Chapter 666 Return to the Rosewood Estate
Susan's face was overcome with guilt, and she soon burst into tears.
"Susan, you're overthinking it," he consoled. "I just wanted your brother with me because we still have work matters to discuss later."
Samuel had a clear edge over James in terms of abilities, and James never grappled for power, fully content to let his son wield more influence within the family than himself. Susan knew old Hastings usually discussed business matters more with Samuel Hastings than with James, and she nodded, though some doubts lingered.
Despite her skepticism, there was nothing she could do. Realizing she was at fault; she did not dare to act spoiled or insist on tagging along.
Lately, her brother had been acting strangely towards her, and Susan hoped she was just imagining things.
The driver was a trusted confidant of old Hastings.
Once the car door closed, old Hastings angrily confronted Samuel Hastings, "Samuel, what's gotten into you today? Why didn't you support your sister? I overlook your usual recklessness, but today's matter concerns your sister's reputation!"
Had it not been for Samuel's usual reliable persona and the presence of others just moments before, old Hastings might have turned on him on the spot.
"Grandpa, Susan was clearly in the wrong this time, no excuses. This kind of mistake is not like her," Samuel said, leaning back in his seat with a casual disregard for decorum, "Don't you think, Grandpa, that Susan doesn’t really fit with our Hastings family?"
"You rascal, what are you implying!" old Hastings was so furious, feeling the urge to reprimand him with his walking stick, only to realize they were in the car with the driver holding it upfront. "She's your sister, your own kin! Despite any errors, she still your sister! Remember the Hastings family motto? Unity in the family!"
"Unity in the family?" Samuel snorted derisively, "All I see are countless Hastings looking to seize the opportunity to carve up our family's assets."
If these individuals had the competence, Samuel wouldn't mind sharing some wealth and power; he wasn’t particularly attached to the family inheritance. He preferred to venture out on his own, exploring new territories.
In Samuel's view, those individuals were driven by selfish motives and lacked wisdom. Giving them wealth and authority was, in his eyes, a mockery of the true essence of wealth and power..
Old Hastings sighed deeply as these thoughts brought him back to his indecisive and mediocre son, which just added to his exhaustion.
If only his son hadn't spoken rashly out of a desire to protect his daughter, perhaps today's situation wouldn't look so grim.
After Samuel remarked that "Susan doesn't fit the Hastings mold," he observed Old Hastings closely. He noticed the elder's lack of reaction to his comment and reluctance to question Susan's identity. Samuel couldn't hide his hint of disdain..
Indeed, age often brings a gentler demeanor and less inclination for deep contemplation.
Related.
Samuel had long held suspicions about Susan's character quite some time ago. He had accidentally discovered that his sister traveled abroad annually, a norm for the Hastings family's social status. What puzzled Samuel was that Susan consistently traveled with the same woman, visiting the same country around eighty percent of the time.
However, at that time Susan was not yet ten years old, and he was still in high school; thus, he didn't give these suspicions much thought.
His doubts resurfaced about six months ago, right around the time old Hastings remarked on how much Natalie resembled the late Mrs. Hastings. Coincidences between strangers could be one in a million, but Susan's particular targeting of Natalie struck Samuel as unexpectedly intense, even unbelievable.
In Samuel's eyes, Susan indeed wanted to win over Oliver, but more than that, she seemed hell bent on wanting Natalie dead. If Mrs. Windsor had been some other woman and not Natalie, Samuel believed Susan would have employed more sophisticated tactics to make Mrs. Windsor step aside rather than resort to such blatant aggression.
True to his nature, Samuel didn't merely dwell on his suspicions. He discreetly gathered DNA samples from both Susan and himself for testing, which ultimately revealed they were not biologically related.
He had considered obtaining Natalie's DNA to check, but later, as Natalie's relationship with the Hastings family soured, he abandoned the idea. After all, if Natalie really was a Hastings, it would only lead to mutual embarrassment.
The guests departed, and Rosewood Estate returned to its usual tranquility.
Marjorie had the servants tidy up the living room and glanced at Natalie and Oliver, her gaze finally resting on Natalie. "You'll be staying for dinner, right?" she said, with a tone that suggested it was more of a statement than a question as she made her way toward the main house.
"Old Mrs. Windsor invited me to stay for dinner?" Natalie was a bit confused. She could sense that old Mrs. Windsor didn't dislike her, but given her slight pride, she should have been waiting for Natalie to beg to stay for dinner.
"Wait a minute, shouldn't Mrs. Windsor be dining at Rosewood Estate?" Oliver chuckled as he always thought Natalie was too kind and attentive to the old lady. Clearly, the old lady was a crafty fox with a clear mind, pretending to be oblivious.
"I didn't mean that," Natalie chided him.
The servants at the main house hadn't seen Natalie for a while and greeted her with smiles upon her return.
The head chef had dinner ready.
Natalie's eyes lit up as she noticed all her favorite dishes. The chef whispered, "Ma'am, these were all ordered by the sir especially for you."
"When did he arrange this?" Natalie wondered. She arrived at Rosewood Estate with Oliver and hadn't heard him make any calls about arranging dinner.
The chef replied, "Right when you two reached the guest hall."
Natalie recalled that Oliver had gone missing for a few minutes while she was speaking with the Hastings family. So, the guy had known all along that he was going to have her stay for dinner and deliberately kept it from her!
Marjorie took the seat of honor as the eldest, with Oliver and Natalie seated next to her.
"Do you still enjoy these dishes?" Marjorie asked Natalie before starting to eat.
"Thank you, old Mrs. Windsor. I love these dishes."
Marjorie let out an "oh" before teasingly remarking, "So, have I, the old lady, not being at your wedding with Oliver made you forget your grandma? Or do you believe I'm too old to keep track of your marital status? Ah, I get it now! You think your granny is ancient. Well, I suppose others would be at the great grandma's level by now."
Natalie was speechless. ‘How could you not get tired talking to yourself in such a long monologue?’ she thought.
Oliver served Natalie some shrimp, "Eat up, don't mind her."
"The more attention you give her, the more energized she becomes,” he teased.
"Hey! You little rascal, watch how you speak to me!" Marjorie glared at her grandson, who was spoiling her antics.
"…Grandma," Natalie sighed in resignation.
Marjorie huffed with feigned arrogance, refusing to respond, but the corners of her eyes betrayed a slight smile, and she said, "Let's eat."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
