Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 289

As Garry and Dominic picked up their forks, the rest of the table followed suit, helping themselves to the meal.

Susan sat between Viola and Miranda, acutely aware of the tension radiating from both sides. With practiced subtlety, she glanced at Miranda first, noting that Miranda’s expression had already returned to its usual calm. Miranda even curled her lips slightly, as if she were settling in to watch a show.

After a moment, Susan leaned toward Viola and murmured, “Viola, why aren’t you at the main table?”

She was Vicky’s own sister, after all. No matter what, she should have been seated at the head table.

Viola’s face tensed. There were two reasons for this: she and Vicky never got along, and she’d never been much favored at home. Vicky always managed to overshadow her in everything. After her argument with Jocelyn at Halcyon Hall, word had gotten back to the Chalfonts, and they’d grounded her for several days. When she was finally allowed out, she’d stayed away from the Chalfont estate for quite some time.

Even though both families approved of the engagement between Vicky and Seymour, everyone knew the Chalfonts were marrying up. The Chalfonts didn’t want Viola to embarrass herself in front of the Raynes, so they’d quietly kept her away from the main table.

It was hardly a secret that Viola was the overlooked Chalfont daughter. Now, with Susan’s question, it felt like salt in a fresh wound.

If it had been anyone else, Viola would have snapped back immediately. But since Susan was close to Miranda, Viola could only force a thin smile and reply in a flat tone, “It doesn’t matter where I sit.”

Miranda gave a slight, amused smile and said softly, “Oh, but it does. Juliet—the Raynes’ goddaughter—gets to sit at the main table. If you, the Chalfonts’ own daughter, don’t take your place, won’t people start to talk?”

After the meal, Viola suggested a round of golf, but no one had brought appropriate clothing, so they politely declined. In the end, everyone gathered upstairs for cards and board games.

The Raynes had set up a private room with several card tables. Jocelyn was the first to claim a seat, immediately taking charge of one table. Susan and Miranda quickly joined her.

Cynthia wasn’t much interested in cards; her thoughts kept drifting to Juliet. Earlier, as everyone was heading upstairs, she’d tried to find Juliet and bring her along, but Old Mr. Raynes had wanted to introduce Juliet to a guest from Elderhaven, so she’d had to stay behind.

With no other choice, Cynthia went upstairs with Dominic. Jocelyn, who had been buried in work for weeks and hadn’t played cards in ages, was already getting into the spirit. Spotting Viola lingering nearby, she called out, “Viola, come join us!”