Chapter 84: The Embarrassed Brooke York
They couldn’t even get through the gate now. What was Alice Cole supposed to do!
But seeing how anxious Brooke York was, Alice Cole couldn’t bring herself to say that. ’It would break poor Brooke’s heart!’
Just then, the main gate suddenly opened. A servant came out and said to them, "You two, our madam invites you in. There’s no need to drive the car in. Please follow me on foot."
The two of them, who had been frowning just a moment ago, instantly lit up with joy. "Daughter, did you see that? Your future mother-in-law must have been in the car. She must have noticed we didn’t follow and sent a servant back just to invite us in!"
Brooke York nodded vigorously in agreement with Alice Cole. ’It looks like my future mother-in-law, Mrs. Prescott, saw me and took a liking to me. She even sent a servant out to greet me personally.’
"You just wait, you rotten guard! As soon as I get in there, I’m having Mrs. Prescott fire you." Before heading in, Alice Cole didn’t forget to give the guard a stern warning.
The guard wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Alice Cole’s words. His expression remained calm; after all, he had just learned that their madam wasn’t in the car at all—only the master was.
In fact, the master had commended him for not letting people in without an appointment and for not bothering the family without cause. There was no way he was getting fired.
"You two had best hurry along. The madam is already waiting." Seeing them still threatening the guard, the servant urged them on.
"Hey, you—!" Alice Cole, not expecting a mere servant to dare rush her, was about to lose her temper and snap at them, but before she could finish, Brooke York quickly tugged on her arm, signaling for her to stop.
’This person was sent out on Sophia Quinn’s orders. They must be important, maybe even one of her trusted staff. It’s better not to offend them.’
"Mom, stop it!" Brooke York told her mother, then turned politely to the servant. "I’m sorry. Please, lead the way."
With a visibly unhappy expression, the servant turned and walked off, moving so quickly they didn’t seem to care whether Brooke York and Alice Cole were keeping up.
"See? You shouldn’t be so polite to people like that. They have absolutely no respect." Alice Cole was furious at how the servant had slighted them.
"Mom, just drop it. Now’s not the time to deal with them. Once I marry into the Prescott family, I’ll make sure we get revenge for today and put them in their place."
"Exactly. Once you’re married into the Prescott family, you need to whip all these servants into shape. Your mother-in-law is getting old, after all. She probably means well but doesn’t have the energy anymore. Get her to hand over the management of the household to you."
"I will."
As she walked, Brooke York took in the manor. It was enormous. They felt like they were walking through a park, with sprawling lawns on either side. She couldn’t even begin to estimate the size of the estate.
"Don’t they have any golf carts here? My old legs can’t take all this walking." Alice Cole hadn’t expected such a long walk. She was wearing high heels, and her feet were starting to feel like they weren’t her own.
It wasn’t just Alice Cole who was uncomfortable in her high heels; even Brooke York, who was wearing sneakers, was getting tired.
But the servant ahead of them was still walking at a brisk pace, and they didn’t dare slow down, afraid of being left behind.
They had already passed several villas, but the servant didn’t stop, walking straight past them. Finally, the servant led them to a stop in front of a building that resembled a castle.
’It seemed this castle was the main house of the estate, and the entire Prescott family lived inside.’
The more Brooke York saw, the more resolute she became. ’I have to marry into the Prescott family. I have to become the mistress of this house.’
’I want to live in this manor forever. I want to be someone who is above everyone else.’
Brooke York’s heart pounded with ambition.
"You two, this is the place. The madam is waiting for you inside." With that, the servant left.
"That servant is so rude!"
"Mom, forget about them. Let’s just go in!" Brooke York was eager to make a good impression on Mrs. Prescott and wanted her mother to stop fussing over such a minor thing.
"Alright, alright, let’s go in." Sensing her daughter’s eagerness, Alice Cole went along with it.
As they stepped into the castle, a man dressed as a butler immediately approached them. "This way, please. Follow me to the reception room." With that, the man led the way.
Alice Cole and Brooke York exchanged a glance and followed him. After about a minute, he stopped. "In here, please."
They stepped inside and saw a refined-looking woman sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee.
"Oh, Mrs. Prescott, it certainly wasn’t easy getting in to see you! If you ask me, you should fire that guard at the gate. I told him we were to be family, but he still blocked me at the gate."
Alice Cole already thought of Sophia Quinn as her future in-law. After all, her daughter, Brooke York, was so outstanding—how could she not be satisfied?
As far as she was concerned, the marriage was a done deal.
And so, the moment she saw Sophia Quinn, she started complaining about the guard.
She completely missed the way Sophia Quinn’s brow furrowed the instant she heard her voice.
Meanwhile, Brooke York got a good look at Mrs. Prescott’s face. To her horror, she realized Mr. and Mrs. Prescott were the very couple she had run into—and been rude to—at the school gate that morning.
The color drained from Brooke York’s face. ’Why couldn’t I have had a better attitude when I met them this morning? I made a terrible first impression.’
Unaware of what her daughter had done, Alice Cole naturally didn’t notice anything amiss. She looked at Sophia Quinn with a fawning expression. "Sophia, what an embarrassing mix-up this has been. I can’t believe Chloe wasn’t my daughter after all. This is my real daughter. Her name is Brooke, and she’s brilliant! She just transferred schools and already placed first in her class on the exams!"
"Is that so? How impressive," Sophia Quinn said, her sarcastic gaze landing on Brooke York’s face, meeting her eyes.
Brooke York quickly looked down, mortified. ’If only I could turn back time to this morning at the school gate.’
’I would have spoken to Sophia Quinn so much more politely, even if it meant being late.’
Too busy trying to sell her daughter, Alice Cole completely missed the sarcasm in Sophia Quinn’s expression, as well as the strange tension between her and Brooke.
"Yes, she’s amazing! And she’s incredibly kind-hearted, too. Even though she didn’t grow up with us, she has our genes, so she’s full of fine qualities and intelligence!"
Listening to Alice Cole’s words, Brooke York met Sophia Quinn’s mocking half-smile and was so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
She lowered her gaze, not daring to look at Sophia Quinn again, and tugged on Alice Cole’s sleeve. "Mom, that’s enough."
"Oh, honestly, this girl is getting shy. What’s there to be shy about? This is your future mother-in-law! I’m just helping you two get to know each other!" Alice Cole’s tone was tinged with exasperation, as if disappointed in her daughter’s performance.
’Back at home and in the car, she seemed so confident and ambitious. Why is she acting like a mouse that’s seen a cat now that she’s in front of Sophia Quinn, all timid and shrinking away?’