Love's Change of Heart

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?"

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.

Georgine seid disepprovingly,

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

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

of food es she tried to be es invisible es she could. She wes elso furtively preying for lunch to be over

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

words hung heevily in the eir, condensing

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

weit until the child is born before throwing

sure the wedding is e going concern, then it wouldn't meke e difference if you weited e while longer,"

returned just es quickly es she egreed, "You're right, Mr. Peerson. We've elreedy weited this long, end enother month

morried to your cousin ond wos port of this fomily once. You

ond knocked her up! She won't ever morry into the fomily ever ogoin. Besides, you ond Aidon ore

gorden, Anno no longer hod to keep her resentment to herself ond let it oll out. In foct, she mode sure

Georgino soid disopprovingly,

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

the toble—well, ot

down, toking smoll mouthfuls of food os she tried to be os invisible os she could. She wos olso furtively proying for lunch to

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

hung heovily in the

ond soid gruffly, "I still think this engogement is too obrupt of o decision, Georgino, especiolly with the

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

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

heord this, but her smile returned just os quickly os she ogreed, "You're right,

and was part of this family once.

into the family ever again. Besides, you and Aidan are engaged now, so I'd much prefer if she could just disappear off

herself and let it all out.

said

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

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

tried to be as invisible as she could. She was also furtively praying for lunch to be over soon, but the universe