton declined the offer as soon as she heard it. Though she later agreed to “think it over” under Lady Montague’s persuasion, that phrase was merely a polite compromise, Ingrintian for “I’ll refuse eventually, but let’s leave it here for now.”

This was quintessential Ingrintian rhetoric.

Thus, deep within Richard Spencer’s mind, a faint glimmer of expectation began to rise. Perhaps Grace Gurton was a woman who understood the subtleties of the Ingrintian language and comprehended the fractions of mathematics.

“So, I… I’ve decided to accept the Madam’s proposal.”

Until he heard this answer.