Edward merely smiled and said nothing, leaning down to place a kiss on Nanci’s forehead. “Because you can only be mine. No other man can look at you, not even for a moment!”
Nanci pulled him downstairs, where dinner was nearly ready. She called Brian to join them in the living room. The atmosphere between the two men was slightly tense. Nanci broke the silence, saying, “Dinner is ready! After we eat, let’s go see the show together, right, Edward?”
Edward hadn’t considered bringing Brian along, but Nanci’s suggestion made him think. It could serve as a way to handle family matters, and having Brian there had its advantages too. It would show him that he could protect Nanci on his own and that he wouldn’t let her suffer unnecessarily. That way, Brian could leave without any worries.
After a moment, he replied, “Alright, he can go with us. Just make sure he doesn’t say anything out of line there.”
Brian swallowed his food and said, “Nanci, I’m not going. I’d rather stay home and rest before heading back to Woodlands tomorrow. You two should enjoy yourselves.”
“Are you really set on leaving tomorrow? Why not stay a few more days? With your secretary at Woodlands, you can take a break.”
Brian looked at Nanci gently. “I can take care of myself. You don’t need to worry about me. Just take care of yourself, and don’t let me worry.”
Nanci pouted, “I know you too well! You can go days without sleep for your patients!”
“Aren’t you the same? We’re both in the medical field. You should understand what I mean.”
When he heard that Brian was leaving the next day, a smile stretched across Edward’s face until he couldn’t help but laugh. Nanci turned to him and nudged him, asking, “What are you laughing at?”
Edward began to defend himself, saying, “I just thought that the upcoming show would be more amusing. Brian, you should join us too! Since you’ve come all the way to Alderley, I haven’t had the chance to properly host you. I want you to feel completely at ease leaving Nanci in my care.”
Brian looked at Edward, sensing something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He never expected Edward to invite him. Normally, he’d want Brian out of the picture. After a moment of thought, he politely declined.
Nanci frowned and insisted, “Brian, just go! Edward said so, and who knows when we’ll meet again after this?”
With Edward backing her up, Brian felt it would be awkward to refuse again and eventually nodded in agreement.
After dinner, Nanci said, “I’m going to take a short break. Call me when we’re ready to leave.”
Edward and Brian sat in the living room, unsure of what to talk about. Brian couldn’t hold back his frustration and asked, “Aren’t you eager for me to leave? Why are you letting me intrude on your time together today?”
Edward coldly replied, “You’ll understand once you go.”
About an hour later, the three of them got into the car and set off for their destination.
Nanci sat in the passenger seat, watching the scenery rush by, and sighed, “If only life could pass by this quickly! Why does it feel like every day drags on? Life is exhausting, and making money is tough!”
Edward stated, “I have plenty of money you can use.”
Brian chimed in, “When we get back to Woodlands, I’ll support you. You can eat whatever you like at home.”
Nanci felt like she had dug herself a hole with those comments and quickly laughed, “Don’t take me seriously! I was just joking. I’m full of positive energy and always happy!”
As they passed familiar buildings, Nanci asked, “Where are we headed now? This place looks familiar…”
Edward was taking a roundabout route, preparing to reveal their destination, while Brian remained silent, already formulating his own theories and waiting for Edward to stop the car to find out.
The vehicle slowly drove through the gates of the Clarkson family’s residence-Briarwood Hall.
Nanci’s expression was beyond surprise. She thought, after all, they were family, so it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for him to pick her up.
Brian, however, was less understanding and angrily said, “What’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to drag Nanci into trouble?”
The servants outside spotted Edward’s arrival and hurried inside to inform Elizabeth and Sophie.
“Madam, Miss, the young master is back!”
The expressions of the two women were identical, looking at each other, unsure of what to do. After that day, they had been anxious, worrying about what would happen if Edward came after them. Now, here he was.
Elizabeth was calmer than Sophie, forming a stark contrast. Elizabeth was surprised for a moment before she began thinking about what she should do.
“Mom, what do we do? Is he here to confront us? Will he throw us out?”
Elizabeth, seeing her daughter in a panic, scolded, “Calm down! As my daughter, how can you be so feeble-minded? When faced with a problem, you can’t even think straight. Sit down, compose yourself, and I’ll go check.”
Sophie snapped back to reality after her mother’s reprimand, straightening up and sitting properly.
In the car, Edward calmly stated, “I brought Nanci here to address some issues. I know she has lingering feelings about what happened, and I want to reassure her that she doesn’t need to worry about them in the future. She is the woman I intend to marry, and no one can bully her.”
As his words fell, he opened the car door, stepping out to help Nanci out of the vehicle. Nanci felt bewildered as she stepped out, her mind swirling with questions.
Once the three of them stood at the entrance, Elizabeth’s face lit up with a smile. Seeing them, she warmly said, “What brings you here? Come in, please! Edward didn’t give me a heads up, so I hope you’ll excuse my lack of hospitality.”
Brian crossed his arms, ready to watch the unfolding drama, while Nanci felt confused, sensing that what was about to happen involved her. She tugged at Edward’s sleeve to express her concerns.
Edward merely patted her head, saying, “Be good. Just sit down.”
Sophie, wanting to feign familiarity with Nanci, stood up, but she was stopped in her tracks by Edward’s icy glare.
Reluctantly, she sat back down and pushed the fruit from the table toward them, saying, “Brother, Nanci, and Mr. Mathis, please have some fruit while Mom prepares something delicious for you.”
Edward glanced at the fruit and remarked, “Nanci doesn’t like fruit with skin. Can you peel it for her?”
Nanci almost blurted out but was cut off by Edward’s gesture for her to stay quiet. She could only look at Sophie, whose expression was far from pleasant, and said, “Sorry to trouble you.”
Sophie felt indignant but knew that without her mother present, she had no one to turn to. When she glanced at Brian for help, Brian simply said, “I don’t eat fruit with skin either. Can you help us out, Miss Clarkson?”
Sophie knew there was no escaping this, so she quietly picked up the fruit and started peeling it. Just when she thought she had a savior with Elizabeth’s return, she was disappointed when Elizabeth only glanced at her and asked them, “Do you like the fruit on the table? I can have a maid peel it for you. My daughter hasn’t done this kind of work before, and it might not turn out well. Why don’t you go ahead and eat first? You can have the fruit afterward.”
Edward looked at Elizabeth and replied, “We’ve already eaten, and we’re in the mood for some fruit now. If she can’t do it properly, then you should take care of it.”
Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief and asked, “I’m your mother! What are you doing in front of others? Family matters should stay within the family. Can’t we deal with this later?”
Edward’s cold gaze swept across her. “You know family matters shouldn’t be made public. What did you and your daughter say to the media when Nanci was helping me? That wasn’t family disgrace?”
When she saw he was giving her no leeway, Elizabeth’s face darkened. “So, what do you want from us? To have a fight with me, just for this vixen?”
“She is not a vixen! She is my woman, and her name is Nanci. You don’t need to remember it because you don’t deserve to call her by her name”
Sophie, startled by the sound of plates clattering to the ground, was stunned to see her mother at a disadvantage. She stood up, pointing at Nanci, snapping, “You’re a disaster! Why are you even here? Are you happy watching my brother and mom bicker like this? Is this the outcome you wanted? You’re a calamity! Why didn’t you die sooner?”
Brian, hearing her increasingly harsh words, stepped forward and firmly grabbed Sophie’s wrist, saying, “I warn you, you have no right to speak to Nanci like that. Do you think you can act like this and get away with it? If it weren’t for you and your mother giving her a hard time, do you think you would end up like this? I think the one who should die is you!”
Nanci looked at Elizabeth and Sophie who were still blaming her and couldn’t understand why some people could be so stubborn. They clearly made mistakes but insisted it was others who caused their suffering.
Unable to hold back any longer, Nanci disregarded Edward’s attempts to stop her and directly confronted Elizabeth and Sophie about their wrongdoings, hoping to make them realize the harm they had caused.
“You keep saying I’m the one who harmed you, but I really don’t understand how I’ve hindered you in any way. I’ve treated everyone in this family well. I do the chores, and the maids probably rest more than I do. Yet, you’re not satisfied and keep pushing further. My patience doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you!”
Elizabeth shouted, “I’m your elder! How dare you speak to me like this? What does this mean? Edward, is this the woman you want to marry? If your father were still alive, he certainly wouldn’t approve of you marrying her!”
Edward walked over to Nanci and said, “Nanci, don’t get angry. I’ll handle this. You just sit down.”
Elizabeth and Sophie looked at Edward in shock, questioning, “Why do you show indifference towards family and reserve all your warmth for a stranger?”