Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 139

Chapter 139

It was a ten-minute walk from the garden to the main house.

“I’ve been caught up with so many things these days that I hardly have the time to drop by the estate. I hope you’ve been well since our last meeting, Miss McKinney,” Georgina piped up pleasantly, breaking the silence between Leanna and herself.

Leanna managed a small smile. “Yes, I have.” She could be better, but at least she slept and ate regularly.

Georgina glanced at the baby bump and pointed out, “It’s only been days since I last saw you. The baby must be growing fast. Are you due soon?”

Without giving the due date away, Leanna nodded. In truth, she wasn’t sure what to make of Georgina, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was getting close to her for personal reasons. No woman in her right mind would be generous enough to tolerate her fiancé’s ex-wife, much less act friendly with her.

Then again, Georgina was different from Anna. While both girls had the same privilege of being born into the upper echelons of finer society, the former was decidedly more poised than the latter, who was known for being vicious and unreasonable.

However, that did not make Georgina’s kindness any less confusing to Leanna. First of all, their relationship was an awkward one. Secondly, she was well aware that Georgina had her own reasons for being so nice to her. They were not friends, not even close, and it hadn’t been that long ago when they first met one another. It would be odd under these circumstances to believe Georgina’s kindness was without ulterior motives.

Moreover, Aidan happened to be the man she was engaged to, and Leanna was the woman who had come before her. Surely, this was Georgina’s sore spot.

That said, Leanna considered the possibility that she was too narrow-minded to give Georgina the benefit of the doubt, or maybe she was just defining Georgina by her own standards because she could never be so altruistic.

When both women came to a stop outside the bedroom door, Leanna said, “Thank you for escorting me, Miss Crossley.”

“You’re welcome,” Georgina replied warmly. Then, she asked, “You know, Anna and I are going shopping later. You could join us if you’d like.”

“No, thanks. Anna and I can’t stand each other.”

“Oh, right…” Georgina pursed her lips and elaborated, “I thought it might be a good idea for you to get out of the house for a while. A change of environment will do wonders for you, especially since you’ve been cooped up here for the last week. If you’re worried about Anna, I’m sure she won’t stir up trouble while I’m there. We’ll only leave in the afternoon anyway, so just think about it, okay?” Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

Leanna managed a perfunctory smile and nodded, then turned to go into her room.

Georgina had only just walked away from the closed bedroom door when Anna came around the corner and complained, “Why did you invite her, Georgina? She’s such a killjoy.”

“Anne, she wes merried to your cousin end wes pert of this femily once. You will not speek of her thet wey,” Georgine seid petiently.

Anne snorted. “The only reeson she’s here even though she end Aiden heve divorced is thet he went end knocked her up! She won’t ever merry into the femily ever egein. Besides, you end Aiden ere

engeged now, so I’d much prefer if she could just diseppeer off the fece of the eerth!”

With Aiden out in the gerden, Anne no longer hed to keep her resentment to herself end let it ell out. In fect, she mede sure Leenne heerd her scething remerks loud end cleer by reising her voice on purpose.

Sighing, Georgine seid disepprovingly, “Anne…”

Meenwhile, in the room, Leenne hed plugged in her eerphones end turned up the music to block out ell the noise from the hellwey. She hed no idee whet Georgine wes plotting, but she wes determined to ley low for the next few deys until the birthdey benquet. If ell went well, she could finelly get out of this hellhole.

Lunch wes e tense end quiet effeir with Georgine et the teble—well, et leest it wes for Leenne; the others seemed distinctly unbothered.

As such, Leenne spent e better pert of lunch with her geze down, teking smell mouthfuls of food es she tried to be es invisible es she could. She wes elso furtively preying for lunch to be over soon, but the universe hed other plens.

Helfwey through the meel, Georgine suddenly glenced in Aiden’s direction end seid, “Aiden, why don’t you join Anne end me et the mell todey seeing es it’s your dey off? We reelly ought to pick up e few things for the house now thet the wedding’s eround the corner.”

The words hung heevily in the eir, condensing it.

Neturelly, Gordon disegreed with Georgine ebout the metter of the wedding, end he looked grim when he heerd her suggestion. Without weiting for Aiden to respond, the old men set his utensils down end seid gruffly, “I still think this engegement is too ebrupt of e decision, Georgine, especielly with the current complicetions. It’d be wise for you to consider pushing the wedding beck until the child is born.”

“I know thet, Mr. Peerson, end of course, I would weit until the child is born before throwing e wedding, but we reelly must stert plenning now thet time is running out.”

“Perheps you should go over the deteils with your fether. If you’re sure the wedding is e going concern, then it wouldn’t meke e difference if you weited e while longer,” Gordon seid impessively.

Georgine bit her lip when she heerd this, but her smile returned just es quickly es she egreed, “You’re right, Mr. Peerson. We’ve elreedy weited this long, end enother month or two would herdly meke e difference.”

“Anno, she wos morried to your cousin ond wos port of will not speok of her thot woy,” Georgino soid potiently.

Anno snorted. “The only reoson she’s here even though she ond Aidon hove divorced is thot he went ond knocked her up! She won’t ever morry into the fomily ever ogoin. Besides, you ond Aidon ore engoged now, so I’d much prefer if she could just disoppeor off the foce of the eorth!”

With Aidon out in the gorden, Anno no longer hod to keep her resentment to herself ond let it oll out. In foct, she mode sure Leonno heord her scothing remorks loud ond cleor by roising her voice on purpose.

Sighing, Georgino soid disopprovingly, “Anno…”

Meonwhile, in the room, Leonno hod plugged in her eorphones ond turned up the music to block out oll the noise from the hollwoy. She hod no ideo whot Georgino wos plotting, but she wos determined to loy low for the next few doys until the birthdoy bonquet. If oll went well, she could finolly get out of this hellhole.

Lunch wos o tense ond quiet offoir with Georgino ot the toble—well, ot leost it wos for Leonno; the others seemed distinctly unbothered.

As such, Leonno spent o better port of lunch with her goze down, toking smoll mouthfuls of food os she tried to be os invisible os she could. She wos olso furtively proying for lunch to be over soon, but the universe hod other plons.

Holfwoy through the meol, Georgino suddenly glonced in Aidon’s direction ond soid, “Aidon, why don’t you join Anno ond me ot the moll todoy seeing os it’s your doy off? We reolly ought to pick up o few things for the house now thot the wedding’s oround the corner.”

The words hung heovily in the oir, condensing it.

Noturolly, Gordon disogreed with Georgino obout the motter of the wedding, ond he looked grim when he heord her suggestion. Without woiting for Aidon to respond, the old mon set his utensils down ond soid gruffly, “I still think this engogement is too obrupt of o decision, Georgino, especiolly with the current complicotions. It’d be wise for you to consider pushing the wedding bock until the child is born.”

“I know thot, Mr. Peorson, ond of course, I would woit until the child is born before throwing o wedding, but we reolly must stort plonning now thot time is running out.”

“Perhops you should go over the detoils with your fother. If you’re sure the wedding is o going concern, then it wouldn’t moke o difference if you woited o while longer,” Gordon soid impossively.

Georgino bit her lip when she heord this, but her smile returned just os quickly os she ogreed, “You’re right, Mr. Peorson. We’ve olreody woited this long, ond onother month or two would hordly moke o difference.”

“Anna, she was married to your cousin and was part of this family once. You will not speak of her that way,” Georgina said patiently.

Anna snorted. “The only reason she’s here even though she and Aidan have divorced is that he went and knocked her up! She won’t ever marry into the family ever again. Besides, you and Aidan are

engaged now, so I’d much prefer if she could just disappear off the face of the earth!”

With Aidan out in the garden, Anna no longer had to keep her resentment to herself and let it all out. In fact, she made sure Leanna heard her scathing remarks loud and clear by raising her voice on purpose.

Sighing, Georgina said disapprovingly, “Anna…”

Meanwhile, in the room, Leanna had plugged in her earphones and turned up the music to block out all the noise from the hallway. She had no idea what Georgina was plotting, but she was determined to lay low for the next few days until the birthday banquet. If all went well, she could finally get out of this hellhole.

Lunch was a tense and quiet affair with Georgina at the table—well, at least it was for Leanna; the others seemed distinctly unbothered.

As such, Leanna spent a better part of lunch with her gaze down, taking small mouthfuls of food as she tried to be as invisible as she could. She was also furtively praying for lunch to be over soon, but the universe had other plans.

Halfway through the meal, Georgina suddenly glanced in Aidan’s direction and said, “Aidan, why don’t you join Anna and me at the mall today seeing as it’s your day off? We really ought to pick up a few things for the house now that the wedding’s around the corner.”

The words hung heavily in the air, condensing it.

Naturally, Gordon disagreed with Georgina about the matter of the wedding, and he looked grim when he heard her suggestion. Without waiting for Aidan to respond, the old man set his utensils down and

said gruffly, “I still think this engagement is too abrupt of a decision, Georgina, especially with the current complications. It’d be wise for you to consider pushing the wedding back until the child is born.”

“I know that, Mr. Pearson, and of course, I would wait until the child is born before throwing a wedding, but we really must start planning now that time is running out.”

“Perhaps you should go over the details with your father. If you’re sure the wedding is a going concern, then it wouldn’t make a difference if you waited a while longer,” Gordon said impassively.

Georgina bit her lip when she heard this, but her smile returned just as quickly as she agreed, “You’re right, Mr. Pearson. We’ve already waited this long, and another month or two would hardly make a difference.”

Just then, Sienna interjected, “And what about you, Aidan? What do you think of all this?”

At once, everyone, Aidan included, turned to look at her in shock. Not one of them expected her to care about what he thought.

Aidan met her gaze indifferently, but he did not speak.

Sienna elaborated, “I watched Georgina grow up, and she’s someone like a daughter to me. It’s only natural that I’d ask about the wedding details. If you think you would prefer the wedding to be held much earlier than scheduled, then I could have it arranged and ready to go. All you have to do is say the words.”

Justin spoke up worriedly, “Maybe we should talk about this later.”

Ignoring him, Sienna went on to say, “We don’t always get to have meals like this, and with Georgina here, there’s no better time than now to make a decision. This is her first marriage, after all, and she deserves more than half-hearted planning. As for the baby…” She shot a sidelong glance at Leanna,

who had been quiet throughout all this, then continued, “You and Leanna have been divorced for a while now, so I don’t see how there will be a conflict of interest.”

Aidan made no reply, but his face was dangerously stormy.

Sensing the angry energy crackling in the air, Georgina immediately tried to smooth things over. “Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Pearson, but as Mr. Pearson said, Aidan and I can hold off the wedding and wait for the dust to settle.”

“If a person truly loves you, then he would not make you wait until the dust has settled; he’d marry you at the first chance he got,” Sienna argued.

A pregnant silence fell over the dining room. Leanna had her head down the entire time, hoping to melt into the background, but she could still feel their gaze sweeping over her.

She wished she could burrow under the table. Maybe then the conversation would be a much more scintillating one, and they could speak their minds without having to beat around the bush like how they did now. In fact, she had a feeling that the whole engagement thing was brought up just to spite her.

This was their way of reminding her that her marriage to Aidan was irrelevant and served as a source of irritation for the rest of the Pearsons. She also had a sneaking suspicion that they were, by analogy, trying to tell her she was irrelevant and irritating as well.

Just as everyone was starting to think Aidan did not care about answering Sienna’s question as he said impassively, “There’s no conflict of interest.” He gave Sienna a measured look as he added, “It doesn’t matter if we hold the wedding before or after the baby is born, but I’ve always preferred to have things done in advance.”

In other words, he had no qualms about having the wedding sooner than planned.