Chapter 198: What Qualification Do You Have?
Chapter 198: What Qualification Do You Have?
It was dark when they arrived at the Hawkins' Mansion and it was right time for dinner.
There were a number of delicious and fragrant dishes on the table.
Georgia was still amiable and showed her favor towards Florence as usual when she saw her. After exchanging greetings, she held up Florence’s hand and led her to the table. She specially asked Florence to sit beside her.
And Ernest sat down on the other side of Florence’s seat.
As it was a family feast, there was no outsider here. And Ernest’s aunt, Brianna was sitting beside Georgia.
Georgia gazed at Florence grandmotherly and asked with concern, “Flory, have you fully recovered? Are you still feeling uncomfortable now?”
“Nope. I feel good. Thank you, grandma.”
Florence gave her a sincere smile when she felt the concern from this senior.
She was driven out of the Fraser family by Charlotte before and she hadn’t seen her foster parents since then. Maybe she would not have the chance to enjoy the concern from her parents.
Florence felt upset when she thought of this.
Georgia didn’t notice the change of Florence’s expressions. She held up Florence’s hand and patted it, and then said amiably, “That’s good. As you were injured before, the feast was cancelled and we didn’t decide on your wedding date. But I still asked someone to choose three propitious dates for wedding. Since you’re here tonight, choose one by yourself and give the final word for your wedding date.”
Wedding date?
Florence stiffened and subconsciously took a glance at Ernest.
He asked her to come to the mansion to have dinner with his grandma, but he didn’t tell her that this grandma had other intentions!
Noticing Florence’s inquiring gaze, Ernest pressed his thin lips together. There was no expressional change on his face as he didn’t show any disapproval of it.
It seemed like he had known this before.
Florence twitched her mouth. As expected, it was intentional.
But since she was now at the table and Georgia had come up with it, could she deny it?
But neither could she agree with it!
Florence was in a mess and didn’t know how to react at the moment. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Georgia waved her hand and ordered the butler to bring three sheets of papers here. There was a date for the wedding on each paper.
Georgia unfolded the papers and showed them to Florence. She then gazed at her with inquiring eyes.
“Flory, which date do you prefer?”
Florence took a glance at the dates on the papers and felt bitter. Could she say that she didn’t like them?
The soonest date was after one month, and the latest date was still within three months.
She could tell from them that Ernest’s grandma urgently wanted to hold the wedding ceremony for them.
Meeting Georgia’s anticipating eyes in the air, Florence felt very guilty. She couldn’t tell how she felt at the moment.
She didn’t want to get married, nor did she want to disappoint Georgia.
Florence was in a dilemma. She dragged Ernest’s sleeve under the table and then turned her head to tip Ernest a wink while whispering, “Ernest, say something.”
Please, find an excuse to decline your grandma!
Ernest pressed his lips together and glanced at Florence meaningfully, “The three dates are good. As for me, I think the wedding can be held half a month later.”
Florence, who was grabbing Ernest’s sleeve, tightened the grip.
What the hell was he talking about?
She hinted him to find an excuse to postpone it!
Georgia nodded in satisfaction when she heard Ernest’s reply, “The date half a month later is really good, and the preparations for the wedding are supposed to be accomplished by that time. We can absolutely hold the wedding on that date. Then we’ll decide it…”
“Wait a minute.”
Seeing that Ernest’s grandma was going to set tone for it, Florence interrupted her in a panic.
Georgia looked towards Florence confusedly, “Flory, what’s the matter?”
“Hmm… I… I…”
Florence stammered. She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Absolutely, the wedding could not be held half a month later because her engagement with Ernest was covenant and fake, what the hell was it if they really get married?
Being clutched by anxiety, Florence racked her brain and finally found an excuse, “I can’t make a decision on the wedding date alone because it’s a big event. We should invite my parents to negotiate it.”
“That’s true. Then let’s invite your parents to have a meal together the day after tomorrow. And we’ll decide on the wedding date during the meal.” Georgia said.
But this was not the result wanted by Florence. There was no big difference in deciding on the wedding date today or the day after tomorrow.
Moreover, her foster parents must don’t want to recognize her as their daughter now.
Florence hesitated for a while and then said, “I’m afraid they’ll not come the day after tomorrow. My parents…”
“Okay, the day after tomorrow, I will invite Mr. Fraser and Mrs. Fraser.” Ernest interrupted Florence.
Florence turned her head to look at Ernest, slightly knitting her brows, “You know it. My relationship with my parents is bad now.”
“Don’t worry. Let me deal with it.”
Ernest’s voice was low and reassuring.
Florence felt a bit touched. She had been bothered by this for a long while, but now she had a glimmer of anticipation because of his words.
Would he help her deal with her relationship with her parents?
How would he deal with it?
Even she herself didn’t know how to get along with her parents after being driven out of the family, or in other words, being abandoned.
She had been bothered by this and she also hoped to solve it…
Being distracted by the matter related to her parents, Florence reacted slowly and didn’t deny the feast for the day after tomorrow.
But it was already too late when she pulled herself together.
Georgia didn’t feel good and went back her bedroom to have a rest early.
As she wanted to instruct Ernest on some matters alone, Florence had to wait for him outside.
Brianna didn’t say anything when they were having the meal.
But now, when Ernest and Georgia walked into the bedroom, she walked to Florence in a pair of high heels and sat down on the sofa.
Although Florence didn’t have a good impression of her, she still greeted her politely, “Aunt.”
Brianna sat on the sofa gracefully and looked straightly at Florence. She didn’t beat around the bush and came straight to the point, “Florence, I heard from others that you had a quarrel with your families several days ago and was driven out of the house?”
Her words were so blatant and they pierced through Florence’s heart like needles.
She was opening up her scars.
Florence knitted her brows embarrassedly, “We indeed had a small conflict.”
“Poor girl. You’re an orphan and now you’re homeless.” Brianna sighed.
But there was no trace of sympathy in her tone. Instead, there was sarcasm in it.
Florence frowned with uncomfortableness.
Brianna had always had a bad attitude towards her and now she even satirized her blatantly?
What did she want to do?
Brianna continued, “Even if Ernest invites your parents here the day after tomorrow and they decide on the wedding date, let me remind you, you’ve been driven out of the family and Charlotte won’t allow you to come back home to go through ‘pick up the bribe’ procedure for the wedding ceremony. Have you ever thought of it: Where should you go through the procedure?”
Generally, for the ‘pick up the bribe’ procedure, the bridegroom should come to the bribe’s home to pick her up under the witness of many of their relatives and friends.
But Florence didn’t have a home after being driven out of the Fraser family.
Even if they could pick her up from the hotel or Ernest’s villa…
“The Hawkins family is a decent family and many people are keeping their eyes on us. You will be the lady of the Hawkins family after marrying Ernest, but you don’t have a home. We can’t pick up the bribe from her home on the wedding date. Alas, don’t you think it a disgrace to the Hawkins family?”
Brianna’s tone of voice became sharper and there was obvious sarcasm in it.
“Florence, the Fraser is an ordinary family and because of Madame Hawkins’s kindness and mercy, we agree you to marry into the Hawkins family. But now you even lose your ordinary family background, what qualification do you have to marry Ernest?”