Grace in Wonderland - Chapter 44

44. A Misstep

When Richard went to the library, his friend was in the middle of reading a book.

“Grace.”

Richard called his friend’s name. Upon hearing it, Richard’s friend hurriedly stood up.

“Y-Young Earl.”

“Reading again, I see.”

In mathematics, “emperical probability” refers to the likelihood of an event approaching a specific value when an action is repeated multiple times.

When Richard Spencer went to the library around 2 p.m. on five occasions, he had found Grace Gurton reading a book there four times. This amounted to an 80% probability.

Even if he were to repeat this action a thousand or ten thousand times to calculate the empirical probability, the result would likely not deviate much. It would probably hover somewhere between 80% and 90%. Richard’s friend was an intelligent woman, after all.

“What were you studying today?”

The intelligent Grace Gurton wasn’t studying anything at all. She was merely pretending to study while sitting in the library.

From the moment she decided to be friends with Richard Spencer, Grace was no longer on the seesaw. The child sitting on the opposite end of the seesaw had abruptly stood up, sending Grace tumbling to the ground. Then, without warning, they had placed her on a swing and started pushing her wildly from behind.

The seesaw had come to a halt. But the swing was now moving back and forth, up and down. Her one-sided love, which had been still and quiet, had gained kinetic and potential energy through their “exchange of friendship.”

The stronger the push from behind, the faster the swing’s ascent and descent. As a result, the energy Grace Gurton, who maintained the same mass, had to endure increased significantly.

Her diminished focus was merely a minor side effect of her struggles on the swing. What was truly serious was the growth of an emotion called “expectation.” That was truly fatal.

“I-I was studying social etiquette,” Grace said, glancing at the book she hadn’t actually been reading.

The reason she chose this book, which wasn’t her usual subject of study, was precisely because of the side effect called “expectation.”

Grace Gurton was set to become Grace Montague. And following her adoptive mother Lady Montague’s wishes, she was highly likely to become engaged to Theresius Wilford.

That was what Mary Montague had mentioned in the carriage on the way to the Pump Room yesterday. Though it was sudden, it wasn’t incomprehensible, so Grace had merely nodded obediently.

Grace had left the cave and stepped into Wonderland. Unlike the familiar structure of the cave, the outside world was vast, complicated, and overwhelming. Lady Montague’s guidance and assistance were essential, and Grace had resolved to follow wherever she was led.

“Not mathematics, but etiquette?”

When he leaned forward and sat next to Grace, their arms touched. Startled, Grace flinched and subtly moved away. Richard, oblivious to her discomfort, curiously peered at the book.

Sure enough, it was filled with advice on how ladies could survive in society. The particular section Grace had been “reading” detailed how to use a fan to attract gentlemen’s invitations to dance.

Richard thought it was utterly ridiculous but decided not to show it. Instead, he offered a practical piece of advice filled with friendship.

“For things like this, direct experience is better.”

The more, the better. “Empirical probability” is about calculating the likelihood of an event through repeated occurrences. Therefore, to increase the probability, Grace Gurton should repeatedly attend balls and keep track of how often she danced with gentlemen.

But what if Grace ended up as a wallflower, unable to find a partner? In that case, as her friend, it would be only right for him to uphold his loyalty and request the first dance. Surely, as a lady who danced her first with the Young Earl Spencer, she would attract attention afterward.

However, it would be unacceptable for just anyone to swarm toward her. As her friend, that would make him extremely uncomfortable. Perhaps it would be better to feign ignorance of loyalty altogether.

“Y-yes. Oh, and Lady Montague also told me to attend the ball in a few days.”

Richard’s face brightened immediately. He thought it would be a perfect opportunity to provide his inexperienced friend with some “experience.” As expected, his aunt was a considerate woman.

“That’s great. Which family is hosting it?”

“N-not a family, but a ball at the Assembly Room.”

At Grace’s answer, the brightness on Richard’s face started to dim with discomfort.

Balls had their own hierarchies and levels. What Richard had imagined was a ball hosted by the Winchester family or another high-ranking noble family at their estate—an exclusive event where only a select few were invited to enjoy a refined experience.

However, the ball Grace was attending at the Assembly Room was, by Richard Spencer’s standards, utterly vulgar and crude. It was a pathetic event where men and women of marriageable age desperately sought partners. Richard had never once set foot in a ball held at the Assembly Room.

In the former scenario, it might have been difficult for Grace to be invited since her adoption wasn’t finalized yet. In that case, all Richard Spencer had to do was ensure an invitation and take her as his partner. Why hadn’t Lady Montague, such a brilliant woman, thought of this simple solution?

In any case, the schedule was already set, and there was no helping it. But there was still one problem remaining.

As a friend, he had a duty to uphold, and it was a serious issue.

Richard began to contemplate this urgent matter. Standing at a crossroads of whether to go or not, he found himself as deeply troubled as the Viking prince pondering whether to live or die.

Should he ask Lancelot? He had been wandering about every night with Eleanor d’Estrée and Freya, so he was sure to show up at the ball Grace was attending.

But Lancelot Spencer wasn’t Grace Gurton’s friend. He had no sense of loyalty or friendship toward her and would show no sympathy toward a poor wallflower, let alone lift a finger to help.

A lady ignored by everyone at the ball would face double humiliation the next day as gossipmongers tore her apart. Humanity could be so cruel, showing no mercy even to those they pitied.

And if Grace’s mother, Annabel Gurton, was mentioned, it would become a total disaster. It would be crossing a point of no return.

Just imagining Grace Gurton leaning against the wall, staring at the floor in a sea of strangers milling about like ants, made Richard’s chest tighten painfully. This was an issue he could not morally ignore or evade.

Ignoring and evading were Richard Spencer’s specialties. It was easier that way. But this time, ignoring and evading felt excruciatingly uncomfortable. Perhaps that was what true friendship was—something you couldn’t ignore, something you felt sorry for evading.

Though he was far from enthusiastic about it, it seemed he had no choice but to step in as a friend. If he couldn’t avoid it, he might as well embrace it. With resignation, Richard opened his mouth.

“What time should I get ready?”

“P-pardon?”

“To be honest, I don’t like the Assembly Room. As much as the Pump Room, in fact. And the thought of a ball held in such a place gives me a headache.”

“I-I see…”

“But what can I do? Thinking about my friend arriving alone in a carriage, entering the ballroom without an escort, makes me feel terrible.”

“……”

“Besides, you wouldn’t know anyone there. Then you’d have to spend the entire ball alone and leave feeling miserable, wouldn’t you?”

“……”

“If we were in Lydon, I would have arranged for a chaperone. But as you know, this is Bath, and ladies here don’t need chaperones.”

“……”

“So, what choice do I have?”

“……”

“I’ll have to escort you.”

Richard felt like the Son of God standing before a paralyzed man. Or perhaps like someone bravely shielding a woman from a hail of stones.

Grace and favor were nothing extraordinary. They were simply extending a hand to a neighbor in need, offering support to a friend in despair.

Richard Spencer declared that Grace Gurton would take his hand and, through his grace, straighten her bent legs and heal her wounds.

At that moment, the paralyzed man dusted off his seat and stood up on his own. The woman hunched over caught the flying stones with the skill of a rugby player. Then, bowing deeply with an apologetic smile, she said to the outstretched hand of the Son of God:

“Th-Thank you for the offer, b-but Lord Wilford will be accompanying me.”