Grace in Wonderland - Chapter 97

97. The Return of the Prodigal

“A charity school teacher…”

Ha, why is that woman so desperate to teach those pitiable people?

The fact that Grace Gurton had chosen a position as a charity school teacher, barely earning a few shillings a week, over becoming the Countess Spencer filled Richard with a sense of sadness. Was the reality of being a great noble truly this harsh?

He couldn’t believe that the Spencer name was so inadequate that it could be overshadowed by a charity school. He had only shown her a selection of major assets within Ingrint. Should he have gone further, revealing the collection of overseas movable and immovable properties, jewelry collections, artworks, stocks, bonds, and trust funds—not to mention the hefty slush fund?

It was fortunate that the school had no plans to hire teachers. The thought of Grace Gurton settling down at a charity school and living out her life in Grentabridge was unbearable. For once, the parish priest had given an answer that pleased him greatly.

“By the way, Young Master.”

Sebastian deliberately lowered his voice as he addressed Richard.

“Theresius Wilford is in Grentabridge.”

“What? Why is that bastard here?”

“I’ll need to look into it further, but my guess is he’s here to meet the woman carrying his child.”

“Ah.”

So he has the decency to check in on the woman bearing his child. Well, considering he’s the type to embezzle a noble’s money to give to her, he must value her quite highly.

For a moment, Richard Spencer felt an overwhelming urge to praise his past self. If it weren’t for him, Grace Gurton would have married Theresius Wilford without knowing a thing.

She might have ended up neglected and unloved, coughing her life away in a windowless back room, succumbing to tuberculosis. The thought of saving her from such a dreadful, dark fate, only for her to move on without a backward glance, filled him with frustration.

Frankly, it would have been better if she were like someone rescued from drowning, demanding compensation. At least then he could have thrown her back into the water without a second thought.

But if the person you saved from drowning thanks you and waves goodbye as they leave, how are you supposed to bring them back? What method could you use to make them stay by the water?

“By the way, Young Master.”

Sebastian’s voice dropped again as he addressed Richard.

“What now?”

I’m dealing with serious thoughts here. What terrible timing. Richard replied irritably, his frustration bubbling over.

“It’s about Theresius Wilford.”

“I don’t understand why you keep bringing him up, Sebastian.”

“It seems he’s completely given up on maintaining his reputation lately.”

“Did he even have a reputation to manage?”

Richard sneered, but Sebastian continued unfazed.

“Back in college, Theresius Wilford was considered a promising talent with a bright future.”

Promising talent, my foot. He was a fox filled with ambition and greed, pretending to be exemplary while fathering an illegitimate child behind the scenes.

Compared to someone like that, how noble was Richard Spencer? Like untouched snow on a mountaintop or a flower on a cliff, untouched by anyone. Why couldn’t Grace Gurton see the charm in a man like him?

And let’s be clear, he was a “flower on a cliff,” not a “wallflower.”

Could it be that pure and modest men lacked appeal? He vaguely remembered Sebastian mentioning something like that once—that men had to be skilled and experienced to satisfy their wives and that a satisfied wife would improve the breakfast menu…

“So, what’s your point?”

Still reeling from the impact of his rejected proposal, every word from Sebastian weighed on Richard like fourteen burdens. He felt as though he were walking barefoot on thorns, carrying all his anguish on his shoulders, only to arrive at Golgotha Hill and find Grace Gurton waiting to crucify him.

That convoluted metaphor aside, the truth was simpler: every thought led back to Grace Gurton, leaving Richard tormented.

“Day and night, he sits in a tavern in town, drinking, and replacing women as often as he replaces his glass,” Sebastian paused to catch his breath.

Even Sebastian, who loved to dig up rumors as if pulling well-ripened carrots from the ground, felt uneasy upon hearing this story. The reason for Theresius Wilford’s complete downfall involved none other than himself and Richard Spencer.

Of course, the primary blame lay with Theresius Wilford himself. Conceiving an illegitimate child while hiding the fact and attempting to get engaged to Grace Gurton, as well as embezzling funds meant for a poorhouse for personal use—all these actions made him deserving of condemnation.

However, the intensity of his punishment far exceeded the norm. For a noble, the existence of an illegitimate child conceived before marriage was an inconvenience, but not a fatal flaw. Even the Duke of Devonshire openly raised a child born from an actress. The noble heirs who studied in Grentabridge were no strangers to similar indiscretions.

Compared to that, embezzlement was a graver crime. This was because the victims were fellow nobles. While defiling a common woman and ruining her life might not be deemed serious, stealing a few coins from another noble’s pocket was considered a greater evil. It made no sense, but that was the reality.

Even so, had he adequately compensated for his misdeeds, no matter how vile Theresius’ crimes might have been, it would’ve been possible to overlook everything as if it never happened. Among nobles, it was wise to resolve matters amicably, taking into account familial reputation and mutual acquaintances.

But Richard Spencer refused to tolerate it. The Young Earl acted upon the words he had hurled at Theresius Wilford during their brawl on the rugby pitch.

“I have no interest in listening to someone whose father holds nothing more than a pathetic seat at the very bottom of Parliament. Soon enough, Baron Wilford will understand his place.”

As a result, Theresius’s father, Baron Jonathan Wilford, indeed came to understand his place. The self-proclaimed “King of Cornwall,” who had postured as a fox in his den, found himself utterly subdued upon stepping into the savannah ruled by lions—the central political scene. There was no need to wonder who had orchestrated this environment of exclusion. No parliamentary member was willing to kindly accommodate someone openly disdained by the Young Earl of Spencer.

Jonathan Wilford’s misfortunes did not end there. His son’s engagement to the Montague family—a union he had been counting on to form connections—fell through. Then, an issue regarding charitable funds, which even he had been unaware of, surfaced.

Following this, the Spencer Earldom used every means at its disposal to ostracize the Wilford family. Though no one outright declared it, the message was clear: “Leave Lydon at once and never return.”

Thus, Baron Jonathan Wilford had no choice but to take his family back to Cornwall. He withdrew from both the Parliament, where he had barely gained a foothold, and the social circles where he had lavishly spent gold to gain entry.

Naturally, the baron directed all his resentment toward the son who had ruined his grand plans. He could hardly believe that Theresius, whom he had sent to study at Grentabridge with strict instructions to behave, had committed such foolish acts.

In Cornwall, Theresius could have indulged in all sorts of indiscretions with no one the wiser, provided he avoided the scrutiny of sharp-eyed ladies like Mary Montague. Yet, despite repeated warnings to maintain decorum outside their estate to secure the best possible match, Theresius had failed miserably. The furious baron, unable to contain his anger, physically expelled Theresius from their home. Thus, Theresius Wilford, once the pride of his father, became a disgraced outcast and returned to Grentabridge.

“And?”

“He’s reportedly become extremely violent. He’s been hitting women while drunk and… using force.”

Theresius had taken residence in a house once provided to Agnes and frequented town every day, drinking heavily and seducing women left and right. That alone might have been forgivable, but consumed by anger over his ruined life, he began violently abusing women, including Agnes, who was pregnant with his child.

“Sebastian, why are you telling me this?”

Richard Spencer had no interest in such matters. His thoughts were solely occupied by Grace Gurton, leaving no room for someone like Theresius Wilford.

Yet Sebastian couldn’t shake the ominous feeling lingering in his mind, which compelled him to share the tale. Because…

“Theresius Wilford was staring at Miss Gurton.”