Yvonne had assumed that this wild girl from a minor family would panic at the first hint of mockery. But to her surprise, Edith didn’t flinch at all–in fact, she fired back with even sharper wit.
Hands on her hips, Yvonne sneered, “No wonder you’ve already been married twice. I guess a thicker skin comes with the territory.”
“You-!” Lauren stepped forward, her finger jabbing toward the pair. Who were these two, popping out of nowhere and daring to point fingers at others?
Edith gently stopped Lauren, signaling that she could handle such petty drama on her
own.
“If my skin were eight hundred times thicker, I still wouldn’t match the two of you,” Edith replied coolly. “At least I’d never stoop so low as to gossip about someone’s husband’s private affairs in public. We’re not even friends, are we, Miss Hart?”
Lauren couldn’t hide her satisfaction as she watched her cousin. For someone who looked so quiet and reserved, Edith had a surprisingly sharp tongue.
Susan, still sulking, stepped up to defend Yvonne. “Yvonne barely knows you. She doesn’t hang out with your sort, but she’s close with Mr. Hawksley!”
Edith arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And is she close with you? Or is she so ‘close‘ that she treats you like a personal maid?”
She glanced pointedly at the heavy shopping bags Susan was carrying.
Susan’s face turned every shade from red to purple–just like the paints Edith used on her canvases, all mixed together in a chaotic mess.
Desperate to save face, Susan huffed, “Don’t try to drive a wedge between me and Yvonne. She never asked me to carry anything heavy. We’re best friends–what’s wrong with helping her out on a shopping trip?”
Edith’s smile was icy. “Helping a friend with a few things is one thing, but you’re carrying everything while her hands are empty. Has Miss Hart become so privileged she can’t even hold a single bag?”
Yvonne shot Edith a sideways glare. “You’re all bark and no bite. Justin would never go for a woman like you!”
Edith narrowed her eyes in disdain. “Why are you so obsessed with guessing how he
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feels? Like it or not, he married me, didn’t he?”
Yvonne was trembling with rage, her words quivering as she spat them out. “Don’t get too pleased with yourself. Just wait–Justin will kick you out soon enough!”
Susan chimed in, “Exactly! Mr. Hawksley just didn’t want to break his word, that’s all. Your little Sumner family is so pathetic–taking advantage of some decades–old joke to force a barren, secondhand bride into the Hawksley family-”
Edith didn’t give Susan a chance to finish. Her hand shot out and slapped Susan hard across the face. “Open your mouth again, and all you do is insult me and my family? Who the hell do you think you are?”
Susan stood there, stunned, while Yvonne’s eyes went wide in disbelief. Then, slowly, disbelief turned to wicked delight.
Yvonne had already made up her mind–she was going to run straight to the Hawksley family and report this.
Edith took Lauren’s hand and, as they walked away, tossed one last remark over her shoulder at Yvonne. “When you’re out in public, keep your dog on a leash. And for everyone’s sake, muzzle it next time.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.