The Resilient Lady Collins

Chapter 147: Get out (3)

"But wait, Mr. Kingsley!"

"You make me sound like my father. Do not make me have dreams of that man," Ian warned. What was it with people these days wanting to ruin your sleep?

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Owen advised the woman as she tried to run after Ian. This little business was quite full of entertainment. ’Wouldn’t it be something if Scarlet shows up now?’

Ian stopped as the stranger following him annoyed him. "I don’t care who sent you and what you were sent to do, get out."

"I am Elle-"

"Hello, Elle. Now get out," Ian said, keeping to his earlier need for her to leave.

Ian didn’t know her and for some reason, she screamed trouble. She came at the wrong time as he was more interested in going to sleep than speaking to find out if they knew each other.

Elle wasn’t ready to give up yet. Beth promised to pay her a lot of money if she succeeded in seducing this man. She expected Beth to want her to seduce some old fool, but the man before her was handsome and it seemed like his business was doing well.

"We knew each other from when you were young and still lived with the Kingsleys. I used to attend some of the parties," Elle lied.

Ian decided to humour her since she was going as far as to lie. Whatever party she attended, if she did, he was not around for it as he was meant to stay in the cottage. Why would the Kingsleys have their bastard around for their party?

"An old friend you say?" Ian replied.

Owen shook his head, trying to tell Ian not to be mean to the young woman. She should be able to hear it in Ian’s voice that he didn’t believe the story she told and was going to mess with her, but Owen was faced with her smiling.

Owen didn’t want to witness what would come, but at the same time, his body just wouldn’t move. He would be the one to escort her out anyway.

"Elle," Ian pretended to think, not about his childhood, but if he had seen her somewhere since his return.

Elle couldn’t believe it had worked. Maybe there was some young girl he met in the past. It was so long that he wouldn’t remember the name or the face. "I only recently heard that you came back to town. I thought I would pay a visit."

"Hmm. Where did we meet when you visited the Kingsleys? Help me find the memory of this. I’m interested in going back to the past," Ian said, leaning on the counter beside him.

"In the garden, of course. It is where the children gathered when the adults talked. It’s been so long ago that you wouldn’t remember, but I remember you. I was sad when I heard that you ran away from home and no one could find you. It is good news that you are back," said Elle.

"Right, the garden. It certainly was a wonderful place for children to play. While it is good news that I am back for some, for me it’s one big headache. A reminder of my youth and all the times I stayed inside a room when there were parties hosted," Ian said, exposing her lie. "I never played in a garden."

"I don’t know if my father has some other bastard, if someone was pretending to be me, or if you mistook Victor for me, but we were not friends. I am almost certain that you’ve never stepped foot on Kingsley’s little estate," Ian added, inspecting her appearance.

Elle was offended that he took one look at her and thought she would not get invited to a party held by the Kingsleys. She had been there before. "I have been there," she replied.

"Perhaps at this age now, but not in your youth. This town is quite something. The carriage outside which you must have come in is one that you must pay to take you from one place to another, but the bag on your arm is quite expensive," Ian noted.

It would have made more sense to purchase a carriage of your own instead of the bag but Lockwood was all about appearances. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Elle turned to take the bag away from his sight. "How do you know the price of the bag?"

Had Beth sent her to seduce a man not interested in women? It would be like Beth to pay her to do something stupid.

Ian didn’t bother to respond. He had to keep the gifts coming for his woman and while looking around, he noticed the prices of a few things. It was a good decision not to get Scarlet the bags so she wouldn’t be walking around with the same thing as the woman before him.

’How many times have I seen her with a bag?’ Ian wondered, his attention now on Scarlet. She came in here without a bag each time. Did she not care for them?

Trying to find something special for a woman who had everything at her fingertips was hard. He could not keep giving her tea or teapots. Though, Ian did believe that offering his body was quite the gift. Scarlet should be quick to make good use of it.

"Owen, find out who sent her and then send her off. I am going to sleep," Ian said, no longer feeling entertained by watching Elle trip over her lies.

"Wait! I am not done yet. I’m going to kill her," Elle muttered, frustrated by the job Beth sent her to do.

"By her, who do you mean? We’ll pay you more than whoever sent you just for giving us a name and what the plan was," Owen offered. He smiled to appear more welcoming.

Elle thought of telling him as it was easy money for her as opposed to what Beth wanted, but with Beth being with Jack, she would find herself in deep trouble if Beth told Jack. "It is none of your concern. I am already annoyed so get out of my way."

Owen wanted to comment that he hadn’t moved and she was the one to come here but chose not to. "Well, when you’re ready to speak we are right here. I hope Scarlet isn’t the crazy jealous kind to look into you for approaching the man she is courting," he purposely added.

Elle looked at Owen instead of leaving. "Is it true that those two are together?" freewebnovёl.ƈom

Owen nodded his head. He didn’t believe it at first but seeing as Ian was starting to miss a few dinners, he had to.

"Beth, you crazy- No!" Elle gasped, covering her big mouth. She wasn’t to reveal this now but she was angry that Beth would get her involved with the man Scarlet was courting. She didn’t want to join this big feud between the Collins and Humphreys. "Give me the money," she held out her hand.

"What money? You didn’t accept the deal. I just overheard something. Please leave before our wonderful guards have to escort you out. Our customers might be drunk, but they won’t forget the sight of you being taken out of here," said Owen.