Free Web NovelChapter 219: Future family (1)
"The hotel seems to be busier than normal," Scarlet noted.
"It is," Faith answered, handing the list of guests they were to be expecting in the next week. "We’ve had a lot of guests reserve rooms ahead of next week and during that time the town will have a lot of winter balls. There are still plenty of rooms for anyone to walk in and use."
"Good. Winter will be our busiest time so you must be ready. All guests from out of town need to be cared for well so they return here on their next visit. I will be taking a small break soon so I am leaving it to all of you to keep the hotel in order during that time," said Scarlet. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Faith felt the pressure but she was ready to prove her worth. "Some of your relatives have booked a few rooms for four days. The rooms are under the name Naomi Collins."
"As long as they pay for the rooms and what else they use, leave them be. I have not given any of you permission to let them stay here free so do not let them go out the front doors without paying for what they use," Scarlet said, refusing to let the others leech off of her.
"The town guards have been coming around trying to ask questions about you. I have sent them away each time. They have started to ask about why the princess is in your care."
Scarlet rolled her eyes. The reason Alana was with her wasn’t the town guards’ concern for them to be troubling her workers. "They seem to be bored. Keep sending them away. I will have a word with them soon to end this. There are other people they should be focused on yet they keep snooping around my family."
Scarlet wouldn’t put this past Luke since they were still not speaking. He could get the town guards to do his dirty work.
Faith was distracted by a woman she did not know sitting outside of Scarlet’s office. "You have a guest, Lady Collins." freёwebnovel.com
"What trouble is this now?" Scarlet wondered.
Ivy stood up when a woman with many employees following her was passing by. This had to be Scarlet Collins. "They wouldn’t tell me if you were coming today but it is my lucky day. I was about to leave."
"I believe proper introductions are to be done. You seem to know who I am but I do not know you. If you are staying at the hotel, there are employees for you to speak to. Only those who made prior arrangements to meet me can come into my office," said Scarlet.
Scarlet couldn’t recall ever seeing this woman before.
"We have never met and I don’t think I need an appointment to meet you. We might become family after all. I am Ivy Kingsley. Mother of Ian Kingsley, the man you are seeing. I’m sorry it took so long for us to meet," Ivy said, holding out her hand for Scarlet to shake.
"Leave us," Scarlet ordered Faith and all the other employees behind her.
Meeting Ian’s mother was not on her list for today especially with Ian not speaking about his mother. Why was his mother standing before her without Ian?
Scarlet was suspicious of this meeting but she shook Ivy’s hand.
"My son picked well. You are a beautiful woman. Quite close to what I thought he would end up with. You know, there used to be a time when he argued that he never wanted to be with anyone but look at him now with such a beautiful woman. I cannot wait to tease him," said Ivy.
It was hard for her to believe that Scarlet owned this grand hotel and from what she learned quickly by speaking to some of the guests, the Collins had other businesses scattered throughout the town.
"You have not seen Ian yet?" Scarlet questioned, finding this to be odd. She would like for Ian’s mother to no longer be standing before her.
Scarlet already had one suspicion of the type of person Ivy was but she did not want to offend Ian’s mother. She could only think of Ian speaking about his mother once and it was about why he hated tea.
"No. That boy is hard to find. Like you are here with your business, I expected to find him at his bar but I was not so lucky. I thought about coming to see who he might marry in the future. Are you free now?" Ivy asked as she had much to ask Scarlet.
Scarlet was busy since she was rushing to do all that she could so she would be free for when she would go on a trip with Ian. However, she wanted to check if her assumptions about Ian’s mother were true.
Ian didn’t need this now if he and his mother did not get along. He might not be pleased to know of them meeting without him around.
"I can put aside a few minutes for you. Does Ian know that you are in Lockwood?" Scarlet asked as this meeting would be far worse if he did not. Scarlet wanted to be left out of any problems concerning the Kingsleys. ’Since when has she taken that last name?’ Scarlet wondered.
Something important was missing since Ivy introduced herself as Ivy Kingsley. Either Hank promised to wed her or she was delusional.
"He does not which is why I look forward to surprising him. Please do not tell him about me being in Lockwood before I show up before him. Is there something troubling you, Scarlet?" Ivy questioned as Scarlet looked uncomfortable.
"I find it off that you would come to me before you went to speak with Ian. What if he did not want you to meet me and what were your intentions to meet me first?" Scarlet asked, not believing the story Ivy told.
Scarlet had breakfast with Ian and her family this morning. She knew that he was going to be at his business all day as he was preparing to go speak to his father and Layla. If Ivy had gone there, she would have seen Ian or at least Owen. Victor was also lingering around Ian.
Ivy smiled. "I intended to meet with the woman I think might become my daughter-in-law. I had to see if you are good for my son. After all, you are a divorced woman so your value has lowered a little but I don’t plan to consider that fact. Let us have a calm conversation, Scarlet."
