The Resilient Lady Collins

Chapter 100: Secret (2)

"How many jobs do you have?" Scarlet asked Owen.

"Too many. Now I can add sending gifts to his lover as one of my jobs. Now that you have seen my face, I can leave," Owen said as his duty had been fulfilled. "I watched him make the tea so you don’t have to fear someone placed something in it."

Owen didn’t see what was romantic about sending a single pot of tea to a woman of Scarlet’s status but it seemed to be working as Ian kept getting close to Scarlet.

"Do you need the pot back? It wouldn’t take long for the cook to pour it out," said Scarlet.

"He didn’t mention getting it back so it is for you to keep. Ian would love it if you personally brought it back to him so I will deny the offer to take it off your hands. Enjoy your day," Owen said, ready to excuse himself from her home.

"How long have you known Ian?" Scarlet spontaneously asked. She had started to trust Ian but she wasn’t so sure about the people around him.

Owen seemed to be the closest since he worked with Ian and did simple jobs like sending tea. Ian would have had to send the person he trusted most to send her tea.

"It is going on five years now. I met him just when I was close to losing my life and I stuck by him since then. I kind of followed him around and eventually, he decided to keep me at his side. Although he has threatened to shoot me a few times, he is a good person," Owen said.

"Right," Scarlet replied. She wouldn’t have used that example to then follow that Ian was a good person.

"No, trust me that he is. If he wanted me dead, he would have killed me long ago. I know most of his plans and I can say that I never heard your name in them once. I was surprised when he entertained you the first time-"

"Why shouldn’t he have entertained me?" Scarlet asked, taking a step forward.

Owen took a step back as he nervously laughed. To the right of Scarlet, he found a man leaning up against a wall peeling an apple with a very small knife. The danger was looming all over this estate from the point you reached the gates to now standing inside. "It’s not what you think."

"It sounds as though you didn’t want him to be with a woman in the middle of a divorce. It’s understandable," Scarlet said.

"N-No. You misunderstood my words," Owen said, panicking as Ian might truly kill him if Scarlet were to stop seeing him. "His focus wasn’t on women when he returned and then you had this reputation-"

"What reputation? I wish to know," Scarlet said, folding her arms.

Owen palmed his face. He was no longer going to accept bringing anything for Scarlet. The sound of Scarlet laughing surprised him.

"You are easy to trick. You may go on your way now," Scarlet said, turning around to go to the kitchen.

Owen stared in disbelief as Scarlet walked away like she hadn’t just scared him into believing that he might have ruined Ian’s growing relationship. He looked at the stranger still peeling the apple.

Dawson stepped away from the wall. "She does that quite often to see people sweat. You should try to get used to it quickly. Why aren’t you leaving?"

"I was just about to do that and never return," Owen said, taking one last look at the inside of the estate. He had to enjoy this final look as he wouldn’t be coming back here or anywhere that had Scarlet.

Dawson pointed the knife to Owen. "Watch your gaze. I don’t like the way you are inspecting her home. Run along before you lose your eyes."

"Calm down. Nothing about that was threatening," Owen muttered, finally turning back to the open door to leave.

While Dawson remained by the door to see that Owen was leaving, Scarlet made her way to the kitchen to watch the teapot be placed over a fire for the tea to be warmed.

She had long lost her schedule of leaving the estate to drink tea since Ian came into her life. Now she was drinking tea at home, something she hadn’t done in years.

Scarlet entered the kitchen and already she could smell the wonderful aroma. She was planning to send back whatever Ian had sent to her but she couldn’t do that now. Not when she wanted to taste the tea to see if it was as wonderful as the smell. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Florence searched for a teacup which would be close to resembling the teapot. "The princess awaits you in the drawing room."

"I shall join her shortly," Scarlet answered.

"Would you care for a quick taste of the tea?" Florence asked as Scarlet seemed eager to have it now.

"Just a little," Scarlet said, watching as Florence took the now-warm teapot and poured the tea into a cup. "Thank you."

"I will prepare something for you to eat as well," said Florence.

Scarlet brought the cup to her lips, blowing it first as there was a slight steam and then sipped the tea. "What is his secret?" She wondered. It was too good. Better than most she had paid extra to have made. "Is there poison in this?"

"What?" Florence yelled, ready to knock the tea out of Scarlet’s hands. She had been secretly on Ian’s side and would hate that he was trying to kill Scarlet. "Please put it down, Milday. Shall I call for a doctor or gather the guards?"

Scarlet put the cup down. "There isn’t any or I would have been long dead. My apologies for worrying you. I will be with Alana."

Florence tried to calm down but she was still worried about the tea. "Next time, I must taste it first."

Far away from Scarlet’s estate, a carriage remained parked outside Ian’s business as it was for the last hour.

"Will you be going inside or should we depart, Mr. Kingsley?"

Victor hadn’t built up the courage to go inside yet. He thought about what Ian would do when he saw him entering. Would Ian be finally willing to speak to him or have him get out?

Victor was not looking to cause a scene. He only wished to finally have a conversation with Ian without his mother getting in the way.

Since he had not received anything after the gift that was sent to Ian, Victor had a feeling that his mother had not sent the gift like she promised or she had sent something else. All he wanted was to do a good thing yet it never worked in his favour.

Victor placed his hand on the door once more, trying to bring himself to finally open it to go see Ian. He closed his eyes and opened it, relieved when he heard the sound of it opening. The greatest challenge was over and all he had to do now was walk to the door.

"We are brothers. Nothing can change that so eventually he’ll come around," Victor said to motivate himself as he stepped out of the carriage.