Winifred Dawson’s guilt toward Garrison Reeves-or, to put it bluntly, her unease-made it impossible for her to face him openly. She resorted to excuses like job hunting, leaving early in the morning and going to bed early at night to avoid him.
Leland Burns listened to her in silence, his expression unreadable. Whether he believed her or not was unclear.
As they spoke, Winifred gradually relaxed. Despite having lived in Bankshire for years, she wasn’t familiar with the area. After a while in the car, she lost her bearings entirely. The roads grew increasingly remote.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Where I live. Where else would we go?” Leland countered.
“You have a place in Bankshire?”
“Not before. I bought it recently. Did you expect me to drag you all the way to Peachshire Town? Would you have agreed?”
Leland had exhausted what little patience he had left on her. In his mind, he’d been more than accommodating. Yet Winifred still feared him.
In the past, he wouldn’t have cared about her feelings. He would have taken her to Bankshire by force if necessary. But now? He’d gone as far as buying a house here-rushed the purchase, even. From abroad, he’d ordered his assistant to scout properties, specifying his requirements. The assistant had mobilized dozens of people before finding a suitable one.
He thought Winifred might like it. And it would be safe for the two children.
Of course, Winifred had no desire to go to Peachshire Town.
She’d worried Leland would take her somewhere far away. But now, with a home in Bankshire, it wasn’t too bad. She could return daily, and Garrison would never suspect a thing.
“The children are already there, waiting for you,” Leland added.
“What are their names?” Winifred wasn’t sure if she liked kids, but if she married Garrison, they’d have their own. A child born from love would be treasured.
She wondered what Leland’s children were like. If they resembled him, they couldn’t be too unpleasant.
A flicker of curiosity stirred in her. She’d never cared for children before and had no idea how to handle them. One was hard enough-but two? And if they were unruly… The mere thought made her head throb.
Unaware of her thoughts, Leland said, “The older one is Wayne Burns. The younger is Shawn Burns.”
“Wayne Burns. Shawn Burns,” Winifred repeated softly.
“Wayne as in ‘thoughtful,’ Shawn as in ‘enduring,'” Leland explained.
Winifred forced a response. “They sound nice.”
“I’ve never taken care of kids. I’m worried I won’t do well,” she admitted. “I’m clumsy. I can’t cook, I’m terrible at chores, and children don’t usually like me.”
She painted herself as utterly incompetent, hoping Leland would find her useless. Maybe the children would dislike her on sight and demand someone else. Then, perhaps, she could leave.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
As if seeing through her, Leland’s voice turned cold. “Then learn. If you can’t do anything, you might as well lie in bed all day.”
Winifred stiffened and fell silent, refusing to engage further.
Perhaps realizing his words were too harsh, Leland released her hand. “Don’t worry. The children are well-behaved. You’ll like them once you meet.”
Easy for him to say. Winifred was convinced they’d be just as difficult as him, inheriting his temper.
The thought of spending a hundred days in that environment drained her. Taking care of two kids, cooking, cleaning-she’d be a maid. Garrison had never made her do such things.
The drive ended sooner than expected-under forty minutes. The distance was manageable, though the location was remote. Hailing a cab would be difficult.
When Wesley parked, Winifred hurried out, gulping fresh air as if coming back to life.
Leland and Wesley followed. Unable to help herself, Winifred glanced at Wesley again-only for Leland to catch her.
“Do you enjoy staring at other men that much?” His voice was sharp, laced with unmistakable jealousy.
Winifred didn’t sense the jealousy. She only felt the sting. “No, I just thought he looked familiar…”
Familiar? Maybe some trace of Wesley lingered in her memory.
“Did I seem familiar when you first saw me?” Leland asked.