Chapter 41 Sending Rose Away
Four or five days later, Patrick sensibly brought Clio to visit Cressida.
It was late January, and the peach tree outside the window had already started budding.
The weather was nice in the morning, so Emma opened all the doors and windows wide, letting warm spring sunlight pour into the room.
Cressida sat by the window, facing Patrick across a low mahogany table between them.
Clio had nowhere to sit, so Emma brought over a chair for her.
Clio's expression turned unpleasant.
She glanced at Patrick, but he seemed not to notice, so she could only grit her teeth and sit down resentfully.
Her chest felt tight with frustration again.
If Patrick hadn't said they must settle this matter with Cressida in person, Clio would never have come.
"Cressida," Patrick began, his tone unusually gentle, "look, your mother has been kneeling in the church all these days, praying to God for your health and well-being. Are you fully recovered now?"
Cressida was holding a teacup. Upon hearing this, she immediately set it down and pretended to be surprised: "Mother goes to kneel at the church every day?"
Clio's face stiffened even more.
Everyone on the estate knew about it, yet Cressida turned a deaf ear, deliberately watching Clio suffer day after day!
Clio forced a smile: "As long as you get better, I'd be willing to cut off my own flesh. Cressida, don't blame me. That incident with Zaid happened so suddenly, I was scared out of my wits."
Cressida looked at her: "To be honest, Mother, the doctor says I've been traumatized, and my condition keeps going up and down."
"I heard there's a folk remedy that can cure my symptoms, but it requires my birth mother to cut flesh from her body as medicine. Would you be willing to go that far for me, Mother?"
Clio's eyes widened: "What are you saying?"
Even Patrick was somewhat shocked.
"Cressida, that method is too bizarre. She's still your mother!"
But Cressida let out a cold laugh.
She had a cool, sharp beauty. When she didn't smile, she looked very stern, with a killing aura from the battlefield lingering between her brows that frightened people.
Yet when she smiled, it dispersed that fierce energy, though it didn't make her seem any more approachable.
"I was just teasing Mother. Even if I died from illness, I wouldn't dare make Mother actually lose a piece of flesh."
Hearing Cressida's sarcastic tone, Clio's expression wasn't pleasant.
However, Cressida also planned to quit while she was ahead.
Cressida really wanted Clio to keep kneeling in the church, even if she knelt to death—it was what Clio owed her.
But public opinion had gradually shifted toward Clio, the pitiful mother.
People said Clio had been kneeling endlessly before the statue for her daughter Cressida's health.
If Cressida didn't get better soon, she would become the one people gossiped about.
"Since Father and Mother are here, I happen to have something to discuss. The maids Mother sent earlier were useless. I want to pick my own servants."
When Cressida said she had a request, Patrick's heart had jumped to his throat.
Hearing she only wanted some servants, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's no problem at all. I'll have..." He wanted to say Clio, but caught himself mid-sentence, "I'll have the butler bring some capable house slaves for you to choose from."
But Cressida said: "Father needs to give me the key to go out too."
"Absolutely not!" Clio refused directly. "You're an unmarried daughter. If you have the household keys, it'll cause chaos."
Cressida remained calm: "Father, every time I want to go out, I need Mother's permission. She's kept me home several times, but I heard that night, Rose went out with just a token."
"If the rules of this house only bind me alone, you might as well just say so, Father and Mother."
Hearing this, Clio's brow twitched sharply.
Patrick was surprised: "When did Rose go out at night?"
Tatum, standing behind Clio, immediately knelt down.
"Mr. Patrick Hamilton, Mrs. Clio Hamilton, that night Mrs. Clio Hamilton suddenly had a heart attack, so Ms. Rose Hamilton went out in the middle of the night to buy medicine."
"It was past eleven at night. All the pharmacies were closed. Where did she buy medicine?" Cressida asked.
Tatum froze and shook her head: "This old servant doesn't know."
Cressida: "When she went out, Mother was unconscious. Did Tatum give her the key?"
Tatum's face changed dramatically: "How would this old servant dare make such decisions? Ms. Rose Hamilton was anxious, saying it was a matter of life and death. She always knew where the key was kept, so she just took it and left."
Of course Tatum didn't dare say Clio had tacitly approved.
Patrick slammed his palm on the table, getting somewhat angry.
"Does she have no sense of rules?" He then addressed Clio, "You've spoiled her completely. She dares to take the token and keys?"
If something went wrong, the entire Hamilton Mansion would be like a sieve for anyone to enter.
Clio looked innocent: "Mr. Hamilton, though Rose was too bold, it was an emergency. Rose was thinking of my health."
"Seeing me collapse, she couldn't worry about those things. These days she's been by my side taking care of me."
"I almost wish she were my own daughter—even a real child wouldn't do better!" With that, Clio covered her face and cried a couple of earnest sobs.
Clio's implication was that compared to Rose, Cressida fell far short.
But Cressida's tone was eerie: "She can use Mother's name this time, and she can next time. After doing it long enough, no one will be able to tell what's true or false. If something happens to this household because of it, do we blame her or Mother?"
Patrick suddenly shuddered, as if realizing something.
Before Clio could figure out how to respond, he said sternly to Cressida: "I definitely can't give you the key, but I won't indulge Rose anymore either!"
"Cressida, rest assured, in this household, you are the true Ms. Hamilton. I'm always on your side. If you want to go out, just tell the gatekeeper—no one will dare stop you."
With Patrick's words reaching this point, Cressida nodded slightly.
Patrick left with Clio.
Emma came in: "Ms. Cressida Hamilton, from Mrs. Clio Hamilton's attitude, it seems she knows where Ms. Rose Hamilton got that medicine."
Cressida's expression was cold: "Have you prepared everything I asked for?"
"I've arranged everything. It will definitely go smoothly."
"Good. Take this opportunity to push Della into a management position too. Having our own person in the kitchen will make things more convenient in the future."
Back in the main courtyard, before Clio could speak, Patrick said sternly: "You're too indulgent with Rose."
Clio pressed her lips together: "Rose knows her limits. It's just that Cressida is petty. When she heard this news, her first thought wasn't concern for my health, but to tattle. This child is too cruel—no matter how well we treat her, she won't be filial to us!"
Patrick paced with his hands behind his back. Hearing this, he immediately said heavily: "Don't you understand? Cressida thinks you're playing favorites!"
"I think we should just send Rose to the country estate and not bring her back."