Chapter 51 Your Eyes Look Just Like Hers
+15 BONUS
Rose drove all night long to Chereton, where she managed to find the house according to the address the
next morning.
The door was open when she arrived, and a middle–aged woman sat outside in the courtyard sewing. She was surprised to see Rose.
“Hi there, are you Mdm. Angelica?” Rose asked gently.
Angelica Willis swiftly set her sewing down and walked up to Rose.
She looked at her long and hard before saying. “You’re so big now, Rose. I held you when you were a baby, do you remember? Oh, you must’ve forgotten about me already.”
Angelica gazed fixedly at Rose’s face, then exclaimed, “Your eyes… you look just like her!”
Miles had said her eyes resembled someone else’s the other day, too. Knowing now that Angelica meant her mother, she beamed happily, feeling closely affectionate to the older woman.
Angelica told Rose all about her mother, and then handed her an old box. Inside was a large chunk of raw fire opal.
“Your mother left this behind decades ago. Take it. I have no use for it anyway.”
Rose was stunned. She could use this opal to craft a necklace for the jewelry–design competition. It was a beautiful specimen and would surely make heads turn
But then again her mother had left this behind, and now that Angelica had given it to her, Rose couldn’t just take it without giving anything in return.
So she decided she would give Angelica some money before leaving. The latter was a hobby jewelry maker herself, hence she had the tools necessary in the yard.
Rose started crafting the next morning. Watching her deeply focused on her work, Angelica was reminded of Celeste from all those years ago.
There suddenly came a knocking on the front door. Angelica stood up and went to the gate. There was a man outside – Miles Young. Angelica narrowed her eyes cautiously.
Before she could say anything, however, he asked, “Does a woman named Henrietta Willis–live here? Or do you maybe know anyone by that name?”
Angelica masked her shock at the mention of that name. Henrietta Willis was Celeste’s name before she changed it a long time ago.
“No. Never heard of it!”
Angelica swiftly shut the door, worried Rose might be disturbed all the way in the yard.
Disappointment flared in Miles‘ eyes. He had sworn he would find Henrietta after his grandfather instructed him to, yet after following his one possible lead here, it’d abruptly ended just like that.
Rose ended up spending two days finishing the necklace. It was just as beautiful as she’d imagined it! “You do have your mother’s talent,” Angelica mumbled as she gazed at the necklace.
+15 BONUS
Rose decided she would leave the next morning, so she decided to learn more about her mother during dinner. She spoke with Angelica as the two ate.
All of a sudden, Rose began feeling tired. She thought it might have been because of her continuous crafting for the past two days.
“Your mother truly was blessed with talent and luck, you know that?” Angelica suddenly said. “So incredibly lucky it was unbearable. As for you, those eyes of yours do nothing but remind me of her wretched presence!”
Dizziness swept over Rose.
“What are you talking about, Mdm. Angelica?”
“Thank you for turning this chunk of opal into such a fine piece of jewelry. I’m sure it’ll fetch a good price!” Angelica sneered as she took out the jewelry from Rose’s purse as well as her design sketches.
“No…
Rose tried to stop her, but was swept with a wave of lethargy so strong, she passed out. When she next awoke, it was 4:00 AM.
Angelica was nowhere to be found in the house. As Rose recalled what had transpired, she suddenly pieced something together.
“It was him!