He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 207

207. My Maria

Admiral Nelson, accompanied by an interpreting officer, strode purposefully towards the village men.

The men, already intimidated, instinctively stepped back.

However, Admiral Nelson displayed an unexpected gesture.

With a broad smile, he warmly clasped the village chief’s hand.

Admiral Nelson spoke in English, which the interpreting officer then translated into Portuguese.

“We are deeply grateful for rescuing and taking such good care of our Earl Sanderson. His Majesty the King will be greatly pleased to hear of this.

And the Earl is also deeply thankful to all the villagers for their warm hospitality and wishes to repay you all.”

At the interpreter’s words, the village chief waved his hands dismissively.

“Oh no, not at all! We didn’t really do much for him! We didn’t even realize he was such a high-ranking person, and we are just sorry that we didn’t treat him better.”

The village men, only then relieved, breathed sighs of relief and regained their composure.

Theo asked Admiral Nelson.

“Admiral, did you bring the things I asked my wife for?”

“Of course, my Earl.”

At Admiral Nelson’s command, numerous items began to be unloaded from the small warship.

From various foodstuffs that were hard to come by on the island to cotton fabrics and household goods, the islanders saw a mountain of items they had never even seen before in their lives piled up in front of the harbor.

Theo had asked Princess Maria in his letter to send some supplies needed by the villagers.

Princess Maria, who had been in despair thinking Theo was dead, wept with joy upon receiving the letter and personally purchased various items to fill the ship to the brim for the villagers who had saved her husband.

That evening, a small party was held in the village, and the villagers enjoyed a rare night of fun with food and drinks they had never tasted before.

◈ The next day, at Mr. Costa’s house.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door of Theo’s room as he was finishing packing.

“Yes, come in.”

It was Admiral Nelson.

“Is your packing going well?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be done soon. I don’t have anything special to take, so I can just get on the ship as is.”

Then, Theo noticed the clothes in Admiral Nelson’s hand.

“What are those clothes?”

“They are your clothes, my Earl.”

“My clothes?”

“Gilbert White, the tailor, came to me personally and handed them over. He said he wept when he heard you were alive and stayed up all night making them. Haha.”

It was a luxurious suit consisting of a dark brown coat, an emerald waistcoat, a white shirt, and a stylish cravat [a type of necktie].

Even a silk hat (a top hat) matching the color of the coat was perfectly prepared.

Gilbert White, who knew Theo’s tastes and measurements perfectly, seemed to have made and sent the best clothes.

Theo, who didn’t have a single decent set of clothes because the merchant ship had been wrecked, couldn’t help but be very grateful for the gift.

***

When Theo, having changed his clothes, arrived at the harbor with Admiral Nelson, most of the islanders were out preparing to see him off.

The villagers were surprised and whispered at Theo’s appearance in a splendid suit they had never seen before.

“Oh my goodness. Seeing him dressed like that, it really hits home that he’s an English Earl.”

“I know. He always had a special air about him, but dressed properly, he really is unmistakably a noble aristocrat.”

“I wonder how much that fabric costs? How can it look so soft and luxurious? It looks softer than my skin.”

“Those clothes wouldn’t look good on us. Only an Earl can pull off that kind of style.”

The villagers were amazed by Theo’s appearance, who had shed his shabby clothes and changed into a top-class suit.

Theo, facing the villagers, expressed his deep gratitude for their kindness through Manuel.

And finally, he approached Mr. Costa and thanked him once again.

“I will never forget the kindness of rescuing me from the sea and even treating me like this. If I ever have the chance, I will definitely visit you again. Until then, stay healthy.”

Mr. Costa was overwhelmed when Manuel conveyed Theo’s words.

“Oh no, my Earl. We were just so grateful that you stayed in our humble home.”

Theo spent a long time sharing farewells with the villagers.

◈ September 5, 1797. London Harbor, England.

Early in the morning. As the fog gradually lifted, large ships entering London Harbor began to appear one by one.

The butler approached Princess Maria, who was anxiously watching the ships coming in.

“Madam, please go inside the hotel and rest while I and the other servants keep a close watch for your lord. It’s already been five days, hasn’t it? I’m worried you might collapse before your lord even arrives.”

At that time, the expected arrival dates of ships were not as accurate as they are today.

They could be off by as little as 3-5 days or as much as over a month.

Moreover, since the warship carrying Theo was not a regular liner, no one knew when it would arrive.

The butler urged once more.

“Madam, please go inside? The weather is suddenly getting chilly today.”

Maria shook her head.

“No. I have a different feeling today. I feel like the Earl will definitely come today. Admiral Nelson said he would arrive no later than September 7th. I can’t possibly wait in my room with this feeling.”

The warship that had departed from Naples with her husband had not arrived in London for over a month.

Then, she heard the shocking news that a Neapolitan warship had been seen sinking in the Mediterranean, and Princess Maria fainted on the spot.

Immediately, by order of King George, a search vessel was dispatched to the Mediterranean, but the search vessel, after searching for nearly two months, returned without finding any wreckage of the Neapolitan warship.

However, she heard strange news from the captain of the search vessel.

The Earl of Sanderson had not boarded the Neapolitan warship and had departed for London five days later on a Neapolitan merchant ship.

Princess Maria regained a glimmer of hope, but if the merchant ship that had departed on May 8th had not arrived by the end of July, there was a high possibility that a major problem had occurred.

Admiral Nelson had searched for all the ships and soon came across the heartbreaking fact that a Neapolitan merchant ship had been caught in a storm in the Atlantic and sunk.

As yet another expectation crumbled miserably, Princess Maria finally collapsed.

When she opened her eyes, she could do nothing but cry and feel frustrated, and she couldn’t eat anything.

As she was sinking into such a deep sense of loss, she received truly unbelievable and miraculous news.

A letter written by the Earl of Sanderson himself was delivered to Princess Maria via a Portuguese merchant ship.

Inside the envelope was a letter to King George and a letter to Maria.

Maria had writhed in heart-wrenching pain for over two months.

This time, she had to cry for a month with joy.

And she read Theo’s letter dozens of times a day until it was worn out.

At first, she was overjoyed just that Theo was alive, but now, waiting for him day by day was too much pain.

Still, time passed, and as the expected arrival date approached, she could no longer just sit still and wait at home.

Knowing that there were still several days left until he arrived at the harbor, Princess Maria rushed to London Harbor.

And it became Maria’s daily routine to find accommodation near the harbor and wait for her husband every day.

It seemed that time passed much faster when she was watching the sea where he would come.

‘I feel like he will definitely come today. He even appeared in my dream last night….’

With a hopeful heart, Princess Maria looked at each ship coming in from afar.

***

A small warship entered London Harbor between large passenger ships and merchant ships.

As a makeshift bridge was connected between the docked warship and the pier, the captain said politely to Theo.

“Commander-in-chief. Please disembark first?”

“Yes, thank you. You’ve worked really hard to get here.”

“Not at all. It was a great honor to serve as your commander-in-chief.”

He had a connection with the captain from the war against the French army.

Theo, smiling and patting the captain on the shoulder, disembarked from the warship first, receiving the utmost farewell from the naval officers and men.

Theo did not take Admiral Nelson’s warship but took a small warship.

It was out of a desire to get to the harbor even a few minutes faster.

‘Maria… I wonder if Maria is here?’

Theo, having disembarked from the warship, looked around frantically.

London Harbor, where large ships came and went frequently, was bustling with countless passengers and sailors waiting for the return of family or acquaintances, or getting off and on the ships.

On one side, people were sharing joy at meeting their long-awaited family, and on the other side, people were enviously watching such scenes and sending off their own families.

‘Maria must be waiting too….’

Theo, feeling impatient, straightened his splendid suit made by Gilbert and set out to find his wife.

Maria, who must be waiting anxiously somewhere in this vast harbor.

How much pain she must have been through after hearing the news that he was dead.

And how anxiously she must have been waiting after receiving the letter that he was alive.

He wanted to meet her as soon as possible to soothe and comfort her for her heartache.

Theo looked around and searched diligently for his wife.

However, there were too many ships entering the harbor today.

As a result, the harbor was overflowing with people waiting and cargo.

With so many people, finding his wife was becoming increasingly difficult.

‘Where could she be… Where is Maria….’

It was then.

A woman in a dazzling white dress, leaning against the railing in the distance, caught Theo’s eye.

Holding her wide-brimmed hat tightly in her hand, lest it be blown away by the wind, she was staring intently at the warship slowly entering the harbor.

The warship she was watching with earnest eyes was the ship Admiral Nelson was on.

Although half of her face was covered by the large hat, Theo could recognize who she was at a glance.

‘Maria….’

His heart had been breaking every night with longing.

Whenever he was suddenly struck by the fear that he might never see her again, he had gritted his teeth and endured, imagining the day of their reunion.

And there she was, before his eyes.

“Excuse me! Please move aside! Just a little!”

Theo, impatient to see his wife, tried to go as quickly as possible, but the indifferent crowd kept pushing him away.

He even felt frustrated, wondering if he would never be able to reach her.

Unable to bear it any longer, Theo called out his wife’s name loudly.

“Maria! Maria!”

Theo’s desperate cry was quickly lost in the noise of the ships entering the harbor and the murmur of the crowd.

However, Maria did not miss her husband’s voice.

She, who had been holding her breath and watching the warship, turned her head with a startled expression.

Her eyes frantically searched here and there in the harbor.

Then, she met Theo’s gaze head-on, which had been hidden among the passing people.

In that instant.

All movement around them stopped, and no sound reached their ears.

Maria’s large eyes, which had found Theo, were soon filled with glistening tears.

As her weakened hand fell limply, her hat fluttered and flew away in the wind.

The butler and servants, who knew nothing, were flustered trying to catch her hat.

Theo was already approaching Maria.

And he hugged her, who was silently sobbing, and whispered.

“…My Maria.”

The bold action drew all eyes in the harbor to them, but Theo could not feel any shame or embarrassment at that moment.

Theo, reunited with his beloved wife, trembled all over with an indescribable sense of happiness.

“Oh! Master!”

“Hic! Master!”

The butler and servants, who had finally recognized Theo, also reddened their eyes.

The butler took out a handkerchief and wiped away the flowing tears.

Gentlemen who had been watching their scene with interest could not contain their curiosity and asked the crying butler.

“What’s the story that makes everyone cry like this?”

“The person over there is… Theo… Earl Theo Sanderson. Hic-”

The gentlemen, startled, asked the butler again.

“Really? Is that really the famous Earl Sanderson?”

“Yes, it is.”

“So the rumor that the Earl might be alive was really true?”

The excited gentlemen shouted loudly.

“Oh- I can’t believe it! Everyone! That’s Earl Sanderson! Earl Sanderson has returned alive!”

“Our hero who crushed the French army! Earl Sanderson has returned alive!”

As the words Earl Theo Sanderson spread here and there, London Harbor was greatly agitated.

The gentlemen took off their hats one by one and paid their respects, and the noble ladies, seeing Theo return alive, rejoiced and shed tears as if it were their own affair.

A porter who had sent his two sons to Theo School also made the sign of the cross on his chest and offered a prayer of thanks.

Princess Maria, who was hugged, raised her head and said tearfully.

“Promise me… promise me you will never leave me again! Never again!”

Theo gently stroked her cheek and replied.

“I promise. That will never happen again. Never….”

Hugging Theo tightly again, Maria swallowed the tears of joy that flowed endlessly.