Roxanne retracted her hand the moment Estella got up. The warmth on Lucian’s skin was still lingering on the back of her hand after the contact.
When Roxanne regained her cool, she looked at Lucian’s hand hesitantly. Although Estella was not heavy, the impact was still strong given how fast she was running.
Even Roxanne found it hard to stop her on her own. On top of that, the edge of the coffee table was sharp. Is his hand all right?
Roxanne wanted to check if he was injured, but she felt that Lucian was deliberately hiding his hand away, so she could not see anything.
After some time, Lucian put down his phone and glanced at the guilty-looking child beside him. “Let’s go out and play.”
Estella’s eyes glittered with excitement when she heard that.
Then Lucian got up and went over to the entrance to take a tourist map from the shelf. “You guys pick a place.”
The children took the map and started poring over it.
As for Roxanne, she was still thinking about Lucian. “Mr. Farwell, your hand…”
“It’s fine,” he answered, looking at her, but Roxanne did not believe him.
“Let me have a look,” she insisted.
Lucian stared at her for a few seconds until he finally budged and showed her his hand.
There was a long and narrow cut on the back of his hand. She noticed traces of blood from the cut, and the area around the wound was red and swollen.
Roxanne knew this kind of cut was rather painful, but Lucian did not complain at all.
When the children noticed what they were doing, they put down the map in their hands and ran over.
“Daddy…” Estella was filled with worry and guilt.
“We’re sorry, Mr. Farwell. We won’t fool around with Essie again,” Archie and Benny said apologetically. Lucian raised his brows and held out the other hand to rub their heads. “It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry about it.”
Then, he gazed at the girl and comforted her, “You don’t have to feel bad, Essie. I know you like playing with Archie and Benny. I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself. Injuries are unavoidable when you play, so it’s not your fault. I just want you to have fun playing with other kids.”
Despite what he said, Estella still puckered in regret.
She knew Lucian was worried about her not being able to socialize with other children because of her condition.
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she cried, circling her arms around Lucian’s leg.
“It’s okay, really. Why don’t you go over and choose a place for us to visit later?”
“Yeah. You should go pick a spot while I treat your daddy’s wound,” Roxanne chimed in.
Although the children were still worried, they listened to the adults in the end.
“Thank you, Ms. Jarvis,” Lucian said as he looked at her and held out his hand.
Roxanne smiled at him rigidly, then went to look for the first aid kit. She asked him to sit on the couch while she sat next to him to bandage his wound.
Neither of them talked, but a lot went on in Roxanne’s mind.
From what she observed in Lucian and Estella’s interaction, she concluded that Lucian was a careless father. But what he had said to Estella back there made Roxanne feel heartbroken.
He’s indeed rather inattentive in some regards, but it’s no doubt that he loves Estella. If he really didn’t care about her, the news would not have said that she was the apple of his eye. Sometimes I wonder who Estella’s mother is and what she’s like. She has given him a daughter he loves so dearly.
While Roxanne was bandaging him, she could sense Lucian’s gaze on her. However, Roxanne did not know what was on his mind. I wonder if he’s thinking about what happened last night…
Roxanne could not help but recall the bottle of red wine that was almost finished the night before, and that made her feel perplexed. As such, the bandaging she did for Lucian was a little rough around the edges.
“Are you done?” asked Lucian when he saw that she was not doing anything else. It was only then Roxanne returned to her senses and maintained a calm face. “It’s almost done.”
Lucian took a look at the bandage on his hand, raised his brows, and said, “Ms. Jarvis, it seems that you are very selective when it comes to your medical skill, aren’t you?”
Roxanne was startled by what he said. She followed his gaze and noticed that her bandaging was indeed horribly done.
For a moment, Roxanne could not help but blush. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say.
Thankfully, all Lucian did was teased her once, and he did not pursue the matter again. “It’s about time. Why don’t you check with them and see where they will like to go?”
Upon hearing that, Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief before getting up and going over to the children. They were still deciding where to go.
“Haven’t all of you made up your mind yet? Should I offer some suggestions?” asked Roxanne gently.
The children were so engrossed in their planning that they did not realize she was next to them until they heard her voice. Immediately, Estella inquired about Lucian’s injury, “Ms. Jarvis, how’s Daddy?”
At the thought of her messy bandaging, Roxanne smiled and assured her, “It’s just a minor injury. I have already bandaged it.”
The children then turned and looked at Lucian with concern. Lucian nodded at them. The children were finally at ease and told Roxanne about their conflicts.
Estella wanted to go out to the sea and watch the dolphins.
However, the boys were worried about the dangers out at the sea after what had happened earlier on. They suggested picking up seashells and making craftwork out of them.
The three children could not come to an agreement and chose to discuss other options.
Roxanne could not help but hesitate when she heard about their dispute.
Logically, what all three children wanted was not contradictory. They could always go out to the sea before coming back to make their craftwork.
However, like Archie and Benny, she was also worried about the danger out at the sea.
After all, Estella was very important to Lucian, and Roxanne did not want to be held accountable.
So, Roxanne turned and looked at Lucian to seek his opinion.
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.