Chapter 283: Only Natasha Can Handle This
“Where’s Isolde?” Patricia asked.
The servants said she left early this morning with her people. “They said she went to Montlins Manor and probably won’t be back tonight,” Christine replied, her face dark with frustration. A knot of anger tightened in her chest, neither rising nor dissipating. She glanced at the pile of gifts, feeling even more agitated.
“You stay here and handle things. I’ll go back and explain the situation to Mother. We can’t let them get ahead of us and spread their version of the story first,” Patricia said.
“Alright,” Christine said, hands on her hips as she surveyed the pile of gifts. “Someone, move these things aside. Don’t let them clutter the place. Once they’re moved, no one touches them!”
“Yes,” the servant replied.
After Patricia left, Christine thought for a moment and went to Geoffrey’s room to find Harlan. She called Harlan outside and asked, “Mrs. Langley, is something wrong?”
“Did you receive the betrothal gifts from the Valen family?” Christine asked.
“Yes, that day no one else was available in the residence, and Geoffrey was too unwell to get up, so I received them.”
“They sent roosters?”
“They sent a pair of roosters.”
Christine’s voice turned icy. “Just now, they claimed they sent wild geese. They’re lying through their teeth. It seems they’ve been deliberately causing trouble from the start.”
“Wild geese? They sent roosters…” Harlan paused, suddenly recalling the wedding customs. “Wait, why would they send roosters for a betrothal ceremony? I was so busy that day, I didn’t pay much attention.”
He hadn’t expected the Valen family to do such a thing.
“They’re deliberately humiliating Oliver and Isolde,” Christine said in a low voice. “Geoffrey is injured, so don’t tell him about this. We’ll handle it. How is he doing?”
Harlan nodded. “He wasn’t fully recovered to begin with. After going to the palace to seek forgiveness, his back and feet were injured, and they’ve since become infected and swollen. He’s actually worse now than before. His constitution has been weakened, and it’s not easy to recover. But he’s taking good care of himself now, trying to heal quickly for Lady Isolde’s wedding.”
“Alright, keep this from him. Don’t let him get upset,” Christine said, then added bitterly, “I never thought I’d care about him one day.”
The Sharp family’s feelings toward Geoffrey were complicated. They knew he had deeply loved Prunella, but the things he had done weren’t easily forgiven.
When Patricia returned and explained the situation to Natasha, Natasha’s face twisted into a fierce grin. “Good!” she exclaimed, energized. “Prepare the carriage!”
“Shouldn’t we take a sedan chair? The carriage is too bumpy,” Patricia suggested.
“No, sedan chairs are too slow!” Natasha stood up, straightened her posture, and ordered a maid to fetch her cloak. She looked like a warrior ready for battle.
“What about Garrett…” Patricia hesitated.
“Why tell him about these things? This is women’s business,” Natasha said, taking the cane handed to her by a maid. She took a few steady steps, and Patricia felt slightly reassured.
Natasha’s health had been fluctuating, and it was a constant worry for the family. They could only hope that this confrontation wouldn’t take too much of a toll on her. Margaret and Lillian were no pushovers. They were tough, unyielding, and quick to shift blame.
“Natasha, what should we do now?” Patricia asked, supporting her as they walked.
Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Send everything they sent back!”
Patricia was stunned. “We can’t do that. If outsiders see this, won’t Isolde lose face?”
“What’s face worth? Margaret is counting on us thinking this way. She sent fewer items, all common things, betting that we wouldn’t make a fuss. But we can’t take this loss. If we let them get away with it once, we’ll lose our momentum. They’ll keep pushing and bullying Isolde whenever they want.”
The group arrived at the Valen residence at dusk in a grand procession. Under Natasha’s orders, the pair of roosters was thrown directly into the main hall.
The Valen residence was bustling with activity due to the wedding preparations. Women from the clan had gathered, ostensibly to help but really to soak up the festive atmosphere and gossip. Weddings were always a great opportunity to socialize, exchange news, and discuss the latest scandals.
When Natasha arrived and the roosters were thrown in, everyone was startled. The roosters, being uncastrated, were aggressive. Seeing strangers, they flapped their wings and charged, causing chaos in the hall. The room was filled with squawking and flapping as the two roosters caused a commotion.
Margaret’s face paled as she ordered the servants to catch the roosters. She straightened her hair and clothes, then turned to face Natasha, who was leaning on her cane and surrounded by Patricia and a group of armed guards. The Sharp family was a military household, and when Natasha went out to make a scene, she didn’t bring ordinary servants but armed guards and soldiers. The sudden entrance of over twenty tall, imposing figures intimidated everyone in the room.
Lillian was also present. Seeing the returned betrothal gifts, she sneered. “So this is the famous Mrs. Sharp, is it? What’s all this about? Why have the betrothal gifts been returned? We were just saying how rushed the preparations were and how some items were missing. Instead of discussing it, you threw us out. And now you’ve come to the Valen residence to make a scene? Are you bullying the Valen family because you think we have no one to stand up for us?”
Natasha wasn’t exactly a prominent figure in the capital. She came from a merchant family and, after marrying Garrett, had lived a quiet life, never causing any major incidents. Even when her daughter died in the Langley residence, she hadn’t made a fuss. She had been granted the title of First Rank Lady due to Garrett’s achievements, but she had spent most of her time in the border regions and rarely returned to Argentum. Unless one moved in elite circles, they wouldn’t even know who she was. Lillian believed that, despite Garrett’s fame, he was still just a rough military man without a noble title. Lillian couldn’t compare to the Valen family.
Natasha strode in, her tiger-headed cane tapping sharply on the marble floor. She glared at Lillian and scolded, “So you’re the one who caused a scene at the Langley residence today, aren’t you? Let me take a good look at you. What gives you the right to meddle in the marriage between the Valen and Langley families?”
Lillian raised her sharp, disdainful eyes and retorted shrilly, “Don’t talk nonsense. What do you mean by causing a scene at the Langley residence? Today was about delivering the betrothal gifts. Your daughters-in-law said the gifts were incomplete and threw us out without a word. They have no manners at all. And now you’re here to blame us first?”
The room was filled with relatives from the Valen family and the Hanson family. Before Natasha arrived, Lillian had already spun her version of the events, fabricating lies without a shred of truth.
Hearing this, everyone exclaimed about how overbearing and unreasonable the Langley and Sharp families were. Now, seeing Natasha storm in, shouting and causing a scene with the roosters, someone spoke up, “The Sharp family is going too far. Even if the Valen family made a mistake, you could have pointed it out. Throwing people out was bad enough, but coming here to accuse us? This is unheard of!”