Chapter 22
Clyde watched Abigail sob pitifully, feeling his heart twist with guilt.
Molly began crying even louder upon seeing Abigail in such a miserable state. “My poor girl- no status and carrying a child out of wedlock. How will you ever escape the gossip?”
Abigail placed a protective hand over her belly, her gaze resolute. “No matter what, this is my child with Clyde. I’d risk my life to protect it.”
Looking at her pale face, Clyde felt trapped. Abigail had always been sweet and accommodating, and now, she was carrying his child. He owed it to her to make things right. But the nature of their relationship was complicated, and Samson would never approve easily.
Besides, the Sinclair family wasn’t exactly high society, and their business had been on the decline for a while. Howard wasn’t likely to offer Abigail anything close to the lavish wedding gift he offered Avery. Marrying Abigail could do nothing for his career and would cost him a valuable chance to form a strategic alliance through marriage. It just wasn’t worth it.
Observing Clyde’s hesitance, Howard decided to fan the flames. He turned to Abigail with a pained look. “This is on us for not educating you better. But now that you’re carrying the baby, just give birth to it. We’ll take care of you.”
Molly quickly picked up on his intent, sobbing even louder and repeating things like “poor Abby” and “so unlucky in love” in between her wails.
Across the room, Avery watched with barely concealed amusement.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted the sobbing. Howard called for the visitor to come in, and Delcan entered, holding a small jar of cream.
“Mrs. Smith, is this the right one?” he asked, handing it to Avery.
Avery nodded and thanked him. She was about to apply it to her face when Joshua took it from her hand. She looked at him in confusion, tilting her head.
Joshua opened the jar and carefully began to apply the cream to her cut. Watching him concentrate so intently as if handling something delicate made her smile. “Is this the first time you’ve ever applied cream?”
He froze. “Am I hurting you?”
“No, no,” she quickly reassured him. “I’m just wondering if I’m your first.”
She winked playfully, making him chuckle. “Yes.
His answer was simple, and a little smile tugged at his lips.
Nearby, Clyde watched the scene, so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor. Was this the same
stern, cold–hearted uncle he knew? Had he been possessed?
Chapter 22
22
Howard was equally stunned, though he recovered quickly. He cursed his miscalculation. If he had realized Avery could win Joshua over, he might’ve treated her better from the start.
The truth was, he and Molly had known about Abigail and Clyde all along. But they had allowed it to continue. Avery, though beautiful, was proud and headstrong–never the type to flatter a man.
Abigail, on the other hand, wasn’t as striking as Avery, but she was gentle and endlessly accommodating the kind of woman men found easy to keep around. After all, men always wanted to have someone sweet and loyal close by, even if they looked elsewhere for excitement.
