The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 1917

Ivy had been up since the dawn broke, busy in the kitchen preparing a hearty breakfast. After baking some scones and frying up a batch of eggs, she decided to finish off with a pot of oatmeal.

While the oatmeal simmered gently on the stove, Ivy’s stomach gave an unexpected lurch. She glanced over at Leila, her expression a mix of discomfort and urgency. “Leila, I gotta go to the bathroom. The oatmeal’s not ready yet. Could you keep an eye on it for me?”

“Sure thing, Miss,” Leila replied, watching Ivy rush off, and a cryptic smile crept over her face.

When Ivy returned, she noticed that Leila had already served the oatmeal. “It’s ready, huh?”

“Yes Miss, all set.” Leila was setting the table with three breakfast plates. “I’ll go fetch Mr. and Mrs. Howard for breakfast.”

Ivy nodded with a smile and took a seat in the dining room.

her uneasy though – the way Leila looked at her seemed strange, almost as if she harbored

Dean and Alyssa made their way

her grandmotherly warmth,

you and Grandpa!” Ivy ladled some oatmeal into bowls for them. “Grandpa, Grandma, I made this oatmeal specially for you. Tell me if it’s

thoughtful girl and gladly took the bowl from

took a sip, giving Ivy a thumbs-up

Ivy’s spirits soared, and she even ate

for the old couple before heading back to her room to unpack her luggage and put her

the door. Ivy opened it to find Talia, the maid in charge of caring for Alyssa and Dean Howard, with a panicked expression. “Miss, emergency! The master and mistress are both terribly sick. They’ve got the runs. The butler’s already arranged to have them

followed Talia out. “What happened? They

as they hurried, “Right after breakfast, Mr. Howard started feeling ill, then Mrs. Howard too. After several trips to the