When Mrs. Brown showed up early in the morning, it was clear she had something on her mind. However, she spent the whole morning chatting with Lorna, only to give Cordelia a long, thoughtful look when she came downstairs. It was as if she had something to say but couldn't quite bring herself to say it.
Cordelia waited for her to speak up, but Mrs. Brown kept silent. Not quite understanding what was going on and being the reserved person she was, Cordelia grabbed her breakfast and was about to leave.
Yet, as she reached the door, something made her look back. She noticed Mrs. Brown looked troubled, as if she was dealing with some sort of problem.
Cordelia wasn't one to meddle, but considering Mrs. Brown was one of the few people her mother got along with, and that she had defended their family at Mrs. Collins' party when others were speaking ill of them, she felt compelled to help.
Without fully understanding why she felt the need to intervene, Cordelia found herself walking back to Mrs. Brown. "Mrs. Brown, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, following her instincts.
Mrs. Brown, taken aback by Cordelia's perceptiveness, hid her surprise well. She had been trying not to burden Cordelia with her troubles, so she simply replied, "Oh, it's nothing, really."
Then, turning to Lorna, she added, "I heard your family is thinking of starting a business. If you need any help, just let me know, okay?"
Lorna nodded, "We're still figuring things out, especially after yesterday's sudden events. But thank you, we'll definitely reach out if we need assistance."
As Mrs. Brown prepared to leave, Fiona announced the arrival of Steward and Laurinda, along with another couple from the family.
Laurinda made her presence known with a huff, "Since when do I need an announcement to visit my own son's house?"
She settled herself on the sofa with an air of authority, while Steward looked on, visibly annoyed. Kermit kept his head down, following Steward closely, and Rachel walked in, her gaze fixed on Cordelia as if she were some kind of golden goose.
Feeling uncomfortable under Rachel's stare, Cordelia frowned. Mrs. Brown, seizing the moment to leave, excused herself.
As she was leaving, Rachel couldn't help but speculate loudly, "Lia, was Mrs. Brown here to ask you to talk to Mr. Watkins for her?"
Cordelia was momentarily confused, not used to hearing Everard referred to so formally. "No," Lorna quickly intervened, "that's not it."
Despite their denials, Rachel continued, "Come on, it's obvious she came early in the morning for something big. You know, with all that's going on with the Lewis family, it's all over Greenmeadow. Don't tell me it's not related."
Trying to sound concerned, Rachel added, "Lia, you shouldn't get involved in the Lewis family's mess, especially not for them. And going to Mr. Watkins for help? That's a big step. Our family and the Fortuna Group are worlds apart. We should only ask for favors for something truly important, not for trivial matters."
Mrs. Brown, feeling awkward and embarrassed by the directness of Rachel's words, decided to make a quick exit. But Cordelia, ever the peacemaker, stopped her, "Mrs. Brown, what's the matter? Maybe I can help."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia)