Chapter 79 Meeting Emily Again
Clio froze.
She looked at Cressida, her eyes full of resentment.
"What tricks did you use to make the whole family believe you?"
Cressida showed a helpless smile.
"Mother, you're the one who can't stand me. Whatever bad thing happens, you think I'm involved."
With that, she stepped forward and used the utensils to take some of the lunch Clio hadn't eaten, tasting a couple of bites.
Seeing her eat with a normal expression, Patrick was even more convinced that Cressida had no reason to harm anyone.
"If there was really a problem, I wouldn't eat it. Mother, this is medicinal food. Since it's medicine, naturally there's a prescription."
"If it's something good, why didn't you dare tell us?"
Cressida looked at her: "You and Father have been sick one after another. I wanted to talk to you, but you never gave me a kind look. Even if I wanted to say something, could I find the chance?"
Clio's face stiffened.
Cressida continued: "I've been eating this medicinal food for a month already. I tried it first, and only after finding it good did I want Father and Mother to try it. Ingrid, go get all the prescriptions you wrote for me before."
Ingrid turned and left, soon returning with a stack of prescriptions, all marked with dates.
Patrick touched the ink marks on them, confirming they weren't faked by Cressida.
He looked at Clio: "Can you please stop causing trouble for this family? Ever since you got sick, you've been paranoid! Either saying Cressida harmed you or that she killed someone. Will this ever end!"
Cressida asked with timely grievance: "I don't know how I offended Mother, that she keeps thinking of me this way."
"Or is Mother still holding a grudge about me driving Rose away? If that's really the case, Mother, you can bring her back. I won't say a word."
Thinking of Rose, Patrick's anger shot to the top of his head.
"No one dares! Unless I'm dead, Rose is not allowed back through our doors!"
Hearing this, Clio's face turned pale.
Clio had wanted to make Cressida bear the blame for attempted murder, but didn't expect to cut off Rose's path back home.
Patrick wasn't someone who changed his mind easily. Without power or influence, Rose could never come back.
"Mr. Hamilton, it's all my fault, it has nothing to do with Rose!" Clio started crying.
Cressida watched quietly. Though Bruce held a noble position, even if he personally intervened, Patrick might not give him face and let Rose return.
After all, it was Marshall who had ordered Rose's execution. Patrick, weighing the pros and cons, would only choose the more powerful side.
Patrick didn't want to see Clio's face anymore—her wrinkles were especially obvious when she cried.
Having long had issues with Clio, though Patrick had never wanted to make it public to avoid being laughed at by outsiders, he now said coldly in front of Mabel: "Nanny, help Clio back! Stay in your quarters and rest for a month. Don't come out unless necessary."
This order was the same as house arrest!
Clio was dragged away crying.
Watching her tearful figure, Cressida said to Patrick: "Father, will you still eat this medicinal food?"
Patrick said irritably: "Eat what? Can't you two mother and daughter give me some peace? I've only just recovered from my illness."
Cressida nodded gently: "Alright then. If Father needs it in the future, just ask Ingrid."
Her gaze turned to Jack and the others kneeling on the ground.
"How does Father plan to deal with them?"
Patrick waved his hand: "Beat them all to death."
Mabel said: "Della didn't do anything wrong. She just took the prescription, but was misunderstood by Jack, who thought she had given Clio bad medicine."
Patrick stared at Della: "Then sell her out of the household."
Cressida bowed: "Father, Della is one of our household servants. If we sell her when she's done nothing wrong, others will think our household is chaotic and has no rules."
"If Father trusts me, let me handle Della. If she makes another mistake later, then we can kill her or sell her."
Patrick's eyes moved back and forth between Della and Cressida for a moment.
He finally nodded, somewhat irritably: "Don't bring this kind of thing before me again in the future!"
Cressida nodded and left with Mabel, taking Della with them.
Mabel squeezed her hand: "I'll head back now. Don't take what your mother said to heart."
Cressida smiled faintly: "Mother has always been like this. I don't hold it against her."
Back in the room.
Cressida sat upright in her chair, while Della knelt before her, crying bitterly.
"Ms. Hamilton, I really know I was wrong. When doing this for you, I mentioned it to that useless brother Jack. I never thought he'd remember it."
"He actually talked nonsense while drunk. He's such a fool. I truly regret it!"
Cressida took the teacup Emma handed her and looked at Della: "I wanted to promote you, but your brother caused me trouble. Della, about this matter..."
Before she could finish, Della rushed to pledge her loyalty.
"Ms. Cressida Hamilton, forgive me! Jack was foolish and deserved to die, but ultimately, it was Mrs. Clio Hamilton who killed him."
"I only ask that Ms. Cressida Hamilton give me a chance to avenge him in the household!"
Cressida looked at Della without speaking.
Della kept kowtowing to her, speaking earnestly and full of hatred toward Clio.
Cressida: "After this incident, I don't know how I can trust you again."
Emma spoke up at this moment: "Ms. Hamilton, Della will be completely devoted to you."
Cressida wanted exactly this coordination with Emma—one playing tough, the other gentle.
Della raised her head and her hand firmly: "Ms. Hamilton, I'm willing to swear that if I betray you in the future, may I die a terrible death!"
Cressida smiled: "Why make such a harsh oath? Emma, help Della up."
Della stumbled to her feet, and Cressida continued: "Then I'll give you one more chance. Della, there is indeed something I need you to do for me. This time it must be done even more secretly."
Della immediately bowed: "I'm at your command."
When Della left Cressida's room, thirty minutes had passed.
Emma watched her leave: "Ms. Hamilton, won't Della blame you for Jack's death?"
"No," Cressida pressed her lips together. "She only thinks Mother revealed this matter and caused Jack's death."
Cressida couldn't be blamed for being ruthless. Jack dared to betray his master, so he had to be beaten to death.
Fortunately, when Cressida had instructed Della to do this, she hadn't told Della the specific reason.
Actually, the prescription given to Della had no problems, except that one ingredient conflicted with Clio's heart medication.
Clio would be fine eating normally, but once she took her heart medicine, she would naturally feel uncomfortable.
Cressida turned her head: "Tell Echo to come when she's free. I have something to tell her."
This spy had been planted for so long—it was time to use her.
At this moment, Clio, who had returned to her room, still looked dazed.
"I couldn't have felt it wrong. Every time I ate, I got dizzy and my heart hurt. How could that medicine have no problems?"
"Could the problem be somewhere else?" Nanny said.
She immediately searched the room for suspicious incense or strange poisons.
But she found nothing.
Clio asked: "Could it be that the medicine I usually drink is wrong?"
Nanny said firmly: "Impossible. I was afraid something would happen, so I personally went to the pharmacy to get the medicine and brewed it myself. No one else handled it."
Clio leaned against the cushion, holding her head, feeling unwell again.
She began to doubt herself.
"Nanny, do you think maybe I'm just biased against Cressida, so whatever she does seems wrong to me?"
"Mrs. Clio Hamilton, if we keep failing to catch Ms. Cressida Hamilton doing anything wrong and keep making a fuss to Mr. Patrick Hamilton, it will only drive a bigger wedge between you and Mr. Patrick Hamilton."
Clio's face was bloodless, extremely uncomfortable.
How could she not know?
Nanny said: "Didn't Ms. Rose Hamilton tell you to be patient? She'll soon attach herself to that family. Wait a bit longer. Once she returns to the estate, your days will be better."
That day, the wails of Jack and Fox before they were beaten to death echoed throughout the estate.
Cressida had Emma call Dione, Nia, and the other maids into the room.
"I'm very open-minded. If you want to get married, tell me directly. Not only won't I blame you, I'll give you some money. If you don't want to marry but someone dares to harass you, tell me too. I'll get justice for you."
"Working for me, you don't need to fear trouble. Do you all understand?"
Cressida's authority was profound. In her light-colored dress, sitting by the window, she appeared especially noble, making people dare not offend her.
The maids nodded repeatedly, each pledging loyalty.
Cressida dismissed them.
Looking at the beautiful scene outside the window, she suddenly realized it was almost May. The wind already carried a hint of heat, and the sunlight was getting warmer.
She walked to the corridor, looking at the garden scenery, quietly planning.
Since her goal was to reclaim her achievements and glory, the first step was to remove Michael, the only one in the estate who could inherit the title. She had already done that.
Next, she needed another plan.
Early May.
Sophie sent out invitations, asking Cressida to come for tea.
Cressida brought Emma and Verity, passing through the winding corridor surrounded by brilliant flower beds to reach Sophie's special guest garden.
Cressida didn't expect to see an unexpected person here, making her smile freeze slightly at the corners of her mouth.
Emily stood up and smiled at Cressida: "Ms. Hamilton, we meet again."