Chapter 362: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (2)
The car stopped at the Burtons’ doorstep, and Ruby Gregory, filled with confusion, said goodbye to Steve Burton, then entered the Burton’s home.
Ruby, with her mind full of questions, was puzzling over the mysterious phrase Steve casually tossed at her in the car. So much so that she didn’t even respond when the servants in the courtyard greeted her in a hurry.
A servant opened the door for Ruby and called into the house, “Madam, Miss is back.”
Before Ruby could even change shoes, Lady Gregory, overwhelmed with joy, ran out of the house. She took Ruby’s hand with an ear-to-ear grin and said, “Ruby, Ruby, great news, monumental news!”
Ruby didn’t even hear what Lady Gregory had said. She was rattled from her perplexity only by how forcefully her mother, in her excessive excitement, grabbed her hand and jolted her out of the conundrum Steve had left her in.
Ruby blinked in confusion at her mother’s beaming face, then glanced at a nearby servant and asked, “Did something good happen in the house?”
The servant, equally puzzled, shook his head.
Lady Gregory, who was over fifty but looked like a woman in her early forties due to good care, was now glowing with such exuberant joy that she appeared like a thrilled young girl. She held Ruby’s hand and gripped it even tighter, saying, “It’s not just good news. It’s the best news.”
Without waiting for Ruby’s response, Lady Gregory, with a surprised look on her face, asked, “Ruby, guess, guess what it is?”
Ruby could only think about the cryptic words Steve had left her. She hardly had attention to spare to guess her mother’s good news, but she didn’t want to dampen her mother’s joy either. With a somewhat absent-minded comment she said, “Did Dad sign a big client?”
“The good news I’m about to tell you is way better than that. Guess again.” Lady Gregory said, her eyes brimming with elation as she looked at Ruby.
Ruby raised an eyebrow, “Did you win the lottery…?”
Lady Gregory shook her head, “That’s not nearly as exciting as your dad closing a big deal.”
Ruby pursed her lips, “Did Dad get an investment from the bank?”
“Why are your guesses getting worse?” Lady Gregory complained, but her smile was even brighter. She moved closer to Ruby, and said quietly, barely concealing her excitement, “Ruby, this great news is about you. I received a call from Madam Burton just now. She wants to schedule a meeting with me to discuss your marriage with Steve.”
Ruby had never paid much attention to what her mother considered good news. She was listless throughout the conversation, only becoming slightly interested when she heard the name, “Madam Burton”. She continued to seem unengaged until her mother finished her sentence. Ruby gave her mother a brief “oh” to indicate she knew, and then bent down to take off her shoes.
But the moment her hand touched her shoelaces, she realized what her mother had just said. She froze, bolt upright, and lifting her head, stared at her mother with furrowed brow, asking in disbelief, “Mom, what did you just say?”