Chapter 664 Reconciliation? In Your Dreams!
"What about Susan?" Marjorie asked, her interest waning. She had never cared for Susan, who had been caught up in a love triangle with Arthur and Oliver. It was only for the sake of her grandson, who protected Susan, that she showed Susan any courtesy at all.
"Madam, since you don't use the internet much, you might not know, but just a few days ago it came out that Ms. Hastings intended to kill our Lady..." Mr. Liam stopped as he saw Marjorie's eyes widen in shock, and quickly steadied her, "Madam, please, don't panic! Let me explain."
"Go on," she urged.
"Well, you know about the incident at the summer camp where the Lady accidentally fell into a sinkhole? It turns out it was no accident. It was a scheme by Ms. Hastings... Ms. Hastings's devious plot."
"That Susan! To stoop so low at such a young age, and to target my Windsor family's daughter-in-law. Does she think the Windsor family is defenseless?" Marjorie scoffed dismissively. "To think she'd have the audacity to come here for sympathy, how delusional!"
Marjorie stopped one of the maids, "Forget the tea and coffee I had you prepare. Just serve plain water, that will suffice."
Mr. Liam watched, recognizing the familiar determination of the matriarch he served.
Marjorie pondered for a moment before picking up her phone to call Natalie.
The Hastings family of four arrived together, bringing quite a few gifts for their visit. Old Hastings had known Marjorie for many years but had never seen her treat him with such a cold and indifferent attitude before.
A glance at the table revealed only a glass of tap water for each person... Such an unwelcoming attitude was embarrassingly awkward.
The Hastings family members all felt nervous inside.
Old Hastings pretended not to notice Marjorie's aloofness and tried making small talk with her. Seeing that Marjorie was not engaging in conversation, he realized she must have guessed the purpose of his visit, so he decided to speak plainly.
"Marjorie, I won't hide it from you; I'm here to apologize for my granddaughter's behavior. Susan had some misunderstandings with the Watson family's daughter, and in a moment of rashness, she made a grave mistake.
"It's our family's fault, and we're sorry, but you know how it is with the young ones; escalating the situation would be unseemly for everyone involved, wouldn't it? Let's try to minimize the issue," he suggested.
Susan's biggest potential charge could be attempted murder, but Natalie had only provided a recording, and since Natalie wasn't physically harmed, there was a lot of wiggle room. The key lay in Natalie's attitude.
As long as Natalie could forgive Susan and not pursue further action, the rest would be easier to handle.
"Old Hastings, listen to how you're talking," Marjorie said with a continuous smile. Just when the Hastings family thought they might breathe a sigh of relief, sensing hope in resolving the issue, Marjorie added, "Ms. Hastings, this is a criminal offense. What use is there in discussing it with me? I'm neither a judge nor a lawmaker."
The smiles on the Hastings family's faces froze, especially Susan's, who shot a resentful look at Marjorie.
"To step back a bit, Natalie isn't under my Windsor family's control anymore. Why come to me instead of going directly to Natalie? Trying a roundabout approach has its uses, but desperate measures rarely solve problems," Marjorie said cheerfully.
"Grandma Windsor, Oliver and Natalie haven't separated as the rumors suggest. You must know the truth, so why dismiss me like this?" Susan said bitterly, clenching her teeth. "Don't you want to help me?"
Susan would rather be doing anything else than engaging in conversation with the old lady. Ever since she first met Marjorie, an octogenarian who still fancied herself a little princess, Susan had taken an instant dislike of her.
She had assumed that Marjorie wouldn't live long, so she never bothered to curry favor with her. Despite appearing to have one foot in the grave, Marjorie stubbornly refused to die!
Natalie and Oliver arrived just in time to overhear Susan's remark.
While Marjorie retained her sharp eyesight and keen hearing, her age naturally dulled her perception, causing her to completely overlook Natalie and Oliver's arrival. The Hastings family's attention was solely on Marjorie.
Taking a leisurely sip of water, Marjorie said, "Ms. Hastings, given that you're aware of Natalie and Oliver's true situation, on what grounds do you make demands of me? Publicly, your actions are illegal—a crime. Why would I help you without cause? Privately, Natalie is my grandson's partner. Why would I help you, an outsider, over her? Wouldn't you agree?"
Pausing, Marjorie fixed Susan with a sharp look. "Moreover, in my more than eighty years, I've yet to see someone seek my help with a questioning tone. This is indeed a first for me."
Mrs. Windsor had even picked up the modern phrase "a first for me."
"Susan, zip it!" Old Hastings, seeing Susan was about to speak again, promptly interjected.
His granddaughter was usually so respectful and measured towards her elders, which they greatly appreciated. Why was she acting so impulsively today?
"Ma'am, the young master, and Lady have arrived," Mr. Liam interrupted with a cough, signaling to those inside the room.
Upon receiving the call from the elderly family matriarch, Natalie and Oliver hurried over, expecting the Hastings family to be persistent. Involving Marjorie, due to her strong ties to Old Hastings, seemed like a logical choice.
On the way there, Natalie had asked Oliver, "What if Old Mrs. Windsor agrees to a settlement?"
Oliver bluntly replied, "That's irrelevant."
What good would Old Mrs. Windsor's agreement to a settlement do? Natalie was the one who had been wronged.
Besides, Oliver couldn't imagine his grandmother being foolish enough to agree to a settlement.
"Ah, you two young ones finally remembered me, the old lady, eh?" Marjorie's face transformed in an instant when she saw Natalie and Oliver. One moment she was the poised goddess of grace, and the next, she became a haughty little princess, complaining about her grandson not coming to see her.
Oliver, with a poker face, glanced at his dramatic grandmother, not wanting to waste a word on her.
Feeling a bit guilty, Natalie touched her nose and changed the subject, "Did old Mrs. Windsor ask to see me for something?"
Old Mrs. Windsor?
Marjorie shot Natalie an unhappy look, but since there were other people present, she refrained from scolding her "inconsiderate" daughter-in-law.
"Natalie, these are members of the Hastings family. Do you know them?" Marjorie gestured towards a family of four seated on the couch across from them.
Natalie said she did, and then she politely greeted the people of the Hastings family.
Her tone was neutral, neither humble nor arrogant, and she showed the proper courtesy.
Old Hastings's eyes showed interest as he observed the young woman, Saynes. Despite the strained relationship with the Hastings, her articulate manner and poise impressed him, reminiscent of his late wife's demeanor.
"The Hastings here have come to discuss the issue between you and Ms. Hastings. You're involved, so you should talk to them," Marjorie said, indicating her reluctance to meddle, which only added to the visitors' discontent.
Their hopes now rested on Natalie, perhaps showing leniency for the sake of the old friendship between old Hastings and old Mrs. Windsor.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
