"Old Hughes, what's the matter?" Deanna asked as she answered the phone.
Old Hughes got straight to the point, "It's like this, I have an old friend who is very ill and wants me to give treatment. I'm not very confident about it, so I was hoping you could come with me."
"Of course," Deanna agreed without hesitation. She knew that she had been able to live in Cloudmere all these years thanks to Old Hughes' care.
She then asked, "Should we meet up first, or will you give me the address and I'll go there myself?"
Old Hughes didn't answer immediately but explained, "Deanna, my friend is in Jando, and we might need to stay there overnight. Is that okay?"
"No problem," Deanna replied. She thought it would be a good opportunity to spend some time apart from Lance and think about what her grandmother had said.
Old Hughes was delighted to hear her agreement and said with a smile, "I'll come pick you up now, and then we'll head to Jando."
"Alright, but tell me about your friend's condition so I can prepare some medicines," Deanna said as she shifted into work mode.
Old Hughes didn't hold back and shared all the details he knew.
After hanging up, Deanna instructed a servant to inform her grandmother in the garden and then went upstairs to pack her luggage and medicines.
A few minutes later, Old Ashley found Deanna in her room. She looked at the suitcase by Deanna's feet and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Old Hughes invited me to help treat his friend. Since it's in Jando, we'll be staying overnight. So I'll need you to look after the house today and tomorrow," Deanna explained.
Old Ashley had no objections but then thought of something and asked, "Have you told Mr. Mercer about this?"
"Uh... not yet," Deanna admitted, realizing she had subconsciously avoided it. She looked at her grandmother with a pleading expression, "Old Hughes will be here soon. Can you explain it to him for me?"
Old Ashley tapped Deanna's forehead affectionately. She could see that her granddaughter was trying to avoid Lance.
Deanna smiled ingratiatingly, "Please, Grandma."
Old Ashley shook her head in resignation and said, "Do you think avoiding it will help?"
"I'm not avoiding anything," Deanna insisted.
Just then, Old Hughes called to say he had arrived, giving Deanna an excuse to leave. "Grandma, Old Hughes is here. I'll be going now. If there's anything urgent, call me or wait until I get back tomorrow."
With that, she grabbed her phone in one hand and her suitcase in the other and quickly left.
Old Ashley watched her go with a mix of frustration and helplessness. She hurried after her, "Slow down, be careful on the stairs."
Soon they reached the front door and saw Old Hughes' car parked by the roadside. Old Hughes got out to greet Old Ashley, "Lady Ashley."
"Mr. Hughes, please take good care of Deanna these two days," Old Ashley said politely.
"Of course," Old Hughes replied with a smile. "We'll be off now. You should go back inside; it's windy out here. Take care of yourself so Anna can focus on treating people."
He then ushered Deanna into the car and they set off. Old Ashley watched them until they were out of sight before returning to the estate.
On the way to Jando, Old Hughes kept glancing at Deanna with a mischievous look in his eyes. Deanna felt uncomfortable under his gaze and checked herself for anything amiss but found nothing.
Finally, she asked, "What are you looking at?"
"You little rascal, you're with Lance now and didn't even tell me," Old Hughes said in a mock accusatory tone. "So, when did you two get together? When do you plan to get engaged or married?"
Deanna was stunned. "You must be mistaken. Mr. Mercer and I are not in that kind of relationship."
"But you're living together," Old Hughes said in surprise.
Realizing the misunderstanding, Deanna quickly explained, "Mr. Mercer didn't think my previous apartment was safe enough and was worried the Cody family might retaliate against me. So he suggested I move to the manor, but I've rented it myself."
"Oh, you've rented it yourself," Old Hughes nodded in understanding.
Just as Deanna was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly asked, "But does Lance live there too?"