Chapter 259: Our Girl is Quite the Summarizer
When Arabella Donovan learned the ins and outs of the situation, she was absolutely living for the drama.
’I thought the saying "a man blossoms at forty" was ridiculous enough. But wow, Grand-uncle is in his seventies or eighties and he’s still considered a hot commodity!’
Dennis Donovan was speechless. ’The "hot commodity" they’re seeing isn’t your grand-uncle’s old bones, but the assets behind him.’
’But seriously, ma’am, isn’t this matchmaking a little unscrupulous? My grand-uncle is in his seventies or eighties, and you look fifty-something at best. Your sister must be younger than you. Setting your own sister up with a man old enough to be her great-uncle... Wow, your sisterly bond must be *so* deep!’
Arabella’s thought immediately drew everyone’s attention back to Mrs. Shelby. A closer look confirmed it—wasn’t it just as Arabella had described?
’Grandma definitely doesn’t know about this. As soon as I’m done here, I’m going back to give her all the juicy gossip. She’ll love this.’
Dennis Donovan: "!!!" ’Shut your mouth! No, shut your brain down! Why are you causing such a scene on a day like this? If you go and gossip about this, your grand-uncle won’t be allowed in the bedroom tonight!’
The woman in yellow listened as the other two got more and more out of hand. She looked like she was suffocating and in desperate need of oxygen, a sight that made even Arabella feel a pang of sympathy for her.
’That lady in yellow looks as helpless as a sheep that’s wandered into a wolf pack, her face a flashing distress signal. But alas, you can’t talk sense into someone determined to die. Some people are just begging for trouble. Coming to someone’s wedding to bad-mouth the newlyweds... she’s probably never witnessed such an outrageous stunt. If a hole opened up in the ground right now, she’d definitely dive in just to distance herself from these two morons.’
The Donovans only then noticed the woman in yellow cowering behind the two loudmouths. She was balled up, trying to make herself invisible, clearly desperate to flee the scene.
She actually looked... kind of pathetic.
Dennis Donovan took a deep breath. He couldn’t let this situation escalate. At the very least, he had to nip his little grand-niece’s plan to go gossip to his new wife about his past matchmaking attempts in the bud!
"Serena, why aren’t you out front at the banquet? What are you doing hiding back here?"
Dennis Donovan’s sudden voice not only startled Arabella, but it also gave the quietly gossiping women a huge fright.
The woman in yellow in particular looked utterly terrified, as if disaster was imminent and her soul was about to leave her body. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought *she* was the one gossiping, not the dynamic duo of idiots in front of her.
Startled as she was, Arabella wasn’t the least bit intimidated. In fact, she sounded perfectly justified. "Grandpa, I’m busy eavesdropping."
Dennis Donovan almost chuckled. "Eavesdropping? What’s so interesting that you’d rather do that than eat?"
The women already had a guilty conscience. It slowly dawned on them that besides the group that had just arrived, an unexpected guest had been there the whole time, and there was no telling how much of their conversation she had overheard. The color drained from their faces.
Although Mrs. Shelby’s husband was a good ten years younger than Dennis Donovan, his rank within the clan was high, so she always acted as if she were Dennis’s peer.
When she realized this "eavesdropper" was the same young woman who had just helped escort the bride to the bridal chamber, her expression soured. She immediately began to pull rank.
"Young people these days have no manners. Of all the things to learn, you learn to sneak around and eavesdrop on private conversations. Utterly uncultured and completely classless."
The moment the words left her mouth, before Arabella could even respond, her family was having none of it.
Hector Donovan scoffed, his gaze toward Mrs. Shelby dripping with disdain. "My sister listening to people in her own home isn’t eavesdropping. It’s called listening, plain and simple!"
"Exactly," Eloise Donovan quickly chimed in, her tone icy. "As they say, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. If you were truly aboveboard, Madam, why would you be afraid of being overheard? Unless, of course, you know you were spouting disgraceful nonsense and are worried about being called out and losing face."
Aurora Donovan planted a hand on her hip and let out a cold laugh. "Our little sister is young, and we haven’t even complained about your filthy words polluting her ears, yet here you are, the guilty party pointing the finger first. Coming to the host’s house to slander the host’s family... do you really think we’re all as easy to bully as she is?"
Justin Donovan watched his younger siblings unload on her. He simply pushed up his glasses and delivered the final word. "Whether or not our little sister has good breeding is not for a gossipmonger who enjoys coming into other people’s homes to wag her tongue to decide."
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan: "..." ’We’re happy you’re all protecting your sister, but you’ve said everything there is to say. What’s left for us?’
Having been upstaged by their children and left with nothing to add, yet unwilling to remain silent, the couple decisively chimed in, "They’re right!"
"Yes, I agree with them."
This earned a disdainful eye-roll from Dennis Donovan. ’What capable children, and what useless parents.’
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan were speechless.
As the only non-Donovan in the group, Caspian Rhodes wisely kept his mouth shut, merely shooting Arabella a small, reassuring glance that told her to stay cool.
"You... you people..." Mrs. Shelby had never been so thoroughly contradicted by her juniors. Her face was ashen with rage, and she looked like she might faint at any moment.
But Dennis Donovan clearly felt that wasn’t enough. Completely ignoring her bluffing attempt to save face, he turned directly to Arabella. "What did they say to make them so nervous? Tell your grand-uncle everything, word for word."
His words effectively condemned their conversation. The expressions on Mrs. Shelby and Mrs. Kohl faltered; their panic was palpable.
"Elder Donovan..."
"Was I speaking to you?" Dennis Donovan’s sharp gaze swept over them, making both women flinch. They fell silent as stone, not daring to utter another word.
"Serena, go on."
Arabella let out a sly grin. "Oh, it wasn’t much. This lady here couldn’t stand seeing you and Grandma so deeply in love and living in harmony. She called Grandma a seductress who’s sucking out your life force and swindling you out of your fortune. She called you, Grandpa, a foolish old man blinded by lust, and cursed you two to have an unhappy marriage where you’ll lose both your new wife and your wealth, ruining your reputation in your old age."
Arabella pointed to Mrs. Shelby, then to Mrs. Kohl. "And this lady over here was even more impressive. She was extremely unhappy with how you handled your unfilial children and grandchildren. She mocked you, Grandpa, saying you’ll end up with no descendants to look after you, that you’ll die alone, and that you’ll have a bleak and miserable end."
After finishing her speech, Arabella theatrically wiped away a non-existent tear. "I mean, who comes to someone’s wedding and says such awful things? Grandpa, I suspect they were sent by your enemies just to ruin your day. You have to investigate them thoroughly." ’And don’t you dare let them off easy!’
Caspian Rhodes: *Pfft...*
The Donovan Family: "..." ’You have to admit, our girl knows how to summarize. After a performance like that, if these two women don’t end up dead, they’ll at least be skinned alive!’