Chapter 55
Harrison’s face was as unreadable as ever, his cool, distant eyes betraying
nothing. He glanced at his young wife and spoke in his usual unhurried tone. “Are you looking down on me?”
“Absolutely!” Elder Mrs. Lancaster snapped. “She knows perfectly well about my relationship with Mr. Lancaster, and yet she dared to point at me and scold me to my face! Isn’t that a direct insult to Mr. Lancaster himself?”
“Mr. Lancaster can’t let her get away with this,” someone chimed in. “If he does, people will start thinking he’s someone you can just walk all over!”
Anastasia had been delighted to see Harrison arrive, ready to greet him, but then she caught wind of the conversation. She rolled her eyes dramatically, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, come on. Since when does a mistress get to represent the dignity of Mr. Lancaster? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were some grand matriarch of the Lancaster family! Really, Mrs. Lancaster, who do you think you are?”
Everyone knew Elder Mrs. Lancaster was the mistress. Who didn’t? But the Lancaster family wielded so much power in Riverton that even Barry, the illegitimate son, could throw his weight around in Fairhaven. So, even if people whispered about it behind closed doors, no one dared say it out loud.
No one except Anastasia, apparently. Not only did she say it, she repeated it, trampling all over her pride in front of everyone. á´›his chapter is á´œpdated by
Elder Mrs. Lancaster was so furious she nearly fainted. “You-you-!”
Just then, Aaron strode over and caught his grandmother, his face thunderous as he scolded, “Anastasia! Do you even know where you are? Who gave you the nerve to talk to my grandmother like that?”
His haughty tone implied his grandmother was someone untouchable.
“What, did I say anything that wasn’t true?” Anastasia shot back, unruffled.
As for who gave her the nerve-Anastasia glanced at her husband, a sly idea forming.
“And so what if I’m here? As long as I have my husband by my side, I can say what I want, wherever I want!”
Aaron laughed derisively. “Your husband? Please. From what I hear, he’s got a bit of money, sure, but he’s not even fit to shine my shoes.”
He puffed himself up, expecting Anastasia to shrink back in humiliation, but instead, she gave him a mischievous, almost pitying smile.
Without missing a beat, Anastasia turned around and called out, her voice ringing through the hall, “Honey, Aaron says you’re not even qualified to shine his shoes!”
The room fell utterly silent. Every head turned toward Anastasia.
Wait-her husband was here?
In the next instant, to everyone’s shock, Anastasia lifted her skirt slightly and practically skipped toward-
Wait… Was that Mr. Lancaster?
The grand hall was plunged into a deathly hush.
The first sound to break the silence was Logan’s cool, sardonic voice from beside Harrison. “Well, well. Quite the arrogance, Aaron. Mr. Lancaster isn’t even good enough to shine your shoes?”
Aaron’s face drained of color. “No-I didn’t mean it like that, Uncle Harrison, I swear, I had no idea she was talking about you—”
Harrison didn’t even acknowledge him. He was focused on the girl now standing before him. “Having fun?” he asked, his dark gaze seeming to see right through her.
Anastasia’s eyes darted away, knowing she could never hide her little schemes from him. “I’m not playing around, honey. Someone insulted you!” she huffed, pointing accusingly at Aaron.
This time, Harrison finally turned his attention to Aaron.
One look. That was all it took. Aaron’s knees nearly buckled, and he stammered, “Un-Uncle Harrison, I didn’t mean any disrespect! I didn’t know she meant you