Chapter 126: She Suspects Luna Morgan Is Up to No Good
Jane Lancaster considered for a moment. Since she’d run into Beverly Lynch, she figured she should thank her properly.
When she turned her head, however, she only saw Willow Summers, which made her pause. "Why is it just you?"
Willow Summers said, "Mandy went to the restroom. It’s weird, though. She was in a great mood just a second ago, but then she suddenly seemed really down."
Alvin Lancaster was a little worried. ’Two ladies meeting in the restroom... I hope they don’t start a fight.’ "I’ll go check on them."
Seeing that no one else was around, Willow Summers quickly pulled Jane Lancaster behind some potted plants.
"This is for you. Congratulations on your engagement."
Jane Lancaster opened it and glanced inside. She knew at once that Willow had splurged again. "I can’t accept this. It’s far too expensive."
Willow Summers’s eyes sparkled. "It’s not that expensive! Besides, what treasures haven’t you seen? I was worried it wasn’t good enough for you. But just you wait! When I’m rich, I’ll get you something even better for your wedding!"
"Miss Lancaster, this pastry is delicious! Quick, have a piece!"
Mama Knight knew the two girls were close, but that they couldn’t let too many people see it. She ducked behind the plants with them and popped a couple of pastries into each of their mouths.
Jane Lancaster’s eyes crinkled in a smile as she savored it. "Mmm, delicious!"
Willow Summers nodded with a smile. "It really is."
She couldn’t help but marvel. ’Who would have thought that Miss Lancaster, the very picture of a poised and elegant socialite, could have such an adorable side?’
"I used to think you were so aloof. You were the undisputed ’goddess’ of our school, but it felt like you were all divinity and no humanity. You were so perfect it didn’t seem real."
After finishing the pastry, Jane Lancaster dusted off her hands. "And now?"
"Now I see that you’re actually really warm. You have that divinity, but you have even more humanity," Willow Summers said earnestly. "Thank you, Jane."
The other day, Jane had invited her for afternoon tea, claiming she wanted to ask for business advice, but she had actually been the one to offer Willow a ton of valuable suggestions.
Willow had applied her methods to her own business, and sure enough, sales had improved dramatically. She even landed a huge order!
Of course, she knew that the young masters in their social circle loved to slander Jane Lancaster. They’d say that even though she was awake now, having been out of commission for three years meant she was completely out of touch with society and wasn’t worthy of Caleb Lowell at all.
Others claimed that Jane Lancaster was only clinging to Caleb Lowell so desperately because she knew she had nothing else.
Some people even questioned the authenticity and motives behind Jane Lancaster’s heroic act from three years ago.
They claimed the Lancaster Family had paid reporters for an interview just to drum up hype, all so she could build a good reputation, marry into the Lowell Family, and be set for life.
Now, she just wanted to tell them all that was bullshit. If Jane Lancaster actually wanted to go into business, she would definitely be more successful than Willow herself.
"Jane, you’re so smart and insightful, not to mention gorgeous. Of course you deserve the very best!"
A loud CLATTER echoed nearby.
Jane Lancaster looked up and saw a flustered Luna Morgan.
She scrambled to pick up the sign she had knocked over. "I’m so sorry, Miss Lancaster. I didn’t mean to disturb you."
"Could I speak with you alone for a moment? It’ll be quick, just a few words. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done."
The smile on Willow Summers’s face faded. "Can’t you say it right here?"
Luna Morgan looked as if she’d been frightened by her, taking two steps back, but she didn’t leave.
Willow Summers found her behavior incredibly annoying. Every time Luna saw them, she put on this frightened, uneasy act, as if they were bullying her.
"Jane, don’t go," Willow Summers immediately said, turning to Jane. "What if she ’accidentally’ falls down or bumps into you?"
To put it bluntly, she suspected Luna Morgan was up to no good.
The young men in their circle were quick to criticize and belittle Jane Lancaster and had plenty of complaints about Beverly Lynch, but they were unanimous in their praise for Luna Morgan, whom they considered both beautiful and kind-hearted.
It wasn’t that Willow was jealous; she just found it baffling. She couldn’t get that many men to sing her praises, so how could Luna Morgan manage it?
At first, she’d tried to see if there was anything she could learn from Luna’s methods. But she later discovered there was nothing to learn—the woman was a genuine, bona fide saint.
And that was even more terrifying. ’How could someone be so good to others without expecting anything in return?’ And what’s more, the radius of her saintliness rarely seemed to extend to other young women.
Willow wasn’t sure if this was a conscious choice on Luna’s part, but she knew one thing: any girl who got close to Luna Morgan was inevitably made to look vicious and selfish in contrast to Luna’s "pure, kind" nature.
It wasn’t that Luna Morgan intentionally seduced anyone, but she couldn’t help it if all the men liked her and constantly compared her to the other women around them.
As a result, Luna Morgan rarely managed to maintain good friendships with other women.
Jane Lancaster was the exception, but that was only because Jane had taken a knife for her, saving her life.
But even so, those same young masters would bring up the incident where Luna went to dig for bamboo shoots, claiming Jane was using the life-debt as leverage to bully her.
Willow wanted to laugh out of sheer anger. ’Climbing Mount Valerim in the rain to dig for bamboo shoots, then rolling down a hill and passing out with a high fever—is that something a sane person would do?’
’Digging for bamboo shoots? More like she was trying to dig out what little brain she has.’
Luna Morgan clearly heard the sarcasm in Willow’s voice, and her face flushed red.
Jane Lancaster glanced around and noticed a man nearby had stopped in his tracks, his face full of concern as he looked at Luna Morgan.
She reached out and wiped a crumb from the corner of Willow’s mouth. "Beverly Lynch seemed a little off. Why don’t you go check on her?"
Then, she turned to Luna Morgan. "It’s fine. I’ll go with you."
Before she left, Luna Morgan shot a complicated look at Willow Summers.
’Back in school, my life was so difficult. I never understood why Beverly Lynch and her friends always insisted on making trouble for me.’
’That group caused me no end of trouble. They were aggressive and domineering, and Willow Summers was one of the main culprits.’
’Lately, Beverly Lynch has started picking on me more and more, and Willow Summers is always right there with a sarcastic comment.’
’But Jane is so close with Willow in private, yet she’s never once spoken up for me.’
—
The two of them came to a stop beside the garden’s decorative pond.
"Miss Lancaster," Luna Morgan began, "congratulations. I hope you have a wonderful engagement party."
She opened her purse, but upon seeing the amulet and scriptures inside, she quickly covered them up and rummaged around until she found a jewelry box.
"This is a gift to congratulate you. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together."
Jane Lancaster looked at the jewelry box being offered to her but didn’t take it. "I appreciate the thought, but I can’t accept the gift. It’s too expensive."
’Jewelry from this brand is very expensive,’ she thought. ’There’s no way Luna Morgan can afford this.’
Luna Morgan’s expression was stubborn. "I know the Lancaster Family is wealthy and you don’t need things like this, but it’s the thought that counts. Please, you must accept it!"
"That’s not the point, Luna," Jane said. "You don’t have to give me a gift you can’t afford."
She decided to be blunt.
’Luna Morgan gives her all for other people. Last time, she wanted to pay out of her own pocket to plead for Samuel Miller, even though it would have left her with hundreds of thousands in debt... It’s just not necessary.’
Luna Morgan didn’t expect her to be so direct. She froze for a moment before replying, "It’s not beyond my means. I’ve been earning a lot of money recently."
She thrust the gift into Jane Lancaster’s hands. "Please, you must accept it!"
As she lifted her gaze, the fragility in her eyes looked as if it would shatter with a single touch.
Jane had no choice but to accept it. "...Thank you."
Luna Morgan breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally accepted it.
She took a few steps back and said with a smile, "Miss Lancaster, you’re sure to receive one piece of good news after another today. It will be a trifecta of blessings!"
With that, she turned and left, bumping into someone in her haste to get away.