Chapter 569 Adding Fuel to the Fire
Miles shook his head with a doting smile. "You really are a handful." Then, just as Harriette wished, he went over to her side and opened the car door for her.
"That's more like it," Harriette said with satisfaction, playing up her cheerful and coy demeanor. Yet, her mind was elsewhere, wondering what was happening at the main entrance of Young Estate that would make Miles take such an unprecedented detour through the back gate.
Upon arriving at the main hall with the others, she excused herself to change and retreated to her room, where she immediately made a phone call.
The person on the other end was a helper of Young Estate, whom Harriette had recently bribed.
She instructed the helper to uncover what was happening at the estate's main entrance. Soon, she received her answer.
"It seems like Mrs. Finch Senior has come. I went to see for myself, and there was indeed a luxurious car parked outside.
"Apparently, she's here to see Ms. Rose and has been waiting since early this morning. It looks like she has no intention of leaving any time soon," the helper explained.
Harriette glanced out the window at the darkened sky. "Eleanor... What could she possibly want with Rose?" she mused.
Suspecting that Eleanor was drawn to Rose's increasing social status, Harriette gritted her teeth in frustration. She reckoned that the elderly woman must have taken an interest in Rose as a granddaughter-in-law. Biting her lip, she quickly decided that she couldn't allow the two to meet. But then, a different thought crossed her mind.
"If Miles is going to such lengths to keep Eleanor and Rose apart, why not do the opposite? After all, if Eleanor seeking out Rose was truly a good thing, why is Miles going to such lengths to prevent it?" she thought. "Interesting," Harriette muttered, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Without wasting another second, she quickly changed and headed downstairs. She arrived just in time to hear the sound of Rose and Miles' laughter coming from the dining room.
In the warm, gentle light, the two of them sat together, painting a picture of perfect harmony. The sight of their closeness made Harriette clench her fists in jealousy.
Just then, a commotion came from outside, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Is she here?" she wondered.
"Miles, what's happening out there?" Harriette asked as she made her way downstairs.
The noise had also caught the attention of Miles and Rose in the dining room, prompting them to head in the same direction.
"It's nothing. Rosie, you should go back to your room. I'll handle it," Miles instructed Rose.
Naturally, Harriette didn't want Rose to leave as Eleanor would have no one else to meet upon arrival. However, she couldn't be too obvious about it in front of Miles.
"Yes, Rosie. You should go upstairs. Don't worry. We'll take care of this," she said.
Miles' request had already made Rose sense something was amiss, and Harriette's words only intensified her concern.
"But, Miles..." Rose began to protest, only to be interrupted by a helper who rushed in, panting.
"Mr. Miles, Ms. Harriette, Ms. Rose, the woman outside claims to be Mrs. Finch Senior. She insists on meeting Ms. Rose," the helper announced.
Miles' expression darkened. "Tell her that Rosie is already asleep and can't see her," he ordered.
"Mrs. Finch Senior... Miles, it's Mrs. Finch Senior... Wouldn't it be rude to turn her away?" Harriette questioned, her hesitation evident.
Miles shot her a sharp glance, and Harriette quickly added, "Miles, I was just worried... Never mind. It's okay. Even if we offend Mrs. Finch Senior, if you don't want her to meet Rosie, then she won't. Right, Rosie?"
In Regalia's social circles, the Finch family was one of the three most influential families. While the Young family had business dealings with them, their relationship wasn't particularly close.
Offending the Finch family in such a way might not be in the best interest of the Young family. Moreover, Rose thought she had to take Jonathan into account as well.
"Miles, let's just invite Mrs. Finch Senior in," Rose interjected, having come to a decision.
Eleanor was specifically asking for her, and even if they didn't meet tonight, they would inevitably cross paths in the future. It would be better to find out what important matter warranted such a late visit. "Rosie..." Miles began.
He didn't know the exact reason for
Eleanor's visit. He only knew that she had been waiting since the morning and had refused to leave. He feared that once she met Rose, Eleanor would hold the Young family accountable for neglecting her all day. And if she were angry...
"Fine," he said solemnly. Even if Eleanor was upset, he wouldn't allow her to direct it toward Rose.
Miles instructed Patrick to bring Eleanor into the living room.
Soon, Eleanor appeared before them through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A hint of displeasure could be seen in her stride, and Harriette couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, anticipating the drama that was about to unfold. She secretly hoped that Eleanor and Rose would have a major fallout, which would complicate Rose's marriage to Jonathan.
"Mr. Miles, Mrs. Finch Senior is here..." Patrick led Eleanor into the living room, where refreshments and coffee had been set out.
The moment Patrick finished his
speaking, Miles stepped forward to greet Eleanor personally. "Mrs. Finch Senior, I apologize for not
welcoming you earlier. Had I known about your visit, I would have gone out to greet you." Miles spoke respectfully, showing deference to his elder.
Eleanor's expression was grim. "He didn't know I was visiting? What a load of nonsense!" she thought.
She had parked her car outside the sprawling Young Estate all day. She refused to believe that no one had informed Miles of it. He must have known she was outside, which was why he took a detour on his way home. Eleanor's tone was sharp as she said, "And here I thought you had forgotten all about me."
Back when Miles and Jonathan were young, Miles often visited the Finch Manor. Every time he saw Eleanor, he would politely greet her, addressing her as "Mrs. Finch
el.nét
Senior. At the time, Miles truly was
a well-behaved and sensible child.
Yet, over a decade, Miles' mentality had changed. He was no longer the innocent boy he once was.
Miles smiled apologetically. "Mrs. Finch Senior, what do you mean by that? How could I ever forget you? As soon as I heard you arrived, I prepared your favorite coffee. Please, have a seat."
His attitude was impeccable. He was doing everything he could to calm Eleanor's displeasure, hoping to shield Rose from any fallout.
Naturally, Harriette saw right through his intentions. Not willing to let Eleanor's anger dissipate so easily, she couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire.
"It's getting late, and Rosie needs her rest!"
Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, but Eleanor caught it. She turned her gaze to Rose. At that very moment, Rose, who had been exhausted from the day, let out an involuntary yawn. Realizing how rude that might seem, Rose hurried to explain, but Eleanor spoke first.
"Are you tired?" she asked, her expression inscrutable.
Rose hesitated. Indeed, she was tired, but now that Eleanor was here, she couldn't afford to offend her further.
Rose managed to put on a polite smile, ready to entertain her guest properly. But then Eleanor spoke again.
"It's my fault for being too hasty."
There was a hint of remorse on Eleanor's kind face.
Standing beside her, Harriette was momentarily stunned. "Hasty? What on earth is happening? Shouldn't Eleanor be chastising Rose for being inconsiderate and disrespectful?" she thought.
Both Rose and Miles were equally taken aback by Eleanor's sudden change in demeanor. Just moments ago, the elderly woman's face had been clouded with fury. Yet, now it seemed as though her anger had never existed in the first place. Eleanor stepped forward, taking Rose's hand in hers. "Rosie, I need your help. You're probably the only one who can help me."