Attending a formal grand banquet required formal attire. Leisha had the carriage go straight to a tailor shop on Silver Cross Avenue. For next tuesday's wedding banquet, she had prepared several sets of formal clothes for Shade in advance. Today was a good chance for him to try one on, so it could still be altered if it did not fit.
Thus, with Leisha's help, Shade spent quite a while getting ready before finally setting off for the Wine Capital of the Southern Kingdom.
The banquet was fairly large and was expected to begin at seven. When Shade emerged from the underground Wine Cellar of White River Valley Vineyard, half the setting sun still hung at the end of the wilderness in the western sky.
Mr. Bernhardt had arranged to meet Shade here, since his estate was nearby. But when Shade arrived, the middle-aged Viscount had not yet come, so Shade wandered around the estate. He thought that, when he had the chance, he should ask Miss Sylvia to sound out Princess Margaret about whether this place was for sale. He had no intention of running a vineyard himself, but the Hidden Wall in the Wine Cellar was worth spending his savings on.
White River Valley Vineyard was not large, comprising the estate, the Wine Cellar, and the nearby land. On ordinary days, it was managed and maintained by two or three of Mr. Bernhardt's servants. The people responsible for winemaking and growing grapes were all Mr. Bernhardt's own workers, and his family was famous for its wine as well.
The old servant Goodwin, who watched over the estate and warehouses, was also Bloodkin and deeply trusted by Mr. Bernhardt. Though he did not know why Shade always appeared in the underground Wine Cellar, he loyally pretended to know nothing