Guidebook for the Dark Duke Chapter 90 - The Grand Wedding

Chapter 90 - The Grand Wedding

Early the next morning, Duke Wilson sent a carriage to send Evan away. Seeing Evan’s carriage go away, Duke Wilson’s expression was not looking very good. There must be something strange about the invitation this time, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.
Evan’s family home is located on the outskirts of London, so even though Evan took the carriage provided by Duke Wilson, it still took a long time to get there.
When Evan got into the carriage, he was shocked by the scene in front of him. The Bruce family was originally a country gentleman with a small income, but Evan never realized that their family would be so rich.
The house in front of him can almost be called a small castle. Although it is not as grand as the Duke’s castle, it can be considered grand. The castle is beautifully decorated and full of joyful atmosphere. The lawn in front of the castle was well-trimmed, white curtains were also set up and a white table was placed in the middle, which was filled with fruit cakes. There were people coming and going around, with gentle smiles on their faces.
As soon as Evan got out of the carriage, a man who looked like a butler came forward and said respectfully, “Master Evan, I am Ross the butler.”
Evan glanced at this slightly old man, he had some impression of this man. But Ross’ family has served the Bruce family for generations, and this butler also took care of him when he was a child.
“Butler Ross.” Evan said with a gentle smile on his face, “I still remember you. You took me to the back mountain to catch rabbits when I was a child.”
Evan was very naughty before leaving Bruce’s house and his father, Peter, hated him very much. Because of his personality, he didn’t pay much attention to him on weekdays. At that time, his mother was sick all year round, so in such a big Bruce family, only the old butler took care of him.
Hearing what he said, Butler Ross showed a little excitement on his face, “Oh, you still remember…this is really…you were so young…”
He looked at Evan excitedly, maybe Evan didn’t remember but since Evan was born, he was almost always taken care of by this butler until he left Bruce’s house at the age of seven, so this butler has more feelings for Evan than Evan’s father.
Evan patted the old butler’s back with a smile and said softly, “Where’s my father?”
This time he called him back with such a big fanfare, he didn’t know what his plan was.
Under Evan’s comfort, the old butler calmed down a lot and hurriedly said, “Master is entertaining guests in the living room, Master William sent me here to wait for you.”
William? Evan raised his eyebrows.
“Where is William?” Evan asked.
When this question was asked, the old butler’s expression looked a little unnatural. He subconsciously glanced at Evan, then immediately lowered his head and said in a low voice, “Master William is resting upstairs.”
“Rest?” The doubts in Evan’s heart are becoming even greater. Today is his wedding and he is still resting upstairs, which is really unusual.
“I want to see him, you take me there.” Evan had a lot of doubts in his heart, but it was not suitable to say them all at this time, he still needed to take to see.
Seeing that he didn’t ask further questions, Butler Ross heaved a sigh of relief and quickly led Evan towards the castle.
Maybe it’s because of Evan’s new arrival and his face that clearly bears the characteristics of the Bruce family. People around him were pointing at him but Evan didn’t pay attention to them at all. He can think of what these people are saying. The youngest son of the Bruce family, his tragic fate and his life without any future, these people have nothing new to talk about except these.
Of course, Butler Ross also heard the discussions of these people. His expression became very complicated in an instant and it seemed that there was a trace of pity. Evan frowned. Some gentlemen were talking to the old Bruce, who was very similar to Evan. He was also blond, blue-eyed and slender. Even though he was old, he still had the same demeanor and he stood out among a group of old gentlemen with puffy stomachs.
He also saw Evan but he just glanced at Evan, then turned around and continued to chat and laugh with the group of people.
Evan squinted his eyes. He had always known about his father’s selfish character, but facing his neglect of him at this moment, Evan still felt a little uncomfortable.
“Master Evan.” Butler Ross also saw the eye contact between the father and son, and asked cautiously, “Do you want to go upstairs?”
Evan came back to his senses, nodded slightly, and stepped up the stairs without looking back.
After Evan went upstairs, Old Bruce turned his face around and looked at Evan’s back. His eyes were very complicated, mixed with pain and struggle but in the end all these feelings were covered up in the coldness, and he turned around and talked to those people again.
Evan walked along the thickly carpeted corridor towards William’s room. William was five years older than Evan. In Evan’s memory, the original owner hardly talked to William when he was a child, because William had always been very busy, he needed to do a lot of things. He had to take lessons with his tutor, he had to learn how to play the piano, he had to learn the etiquette of a gentleman and he had to go to banquets with old Bruce, but the original owner had only one task, that is to live well.
Such a cruel comparison made the original owner very jealous of William, but at the same time, he was very eager for his brother to talk to him, but unfortunately, since he was kicked out of the Bruce family, he never saw William again.
Butler Ross led him to a door. Evan looked at the door and suddenly hesitated. He could still be indifferent to old Bruce, but he didn’t have any impression of this brother, so he doesn’t know how to face him.
Butler Ross didn’t notice Evan’s hesitation. He knocked on the door skillfully, and said in a low voice, “Master William, Master Evan is back.
Holding his breath, it seemed to him that a century passed before a low voice came from inside, “Let him in.”
Butler Ross nodded slightly and pushed open the door.
Evan followed in the footsteps of Butler Ross and stepped into the room. His feet completely sank into the soft carpet and the dim light around him made Evan lick his lips, not to mention the lingering smell in the air. It was almost a pungent incense. In the confined space, Evan rubbed his nose. This place was like a closed box, which made him feel a little hot.
“Brother William.” Evan said dryly, not seeing William’s face sitting on the bed clearly.
William didn’t speak but waved to Butler Ross, who nodded slightly and backed out, but before he went out, he took a deep look at Evan, the expression in his eyes was very complicated and Evan’s eyebrows wrinkled with a frown.
“Are you sick?” After a long silence, Evan couldn’t help asking. He really didn’t know what happened to William and kept looking at him intently. Although he couldn’t clearly see William’s face in the dark, if his gaze had any substance, it made him uncomfortable.
“You have grown up.” He said with a hint of exclamation, but what he said was wrong, which made Evan confused.
“We haven’t seen each other for seventeen years.” Evan pursed his lips and said. From the time he left Bruce’s house at the age of seven to now at the age of twenty-four, he almost couldn’t remember William’s face in the original owner’s memory.
After Evan finished saying this, William seemed to chuckle a few times and then began to cough again. It was a cough that seemed to be like he was coughing up his lungs. Evan was also taken aback and wanted to step forward to have a look, but after taking a step, William stopped him.
“Stand where you are!” He supported the bedpost weakly with one hand and stroked his chest with the other, but his tone was unusually firm.
Evan’s footsteps paused, “You…” He frowned and looked in William’s direction, and said with some uncertainty, “What’s wrong with you?”
William’s earth-shattering cough gradually eased. He took a long breath, then smiled again and said, “I’m fine, I just caught a cold a few days ago, so you don’t have to worry.”
Evan’s doubts grew. Instead, it seemed… A terrible thought came to Evan’s mind, and he took a slight step back.
“It’s fine.” Evan didn’t dare to ask any more questions. There were strange things about this time, so it was better for him to protect himself wisely.
After that, William was silent for a long time and when there was a knock on the door outside, William seemed to wake up from a dream, smiled at Evan and said, “Okay, my best man is coming in, you go out. I bet you definitely didn’t have breakfast today, go out and let the cook make you something to eat.”
His tone was so gentle, it seemed that he was not the same person as the arrogant and cold boy in the memory of the original owner.
Evan nodded cautiously and retreated to the door. When he opened the door, he saw clearly the person knocking outside the door. It was a young man. When he saw him, he looked stunned. Half of William’s name was already on the edge of his mouth before he finally reacted.
“Oh, you are Evan, right? I’m your brother’s good friend, Hugh.”
He extended his hand to Evan in a friendly manner and Evan shook his hand politely, turned and left.
What happened in the past few days was really strange, what happened to William? He is so sick, can today’s wedding hold? Evan was very suspicious.
After Evan came down from the stairs, the people around Old Bruce had dispersed and he stood alone at the stairs, looking at Evan with burning eyes.
Evan paused and finally walked to Old Bruce, nodded slightly, “Father.” He was waiting here specially, not knowing what else was going on.
“Have you met your brother?” His tone was very cold.
Evan felt a little displeased, but finally nodded: “I did, Brother William looks a bit bad.” He said tentatively.
Old Bruce frowned quickly when he said this.
“He just has a cold.” His tone was almost reproachful, “Don’t try to think of anything, your brother is in good health.” His face was faintly blue.
Evan didn’t expect the old Bruce to have such a big reaction at all. His expression was slightly tense, it seemed that William really had a problem.
“Well, I don’t mean anything else, don’t be angry.” Evan softened his mouth.
Seeing that Evan didn’t ask any more questions, Old Bruce’s face looked a little better.
“You came here so early, you probably haven’t eaten breakfast yet. I asked the cook to prepare bread and bacon for you, you go and eat.” His tone was a little gentler and he almost said the same words as William .
Evan raised his eyebrows slightly, nodded and left. It seemed that William had learned all the tricks of old Bruce, the two even spoke in almost the same tone.
Evan came to the kitchen and sure enough, there was food on the table. Evan sat down at the table and ate it. He did not eat much before he came and he was already hungry by now.
The cook saw him showing her face so much, and the smile on her face was a little more sincere.
“Oh, Master Evan, your appetite is really good, much better than Master William.”
Hearing this, Evan raised his eyebrows, “Brother William, doesn’t he have a good appetite?” He asked tentatively.
Speaking of this, the cook felt bitter, “Master William’s appetite has gotten worse since two months ago, and he has not eaten much. You must know that Master William liked my cooking very much before .”
Sick two months ago? Again, Evan was filled with doubts. He had just told him that he had caught a cold a few days ago, so how could a cold drag on for so long?
“Really? I don’t know which family my sister-in-law is from?” To be honest, Evan only knew that his sister-in-law was from a famous family, but he didn’t know which family she was from.
Speaking of this, a hint of secret pleasure quickly appeared on the face of the cook, and she said anxiously: “Don’t you know? Master William’s bride is the daughter of a member of Parliament in London, Miss Victoria. She is a well-known London lady. I heard that there is a dowry of ten thousand pounds and her father, Mr Remus and Master Bruce are old friends, so he married Miss Victoria to Master William.”
Daughter of a councilor? Evan paused, he was from a noble family. In this day and age, it is not an easy feat for an ordinary person to be a member of the House of Lords.
“I see, this is really great.” Under the excited expression of the cook, Evan forced a smile and said a few words with emotion.
At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the door,
“Master William is coming down!”
“Master William is going to pick up the bride!”
Evan felt his heart tighten and went out, and sure enough, he saw a well-dressed young man coming down from upstairs.
Looking at William’s face, even a calm person like Evan would be surprised. The person in front of him was so much like him, he was almost the same as Evan. If it wasn’t for his pale face, and slightly thin cheeks and slightly dim eyes, this person is exactly the same as Evan.
A shadow cast over Evan’s heart in an instant.