Chapter 1234
Once the call ended, Linsey set her phone aside and drifted into a quiet reverie.
“Mrs. Riley…” The familiar voice broke the spell.
Roland’s approach on the stairs pulled Linsey back to the present. She lifted her gaze, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”
Frustration weighed on Roland’s sigh. “I tried to talk to Mr. Riley upstairs, but he wouldn’t listen. He just sent me away.”
From his words, it was obvious Collin still hadn’t cooled off.
Confusion creased Linsey’s brow. She couldn’t understand why such a minor squabble had pushed him so far.
Before she could dwell on it, Roland changed the subject abruptly. “Mrs. Riley, are you any good at making desserts?”
A slight nod answered him.
“I can make a few. Why do you ask?” she replied.
Roland’s honesty colored his suggestion. “Whenever Mr. Riley gets like this, something sweet usually cheers him up. Maybe you could whip up a dessert to help mend things?”
Reluctance settled over Linsey. The idea of smoothing things over with Collin hardly appealed to her, especially since she placed the blame squarely on his shoulders.
Given how unfairly she had been treated, Linsey saw no reason why she, the wronged party, should be the first to bend.
Still, the memory of that video from Dolores flashed in her mind, stirring up reminders of Collin’s unexpected acts of kindness.
No matter how overbearing or irritable he could be, Collin had, in truth, kept her from ending up on the streets after Felix had thrown her out. If it weren’t for him, she…
Might have been harmed in that bar, and Felix and Joanna would never have faced justice so quickly.
Weighing all of that, Linsey finally relented and turned to Roland. “Fine, I’ll whip up something sweet for him.”
A look of genuine relief spread across Roland’s face, and he gave a quick, grateful nod. “You have my thanks, Mrs. Riley.”
“Just doing what I can.” With those words, Linsey made her way to the kitchen. Roland lingered where he was, watching her with new respect.
Many details about Linsey’s marriage to Collin lingered in Roland’s memory—how she had nearly married someone else before Collin’s sudden intervention at the wedding.
It was also common knowledge that they hadn’t bothered with a prenuptial agreement, and for a while, Roland had harbored doubts about Linsey’s intentions, half-expecting her to be just another gold-digger. All those suspicions now seemed ridiculous.
From his vantage point, it looked as though Collin and Linsey actually fit well together.
But as a butler, Roland knew his opinion didn’t count for much. Ivy’s approval carried all the weight in the household.
A shiver ran through him as he remembered Ivy’s earlier outburst over the phone. Quickly, Roland dabbed at his brow, hoping to avoid any further wrath from her.
Inside the kitchen, Linsey set out disposable cups along with cream and all the other ingredients she would need, determined to surprise Collin with a batch of cream cupcakes.