Simmering Jams at the Edge of the Forest

how the conversation always stopped and that was how we got into that situation.

“Walter…”

“No, I’m not being sarcastic or anything.
On the contrary, I was relieved… Well, there was some jealousy.”

She opened her eyes in amazement.
I hadn’t seen a face like this in a long time.

“I’m just glad that you are enjoying your life in Meissery.
Also, you are not alone.
I’m relieved.”

“… Thank you.
You’re being awfully honest, aren’t you?”

“I was blown away by what you just said.
I’ve already spent a lifetime regretting not telling you.”

“Yes…That was the case, huh?”

From her hand that resumed motion, the unmolded dough magically lined up on the baking sheet one after another.

“Margaret will be here for a long time to come, won’t she?”

“Well, I hope she’ll stay until she’s married or something.”

“That’s her plan?”

“I can’t say that she doesn’t.
She is quite popular.
Daniel and Buddy are so guarded that she doesn’t even know it.”

She said pleasantly that it was an illustrious father’s role to delay his daughter’s marriage.
Aside from Dr.
Daniel, Buddy was certainly excellent.
My mother asked me in a deliberately naughty way.

“Are you interested too?”

“…I think she is an attractive woman.
She is not afraid of me, and I feel strangely at home with her.”

“I know what you mean.
I’m the same way.
We’re really like a family that I feel no discomfort with her.”

Family, family, huh… I never did get it.
If the warmth of the table around which we dine here was family, then it definitely was.
I put my mouth on the cup that was still in my hand.

“For my part, I think if that’s going to happen, it’s going to be with Mark or you.”

I choked.

“Oh, surprising?”

“…I failed once.”

“It depends on who you are dealing with.
We’ll have to think about succession.”

“”

“You can adopt a child or whatever you want.”

“I guess so, I’ll leave it to you.
Do what you want.”

It was obvious from the sidelines that Mark had feelings for her, but what about Margaret? There was no doubt, though, that she was the next closest person to my mother and Dr.
Daniel.

After all the dough was laid out, my mother washed her hands and cleared the table.
The lean movements were pleasant to watch.

I pictured my mother and Margaret standing in the kitchen side by side.
Laughing and enjoying each other’s company, the two of them deftly prepared and cleaned up one dish after another, complementing each other.
A sight I’d seen many times over the past three days, and if I were to put myself in it…

“…If anything, she feels more like a sister than a wife.”

The stillness of that night, the peace and quiet.
It was surely something that should be called filial love rather than infatuation.

It had been a very long time since I had seen my mother smile with a happy ‘motherly expression’.

The discussion about the village between my mother, the village chief, and the three of us ended easily.
Although the company received reports on income and expenditure and tax collection twice a year and dispatched a family ordinance, there were actually many problems with the land and other matters that had not been seen with their own eyes for some time.

After lunch, I left the mansion in a box carriage with the village chief, leaving my mother behind.
We went around to see the actual locations to determine the order and scale of repairs and areas in need of repair, which I had heard lightly about even on the first day.

It was a good time to finish seeing everything for the day, so I sent the carriage directly to the clinic after parting with the village chief.
Hugh was back in the capital and Buddy was home with my mother.
I wonder what it would be like to let Margaret walk alone….
I was sure Mark would send her off.

Margaret, who was just outside, was surprised to see me come to pick her up unscheduled.
She said they had just seen off the last patient.

“I had just finished my inspection, so I stopped by.
It’s almost over, now we’re going back to the compound, what do you want to do?”

“…”

As Margaret wrote on my palm asking if I could wait a moment and returned to the clinic, Mark, who had apparently heard the sound of the carriage, came out.
They were talking a bit at the door, and I noticed that their mood differed from it was yesterday… I see, I was in awe of my mother’s keen eye.

As I watched, Margaret went indoors and Mark came up to me standing by the carriage.

“…You came to pick her up?”

“I’m on the way back.
You shouldn’t be so alarmed.”

He looked at me in surprise, even though it didn’t show on his face.
“The good people of Disraeli” didn’t have time for lovers, apparently.
Some things were more endearing than you might think.

“Don’t worry.
Sure, she’s attractive, but I don’t see her that way.”

“Even so, being Lady Adelaide’s son, you were certainly qualified to be in that position… Frankly, I couldn’t afford it, and it was not pleasant.”

“I see.
So, it’s mutual.”

Our eyes met.
I couldn’t help but to deflect.

“…Ever since I was a child, I have always wished that the doctor was my real father.
Your position had been a long-time wish of mine.”

The indescribable silence ended when Margaret returned.
I left the escort to Mark and waited for him to get in first.
Margaret got on shortly after and sat diagonally across from me, and the carriage quietly departed.

“…Your face is red.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Margaret, who plopped down on the basket when I pointed it out.
This feeling of not being able to feel jealousy, etc., was certainly not love.

I felt guilty for teasing her, so I confessed from here.

“I talked to mother.”

Instantly, she looked up with a straight face.
The straight stare of her eyes was so painful.
I looked again at her right palm and held it lightly.

“… Thank you, Margaret.”

That was all I needed to get the message across.

No further words were spoken on the way to the mansion, but Margaret’s smile never disappeared.