Lucian’s deep voice sounded after a long moment as he tried to avoid answering Estella. “I went out with Mr. Queen yesterday and accidentally drank too much. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Estella did not appear convinced as her gaze. lingered on Lucian longer than usual. She had a gut feeling that he was not telling her the whole truth.
“Finish your meal. Ms. Pearson will send you to the kindergarten later.” Without giving the child an opportunity to ask further questions, Lucian retracted his gaze from her.
Though Estella was puzzled, she did not dare ask any further at the sight of her father’s scowl. Instead, she ate her breakfast obediently. By the time she finished her breakfast, she was running late.
Aubree greeted Lucian before picking the child up for school. Lucian frowned as he gazed at the pair’s departing silhouettes before calling, “Wait a minute.” Aubree froze abruptly in her tracks at the sound of his voice. Her heart clenched.
Lucian isn’t having second thoughts, is he? Despite her fears, Aubree maintained her cheery smile. “Is there anything else, Lucian?”
With her hand held by Aubree, Estella gazed with her bright and clear eyes up at her father, also under the impression that her father had changed his mind and consented to allow her to skip school.
Lucian hesitated for a moment as he met their gaze.
After several seconds, his brow relaxed as if he had come to a decision.
“Don’t resist your teacher and your new classmates like you did the last time, Essie. I will be in touch with your teacher from time to time to find out how you’re doing in school.”
The child puffed her cheeks reluctantly. “I understand.” Aubree heaved a huge but secret sigh of relief. The smile on her face also became more genuine.
“I will speak to her teacher soon. Is there anything else? If not, I’ll be heading off with Essie. She’s running late.”
Lucian nodded indifferently. With a smile, Aubree led the child away. Upon getting in the car, Estella sat warily in the back seat and kept her lips pursed, refusing to utter a word.
Aubree tried to speak in an effort to build a rapport with the child. “Do you remember what your new teacher looks like, Essie? I’ve never met them.”
Estella nodded quietly. Aubree was pleasantly surprised to see the child reacting to her words. “Do you have any friends you like in your new class, Essie?”
Estella shook her head. With only the two boys in her mind when she came to school, she never noticed the other students. However, she remembered that she had been startled.
The other students must think that I’m a weirdo. That’s fine. I don’t plan to stay long in that kindergarten, anyway. I will be back to be with the boys when Daddy and Mommy get back together!
Throughout the journey, Aubree kept casting. about for new conversational topics to engage the child, who uncharacteristically responded to all of them.
As a result, she was in a splendid mood. Upon arriving at the kindergarten entrance, Aubree led the child out of the car. She was about to ask Estella to point out her new teacher when the teacher recognized Estella first.
“You’re here, Essie!”
The teacher approached them with a smile, greeted Estella, and turned to the adult beside her. “And you are?”
Aubree smiled as she inclined her head at the teacher. “Hello, I am Lucian’s fiancée, Aubree.” The teacher’s employment at the prestigious institution was a testament to her qualifications.
The marriage between the Farwell family and the Pearson family was common knowledge in Horington. Naturally, the teachers in the kindergarten would know about it.
Thus, she could guess without another word from Aubree that the second half of her sentence was to proclaim that she was Estella’s future mother.
With that in mind, the teacher’s attitude became much more respectful. “Hello, Ms. Pearson. I am Pamela Yaxley. You could call me Ms. Yaxley.”
Unlike Pippa’s disdainful attitude toward Aubree, Pamela was respectful. In response, Aubree discarded her haughty attitude and nodded courteously at Pamela while pushing Estella toward her teacher.
At the recollection of the child’s prior performance in class, Pamela could not help but feel slightly worried.
Though it was indeed an honor for her to have the heiress of the Farwell family in her class, she would not escape the consequences if any misfortune should befall the child under her care.
Aubree seemed to have seen through her concerns and smiled at her. “Essie’s condition is rather unusual as she is sensitive to a change in environment. Please take care of her, Ms. Yaxley. I’ll treat you to a meal one of these days.”
Then, she lowered her gaze to Estella. “Say hello to your teacher, Essie.” Aubree was trying her luck when she did that.
Earlier, in the car, the child had only been nodding or shaking her head in response to her words, She was unsure if the child would heed her and greet the teacher.
If she defied me in public…
At the thought of that possibility, Aubree regretted her action at once and wished she had never uttered those words.
However, the child’s voice sounded the next second. “Hello, Ms. Yaxley.”
The child even bowed politely as she spoke. Aubree and Pamela were stunned by the child’s response and only regained their composure a moment later.
“It seems that you got through to Essie. She has made remarkable progress.”
Pamela smiled as she delivered her compliment.
Aubree was even more pleased that Estella did not disappoint her. “Essie has always been a good child. She just needs time to get used to a new environment.”
Pamela nodded vigorously. “Don’t you worry, I will take good care of Essie and have her adjust to the new environment as soon as possible.”
Aubree smiled. “I trust that Essie will be in good hands.” At that, she reached out to stroke Estella’s hair.
Under the impression that the child had warmed up to her, she thought she would be allowed to caress the latter’s hair. Unexpectedly, her outstretched hand missed its mark.
Aubree’s expression froze, and upon recalling that Pamela was still standing before her, she recovered quickly to say with a smile, “Be good in school, Essie. Listen to Ms. Yaxley. Do you understand?”
Estella nodded rather reluctantly. Without another word, Aubree nodded at Pamela once more before turning to depart.
The pair had conversed for such a long time that only Pamela and Estella remained at the kindergarten entrance when Aubree left.
Leading Estella by the hand, Pamela had the unnerving feeling that she had taken a hot potato upon herself.
Desirous of his praise, Aubree hurriedly called Lucian right after leaving the kindergarten. Meanwhile, Lucian was seated in the car with
Cayden at the wheel on their way to Farwell Group. Lucian frowned when he saw Aubree was calling as he thought something had happened to Estella.
As soon as he picked up, he heard Aubree’s smile in her voice. “I’d dropped Essie off, Lucian. Ms. Yaxley took her in. You don’t have to worry.”
Lucian heaved a sigh of relief. “All right, thank you for the trouble,” he answered in a low voice.
Aubree’s voice lowered. She sounded embarrassed. “No trouble at all. It’s my duty. In the future… I’ll continue to pick and send Essie to school.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.