Laura ushered Jake into the room, where he said, "My lady, Mr. Curtis sent me to take you back to the Richardson family."
Leanne was puzzled. Why hadn't Curtis called her himself?
She set aside her gardening shears and took off her gloves. "I'll just wash my hands and be right there."
It had been a while since she last visited home after encountering Hanley there.
The mysteries surrounding the Richardson family, especially the secrets Mary kept, made it hard for Leanne to look at them the same way.
Returning to the Richardson family brought those unresolved questions back into focus.
Distracted, Jake parked at a rarely used side entrance. Only when Leanne stepped out did she realize where they were.
Just as she was about to ask why, a servant from the Richardson family opened the door from inside, as if waiting specifically for her.
Entering through the side door, the old mansion's layout was a maze leading to the living room. As she navigated the twists and turns, passing a closed parlor, she overheard voices inside and paused. Through the door of the parlor.
The matriarch looked frailer than before, settling onto the couch with her cane. Her spirits only lifted when talking about Leanne. "How was Anne's honeymoon trip?"
"Great."
Curtis, sitting across from her in a suit that seemed to accentuate his aloof demeanor, replied.
"As long as you're both happy. Anne quit her job. It's a good time for her to rest. She's been overworked these past years."
"Leanne always lets people boss her at work without complaining at home. If it weren't for that news report, I wouldn't have known she'd been hospitalized."
Despite her frailty, Mary went on, "If she wants to study, that's fine. She's always been sharp, perfect for academia. Once she's finished, we can open a clinic for her, so she won't have to work so hard and no one will dare mistreat her. Curtis, Phillip, you'll help her out, won't you?"
"Anything else?" Curtis asked.
"You're the one I worry about," she retorted. "If you dare upset Anne, I'd come back from my grave to deal with you!"
Curtis' gaze was inscrutable. After a moment of silence, he promised, "I won't hurt her."
He slid a printed photo across the coffee table to her, a picture of a shrine.
"Why did you set up a memorial for Joseph and Rose at the chapel, dedicating prayers for them.?"
Mary sighed at the sight of the photo. "You always were too clever for your own good."
"When I was young, you weren't religious. After Charles died, you spent years at that retreat. I thought it was for Charles."
"What have you done to owe the Castillo family, keeping up their memorial for twenty years?"
"That's none of your business!" She stood abruptly, attempting to leave. "Sarah, get him out of here!"
Leanne's tears starting to blur her vision. She pushed the door open.
Mary, who was just feigning indignance, suddenly changed her tone. "My dear..."
"I don't know if I can still call you grandmother," Leanne said, her voice thick with emotion, standing defiantly at the doorway. "I deserve to know why my parents died. He might not have the right to ask, but surely I do?"
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